The Fire (Part 7)

The Fire (Part 7)

The fire of God quenches the enemy's fire.

Psalm 118:12 "They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns; for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them."

Psalm 140:10 "Let the burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again."

Proverbs 25:22 "For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee."

Psalm 97:3 "A fire goeth before him and burneth up His enemies round about."

Psalm 106:18 "And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked."

Even as Paul the Apostle did in the natural world, we must spiritually shake off the attack of the enemy into the fire of God. This is what he did with the snake in Acts 28:3"

"And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm."

It was said of the men and women of faith in Hebrews 11:34 that they "Quenched the violence of fire..." 

Here is how you can experience and continuously maintain the fire of God in your life:

-Because the fire of God is a spiritual fire, you must experience it with your spiritual being.  This means you must first be born again by repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

-The fire of God is related to the Pentecostal experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The Word will guide you in how to experience this Holy Spirit baptism with the evidence of speaking in tongues as God gives the utterance. 

 

-Just as natural fire burns out impurities in gold and silver, the fire of God will consume the impurities in your spiritual life.  In order to continually experience the fire of God's power, you must permit the fire of God to do this cleansing work.  When you resist the fire that burns out these impurities it is like pouring water on a natural fire.  The flame is extinguished.

-In the natural world, a fire grows in scope and intensity as it kindles other fires around it.  The same is true in the spiritual world.  If you want to continue to experience the fire of God, you must be active in igniting others around you.  You do this by fulfilling the Great Commission and sharing the Gospel with others.  Fire attracts people, which is evident from the crowd that always gathers when something is set ablaze.  Let the fire of God within you kindle attract and kindle the spiritual flame of others.

-In the natural world it is the tendency of fire to go out if it is not continuously fueled.  The same is true in the spiritual world.  You must continuously fuel spiritual fire by prayer and study of God's World.  A flickering flame that is almost out can be fanned again into a brilliant fire.
 

The Fire (Part 6)

The Fire (Part 6)

-God's fire is a "trying" fire.  

The fire tries your faith in God:

1 Peter 1:7 "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

-The fire also tries your work for God:

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath build thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Wood, hay, and stubble (above the ground) are burned by fire.  Gold and silver (beneath the ground) are not destroyed by fire.  Everything you do that is visible and for show before man is a work that will be destroyed by the fire of God.   A true work of lasting value is often not seen and honored by men.

-The fires demonstrates God's approval and power:

Read the story of the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16.  When the fire fell, it consumed the rebellious people and demonstrated God's approval upon His chosen leaders.  In 2 Kings 1:10-14 Elijah was verified as a man of God when the fire of God came down and consumed the captains and their men.   Although God may not send actual physical fire to demonstrate His approval, the spiritual fire of God that rests upon your life and ministry demonstrates His approval.

God's power was demonstrated in an actual fire in Elijah's case. God may not demonstrate His power in an actual fire as you minister, but He will demonstrate "the fire" spiritually.  As people witness the Word of power and the signs following, they will acknowledge the one true and living God.

-The fire of God is a spiritual weapon:

Exodus 14:24 "And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians."

Deuteronomy 9:3 "Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is He which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire He shall destroy them, He shall bring them down before thy face; so shalt thou drive them out and  destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee."  

Psalm 46:9 "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire."

Psalm 50:3 "Our God shall come and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him."

The enemy has a consuming fire set to destroy all that is good and pure in your life. Just as you "fight fire with fire" in the natural world by setting a "backfire,” you also fight the fire of the enemy with the spiritual fire of God:
 Ezekiel 39:9-10 "And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the  bucklers, the bows and the arrow, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests...for they shall burn the weapons with fire; and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and  rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God."   

The Fire (Part 5)

The Fire (Part 5)

-It cleanses and makes pure:

In Old Testament times, fire was used to destroy anything unholy:

a. Anything affected by leprosy was to be burned in the fire according to Leviticus 13:52.

b. Idols were to be burned in the fire as mentioned in Deuteronomy 7:5;25; 9:21; 12:3; I Chronicles 14:12; Isaiah 37:19; Jeremiah 43:13; and Micah 1:7.  

c. The spoil of the enemy was to be burned according to Deuteronomy 13:16 .

