Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus!
Psalm 107:19-21 - "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!"
He sent His Word - the same Word He spoke when He created the Heavens and the Earth.
He sent His Word - the same Word wherewith He upholds all things (Hebrews 1)
He sent His Word - that Word which runs swiftly (Psalm 147:15)
He sent His Word - the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-4,14)
He sent His Word - as a Sower sowing seed, His Word not returning void...(Isaiah 55:11; Mark 4:14-20)
He sent His Word - the Report of the Lord that we are to believe (Isaiah 53)
He sent His Word - which is Life to those who find it and health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22)
He sent His Word - for out of the abundance of God's heart His mouth spoke (Matthew 12:34)
He sent His Word - the Author and Finisher of our faith (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 12:1,2)
He sent His Word - that Incorruptible seed which is able to save our soul (1 Peter 1:23)
He sent His Word - the Sword that the Spirit wields (Ephesians 6:17)
He sent His Word - that it might be fulfilled which was spoken...(various scriptures)
He sent His Word - the Body that was prepared for Jesus (in the volume of the Book...) (Hebrews 10:5-10)
He sent His Word...
Today, if you'll hear His voice, harden not your hearts. Receive the Word He has sent - Jesus, the Word of God. He IS your salvation, your righteous, your sanctification, and your redemption. He is the Lover of your soul, the Healer of your body, the Peace for your heart, the Soundness of your mind, and your Eternal Source of Joy! He still goes about DOING GOOD and HEALING ALL who are, or who have been, oppressed by the devil. Bless the Lord!
With everything you have, with everything you are, bless the Lord! He forgives ALL your iniquities and heals ALL your diseases. He, right now, presently, at this moment, is at work in you redeeming your life from destruction. All things are working for your good because He is good and because He SENT HIS WORD to you that it might be fulfilled!
To as many as receive Him (His Word), to them He gives the power, the authority, and the revelation to walk with Him. You can lay hold of that which He has purchased for you; that which pertains to life and godliness.
The Life-Giving, Miracle-working, Soul-saving, Healing Word of God has come to you.
Rise up and bless the Lord!
Pastor Jan
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Strategy
Greetings,Back already...
This morning I shared a little about "This Present Truth" and along with the teaching I mentioned three things I believe the Lord was speaking to me about; a "present truth" for myself and the local fellowship we're a part of. The first - relationship building, possible home group ministry, etc. The second - strategic intercession (I told the congregation I wasn't real sure what that meant but would be glad to hear from any of them if they had an idea). The third - lengthening the time we usually have for our morning service. Not to "run long" for the sake of staying long, but to not feel so rushed should the Lord direct otherwise.
This afternoon while praying and ministering to the Lord, He gave me a "word". It was a definition of strategy that, coupled with truth regarding intercession, lit a fuse on the inside of me. I'm going to share just the main points, briefly. I would appreciate any comments or feedback. I am not trying to say I understand all this, but I know what the Lord spoke to my heart. I shared this word with the people who gathered this evening and then we had a time of prayer and worship.
Anyway...the essence of the word is this: Gain the advantage in intercession through Holy Spirit inspired strategy.
Sounds easy, doesn't it? I looked up a definition of the word "strategy" - "the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions". I believe the Body of Christ is so used to being in a "reactive" posture we have been unable to gain the advantage on the enemy. We have been behind...we come along after the "bomb" has already gone off in our lives or in those around us. We've been content to help others pick up the pieces (which is very nice) when, if we utilized the Holy Spirit's "strategy", we could turn things to where the devil would have to spend his time trying to put out the "fires" we start!
The strategy is really this - Live in such a way where the Holy Spirit can "show you things to come" (John 16:13) and expect Him to "help you in your weaknesses (not knowing how or when, etc. to pray - Romans 8:26-27). The strategy entails living a life of forgiveness and humility (2 Cor. 2:10,11; 1 Peter 3:7-9). It involves loving others more than ourselves so that we are not selfish with our TIME (it takes time to pray for people...time to love...time to minister to those who have been affected by the affairs of life...it takes time to do anything!). It's TIME we use a different strategy than we've used in the past. Let's not rely on what we hear, see, or read about to draw us to the place of prayer. Let's, instead, develop such a fellowship with the Holy Spirit whereby we hear His voice and learn His timing. The Lord has NO DESIRE to run second place to the works of darkness. There's much more to be accomplished when the Spirit of God is directing our lives - EVERY SECOND OF IT. Don't you just believe that the Lord has a strategy for our city, our state, etc!
