Meditation: June 18, 2012

 “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”  Isaiah 11:9

When the evil element has been removed from the earth, nothing would stand in the way of what God intended to convey to His beloved. There is knowledge that ascends from beneath teaching His creatures to rebel and resist all that is of God. It is sensual and devilish, deceiving many to believe that there could be no other way to live. The end of evil is judgment. A clear distinction will be made between the holy and the unholy, the righteous and the profane. God will then separate the wheat from the tare and remove the dross from the silver and gold. Those who remain will know that He is God alone for His knowledge will become widespread. The veil would be lifted from our eyes and we will see Him as He is. What a pleasure to converse with eager souls anticipating the knowledge of the Lord instead of the appeasement of their gnawing conscience with feel-good methods and messages! We will drink in the refreshing water of life that covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. We pray that the earnest desire to know Him replace every passion of the heart. Then our self-judgment will preserve us from being judged with the world and the worldly seeking of carnal knowledge rather than the joy of the Lord.

Meditation: June 13, 2012

“but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ. —“ Ephesians 4:15

 
The alternative to flowing with the wind and being influenced by the culture is hearing that we might do what the Word says. It was Paul’s passion to speak only what the Lord had to say. Even though the message is a challenge to current culture, it is the expression of a higher and deeper dimension of love. It is spoken in love when the desire of the heart of the messenger is to see those he has been called to address grow into developing the character of Christ. Often the growth of the hearers may excel beyond the level of the speaker, but he should not be jealous of his spiritual children. Instead, he should encourage them to take what they have received beyond his level of understanding for the Word alive within the hearer increases as seed to produce a great harvest. Ministers should not waste time addressing every other subject rather than God’s Truth. There is no growth is these side issues. Christ is the answer to every problem but He can only be known through faithful ministers. We are obligated to counter the movements that prevail against the soul of the wayward. Then they have a course set before them leading them to life.

Meditation: June 11, 2012

“Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:16-17

To see with our eyes what God is doing is a blessing beyond measure. God allows His servants to see where He is in the midst of confusion and apparent hopelessness. He is there working His plan even when all appears to be still or falling apart all around us. Not alone does His servants see His works, they are used by the Lord to participate in what He is doing. His works are established through His servants as evidence that He is in fact the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He seeks those who would fully avail themselves to Him. Why should our lives be filled with clutter that works against His plan? Our greatest joy can be found in pleasing Him through reflecting His will on earth as it is in heaven. Oh that Christ might be seen today through those who earnestly and exclusively seek Him as the only stability in these uncertain times.

Meditation: June 10, 2012

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3

 

God Himself will purge His people as silver and gold. He has invested in the lives of His own and is committed to removing the residue that would shroud the beauty of what is deposited deep within the heart and soul. There are desires polluted and misdirected by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. When the heart of His leaders are turned in the wrong direction, yet they remain His leaders; they are purged of the dross in order for His glory to shine through them. He is aware of the tendency within the heart of humanity to stray away, but fire of the refiner must burn away all that should not be. It is a painful thing to be refined but the end result is glorious! When we are tried, we will come forth as pure gold. Offerings are not enough to please our Lord. He seeks after an offering in righteousness. It is the life of the offerer that qualifies him to give Him what He has requested. The Lord is purifying His servants in order for a pure word to come forth from a pure heart.

Meditation: June 6, 2012

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Ephesians 4:7

The Lord has dispensed to each member of the Body of Christ a measure of grace. We have been enabled to function as a whole but yet dependent on every part doing its share. It is from the wholeness of the Body of Christ the witness of Jesus is made known to the world. A fragment may have an effect to a degree, but the full effect can only be experienced when we come together as a whole. Coming together and sharing together as one is the prayer of Jesus Christ. The enemy’s attempts to divide the Body may have delayed the witness but can never destroy the witness. There will be a people equipped for service with understanding of the times, and a clearer knowledge of purpose in the last days. They will not hoard their gifts as exclusive to their party, but see the whole as being greater than the sum of all its parts. It is through the synergized efforts of the Church that the world will know that Christ has come down from the Father. Then the love of God can be shed abroad in our hearts by way of the Holy Spirit impacting the world in areas where the need is the greatest.

