"The Least Likely Choice!"

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7)

The youngest son of Jesse was anointed King of Israel as a shepherd boy. He was not even in the house when the prophet Samuel came with the oil to complete his assignment. He was in the field tending the sheep. David was the least likely choice. How many of us were like David? How many people told you that you would amount to nothing? Who said that you were worthless, meaningless and irrelevant?

David was King of Israel from the foundation of the world. The WOG says, “...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love;” (Ephesians 1:4). Whatever gifts and/or talents you have, whether latent or active were bestowed upon you intentionally by God in eternity to be manifested in the fullness of time to advance the Grace KOG for His glory.

David was a king tending sheep. He was fighting off predators of all shapes and sizes (including lions and bears) as a type and shadow of what he would walk out in the kingdom of Israel after Saul’s reign was terminated by God because of rebellion. He was a writer, musician, philanderer, warrior and legend.

God is after the corporate man and we must all be on one accord as we ascend into His Presence. The corporate body is in constant rebellion with the Lord God. The Body of Christ is in turmoil over carnal lusts of self promotion and fame. The Body has been rejected because of apostasy and only the remnant is quelling the wrath of God.

The Spirit of David that was unleashed upon his return with the Ark of the Covenant when he worshipped God with dance was a tribute to the God of Abraham’s selection of him as the least likely to lead His people, but God’s first choice.

“...So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”  (Matthew 20:16)

 “The Bastard Spirit”

“A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.”

            (Deuteronomy 23:2)

The Bastard Spirit is transferable. The father who rejects his son (child) is a bastard long before the birth of the son that he rejects. A bastard is not a child with parents that are not married; it is a child that does not know his father.

Spiritually, a bastard does not share the privileges of God’s children. He functions outside the Kingdom of God (KOG). In fact, if he never accepts Christ as King, he will never enter into fellowship with the Lord God.

Sonship presents a stark contrast to bastardom (kingdom of bastards) in that the resulting relationship between God and man culminates in intimate fellowship, trust, love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (HS). The bastard is not a son and is useless in the KOG.

Sonship is the reward for faithfulness to the Father and governs the ebb and tide of the liberty realized through the grace of God in offering up His Son for our wretchedness. 

"The House of Envy!"

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”

(James 3:16-17)

This is a very familiar scripture in the bible that most often references only verse 16 but I thought it was important to show the transition of how God responds to envy through tearing down rebellion and infusing wisdom into the heart, mind and spirit of the Believer. The fruits of His labor are manifested in verse 17.

Cain was wrought with envy and jealousy. He was a victim of his own pride. The sad truth is that he had no choice. He was under the influence of his father the devil. The WOG says that Satan was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44):

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Envy is defined as a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.: synonyms: jealousy, covetousness, resentment or bitterness. It is a desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to (someone else).

Envy is a catalyst for rebellion. Envy is a major element or ingredient in the recipe for rebellion. Cain’s name translates to “spear” in Hebrew. Perhaps he was a spear through the heart of God for his transgression against his brother Abel.

God cursed Cain and banished him to the Land of Nod. His descendants did not survive the Great Flood and his name went on to live in infamy. His house of rebellion still stands until this very day!

"The Results of DISOBEDIENCE!"

In the spiritual world there is a hierarchy of demons directly assigned to idols (idolatry) and sin. These sins include pride, envy, greed, sloth, lust, anger and gluttony. The demonic angels assigned to these spirits have names: Lucifer (pride), Asmodeus (lust), Satan (anger), Beelzebub (gluttony), Belphagor (sloth), Mammon (greed) and Leviathan (envy) and they all have a directive to keep the immature Christian bound in fear so that they can steal his faith!

The prevalence of sin is the result of disobedience!

To meet any need through dishonesty or trickery is lust. Lust is a sin and sin equates to disobedience of God's Word. Disobedience opens the unsuspecting Christian up to emotional wounds and "seducing spirits." These spirits can be either subtle or profound; many times the individual experiences both.

These seducing spirits include, but are not limited to:

• rebellion: witchcraft and sorcery, both literally and figuratively (i.e. manipulation of a weaker vessel through influence, fear and/or intimidation to get them to do your will).
• carnal state of mind or carnality: these spirits place their victims under siege at night even while they sleep with perverted thoughts, images and suggestions;
• unforgiveness: these is a very destructive and dangerous spirit because the spirit of unforgiveness cuts the individual off directly from fellowship with God;
• bitterness: cuts of the grace of God and His protection; it gives access to every demon in hell to invade your temple (physical body, mind, soul and spirit).