God's fire in the life of a believer is also a refining one, burning out impurities:

Isaiah 54:16 "Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for His work..."

Zechariah 13: 9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God."

He is like a refiner's fire according to Malachi 3:2.
 

Jeremiah 6:28-30 says:

"If you are to be used of God, you must have the impurities burned out of your life.  If you refuse this refining process, you will be like reprobate (refuse) silver which is no good: They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders; they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain; for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them." 

Fire is used in the separation process, both in the natural and spiritual worlds:

Numbers 31:23 "Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation:  and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water."

Isaiah 5:24 "The fire devours the stubble, the flame consumes the chaff..."

Matthew 3:10 "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which  bringeth not forth good fruit."

John 15:6 "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

When you are truly on fire for God, you are separated from sin and the things of this world.  You are set apart for His purposes and the work of the Kingdom.

 

The Fire (Part 4)

The Fire (Part 4)

-Empowers your ministry.

You are chosen by God in  midst of the fires of affliction. You are empowered by God to fulfill your ministry through His consuming fire:

Isaiah 64:2 "As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence."

Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."

Psalm 104:4 "Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire."

-Indicates the presence of God.

The symbol of natural fire was always used to indicate the presence of God in the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 4:12 "And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire..."

Exodus 40:38 "For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys."

The spiritual fire of God burning in your soul also indicates His presence.  Your ministry is validated by the presence of God.

-Provides guidance:

When people are mobilized for the work of the Lord, they must have direction.  The fire of God is a symbol of the direction He provides for His people:

Exodus 13:21, 22 "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night; He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."

Numbers 14:14 "And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night."
 Deuteronomy 1:33 "Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day."  

The Fire (Part 3)

The Fire (Part 3)

(5) Is ignited by prayer. 

The story of Elijah on Carmel Mountain in 1 Kings 18 emphasizes how prayer can start a fire.  When Elijah prayed, the fire of God fell.  If we ever want to experience the Pentecostal fire, we must learn to pray.  In the Upper Room, believers prayed for days and then Peter preached a ten minute message and 3,000 were saved.  We pray ten minutes and preach for hours and wonder why the fire of God does not fall and our altars are barren. Prayer is the key to igniting the fire. 

(6) The Word is like fire.

God's Word is compared to fire in Jeremiah 23:29:

"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord..."

Jeremiah 20:9 "Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name, But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."

Jeremiah 5:14 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them."

Revelation 3:18 "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich..."

Psalm 12:6 "The Words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times."

When the fire of God has touched your soul, His Word will be like fire shut up in your bones.  It will literally burn within you night and day.  In Jeremiah 36 the King tried to destroy the Word of God, but found he could not stop the word of fire!

(7) The atonement is affected by the fire. 

The fire of God requires a holy vessel in which to burn.  Every vessel used for fire in the tabernacle and temple was holy.  You can only be holy as the cleansing fire of the atonement of Jesus Christ burns in your life. The relation of the fire to the atonement of Jesus was illustrated when Aaron stood between the living and the dead in Numbers 16:46:

"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censor and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them:  For there is wrath gone out from the Lord;  the plague is begun." 

The Fire (Part 2)

The Fire (Part 2)

We have seen the damage that natural fire can cause, most recently in California. Yet, when we speak of the "fire of God" we are not talking about natural fire. Jesus said in Luke 24:49: 

"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?"
 

So what is the fire of God?  

When I speak of the "fire of God,” I am speaking of the fire of Pentecost which in the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit was actually visually demonstrated in Acts 2:3, 4: 

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them; And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The fire of God is the fire of the Pentecostal experience.  It is a fire that will loose your tongue to speak.  It is a fire that will empower you to fulfill the Great Commission:

Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Jesus said in Matthew 3:11:

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I  am not worthy to bear, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."

 

Here are some facts about this Pentecostal fire:

(1) God starts the fire.

God says repeatedly in the Word, "I will kindle a fire" in Jeremiah 21:14; 22:7; 49:27; 50:32; Amos 1:14; 2:2, 5.  The fire of God is not emotionalism.  It is not kindled by fast music or loud preaching.  It is kindled and set ablaze by God.  The fire of Pentecost is kindled by God Himself:

Acts 2:16-18 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass, in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit..."

