"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...