As you grow in faith and break the shackles of bondage to fear in order to navigate safely through the waters of the spirit realm, you will have to have the Holy Spirit leading and guiding your every step. These demons work in concert with your "deception" to manipulate and distort your present realities. The Lord God is your "present" help to help in your time of need. 

Don't allow the calamities of life to drive a wedge between you and the Lord. Much of the adversity we encounter in our lives is a direct result of our unrighteous choices; not God punishing us. God didn't hand you the crack pipe, place you on the street corner to deal drugs or hold a gun to your head to get you to rob that bank! It was you or your sphere of influence. Be wise about the company you keep and whom you call "friend."

Demons know exactly what you like and they have keen insight into the heart of mankind and possess the ability to manufacture any IDOL you want to worship...Selah.

"The COST of COMMITMENT!"

"...And a man's enemies will be those of his own household."  
                      
                                                                             (Matthew 10:36)

Make no mistake about it; "Christ brings division!" In the Kingdom of God, you cannot straddle the fence. You have to choose one side or the other. It is the nature of Christ to be confrontational; the gospel of peace is in reality a sword of judgment, tool of discernment and a wrecking ball of perdition.

Who could govern this rowdy, heartless and selfish generation of wickedness but the Spirit of Truth? No one but the Lord God!

As Christ comes, He is not seeking to pit you against your neighbor physically. He is not looking to get you to hate your wife or kids in the natural sense. In essence, it is His nature that is warring against the nature of the Prince of Darkness that resides in each of us. So the two factions collide in the "spirit realm" and the Savior seeks to root out and destroy any remnant of evil that lurks in the recesses of our heart, mind, body and soul.

The "enemy" He is referring to in the Gospel of Matthew is two-fold. It is the enemy that lives "within" the person and, also, the enemy that hovers "outside" the physical body. The enemy within and without is both spiritual and physical. These enemies are thoughts and deeds. They are spirits and doctrines. They are beliefs and fears and doubts and desires.

The "household" in this scripture is also exists within and without. It is your physical and spiritual household. In the life of a heathen it is a prison, but in the life of a Believer it is a mansion. Less we forget, Christ is the architect and you are the builder...if you build to specification, you will live but if you modify His plans you will die! This is the cost of commitment.

"...or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you, that you have from God, and you are not your own?"                   (1 Corinthians 6:19)

"DEEPER!...."

The Eternal Word...(1 John1:1-10)

What was heard, seen and touched by mankind is indelibly imprinted upon the heart, mind, body, soul and spirit of every Believer who has encountered the One True Living God! You cannot have fellowship with the Lord God and walk in darkness. If you say that you have fellowship with Him and willfully sin against Him, then you make God a liar!

The persistent quest of the Believer is to go "deeper" in Him; to gain access to His marvelous Light and to break the shackles of bondage to the flesh that so easily besets us.
If we diligently pursue:

A Deeper Joy

it will lead to...

A Deeper Love

which will lead to...

A Deeper Walk

which will create in you...

A Deeper Desire

to go into Him to find...

A Deeper Truth

that will manifest ...

A Deeper Cleanse

of unrighteousness and create...

A Deeper Certainty

that He is the King of Glory; the Lord God...Strong and Mighty!

"The CONTRADICTION of FAITH!"

"But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

                                                                                        (James 2:20)

Faith and works have a symbiotic relationship meaning they compliment one another; they go hand in hand. There must be a clear understanding that faith and works are indivisible. You see my friend, faith is a verb. It is an action word. It is a mobile, hostile and agile weapon against the "works" of the enemy. Faith is a living organism and is in direct opposition to the human experience which requires, no, demands "proof" for everything before it makes a move:

"Contradiction is defined as a combination of statements, ideas or features of a situation that are opposed to one another; a person, thing or situation in which inconsistent elements are present; and/or is a statement of a position opposite to one already made."

Works provide the individual with the mechanism to establish himself/herself as a Believer in the Word of God and confirms their faith in God before the evidence or "proof" shows up to confirm what they already know and believe. This is yet another contradiction. Why would you move in a direction to do something that would require a major sacrifice without proof? This is inconsistent with "normal" human behavior. 

