Grace to See in the Night Seasons

John 11: 9 - 10, Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." NKJV

When we read the words of Jesus in the above scripture, it seems as if He is speaking literally. However, that isn't the case. He is teaching His disciples and us to walk in the Light of His Word to prevent us from stumbling or backsliding into sin. The Lord uses natural things to help us grasp spiritual principles so that we don't walk in inner darkness or ignorance. In John 8, Jesus tells us to continue abiding in and obeying His Word; doing so will cause us to know the truth that sets us free from spiritual bondage.

Let's bring this down where we live every day. Generally, we go about our day doing what needs to be done. However, on occasion, we will run into a situation where we will feel as though we have been blindsided by a person or circumstance. I use the term "blindsided" to let you know that not everything in your daily life is just a coincidence or an accident. Satan is busy trying to trip you up spiritually and give you an occasion to fall into temptation.

We must not allow ourselves to be led by only our soul, which consists of our thoughts, desires, feelings, and rationales. As believers, Jesus wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit; His Word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We live in a natural world. Nevertheless, we are engaged in a spiritual battle with enemies who are invisible to the human eye; this is why we're instructed in scripture to hide God's Word in our hearts so that we won't sin against it. When we choose on a daily, or at least a regular basis, to feed from God's Word and be willing to listen to the leading of His Spirit, we are allowing "spiritual" safeguards to be placed around our "physical" steps. 

There are guardrails on the sides of the road; however, they're only in places where lives have been lost, or in dangerous locations like sharp curves and steep drop-offs. We don't have a guard rail that extends the length of every highway. Now consider this: When we come upon a bridge, there are always safeguards that continue the length of the entire bridge. Why is this? It is because as long as we are over a body of water or a high overpass, there is a possibility that we might veer off of the bridge. Why do I bring up the differences between highway guardrails and those on bridges? God doesn't seek to control our lives, but He provides protection in perilous places. His Word will keep/protect us during the times when spiritual darkness seeks to destroy our lives by blinding us to impending danger. The Light of His Word will keep us safeguarded until we have successfully passed through the danger.

When we learn to walk in God's Light, called the Word, and we begin to place our trust in Him to keep us in all our ways, we can be at rest. We don't have to fear because we don't know what is waiting up the road of life. We know that God has us covered because we have honored His Word. He will protect us from stumbling and wrecking our lives on the sharp curves of life. The Lord doesn't want us to constantly fret and worry about the future. Thferefore, He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to assist and direct our steps by setting boundaries in the areas and seasons of life where danger lurks. 

Trust in the Lord with all your hearts and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. The Light of God's Word illuminates our human understanding so that we can see the invisible, and we can do the impossible. All we need is to exercise our faith.

Walking By Faith, 

Pastor Asa Dockery

The Patience of God

2 Peter 3 : 8 - 9, But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

God told Hosea that His people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. When believers don't know God's ways or His Word, it leaves them susceptible to Satan's devices. In other words, Satan can use spiritual ignorance against us because it gives him an upper hand in the battle. Therefore, we are commanded by Jesus to know His Word and keep it so that we won't sin against it.

Are you a Christian, yet you still have unrepentant sin in your heart? Or, you might have a loved-one or friend who is living in sin and doesn't see or feel the need to repent for their actions. In every instance, sin has consequences; we know this because Paul tells us in Romans 3, "The wages of sin is death." James also warns us that when sin is conceived, it brings forth death. Even so, you may not see death immediately as a result of unrepentant sin in your heart, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. 

When God warned Adam about the tree of knowledge, He told him that in the day that he partook of it, he would surely die. We know from reading Genesis 3 that Adam didn't die right away. In fact, he lived 930 years. Doesn't it seem as though God might have missed it just a little? Adam saw many days come and go, but never experienced the word that the Lord had spoken to him about sin? 

As you have read in today's scripture, many, not knowing the ways of God mistake His patience as slackness. When God came and asked Adam if he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, it wasn't because God didn't already know; God knows before you or I commit a sin what we're going to do. Therefore, He has placed warnings in His Word to try to prevent us from opening our lives to sin, regret, and death. God was offering Adam an opportunity to confess his sin, but Adam didn't.

When it comes to unrepentant sin that goes seemingly unchecked and without consequences, America is living on borrowed time. Millions of babies have been aborted in the name of convenience; and immorality such as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality has become the norm in our modern times... even though God's Word warns of the repercussions of such sins. Nevertheless, because nothing has happened to this nation, like it did in Sodom and Gomorrah, we continue on as if sin has become acceptable in God's eyes now. God has been longsuffering toward our sin so that we have the time to come to our senses and repent before it's too late. However, our society has mistaken His patience as slackness or compliance. There's a false sense of security that nothing "bad" will happen because we have been committing these sins for decades and life continues on.