(2) It doesn't need fuel.

Read the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3.  This was a natural example of a great spiritual truth. The fire of God ignored the fuel potential of the bush and continued to burn.  The miracle is not in the burning bush as much as it is in the fuel-less fire.

Moses knew from his  experience in killing the Egyptian that he could never trust his own emotions or power for the spiritual work to which God had called him.  In the burning bush God illustrated that His fire burns without natural fuel.  You may have tried and failed in the work of God, but the fire of God ignores the "fuel" of your natural talents and abilities.
 

(3) It is continual.

God gives the fire, but you have a responsibility for keeping it burning:

Leviticus 6:13 "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out."

God wants you to fan the embers of your soul.  He wants you to be set ablaze for the Kingdom of God.

(4) The seven spirits of God are related to fire:

Revelation 4:5 "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God."

The seven spirits of God are:
a. Truth-John 16:13  

b. Grace-Hebrews 10:29  

c. Life-Romans 8:2  

d. Adoption-Romans 8:15  

e. Holiness-Romans 1:4  

f. Wisdom and revelation-Ephesians 1:17  

g. Glory-1 Peter 4:14

When your life is touched by the fire of God, His spirit of adoption works in you.  His truth, grace, life, holiness, wisdom, and glory burn in your life.
 

The Fire (Part 1)

The Fire (Part 1)

The fire of God provides energy for the work of God:

-It warms the cold, indifferent spirit.  

-It results in spiritual food and abundant spiritual harvest.  

-The fire of God consumes the waste of your life, working just as it does in gold and silver in the natural world to burn out the impurities.  

A man or woman set ablaze by God's fire attracts people to the message of the Word. As natural fire, spiritual fire kindles other fires.  A believer burning with a passion for the lost and demonstrating the power of God soon ignites the lives of those around him. But as fire in the natural world, spiritual fire must be continuously fueled.  Was there a time when you were once more spiritually ablaze for God than you are today? A flickering flame that is almost out can be fanned again into a brilliant fire.

Just as God supplied the fire for the altar of burnt offering, He supplies His fire from Heaven to touch your soul.  But you have the responsibility of keeping the flame burning according to Leviticus 9:24 and 2 Chronicles 7:11.  You are spiritually combustible.  Your spiritual nature is created to be set ablaze by the spirit of God.

The Bible speaks often of the fire of God:

Deuteronomy 4:24 "For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."  
 Hebrews 12:29 "For our God is a consuming fire."

Men of Bible times who had visions of God record that His appearance was like fire:

Ezekiel 8:2 "Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire, from the appearance of His loins, even downward, fire; and from His loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber."

Daniel 7:9 and 10:6 "His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a multitude."

Revelation 1:14 "His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire..."

WHAT IS THE FIRE OF GOD?
 

WALKING THROUGH FLOODS (Part 4)

WALKING THROUGH  FLOODS (Part 4)  

The flow of the presence of God has triggered an unprecedented spiritual harvest throughout the world despite the flood waters the enemy has created. God is raising up leaders, men and women of purpose, who will be able to work in cooperation together with Him to reap this great end-time harvest.

Our world is crying out for leaders of integrity. History reveals that many forms of government which started with good intentions ultimately failed, and in most cases the failure was due to the moral downfall of leadership.

You can be the leader God is seeking! You are a steward set over many valuable resources which He has entrusted to you. The greatest resource with which you have been entrusted, of course, is the Gospel.  But you are also responsible for other things which He has given you. 
 

The test of any man, woman, or ministry is not spiritual gifts, power, or natural abilities which are evidenced. The standard of God is spiritual fruit:  

Matthew 7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them…" 

Spiritual fruits are the qualities of character and conduct that reveal what a person is really like inside according to Luke 6:43-45.  

Your reputation is how others perceive you to be.  Your character is who you really are.  In Revelation 3:1, Jesus spoke of a church that had the reputation that they lived, but in reality they were dead. That was their true character.   It has been said that the true test of character is what you do when no one is watching.

The men and women God who are placed on the cutting edge of this end-time spiritual harvest are those who will use every resource at their disposal to fulfill His plan. God is not looking for educated men and women with natural abilities, charisma, and great personalities. He is seeking those who will be faithful to accomplish His purposes:  

1 Corinthians 4:2 "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."  

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told a parable about servants whose master gave them resources called “talents” (a New Testament term for money). Those who were good stewards and used their funds wisely were judged faithful and rewarded. Those who did not use their resources properly were held accountable.