Faith destroys all the paradigms of "normal" human behavior, thought, reason and philosophy. Works is the means by which the Believer arrives at the destination of faith. Faith requires movement. Faith is ambulatory. Faith is dynamic, not static. Faith is the barrier to the non-Believer in spiritual exile because of the need for proof and "safety."

Faith will cripple and paralyze lazy Christians who want to hide behind their prayers and church meetings and titles while being vehemently opposed to moving out from being the church walls to serve God's people in the marketplace. In this space, this is where the contradictions become evil and wicked and dilute and corrupt the influence, integrity and witness of the institutional church and has given birth to several generations of fools!

Selah...

"The Word Discovers Our Condition!"

"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
                                                                                          (Hebrews 4:11-13)

Many Christians and Believers wrestle daily with their humanity. The trials and tribulations of life and the unwillingness to submit to the power and authority of the Word of God (WOG) have prevented their safe passage into the bosom of the Creator. 

Since the "beginning" there has been a promise of "rest." The "rest" herein is the uncompromising Presence of God (His love, joy and peace). From of the seventh day of creation until this very moment there has been an appeal to mankind to enter into His rest. Moses and his crew decimated an entire generation because of disobedience and a lack of faith. Jesus' recruitment of disciples for the spreading of the gospel was plundered by fear and their carnal desire to be comfortable, popular and accepted.

However, the road to that rest has been laden with the pitfalls of unbelief, sin and hardened hearts and the stiff-necked Christians who were fortunate enough to enter in to that rest have yet to experience the fullness of God's rest because they don't read, study and meditate on His Word!

You can only experience that rest when you not only "know "His Word but "know" Him as well. The major stumbling block to a victorious Christian life is not rote memorization of the Bible (which is a book) but, rather, the immersion of oneself into the spirit and original intent of the WOG which is a living, breathing organism. The WOG is a beacon in darkness that hears the faint cries for help of the lost way off in the distance and presses forward through every manner of adversity to search and rescue that person from himself.

The conclusion of the matter is this: The WOG discovers our condition (clothed or naked) and meets us exactly where we are...whether we like it or not!

"My CUP Runneth Over!"

             "...saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."                      

                                                                                (Luke 22:42)

David sings a song of praise in the midst of his trials as he ponders his future as the mighty King of Israel. Psalm 23 is a psalm of trust. The overriding theme of this song is that there is no fear under the wings of the Almighty! David asserts his total confidence (blessed assurance) that the Lord God is with Him and that his enemies are of no consequence to him. David's cup runneth over...with FAITH!

David is a "sheep" and the Lord God is his Sheperd. Likewise, David was also lord over Israel and was responsible for the spiritual development and maturity of his flock. King David, in the presence of King Jesus represents royalty of the highest order. This psalm is a song of "loyalty to royalty."  This psalm gives us the perfect description of the true nature and meaning of grace and mercy.

As Jesus labors in the Garden of Gethsemane with the anguish and turmoil of His fate of the Cross, His "humanity" is a war with His "deity." His humanity cannot see the absolute nature of this assignment to Calvary and frankly, "Does NOT want to do it!" Is that too hard to hear that Jesus the Man didn't want to go to the Cross? Too bad, because He states His position emphatically right there in the Gospel of Luke 22:42 in black and white!

But praise be to God for the Lord Jesus and the deity of Yahweh that suppresses our fleshly desires, selfish motives and carnal thoughts and deeds. Jesus was given the revelation that His "cup" was full to over flowing and that His time had come. In the Greek language "cup" is translated "poterion" (Strong's #4221) and it means draught; a lot (that has been drawn) and/or "fate." Jesus knew that unless His cup was emptied, no man would be saved and all would perish! He was fully persuaded that the Cross was His lot in life, His fate and His destiny! His cup runneth over...with LOVE!

Simply stated, it is the fate of a righteous man for him to submit his humanity to the deity of Jesus Christ so that he can fulfill his destiny, receive his fate and walk out his assignment in the earth in real time to the glory of God! Our afflictions are only a "playground" compared to the "battlefield" God is preparing to send us in to!

"Is your cup full or empty?" Selah...

"God's Presence Creates Distance!"