Even so, Paul warns us in his letter to the Thessalonica, "When the world says peace and safety, sudden destruction shall come upon them, and they shall not escape." Let us repent as individuals and as a nation before sudden destruction comes upon us. Let us not mistake God's patience as Him going along with our sins or winking at them. In Adam's case, it appeared as though God had missed it. Nevertheless, let me remind you what Peter said in today's scripture. In the context, he was addressing a day with the Lord as being one-thousand years; God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance. How long did we say Adam lived? He lived 930 years! How long is a day with the Lord? It is 1,000 years!  Consequently, we see that Adam fell short of living one day. In plain speech, he died in the day that he had eaten of the fruit of sin, just like God foretold. 

Do we really want to keep tempting the Lord God with our unrepentant sin? Absolutely not! This devotion was taken from a sermon the Lord had me to preach at WHCN recently. I invite you to go to our website and watch it in its entirety. "Where Was God When Lives Were Lost?" It is a powerful Word on the goodness of God and how it brings us to repentance. America needs the goodness of God, not to stimulate our economy, but to stimulate our hearts to begin to repent and seek His heart, instead of sin.

Please consider forwarding this message to your family and friends so that we can join together and pray for God to grant this great nation repentance and spiritual restoration. "Lord, turn our hearts away from lust and sin and grant us the convicting power of the Holy Spirit so that we will be drawn once again into your presence and protection. In Jesus' name, we pray and agree. Amen!

Sounding a Wakeup Call,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Happy New Year 2013

Psalms 103: 1 - 5, Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. NKJV

The congregation, media ministry, and staff of World Harvest Church North (WHCN) want to wish you a very blessed and healthy New Year. As I was considering today's devotion, I couldn't help but remember all the goodness that God has bestowed upon us over the previous year. Even in the face of difficulties, we have witnessed God's unfailing love and faithfulness to His people in so many ways. 

WHCN is beginning 2013 just like we did 2012, with a 21 day fast. During the 2012 fast, God performed a creative miracle; He extended a woman's leg so that she didn't have to walk with a limp or a cane. Shortly after this major miracle, our financial secretary was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease called "Myasthenia Gravis." It attacked her muscles and would have destroyed her lung's ability to function and produce oxygen. Nevertheless, on the Wednesday that she was diagnosed by her physician, she had her son drive her to the church; and during the service that evening, God completely healed her. She couldn't talk; and she couldn't walk without a walker; however, she walked out of the church talking and without any assistance. She is back at her job and doing well. Also during the fast, a woman who had surgery to fuse vertebras together in her neck was healed. She can now move her head to the right for the first time since the damaged occurred.

It was also during this time that the church retired over twenty-thousand dollars of debt. The Lord did this during the winter months and while most of our congregation was struggling financially. Throughout 2012, we have watched the goodness of God at work in individual lives, in families, and in other churches that we are in fellowship with. 

Miracle after miracle was wrought by the Lord in our midst this year. We have had at least two individuals who were diagnosed with cancer completely healed. God gave us favor with our media ministry and empowered us to launch World Harvest Cyber Church. While I was in Bulgaria, I could watch our service as it was being streamed live over the internet. Most recently, the Lord has given us favor with Cross.tv to launch our television and internet ministry on iTunes, Apple, Google, and Roku channels. I am reminded of the seed that Joseph sowed during a time of famine, and God blessed his obedience with a one-hundred-fold blessing. God has done so much for WHCN, our families, and the media ministry that I truly cannot tell it all.

I share these praise reports with you for two reasons: The first is to give God all the glory for the great miracles He has given to His people and laborers. The second is to build YOUR faith in God's promise to supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I want to leave you today by declaring the priestly blessing (found in the scripture below) over you and your family; this is the same blessing that God commanded Moses to speak over the children of Israel. I truly believe that the kingdom of God is going to prosper and grow as never before in 2013. 

Numbers 6: 22 - 27, And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."' "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." NKJV

Happy New Year!

Pastor Asa Dockery

Where Was God When Lives Were Lost?