The qualifications God seeks as He is raising up leaders to reap this end-time harvest are not natural abilities, education, or a great resume. He is more concerned with your anointing, character, and conduct. He requires that you are faithful.  Faithful to your spouse. Faithful to God.  A faithful servant.  Faithful to your destiny.  Christ-like character is God's standard of evaluation and provides you the ability to walk through the deep waters rather than sink.

WALKING THROUGH FLOODS (Part 3)

WALKING THROUGH  FLOODS (Part 3)  

When God birthed His Church through Jesus Christ, He didn’t birth another club or organization. He didn’t birth the Protestants or the Catholics or any other denomination.  When God birthed the Church His intention was to generate a dynamic force, a supernatural power that would never experience any limits. God was literally making a deposit of Himself, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, into a corporate body.  That body still has the power to walk through floods today and not sink or drown.

God walked and talked with Adam at certain times of the day.  In Old Testament times, God came upon the prophets and judges to manifest His power and then after the work was done His presence would lift.  But when the Church was birthed, God came to indwell permanently in His Body through the gift of the Holy Spirit:

1 John 2:27 "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

 

The Amplified Version translates this verse:

"But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides (permanently) in you."

God's presence abides in you permanently. His anointing abides in you permanently. His presence is within you and it is there to stay!   

-When you battle sickness or disease in your body, you know His presence is there. 

-When you face a financial crisis and have a mountain of debt that keeps piling up God’s presence is right at your side. 

-When you are in danger, you do not fear because you know God’s presence is  there. 

-When you are battle-fatigued, worn, and weary, you do not quit because  you know God’s presence is with you.

God’s presence equips you, protects you, and provides guidance.  His presence strengthens you and separates you from the world.  It heals, renews, and cleanses you.  It empowers your destiny. It is unlimited power. That is why you must have His presence. You can walk through the floods in Jesus Name!

 

WALKING THROUGH FLOODS (Part 2)

WALKING THROUGH  FLOODS (Part 2)  

You may not have a million man army marching against you, but your battles are just as big.  You may have a mountain of debt, an unsaved loved one, an incurable illness, or rebellious children.  The good news is that if you meet God’s conditions, the power of God’s presence will go ahead of you and scatter your enemy. You can cross the flooded waters of trouble and overcome all things.

The condition for releasing this inner life-flow of God’s presence is found in 2 Chronicles 15:1, 2. As Asa was returning from battle, a prophet named Azariah came out to meet him:

"And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, “Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.”

If you want to experience the manifestation of God’s presence, you must seek Him. Azariah told Asa, “If you seek Him, He will be found.  The Lord is with you, while you are with Him.” 

 

David understood the importance of diligently seeking God for the manifestation of His presence. He declared:

Psalm 16:8 "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

Do you really comprehend the dynamic manifestation of power that will occur when you set God at your right hand?  Not self. Not man. Not your Elder board.  Set God at your right hand, seek Him, and give Him priority in your life and you will never be moved.

Seeking God is not going through the formality of pre-printed prayers or lighting a prayer candle. If you want the manifestation of God’s glory, it is time to set yourself to seek God's face earnestly and continually. 

When you have the presence of God with you and you confront the enemy, someone is going to back down, but it won’t be you. You won’t back down on your Christian confession. You won’t back down in your convictions. You won’t compromise. You won’t let Satan control your life, your family, your ministry, or your destiny. You won’t let down on your spiritual commitments. 

It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, you will not be drowned. Why?  Because the manifested presence of Almighty God is with you continually right by your side!

WALKING THROUGH FLOODS (Part 1)

WALKING THROUGH  FLOODS (Part 1)

When the presence of God is manifested in your life, you will not be afraid of what people say about you. You won’t worry about what the world says. People won’t be able to affect you, cut you down, or destroy you emotionally by their opinions, comments, or actions. Many of us pastors and former pastor suffer from our own PTSD and we need this word today.