When you get an opportunity, please read Acts 9:23-31. Notice that the great apostle Paul (Saul) just had gotten saved and became a radical for Jesus. Well, the enemy wanted to shut him up so he incites the crowds (in 2 different cities) to plan a way to eliminate our brother. Now if the church then had been using the "strategy" of the 21st century church, we would not have any Pauline Epistles. But news came to the disciples and Paul in time for something to be done BEFORE they had to raise him from the dead (they had to do that later, Acts. 14).
Read 2 Kings 6:8-12. Elisha the prophet of God was used by the Spirit of God to prevent the Syrians from waging successful war against the children of Israel.
May we, by the Glorious Spirit of the Living God, be so sensitive to God and unselfish with our lives that we can find our place in God's Strategy...pro actively declaring and demonstrating the Kingdom of God. AMEN!
Pastor Jan
This morning I shared a little about "This Present Truth" and along with the teaching I mentioned three things I believe the Lord was speaking to me about; a "present truth" for myself and the local fellowship we're a part of. The first - relationship building, possible home group ministry, etc. The second - strategic intercession (I told the congregation I wasn't real sure what that meant but would be glad to hear from any of them if they had an idea). The third - lengthening the time we usually have for our morning service. Not to "run long" for the sake of staying long, but to not feel so rushed should the Lord direct otherwise.
This afternoon while praying and ministering to the Lord, He gave me a "word". It was a definition of strategy that, coupled with truth regarding intercession, lit a fuse on the inside of me. I'm going to share just the main points, briefly. I would appreciate any comments or feedback. I am not trying to say I understand all this, but I know what the Lord spoke to my heart. I shared this word with the people who gathered this evening and then we had a time of prayer and worship.
Anyway...the essence of the word is this: Gain the advantage in intercession through Holy Spirit inspired strategy.
Sounds easy, doesn't it? I looked up a definition of the word "strategy" - "the science and art of military command exercised to meet the enemy in combat under advantageous conditions". I believe the Body of Christ is so used to being in a "reactive" posture we have been unable to gain the advantage on the enemy. We have been behind...we come along after the "bomb" has already gone off in our lives or in those around us. We've been content to help others pick up the pieces (which is very nice) when, if we utilized the Holy Spirit's "strategy", we could turn things to where the devil would have to spend his time trying to put out the "fires" we start!
The strategy is really this - Live in such a way where the Holy Spirit can "show you things to come" (John 16:13) and expect Him to "help you in your weaknesses (not knowing how or when, etc. to pray - Romans 8:26-27). The strategy entails living a life of forgiveness and humility (2 Cor. 2:10,11; 1 Peter 3:7-9). It involves loving others more than ourselves so that we are not selfish with our TIME (it takes time to pray for people...time to love...time to minister to those who have been affected by the affairs of life...it takes time to do anything!). It's TIME we use a different strategy than we've used in the past. Let's not rely on what we hear, see, or read about to draw us to the place of prayer. Let's, instead, develop such a fellowship with the Holy Spirit whereby we hear His voice and learn His timing. The Lord has NO DESIRE to run second place to the works of darkness. There's much more to be accomplished when the Spirit of God is directing our lives - EVERY SECOND OF IT. Don't you just believe that the Lord has a strategy for our city, our state, etc!
When you get an opportunity, please read Acts 9:23-31. Notice that the great apostle Paul (Saul) just had gotten saved and became a radical for Jesus. Well, the enemy wanted to shut him up so he incites the crowds (in 2 different cities) to plan a way to eliminate our brother. Now if the church then had been using the "strategy" of the 21st century church, we would not have any Pauline Epistles. But news came to the disciples and Paul in time for something to be done BEFORE they had to raise him from the dead (they had to do that later, Acts. 14).