Meditation: June 4, 2012

“For He says, In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation, I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; and behold now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

When the gospel of Jesus Christ is heard, the day of salvation and the accepted time of deliverance come. Eternity is interjected into time in order to produce within the soul what would otherwise be impossible. It may appear to be so simple and often is taken for granted and generalized among many other statements that are made when not fully understood. But something more dynamic has happened, but its entrance is so subtle that those seeking the spectacular will often miss it. The grace to become what the Lord has promised is introduced through such simple words as these. They prepare the heart and soul to be with Christ and to reign with Him throughout eternity. We have been given the assignment and the authority to deliver salvation to a dying world. As the Holy Spirit so directs us, we can speak His Word with power and at that very moment a life-changing experience occurs among the hearers. We cannot afford to be silent. God will use somebody. Why not us?

Meditation: June 2, 2012

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation3:8

The faithfulness of the saints provides endless opportunities in the future. Our future is determined by the decisions we currently make. An open door is set before those who know the name of the Lord. When His character is known and given expression He can then work through that individual without the objections of the flesh. The Holy Spirit’s assignment is to make Christ known to us. He reveals Him in the midst of even the most trying of circumstances. When He is known in truth, He will not be denied. We must maintain a steadfast faith in Him even though doors may now be closed before us. He can open doors that no man open and He can shut doors that no man can close. Even the little strength that is maintained is enough when His strength is at work within us. He will do His work among the weakest for His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.

February 2012 Article: “Revival is Needed in Our Times”

The Church during the times of revival has always been on the cutting edge of reform and restoration of the truth. When men would demoralize and dehumanize their brethren for the sake of economic expedience or adopt a position of superiority over others, it was the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that would challenge corrupt systems of discrimination and division. Revered Pastor and abolitionist Charles Finney believed his duty was to abolish slavery and accept former slaves as fellow members of a kindred body of believers. Although many people may have given attention to his message on revival of religion, they fail to examine the effects of a genuine move of God that challenges religious systems to reexamine their hearts and be purged of the roots of racism underneath the surface of their outward expressions of piety.

                It will not be the world nor political or civic institutions that will provide the impetus for change. It will be the influence of a people that have returned to the foundation of biblical faith who believe that Jesus is the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. In recent years,  Jesus Christ were conveniently attached as an addendum to a set agenda used only to validate a cause that men had already adapted. He was not the Author of their faith, but instead a confirmer of what men had authored themselves and a faith that only led them to a life of self-indulgence. They believed in themselves and had confidence that they could change the world. Yet, the global crises grew worse and people experienced an unprecedented level of despondency. As it was in the past, people continue to spur hatred and polarization among people-groups with little effort to understand the other side. If there is no change in today’s climate of racial tensions, this decade could lead to the eruption of a racial civil war as a result of clashing cultures. It is not just the Shiites and Sunnis that are diametrically opposed to one another. How many define the Christian faith and give expression to what they truly believe could lead to contention among those who profess in honoring and worshiping the Prince of Peace.

                The Occupy Movement has directed our attention towards the civil unrest among the majority. While their message is a clarion call for change, who has been prepared to lead in an environment of change among the masses who are seeking something that none of our current civic leaders possess? Civil unrest can lead to anarchy unless there is a clear message directing people to a cause that is so great as to occupy the efforts of the Occupiers, and channel their energies towards a path of permanent change. The temporary resolution is what the Bible speaks of when it says, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

                We are in desperate need of a Third Awakening! The comatose state of the Church has rendered her disengaged in providing and protecting the principles of truth faith in God, yet fully engaged in the practice of erecting monuments that deify the strength of humanity. It sets the world on a collision course with God, awaiting His judgments to prove all that it purports as being wrong. As the tensions surmount and the apathetic decrease their concerns, the standard of righteousness seems to lose its potency. However, when it happens as it is happening now, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up His standard against all standards that do not measure up to His own. Pray for revival here…Pray for revival now…”Lord send revival!”