Many believers are burdened down by guilt and condemnation over the past. The presence of God breaks these yokes of guilt and condemnation:

Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

There is no condemnation when you are in Christ. It doesn’t exist when the presence of God rests upon you, because if God does not condemn you, then no one else can either; no man, no woman, denomination, or any demon from Hell! There is no condemnation, no intimidation, no fear! 

God had declared this in His Word:

Isaiah 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

When God’s presence is with you, you may pass through deep waters, but you won't drown. You may be forced to walk into the fiery furnace, but you won’t be burned. You may be thrown into a lion’s den, but the animals will not harm you. They may prowl around, roar, and try to intimidate, but they can’t harm you.

When God’s presence is with you, like Elijah you will be able to face the false prophets of Baal and emerge victorious. You will be able to confront criticizing, backbiting, rebellious people. You will be able to courageously advance into enemy territory with authority because you know you cannot be defeated.  God's presence will go with you.  

You can march right in and rescue people from the very gates of Hell because you have the ultimate weapon: God’s divine presence!   With God’s presence abiding in you, you can go through any flood, you can emerge unscathed from the fire, and you can endure any trial.  You will not merely survive, you will come through victoriously because His presence is with you!

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 5)

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 5)

-God uses people who release their faith.

In prayer, cast all your cares on Jesus, claim God’s covenant promises to you, and release your faith to God. As you do, act on what you believe as if it were already done. Believe that you have received the answer even before you see any evidence. 

James 1:6-8 "But let him ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

-God uses people who learn to rest in Him. 

You are only defeated when you become weary and faint in your mind. The moment you feel that you are becoming weary, tired of resisting, struggling, casting out fear and doubt, tired of releasing your faith, exhausted by the circumstances then take time to wait on the Lord in prayer to strengthen and sustain you. 

Isaiah 40:29-31 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

-God uses people who remain persistent. 

Regardless of how long you may have waited for deliverance in your circumstances, regardless of the pain or heartache you have experienced, continue to battle it through in the spirit world. 

Keep on persevering through prayer. 

Keep on believing. 

Keep on releasing your faith and expecting God to deliver you. 

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 4)

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 4)

God uses people who break out of the cycle of defeat in their life, whether it be in their finances, relationships, physical body, ministry, or other areas of their life.  

-God uses people who replace stress with peace. 

When Satan attacks in your circumstances, instead of becoming stressed,  set your mind on God and His faithfulness, and allow Christ’s peace to guard your heart and mind:  

Isaiah 26:3 "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind (both its inclination and its character) stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You and hopes confidently in You." 

-God uses people who learn how to rejoice in difficulties. 

James said to count it all joy when you encounter trials in James 1:2. Peter said: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" in 1 Peter 4:12-13.  Regardless of whether or not you feel like praising God, offer up sacrifices of praise– not for the circumstances themselves, but because you know God is using these circumstances for your good.

-God uses people that can refocus their attention.  

Take your eyes off of your circumstances.  Fix them on Jesus and the Word. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us . Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

-God uses people who can resist Satan. 

God has provided an effective strategy for every battle you face, but your victory is not automatic. God would not have provided you with spiritual armor and given you powerful weapons to take authority over Satan if He had not planned for you to be involved in battle. God does not want you to sit back and allow Satan to control your circumstances. You must pick up your weapons and go to battle. 

 

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 3)

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 3)

God uses those who catch the vision and fulfill the work and will of God, there are promises of abundant harvest: 

Zechariah 8:12 "For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew..." 

He will turn their wilderness into fertile fields: 

Psalms 107:35-37 "He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. And there He maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may...sow the fields and plant the vineyards which may yield fruits of increase." 

God will even bring harvest to their least fruitful places: 

Psalms 72:16 "There shall be an abundance of grain in the soil on top of the mountains... [the least fruitful place in the land]." 

Age is no barrier to His plan: 

Psalm 92:14 "They shall still bring forth fruit in old age..." 

Psalm 126:5, 6 "You may go forth weeping in travail to birth this vision, but...They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

You cannot comprehend the abundance of this end-time harvest: 

Haggai 2:19 "Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you."

God speaks of a harvest so great that it is continuous: 

Amos 9:13 "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed." 

You will not even finish threshing out the harvest until the next harvest is upon you. This is why the need for laborers is so urgent. The plowman is overtaking the reaper. The vision of the harvest is before you. 