           There is no need to worry about the people in your life who are giving you the “blues;” God’s Presence will create distance between you and all the people, places and things that might cause you to fall from grace with the Father. Now I must warn you, this only applies to those Believers that are serious about the POG and desperately want His peace:

          “Where can I go from Your Spirit or where can I flee from Your Presence?” If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”

                                                                   (Psalm 139:7-10)

          The POG in your life will cause your friends and family to look at you sideways and make them pull away from you as if you were doing something strange to them. Guilt is a quirky spirit; it has a mind of its own. I always say, “The guilty always tell on themselves if you are patient enough.” 

          Sure it stings a little and sometimes a lot when a friend or love one shuns you, but at the end of the day, you must be strong enough to know that adversity is part of the pruning process and that there is no getting away from it. The testing of your faith will be measured if you allow them to leave or if you cave in to fear and chase them only to be hurt once again.

          Radical faith offends the wicked (even those folks who don’t think they are wicked). Faith is a heat seeking missile that targets the things that are opposed to God for destruction. It is not the destruction of the individual that faith seeks to obliterate but, rather, the spirit inside the person that is creating distance between them and God.

          

"Peacekeepers versus Peacemakers!"

"Blessed are the peacemaker's for they will be called the sons of God."
                                                          
                                                                    (Matthew 5:9)

What side of the fence are you on? Are you a peacemaker or a  peacekeeper? The shameful thing would be if you were somehow straddling the fence!

A peacekeeper looks to maintain peace at all costs. They compromise truth to avoid confrontation and work hard to convince onlookers that nothing is wrong and that nothing bothers them. They are quick to hide from tense situations and bristle at disagreements of any kind. They like the status quo and fake spirituality and humility as a devise to sidestep conflict by any means necessary.

On the other hand, a peacemaker seeks to create peace and will endure hardship, turmoil and adversity to achieve it. They will confront the adversary with truth, no matter what the cost. He will sacrifice relationships and status and social acceptance to maintain his integrity. He hates sin and loves God. His only desire is to point people to Jesus Christ.

How does one become a peacemaker? By fasting! (Isaiah 58:6-14). I am not talking about changing your diet or turning off your TV for two weeks. I am talking serving God's people in the marketplace. A servant's heart is that of a peacemaker (one who is a light bearer and messenger of the gospel of peace, which is the Word of God). Amen...

"HOPE in the Shadow of FAITH!"

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of things not seen..."
                                                    
                                                                                       (Hebrews 11:1)


The paradigm of hope versus faith is a resounding and reverberating clarion call for all Christians and Believers alike to reconcile themselves to the truth of the revelation of how the truth can polarize the most well meaning of folk.

Hope precedes faith but does not and cannot exceed it. The only thing that exceeds faith is "belief." It is written, "As soon as Jesus overheard what was spoken, He immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Don't be afraid, only believe." (Mark 5:36)

Hope resides in the wheel house of fear. Hope takes away your comfort. How do I know this? Most people that are hoping (waiting) for something are rooted and grounded in fear. They are desperate and they have anxiety. They are, in fact, uncomfortable! Hope immobilizes you and makes you complacent whereby you are waiting for someone else to do something for you.

Conversely, faith empowers and engages the individual. Faith looks the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life" square in the eyes and declares, "I will not submit to you." Faith is the evidence of the presence of God through the person of the Holy Spirit. Faith is righteousness, holiness, peace, love and joy in the Holy Spirit. Faith corrects me. Faith ties us to adversity (kinship with Christ). Faith matches our thoughts with the mind of Christ (His awesome Word). Faith affirms that Jesus Christ is the standard that I measure my spiritual maturity against.

The conclusion of the matter is this: Hope is an occurrence that is deferred sometime off in the future but faith is now...

The Holy Spirit will not stop His work until I am like Christ! Selah...

"Pursuing the KINGDOM of GOD!"

"...But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." 

                                                                      (Matthew 6:25-33)


The key to being successful in pursuing any dream or vision is possessing the ability to be diligent, remain focused and minimize or eliminate distractions. In this passage of scripture, Matthew draws parallels in our everyday life and in creation where God meets and exceeds our needs without our help!

"Do not worry!" God has given us a clear directive and declaration. Worry is the byproduct of fear. Fear and faith cannot co-exist in the life of a Believer. The practical approach to pursuing the KOG can be achieved by first understanding that it is a "spiritual territory" where Believers have the ability to dominate and rule contingent on their level of faith.