Genesis 3 : 6 - 9, So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" NKJV

In the aftermath of human suffering and loss, people seem to be compelled to turn to God. However, when I say, "Turn to God," I use that term loosely. In many cases when people ask, "Where was God when lives were lost?" they are only aiming to blame Him for someone else's wrong actions. If people don't know God or His Word because they have no desire or interest in doing so, then how can they ever understand why God does or does not do something? How can you explain why I do certain things if all you know about me is my name?

When Jesus was in Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" They answered Him and said, "Some say that you are John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others say that you are Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." Then Jesus turned to those who had been walking and living with Him and asked them the same question. Simon answered Jesus correctly because the Holy Spirit had revealed Jesus' spiritual identity to him. Simon said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

If we want to know where God was at a particular time in our history or why He allows death to invade society, then we must go to Him in humility and seek His answer; it is pointless to ask the world a question about God. The people in the world don't know God. Consequently, they seek only to place blame at His feet in order to shift responsibility on Him and away from them. Let's dig deeper into this subject and see what the Word of God has to say about God's whereabouts during times of human suffering.

In the scripture for today's word, you will see that God isn't present in body form to prevent Eve from acting on Satan's lies and committing sin. She acted of her own freewill. Even so, where was God? He had already given Adam both the commandment and the warning of what would happen should they disobey His directive not to eat to the forbidden tree. Nevertheless, in spite of God's will being expressed to Adam, and although he knew before sinning what the repercussions would be, he decided to please himself instead of God.

Consequently, as a result of Adam and Eve's decision to sin, death was released on mankind. We don't see it immediately in this chapter; nonetheless, if you read chapter 4, you will see that Cain kills Abel. The first account of murder in the Bible occurred shortly after man chose to sin against God. At this point, the world's media would appear on the scene and ask, "Where was God when this evil man, Cain killed his innocent brother?"

Have you noticed that their attention is always diverted "at" God, instead of turning to Him? When God appeared on the scene after Adam and Eve sinned, He asked Adam, "Where are you, Adam?" While we're asking God where He was during a time of devastation and great loss, God is asking those who have been given His Holy Spirit and His Word, "Where were you?"

The Bible tells us that while Satan was tempting Eve, Adam was standing right beside her. He shirked his duties of defending Eve and standing up for God's will and Word and, thereby, allowed sin and death to invade our world. Now, I want you to notice that there wasn't an immediate consequence to their sin; in other words, neither of them died immediately. Nevertheless, what Satan and the world doesn't want you to know, but God does, is that shortly after they committed sin, death took one of their sons; and they lost the closeness of the other son, who committed the heinous crime.

It has been said, "Evil thrives when good men do nothing." This saying still holds true today. God has placed His church on the earth, along with civil government, to protect and preserve life. However, all too often, both God-ordained establishments turn a deaf ear to God and the cries of the innocent as they suffer at the hands of evil people.

We can choose to turn a deaf ear to sin and corruption. We can even join in with those who blame God when tragedy strikes. Nevertheless, while we're tempting the Lord with our wicked ways, God is still asking us the same question that He asked Adam on the day he abdicated his authority. "Where were you when I asked you to pray, and seek My face, and turn from your evil ways, that I might forgive your sins and heal your land? You did not do as I asked; therefore, by doing nothing, you allowed destruction to come upon you."

Here is a passage of scripture that I have preached from on many occasions. It will help us know what our responsibility to God is while we're living on earth.

Ezekiel 3 : 16 - 21, Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul." NKJV

God does not want us to live with shame, regret, grief, and emotional pain over human suffering and loss. He wants us to stand in the gap and build up a hedge around our families, homes, communities, and our nations through righteous living and prayer. Let's keep those who have suffered the loss of family in the recent tragedies that have hit our land lifted in prayer. And let us never become as Adam, who silently stood by and did nothing. Ask the Lord for boldness to stand up in the evil day and be salt and light in the earth, and He will give it to you.

Taking a Stand for Righteous Living,

Pastor Asa Dockery

Sound An Alarm In My Holy Mountain

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

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

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

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

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

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

As Peter stated in his epistle, it is time for judgment to begin in the house of God. It's time we call ourselves back to living a life that is holy and acceptable before God. It's time for the church to become "salt and light" in the world again. We, the church are Christ's ambassadors; we possess the Word of life and Jesus' authority to exercise His will in the earth. I am very concerned (putting it lightly) that if we don't return to the Lord, we as a nation are headed into darker days and troubling waters. God is calling America and the churches in America to repentance and to "man" our posts in His kingdom. We must be about our Father's business. Therefore, we must forsake the allure and temptations of this evil world. Let us not get caught up in the widespread deception that is taking this world by storm. Instead, let us humble ourselves and pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways.