Read 2 Kings 6:8-12. Elisha the prophet of God was used by the Spirit of God to prevent the Syrians from waging successful war against the children of Israel.
May we, by the Glorious Spirit of the Living God, be so sensitive to God and unselfish with our lives that we can find our place in God's Strategy...pro actively declaring and demonstrating the Kingdom of God. AMEN!
Pastor Jan
Saturday, August 11, 2007
This Present Truth
Greetings,
A short message to "set the stage" for the next word...please read the following verse: 2 Peter 1:12 -
"Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth."
"Present truth" is another one of the "spiritual phrases" being used in "prophetic" church circles these days. Many who use it do so with the conviction that Father God is speaking something that is "right now" for the Church, the Body of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am one that believes that Father is speaking and has been speaking for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I believe He has ALWAYS had a word for the church - as witnessed in the first 3 chapters of Revelation. He also told us that we are to live by "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God".
Please understand this: any present truth, any right now word, any "thus saith the Lord" is for the purpose of LIFE, through edification, exhortation, or comfort. His Word, that which He is speaking, is Spirit and Life. He intends for His Word to accomplish what He sends it to do. He means for His Word to be made flesh and dwell among us - not just when Jesus, the Word, was made flesh and dwelt among us but by His Present Word (Truth) being received by us and consumed by us; to the point where we only do what our Father says. The purpose of Present Truth is to equip the Body of Christ with the Revelation of Who it is and what its purpose is. Sort of like the mirror spoken of in James 1:22-25 (...he that looks into the perfect law of liberty...). Kind of like what Jesus mentioned in Hebrews 10 - "a body you've prepared for me; in the volume of the book it is written of me to do Your will, O God". Present Truth...not something for us to wear like we invented it, but something that is to transform us into the image of Christ.
One more item...Present Truth always seems to point us back to the original intent of God! That's why many people struggle with it. Present Truth that is "old fashioned" does not seem to have the drawing power that many feel it should have. Yet Paul made it clear that he believed it best that the Corinthians faith wasn't in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2). I'm beginning to see that everything the Lord is "speaking presently" isn't something He's never spoken before, but something we've been incapable of hearing before.
Just think about it. I'll give some examples next time. In the meanwhile, seek to abide in Him - above all else.
Pastor Jan
A short message to "set the stage" for the next word...please read the following verse: 2 Peter 1:12 -
"Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth."
"Present truth" is another one of the "spiritual phrases" being used in "prophetic" church circles these days. Many who use it do so with the conviction that Father God is speaking something that is "right now" for the Church, the Body of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am one that believes that Father is speaking and has been speaking for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I believe He has ALWAYS had a word for the church - as witnessed in the first 3 chapters of Revelation. He also told us that we are to live by "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God".
Please understand this: any present truth, any right now word, any "thus saith the Lord" is for the purpose of LIFE, through edification, exhortation, or comfort. His Word, that which He is speaking, is Spirit and Life. He intends for His Word to accomplish what He sends it to do. He means for His Word to be made flesh and dwell among us - not just when Jesus, the Word, was made flesh and dwelt among us but by His Present Word (Truth) being received by us and consumed by us; to the point where we only do what our Father says. The purpose of Present Truth is to equip the Body of Christ with the Revelation of Who it is and what its purpose is. Sort of like the mirror spoken of in James 1:22-25 (...he that looks into the perfect law of liberty...). Kind of like what Jesus mentioned in Hebrews 10 - "a body you've prepared for me; in the volume of the book it is written of me to do Your will, O God". Present Truth...not something for us to wear like we invented it, but something that is to transform us into the image of Christ.
One more item...Present Truth always seems to point us back to the original intent of God! That's why many people struggle with it. Present Truth that is "old fashioned" does not seem to have the drawing power that many feel it should have. Yet Paul made it clear that he believed it best that the Corinthians faith wasn't in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2). I'm beginning to see that everything the Lord is "speaking presently" isn't something He's never spoken before, but something we've been incapable of hearing before.
Just think about it. I'll give some examples next time. In the meanwhile, seek to abide in Him - above all else.
Pastor Jan
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