There is a profound difference between the KOG and a democracy. In a democracy, the leader has to answer to someone (in most cases it is the people whom they are elected by). However, in the KOG there is only one ruler (God Almighty) and it is incumbent upon the citizens of the KOG to abide by its laws and commandments in order to retain the rights and privileges (salvation, eternal life, etc.) associated with being a son of the King.

Believers have "dual citizenship" in heaven and earth. Seeking the Kingdom first is a kerygmatic statement that offers the listener no alternative. You MUST SEEK GOD FIRST! The Holy Spirit directs us to stop chasing alternative plans for a limited time which binds the Believer in various snares that have the tendency to cripple our witness.

We must prioritize, organize and discipline ourselves to stay connected to the King. Prioritizing the development of our spiritual lives protects us from falling away from God. The KOG has established the priorities of God in the earth. We have been given a righteous priority which is the opposition to selfish prayers (whereby the immature Christian tries to manipulate God through prayer).

The conclusion of the matter is this; righteousness validates our relationship with God and citizenship in the Kingdom and prayer is our motivation for intimacy with God through our priority of pursuing and seeking Him first! Selah...

"The ENIGMA of CHRIST!"

"Behold My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouth at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider."

                                                                                     (Isaiah 52:13-15)

The notion that God Almighty would manifest truth and glory through sin is remarkable! An "enigma" by definition is a paradox, a puzzle of sorts, but not a contradiction. It is the proverbial "bait on the hook" that entices you and draws you in to intimacy with the Father. The enigma is rooted and grounded in "not knowing the Father."

Christ was the "Sin Bearer" and "Light Bearer" at the same time! He was Light because of sin and became sin because of Light. How could this be? How could He manage the weight of sin? Because He is Light (Genesis 1:3):  

         "I have come into the world as light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness (John 12:46)"

He came as the sacrifice for sin to afford us (sinners) direct access to God through the knowledge of the truth of the gospel of peace. His words, His deeds and His life all point to His relationship with the Father. His deference to His Father is the source of His power. Why is Christ so omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent? It is because He has mastered the gift of staying out of God's way and trusting Him to do what He said He is going to do.

Jesus has a symbiotic connection to God. They are One (the entire gospel of John reinforces this declaration). They "know" one another because they are connected by the Spirit of Truth. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us into God's Presence and gives us the grace to endure the suffering that is certain to come and the blessing to have our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life after we have endured to the end.

Our suffering is where God's gives us a name that we might call Him that He will answer to because we are sons. God will only call you or answer you if you know Him. The conclusion of the matter is this, 

                  ...If you know Him, He is NOT an enigma! Selah...

"What is Your SPIRITUAL DNA?"

"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk; in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness in their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been tatught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewd in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

                                                                                 (Ephesians 4: 17-24)

Out with the old, in with the new is the mantra most people have every year with the anticipation of New Year's Day. They sit and they meticulously plan the changes they want to make to improve their lifestyle, health, financial security and romance. They spend hours poring through books, magazines and videos listening to dozens of stories and "proven" remedies to fix whatever ails them.

But one the the areas that is almost always overlooked is the spiritual health of the individual. They should be asking this question, "If the Holy Spirit were to give me a spiritual check up today, would I pass?" Is my heart pure? Is my mind sound? Are the symptoms of lewdness traceable? Is my sin in remission?

As a Believer in Christ Jesus, the spirit-led man or woman has to recognize the characteristics of a son of God. They must fully engage in and exhibit all the traits and tendencies of Christ as Lord and Savior. They must transfer that same Spirit to others they encounter in the marketplace who are seeking refuge, peace, love and joy as they crossover from hope to faith and bastard to son.

The Spiritual DNA is determined by your father. Whoever your father is will determine your spiritual DNA. If your father is Satan, then you will act like Satan. If your Father is the Lord God, then you will display all the traits, characteristics and tendencies of Christ! The hard truth is that people you know and people you meet will be able to tell you who your father is when they meet you for the first time...

The final analysis is this, do you want anger, fear and turmoil or love, joy and peace? The decision is yours...Selah.

" A Train of Vanquished Foes!"

"Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high (Mt. Zion) He led captivity captive and He bestowed gifts upon men."

                                                                            (Ephesians 4:8)

In His ascension, Christ led a train of vanquished foes (those who had been captured by Satan, his angels, sin and death) up to Mount Zion symbolizing the third heaven where God dwells (1 Kings 8:30). He had successfully defeated Satan and the spoils of war was the gathering of the spirits He held captive through the power of repentance, reconciliation and redemption.