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

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

Sounding An Alarm To The Church,

Pastor Asa Dockery

The Weapon of Praise

2 Chronicles 20 : 14 - 17, Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you." NKJV

God has given His children the garments of praise so that we can overcome the spirit of heaviness. In the 2 Chronicles story today, we read that God instructed King Jehoshaphat to send people out in front of the warriors for the purpose of praising God. In the natural, this seems like a good recipe for disaster. However, in the spirit, it was instruction for victory without a fight.

Likewise, in church, we place much emphasis on praising the Lord. However, have we ever considered that praise is also prophetic? It is prophetic because we praise God for the victory before it is won. Let's take the example given in today's word about the King and the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. Can you imagine how strange it must have seemed to the king to send unarmed people to sing in front of the army that was to do battle? You might say that this took a great deal of faith in God. Isn't that exactly what praise is all about? We're not just singing our praises to God for what He has done on our behalf, we are also declaring victory over the battles that we haven't even encountered. We can do this because we know that the Lord is with us; He is fighting for us to ensure the victory that is needed for us to defeat our adversary, the Devil.

One of the hardest acts of faith as a believer is to praise God during a time of battle. As a pastor, I have seen in my own life how much of a struggle it has been at times to be engaged in a spiritual battle, knowing that I needed to praise God despite how things appeared in the natural. Nevertheless, I lifted my hands and praised the Lord for His goodness in my life. It's hard to praise God during conflicts and seasons of unrest because we are focused on the battle and not on the Lord. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to lay aside everything that may prevent us from running a successful race of faith. He also instructs us to keep our eyes on Jesus as we run. 

When we choose to focus on the Lord instead of looking at any impending danger, we are exercising our faith in God's faithfulness and goodness. When we praise Him, we are declaring prophetically that our God reigns over this battle and its outcome. This will invite God's presence into our conflicts enabling Him to destroy the works of the enemy and bring peace into the situation.

Let me challenge you today. If you're feeling weighted down by heavy burdens, or you're worried about a circumstance that is currently in your life, begin to praise the Lord and invite Him to fight your battles. At first, you may not "feel" anything. Nevertheless, as you lose yourself in God's presence, you will begin to sense God's Spirit stirring in your heart and empowering your praise to bring victory your way.

Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord,
Pastor Asa Dockery

Discovering Our Liberty in Christ

2 Cor. 3: 17 - 18, Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There's far more to our salvation than just being saved. We know that our heavenly Father gave up His Son for us, and in turn, His Son, Jesus, gave up His life so that we could obtain life. However, Jesus also died so that we could be set free from the bondage of the flesh nature, which is rooted in fear. The Lord wants us SAVED and FREE, so we will serve His purpose in the earth, thereby demonstrating to the world how great our God really is.

Those operating according to the flesh nature (the world) want to hold us in bondage in order to gain control and exercise authority over us for their gain. However, God never intended for man to dominate man, even though He placed us under the authority of His leaders. God has placed the body of Christ under His ministers and governing authorities so that we have the freedom to become all that God intended for us from the foundation of the world. Does that mean that every person in authority will diligently serve God's intended purpose in our lives? No, it doesn't. Therefore, we must conclude that even though God has set us under the authority of leaders, we have the responsibility of seeking the Lord for His will in our lives, and it is our responsibility to obey Him in it. Why does God want us free from the fear of man and of being dominated, yet, at the same time, has placed us under governing authority? While God desires that we be free from bondage, He also understands that we are flesh and have a tendency to "do our own thing." As we submit to God's delegated authority in our lives, it assures us that we won't stray from God's protection. "Submit to God, resist the Devil, and he will flee from us.

Time and again, Jesus told His disciples and the Jews, who had believed on Him that they must continue in His Word. Even so, when we read the writings of the Apostles, it's obvious that they listened to His instructions. James tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only that we might not forget what manner of a person we are in Christ. Paul tells us not to grow weary while doing well, for in due season we will reap if we faint not. As we continue to abide in the Word through reading and obeying it, it will begin to liberate us. As we become liberated through God's Word from the fear, lusts, and the cares of this world, then the Holy Spirit will be given the opportunity to transform us into the image of Christ. God never intended for us to be in bondage to anyone. However, He commands us to love one another and to bear one another's burdens. As we continue to be liberated through obedient faith and are transformed by the Spirit of God into the image of Christ, we will be a true reflection of Christ to the world.  

Letting the Light of Christ Shine Through,

Pastor Asa Dockery