"From Your LIPS to GOD'S EARS!"

The Holy Spirit had me spellbound with the revelation of the anatomy of God's EARS. 

• He "hears" us even before we ask; 
• He "hears" our hearts;
• He "hears" the depths of our desires;
• He distinguishes truth from lies;
• He answers right away, but the "process of preparation" is our greatest challenge (in other words, the amount of "time" it takes for Him to respond to our request is what usually trips us up).

As Believers, we are not always "ready" or "in position" to receive from God. It takes no time for our thoughts, prayers, requests or petitions to transcend the "natural realm" (time) and land at the feet of the Father in the "spirit realm" (eternity).

Since "time" is irrelevant to God (I AM), He is always in the present (right now) "packaging" an answer for us that is immediate while fitting it into the proper time for us without messing us up. We cannot receive "spiritual blessings" with a "natural heart, mind and spirit."  The fact that God hears us through our "mess" and still answers us is the essence of His unconditional love for us.

His caring and loving EARS hear the sounds of those voices that have been muted by various factors of life:

1. The "slurred speech" of those whose ears have been made "deaf" by disobedience; and, 
2. The "deaf, dumb and blind" whose very thoughts and hearts hold them captive to every word that proceeds from the mouth of the enemy and create distance between them and the voice of God.

Our praise and worship (obedience to His Word, Son and Spirit) sounds like a symphony to the King of Glory who sits on high and leans down low to hear us.

His EARS hear our tears, every beat of our broken hearts as well as our smiles, laughter and shouts of joy! Selah...

"The BLESSING of GOD'S WORD!"

The inherent value associated with hearing the proclamation of the "blessing" upon an individual or a group of individuals usually creates quite a stir in the Body of Christ. I would have to say that the "blessing" is the ultimate goal of most Believers. Whether they are begging God to bless them in prayer, standing in line during church waiting for the Pastor to bless them by laying hands on them or making their weekly trek to the convenient store to get "blessed" by winning the lottery; Christians are obsessed with the blessing.

A blessing is the "favor and protection of God." It (the blessing) is NOT exclusively tied to financial or other material gain. Why are God's favor and protection not enough? Why don't we hear people shouting from the roof tops about their intimate relationship with God or the peace that comes from knowing Him or the beauty of His Presence in their lives? Why is there a "REVIVAL" at every church on the planet and NO MANIFESTATION of the Spirit in the marketplace?

The simple answer is that there is "too much MAN and not enough GOD!" 

There are several elements associated with the blessing or "promise" that is inextricably tied to "OBEDIENCE" to God's Word. God will always perform His Word. Don't start shoutin' yet! Look at what the Prophet Jeremiah wrote, "...Then the Lord said unto me, you have seen well for I will hasten My word to perform it." (Jer 1:12)

God does not need our "help," He only "wants" our obedience. He doesn't always respond to the shameless begging we call "prayer" or to our incessant cries for relief from pain and suffering or our misguided acts of kindness perpetrated to receive some type of "reward" from Him. On the contrary, His Word stands on its own merit, power and authority. You see my friend, if you want to get God's attention, simply speak and obey HIS WORDS back to HIM! "For with God, nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37) 

Meditate on these scriptures:

• God's Word accomplishes what He pleases and purposes and prospers in the thing for which He sent it. (Isaiah 56:11)
• The Word of God will stand and endure forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
• God's Word will never pass away. (Matt 5:18)
• God is dependable and faithful to His Word. (Heb 10:23)
• The Word of God is tested, tried and proven. (2 Sam 22:31; Prov 30:5) 

The bottom line is this, 

          "God's Word will work for you if you BELIEVE it!" (Rom 4:18-21)

"What Do YOU Have In Your House?"

In the Book of (2 Kings 4:1-7), there is a prolific story of tragedy versus remedy; lack versus excess; and vision versus sight. It is the perspective of the reader that can change the situation of the person under siege. It has always been the case that the Lord God has fully utilized the ultimate behavior modification technique of "adversity" to motivate His children toward the choice of life or death.