-Claim the promise of abundant harvest. 

-Claim the heathen for your inheritance. 

-The fields of the world are before you. Lift up your eyes and look. Let God use you!

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 2)

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 2)

Look at the men God used down through history to fulfill His purposes:

-JACOB: God had to choose between Jacob, a man who desired the birthright so much he would cheat for it, and Esau, who so lightly regarded it that he would forfeit it for a bowl of soup. Yet he used Jacob to bring forth the nation of Israel. 

-ABRAHAM: Abraham was to be the father of many nations. When he received this revelation from God, he fell on his face and laughed in unbelief in Genesis 17:1-3. Later, this great man of faith lied to the enemy and claimed Sara was his sister because he feared for his life. In spite of this, Abraham was called the "friend of God" and became the father of many nations. 

-MOSES: His disobedience kept him from the Promised Land, yet he liberated two million people from bondage in Egypt and led them through the wilderness according to the plan of God. 

-DAVID: He took another man's wife and murdered the man to cover his sin, yet he was called "a man after God's own heart" and God gave Him the kingdom. 

-GIDEON: Gideon was harvesting wheat in hiding for fear of the enemy when God called Him to be the deliverer of Israel in Judges 6. 

God uses ordinary people to fulfill His will:

-When Jesus performed His first miracle of turning water into wine, He asked ordinary men to fill ordinary water pots. 

-When He multiplied bread and fish He gave it to ordinary men who then fed the multitude. 

-When Jesus was about to perform what was perhaps the greatest miracle in His ministry, that of raising Lazarus from the dead, He depended on men to move the stone from the entrance of the grave. Didn't the same God who raised Lazarus have the power to remove the stone from the entrance? Yes, but God has always used men to fulfill His plan. His methods are men. God calls ordinary men and makes them extraordinary. He moves men and women from spectators to participators in His plan. 

All of you ordinary people who thought you couldn't be used of God or who thought you couldn't be part of a miracle remember this one thing-God is not looking at your past or present performance. 

-He is not seeing you as you view yourself. 

-He is looking at you as you will become as you accept the challenge to go to the harvest fields of the world. 

-He is seeing you as you will be when endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

God is not depending on your faith, education, talents, or your level of spirituality. He is not depending on anything that you are. He is depending on what He knows you can become if you will surrender your life totally to His will and purposes. The world of the early church was not reached through great preaching. It was reached by men and women who were as human as we are but they turned their eyes from their own failures and caught the vision of the harvest. They realized that when they were weak in the natural, they were strong spiritually. God promised in 2 Corinthians 12:9: 

"My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

WHO DOES GOD USE? (Part 1)

WHO DOES GOD USE? 

Who does God use to fulfill the vision of the harvest? 

What type of man or woman does He call to extend the Gospel to the nations of the world? 

Read Mark chapter 16:5, 6 in your Bible. The women who were followers of Jesus were going to the tomb to anoint His dead body. When they arrived at the tomb they found... ...a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were affrighted. 

"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted; Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified; He is risen: He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him."

The women went to share the good news with the disciples. Even though Jesus had appeared in visible form to Mary Magdalene, the disciples would not believe He had been resurrected according to Verse 11. Later Jesus appeared to two of the disciples as they were walking in the country. When they told the others, they did not believe them in Verses 12 and 13. 

Finally Jesus appeared to the disciples and in Verse 14: 

"...Upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen." 

Right after He spoke to them of their unbelief Jesus said in Verse 15: 

"Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."

Surely He must have made a mistake! 

-These were the people who had gone to anoint a dead body instead of celebrating His resurrection. 

-These were the people who slept during His greatest hour of crisis, denied Him, and hid in fear. 

Jesus spent three years preparing these men for His death and resurrection, yet they deserted Him in the hour of crisis and refused to believe eye witness reports of His resurrection. One minute Jesus is correcting them because of their unbelief. The next, He is challenging them with the vision of the spiritual harvest fields in the nations of the world. 

How could He possibly leave the future of the Gospel in the hands of these disciples? Because He was not looking at them as they were. He was not looking at their past performance or their present condition. He was seeing them as they would become when endued by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

God is not looking at your past, your failures, your doubts, or unbelief. He is looking at what He knows you can become through the power of the Holy Spirit.