In captivity with Satan, you are bound by sin and death but in captivity with Christ, you are holy and free as a son and member of the Kingdom of Heaven complete with all its benefits, privileges  and protection. How glorious it must have been to be a part of that procession. Glory be to God that He had the grace and mercy to leave us the deposit of the Holy Spirit to watch over us until His return!

Will you be in the number? Will you ascend to Christ in the earth realm? What gifts has He bestowed upon you? Do you have the gift of faith? Do you have peace? What about love? Do you have the gift to love and what about forgiveness? That's a bigee! Can you even consider forgiving someone who has transgressed against you?

Have you received the gift of service to freely give of yourself to God's people in the marketplace? When was the last time you exemplified Christ to someone living in darkness?

What must Satan have been thinking as he witnessed the procession of those whom he thought belonged to him being led by the King of Glory into the Presence of God the Father....FOREVER? Selah....

"DELIVERANCE from the FIERY FURNACE!"

"Daniel 3:8-30"

In the Book of Daniel Chapter 3, there is a story of three men who were sentenced to death by King Nebuchadnezzar for not submitting to his authority. The "fiery furnace" was the ultimate behavior modification tool used by the King to get everyone to obey him and worship his idol gods out of fear of certain death! Who would want to die like that? Who would dare refute the King?

The three men had no fear of man, but they did fear God! it was because the were afraid of God that the furnace was a preferable fate than facing the wrath of the Elohim. Would you choose to be burned alive rather than abandon God? When the trials of life have come knocking on your door, have you buckled under the pressure of adversity? Did you whine, cry and complain or did you remain steadfast, immovable and unyielding while praising and worshipping God?

You have to know that people are watching you and your reaction to tribulation. Your family, friends and co-workers who have heard you declare that you are "blessed and highly favored" time and time again are just waiting to see how you handle your lackluster quarterly evaluation at work, negative doctor's report or unexpected expense from your daughter in college. Yes, my friend, they are watching you to witness your reaction to the "fire."

The man in the midst of the fire is the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can call you out of the fire because He is the same One who put you in! The fire is a type and shadow of "testing, reproving and purging" the things that so easily beset us. In short, all Believers are made "subject" to the fire. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11-12)." 

How does the fire lose its power? The answer can be found in (Daniel 3: 13-18). The fire loses its power when the man's perspective, belief and knowledge of who God is and what God can do or will do to manifest His Will in the earth. God's will is perfect (it does not change because of my circumstances).

This story was never about the three men or the fiery furnace; it was ALWAYS about GOD! It tells the truth about how He goes before us, is in the fire with us and delivers us out of it. It talks about how He had already made provision for us in the midst of the fire by the "name" He had given us in eternity (which is "son"). God's name for you will prevail in midst of your most difficult circumstances and sustain you to the glory of God. Amen...

"The Pitfalls of a MAZE!"

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did in sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh..."

                                                                             (Romans 8:1-13)

A man that pursues the lusts of the flesh is subject to (controlled by and manipulated by these spirits to the point of the inability to recognize what they are doing). Every turn in a maze is met with another wall. In a maze, a lab rat (a man who is reliant on his own strength) never stops moving; he never stops and reflects, he just hits one brick wall after another.

The purpose of a maze is to create suffering and torture. In ancient Egyptian times, mazes were used to bewilder their prisoners. They frustrated, confused and infuriated their captives. A maze is a complex series of passages. These passages themselves fork and eventually do one of only two things: either they come to a "dead end" (Satan) or the passage closes in on the lab rat in a loop with itself or connects with another passage separate from itself that does not provide a solution (escape). There is usually "only one correct path" (the Lord God) in the maze from start to finish.

God's vantage point is the same as the scientist (Satan) who is observing the lab rat he placed inside the maze. The difference is that God can see the way of escape (1 Cor. 10:1-13) while Satan's goal is to keep you bound. God has afforded each of us a way of escape (through the power and authority of the Holy Spirit) from temptation.

God has also given us examples of what has happened to those who have fallen prey to temptation. They become crushed by the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life. The only way out of a maze is for the hand of God to reach down, push Satan out of the way and lift you out of your futility with His Mighty Right Hand (Christ Jesus).