The Believer is thrust into the midst of the fire to burn off the "dross" of apathy, laziness and fear. Like the widow in this story, when faced with the defining moment in your survival the question will always come back to this, "What do you have in your house?" In this instance, your "house" is not your place of residence but rather, your "physical body." In other words, God is asking us the question, "What have I instilled in you? Do you have the faith to believe Me for whatever you need? Will you continue to serve me even in tribulations? Will you submit to My chastening in order to produce glory for Me in the sight of non-Believers? Are you a living sacrifice on the altar of God?

It's a hard thing to have "one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel" and remain steadfast in the faith. The widow had the answer to her problem right in front of her face, but her "eyes" defied her. She was looking with natural versus spiritual eyes. She said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil." Imagine that? Nothing but oil! The prophet Elisha (is a "type" of Christ) and represents the personal encounter a Believer can have with the Father when walking in faith.

ARE YOU AN "EMPTY VESSEL?"

She sent her sons out to collect "vessels" as per the direction of Elisha. She filled the pots with oil. The "oil" represents the "anointing." The "anointing" is the "creativity of God." So then the sons collected many vessels and filled them with oil inside the house (this represents the birth of faith inside the heart, mind and soul of a Believer). The widow sold the oil, paid off her debts and she and her sons lived off of the profits from the rest. End of the story right? Nope...not by a long shot!

The empty vessel is a critical element in this story. In the Hebrew, "vessel" is translated "keliy" or
kel-ee; (#H3627); which is a vessel or a weapon; a thing (or person) prepared, perfected and completed to do work in the Kingdom of God.

A vessel that is full cannot be filled. Therefore, it is critical for a Believer to constantly "pour out" of the abundance of his spirit to serve the life of one or more of God's people in the marketplace. The sons of God must view themselves as weapons that will boldly advance the KOG in the earth! We must remain in a constant state of pouring out so that the "oil" or the "creativity of God" continues to flow. Empty vessels can ONLY be filled by the Holy Spirit!

You do not want to be the son who comes before the Father and states, "There is not another vessel" when the Father asks you the question, "What do you have in your HOUSE?" Selah...

"The THORN in the FLESH!"

What was the "thorn" in the flesh that Paul was referring to in (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)? Bible scholars, church leaders and Believers have debated the form in which the demonic angel delivered this infirmity to the Apostle. He admitted that the Lord God allowed it to come upon him to prevent him from becoming conceited by the incredible revelation and authority he had been receiving from the Holy Spirit.

Even though he pleaded with God to take away his thorn three different times, the Lord God did not heed his request and simply replied, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." God basically said, "The fact that you are being roasted, stewed and barbecued means nothing to Me! Keep it moving brother and DON'T give the devil any credit for what you are going through; this is MY WILL and it is pleasing in My sight!"

Instead of complaining, Paul assumed the posture of boasting in his infirmities so that the power of Christ would REST upon him! Wow, just think about that for a minute; how many of us BOAST in the "trouble" that comes upon us? How many of us cut tail and run at the first sign of adversity? Do you piss and moan in the wake of hardships? What does your thorn represent?

The revelation I received about Paul's thorn was that it was inextricably connected to his persecution. Perhaps as a result of some sort of personal guilt from all the damage he had done in his attempt to dismantle the early church. Maybe it was the persecution he received from his "enemies" as result of his escapades as a "card-carrying Pharisee." It could have been connected to some undisclosed carnal temptation or psychological depression associated with the constant threat of danger he endured or the many afflictions that had befallen him in his quest to spread the Gospel (2 Cor. 11:23-28). His thorn certainly could have been some physical ailment, Malta fever, convulsions or chronic ophthalmia (inflammation of the eyes). For all he had endured to advance the Kingdom of God, it is reasonable to conclude that "physically" Paul was a "hot mess!" He may have been simply asking God to heal his body from the many assaults he survived from both friend and foe.

For the Believer, having a thorn in your flesh does not necessarily equate to sinful living.Your thorn has no bearing whatsoever on God's expectation for you to complete the assignment He has given you in the earth realm. He may even use a "demonic angel" to deliver the thorn to your door step! God is not going to "compete" for your affection or attention. The next level in God is "isolation." A Creator will always make a created thing to depend on Him.

In the final analysis, it is critical for the Believer to embrace his/her testing, trials and tribulations. We have received the revelation of Christ whose thorns pierced His flesh. In His case, the thorns represented "sin." He allowed sin to be placed upon His head so that we might obtain access to eternal life through His perfect atoning sacrifice. What the Roman soldiers fashioned for mockery and degradation was, in fact, the Messiah's "crown of glory."

This is the PROMISE of God for ALL of Believers; that you were fitted for your "crown of thorns" from the foundation of the world! Selah...

"GETHSEMANE: The Beauty of the Garden"

The Garden of Gethsemane ("Olive Press")

Of the hundreds of times we have heard the Garden story preached, how often have we heard the significance of Malchus (John 18:10) who lost an ear (and most certainly his head if you would not have ducked) and the significance of Peter’s sword? Peter certainly misunderstood what Jesus had said about swords earlier that evening (Luke 22:35–38). He had warned them that from now on the situation would change, and men would treat them as transgressors.

He was not suggesting that they use material swords to fight spiritual battles, but that they get a new mind-set and expect opposition and even danger. One thing I love about God is that He always warns us. He had provided for them and protected them while He was with them on earth, but now He was returning to the Father. They would have to depend on the Holy Spirit and exercise wisdom. Peter apparently took His words literally and thought he was supposed to declare war!

Peter’s sword symbolizes rebellion against the will of God. Peter should have known that Jesus would be arrested and that He would willingly surrender to His enemies (Matt. 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19). Peter made every mistake possible! He fought the wrong enemy, used the wrong weapon, had the wrong motive, and accomplished the wrong result! He was openly resisting the will of God and hindering the work that Jesus came to accomplish! While we admire his courage and sincerity, it was certainly a demonstration of zeal without wisdom or discernment.  Christ calls all Believers to be ‘revolutionary’ and not ‘reactionary’ in our dealings in ministry.

Why did Peter fail so miserably? For one thing, he had argued with the Lord when Jesus warned him that he would deny his Master that very night. Peter had slept when he should have been praying, and he talked when he should have been listening. He imitated the very enemies who came to arrest Jesus, for they too were armed with swords. Peter would discover that the sword of the Spirit is the weapon God’s servants use in fighting their spiritual battles (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17). He would later use His ‘spiritual sword’ at Pentecost and “slay” 3,000 souls for the Kingdom!

Jesus did not need Peter’s protection. He could have summoned twelve legions of angels (72,000 to be exact) had He wanted to be delivered (Matt. 26:52–54). These actions point to the beauty of the Garden.  It is a place of ‘adversity, distress and turmoil.’  It is a place of correction, rebuke and conviction. It is a place of communion and peace and reflection. Finally, it is a place of liberation, and grace and repass. The Garden represents the thing we as believers have most in common with the Savior that is seldom preached and accepted; adversity… which is commonly referred to as the “cup” (Luke 22:42).

          Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him and took Him away to be crucified. Isn’t it ironic that the name Judas means ‘Praise Yahweh’ or ‘God?’ Further, God’s grace allowed Jesus to rebuke the ‘same spirit’ of temptation (the devil in the person of Judas) in the Garden of Gethsemane that befell Adam (Satan moving through the deception of the serpent) in the Garden of Eden. Selah...

           

         

         

"The Genesis of OVERCOMING!"

"Fear loves companionship and is a selfish mistress!" 

                                                                        Nicholas Moore 10/14/09

We often hear the word "overcome" and a myriad of thoughts and emotions run through our minds ranging from the human degradation of slavery to modern uprisings throughout our planet as the proletariat strive for equal rights on every front. MLK, Ghandi, Mother Teresa and Lech Walesa are just a few internationally recognized individuals that possessed powerful "overcoming spirits."

But in the mind and heart of a Believer, the ultimate "overcomer" is Christ Jesus. The word overcome is a "kerygmatic" word (one possessing an emphatic declaration of authority, power and influence) that urges the individual to "go and TAKE the VICTORY." The Greek word for overcome is "hettao" Gr: #2274 (hayt-tah-o): which means to vanquish; to struggle against (over); to control, to subjugate; exercise dominion over; to conquer, to prevail and to get the victory.

There appears to be a dual meaning to this word; a part of the definition states, "to be inferior, " to be completely overcome by (someone or something); to bow (down) together (in submission to another). In this, I see a causative effect; the first requirement is to submit to God's authority by seeing what God sees and the effect is that you will be "overcome" by His love, grace and mercy!

It is critical to understand that overcoming will not be absent of fear. "Uncertainty" is the thing that we are most afraid of. Overcoming, in essence, is conquering that thing that our senses cannot detect in the "physical" realm. Fear paralyzes us and it bridles our faith. it is necessary to maintain the proper "spiritual" posture in the Presence of God.

Jesus walks on the Sea in (Matt. 14:22-33) and we witness how fear cripples the ability of the disciples to "hear" Christ and overcome the situation. The disciples couldn't hear Christ because they "heard" the boisterousness of the wind and the waves crashing against the boat. Fear set in among them. The men had to be saying, "My faith is not lining up with what I'm seeing! My present reality (in the flesh) is keeping me from the Presence of God's realities (thereby allowing me to walk on the sea as well). That CANNOT be Him walking on top of the water! Nobody can do that! How could He have overcome gravity?"

Herein lies the psychology of the flesh. The first reaction is fear, then disbelief and finally, doubt. Peter asked Jesus if it was Him, to beckon him to "come." Jesus said "Come" (which was an open invitation for anyone who would "hear" Him to actually "overcome" and walk on the sea with Him). Notice, Jesus did not say, "Come Peter," He just said, "Come!"

What Jesus was really saying was "Overcome!" He was saying to the men, "Who was it that told you to come?" (If you BELIEVED in ME, ALL of you would have come to ME). How many of us are just like the disciples? How many of us hear the call of the Lord God and take our sweet time responding? How many of us who "know" Him are eager to serve Him? How many of us recognize the power in His words?

Fear causes us to STOP MOVING (or overcoming); and when we stop moving, WE SINK! Jesus' finally thought as He watched Peter go under the water may have been, "You stopped moving because you think I'm dead!" Selah...


                 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."  (1 John 5:4)

"The COMPOSITION of ANGELS!"

The effects of "angels" on the soul of the Believer impacts a significant aspect of our spirituality. However, the composition of angels is something entirely different altogether. Angels are "God's Messengers" and ministering spirits enlisted in God's heavenly army with the main task of assisting those who will inherit salvation (Heb.1.14). These messengers assist Believers. At times they are also tasked with special message delivery to non-Believers as well.

Perhaps their composition is a concentrated mass of neutrino (invisible, sub-atomic particles) energy that jettisons from one dimension to another. They can also function as "Appearing spirits." Ordinarily we cannot see angels because they are spirits. But as God permits, there are times when they become visible. Today, they continue to appear bodily as "strangers," and thus the bible warns us to be kind to all people, even strangers (Heb.13.1). Have you ever experienced an encounter with an angel? What was the result?

Their other functions include, 1) fighting against evil spirits (fallen angels), 2) providing a hedge of protection for Believers, 3) transmitting messages to mankind from God, 
4) eliminating the enemy (they can kill spirits and humans) and 5) worshiping and serving God.

Can you imagine the amount of energy God (Elohim) deposited into the creation of Jesus? God's ability to diffuse the "infinite" into a "finite" host (a human body) is incomprehensible! But He did it!

How can an entity like the Holy Spirit be "diffused" but not "dissipated?" In other words, how can something be divided and not be diluted or have its potency diminished? The "miracle of continuity" that supersedes the continuum of time, yet maintains its physical and spiritual"integrity" from dimension to dimension is unfathomable.

These same angels have the ability to "materialize" and "de-materialize" without a "brain" (a physical brain) and control its power. Just like mankind they are given assignments that they have to execute in the earth realm. Be it protection, defense, warfare, encouragement or peace, they execute their assignments faithfully. Angels, however, do not have the authority to act on their own accord. They are servants!

Stop praying to angels (if you are doing so); they are not "independent contractors." Angels can only be dispatched by the Lord God and it is only He who can give them charge over your lives. Seek the Lord and petition His wisdom and will for your family so that you don't stumble. It is solely the will of our Lord that is the power source behind the mobilization and deployment of the legions of angels needed to assist the needs and desires of His children in the marketplace.

My brothers and sisters, angels are real! They have a profound role in the fearless advancement of the Body of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven in the earth realm, whether it be for your protection or your destruction; the choice is yours...Selah.