January 2012 Article: “2012, The Year of Divine Order”

As each year is met with its special challenges, we must be prepared to navigate wisely and safely through it. Nothing is just circumstantial or by chance, but everything exists in a cause and effect relationship. Things might appear to be random, but there is an established order that must be maintained. Its origin is before the foundations of the world therefore we do not have to engage in guesswork and carelessly assemble what has been strategically designed. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of us was made for this time and a place fully known by God. When we are out of place, nature cries out in rebellion to our forceful habits of trying to make something that is not meant to be. We often wonder why things are not working right and life does not make any sense. It could be the disorder of one’s life working against the order for which all things are subjected to and must be surrendered if its truest purpose is ever to be realized.
God orchestrates order out of chaos. He is the only One who can bring forth light out of darkness. He does not have to find the light but rather, He produces the light that dispels the darkness regardless how dark it may be. “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” What if it was said to you that the only instrument of peace is Jesus Christ alone? In an environment of chaos, it would sound biased and extremely prejudiced against all other attempts to provide counsel and relief to our current crises. Yet there is no light without Him. A convergence of light and darkness will cast a gray shadow. The cloud of error has eclipsed the true Light thus contributing to the chaos and confusion of this generation. This is a generation of compromise. Compromise competes with the ageless truth requiring conformity to a more contemporary order that is sensible to this generation. There is no compromise sufficient enough for us to meet the deep and desperate needs of the soul. What price have we paid and are now paying for the allowances made for the vices of society that should be condemned? Only when we accept God’s choices will there be deliverance from influences that allure people further away from them. Either we believe that He is God or not. There is no safe middle ground. If He is God, then all things generate from Him and were made to glorify Him alone. If He is one among many other gods, then we are permitted to debate whether His way is the only way, and collaborate concerning the rightness or wrongness of His Word in light of other information made available to this present age.
We have prayerfully entitled this year “The Year of Divine Order” because God alone has established the order for government, family, religion, economics, education, world peace, and our personal lives. Every contending force is in opposition to His will and must be proven false and ineffective. Our objective this year is to provide historical evidence that manufactured kingdoms have ultimately fallen over time for no other reason than God stands alone in His sovereignty. When His Word is rightly divided, in essence, preached through those who are authorized by Him to speak on His behalf, the power of change is released enabling the hearers the privilege to conform to His will. Before one can receive His order, the disorder must be exposed and renounced through repentance. The Holy Spirit then does His work of constructing lives that can fulfill the purpose for which each was born. When God is pleased with our lives, we experience a dimension of peace that surpasses all understanding.

October 2011 Article: “Spiritually Discerning Leaders”

The heart and soul of the leader is of paramount importance. God’s requirement for any who will rightly lead is that they have the heart and passion to completely embrace the heavenly vision. It is initiated by God who arrests the heart of the one that He has chosen in order to impart spiritual gifts along with wisdom and knowledge to use each gift for His glory. The vision is not common and so easily conveyed that any person who choose the position as a career rather than being chosen would be able to master it. They would stumble over and misapply instructions that are spiritually discerned. It must be the perfect fit for the individual who has been specifically called to that assigned task. God chooses His leaders. They are not the products of man’s choices else they would be as King Saul who would take matters into his own hands rather than remain obedient to God. When people lacking spiritual discernment make choices, they usually choose the most impressive rather than the one with the greater degree of character. Appearances are shallow while character is deep. The veneer of appearance wears thin when temptations arise. The lustful leader will abandon his position as a watcher for the souls of others for immediate gratification of his own flesh.

When God does the choosing we can rest assured that He has full knowledge of the qualities He has imparted to leader. The devil may test him but he will resist the alluring tactics of Satan. His focus is on the end of a thing rather than just the process leading him there. Therefore he makes prophetic judgments. He is spiritual as result of experiencing warfare fought on many battlegrounds. It is the memory of surmounting victories that causes his faith to soar to new heights. It is the exercise of one’s spiritual senses that increases his ability to discern the difference between what is good and what is evil. He may look battle worn but every scar and bruise on his body and soul has a story attached to it. If we could just read his life we would find so many intriguing episodes leading him to becoming a faithful servant-leader. He has learned to trust and serve God well thus earning the right to be fully followed. In this age of distrust, people have a difficult time trusting their leaders. If it is the polished and well groomed leader that stands as a mannequin; the knight in shining armor insulated in the glass window you may have a picture rather than a preacher. But if he has the appearance of just returning from the battle, maybe even bleeding from the last scrimmage, that one is able to discern the strategies of the enemy. We do not learn spiritual warfare in an insulated environment void of any challenges. We learn how to strategically fight when we take the fight to the battlefield.

God asked His prophets, Zechariah and Jeremiah the same question, “What do you see?” He did not ask them “what do you feel”, or “what do you think?” Discerning leaders must see with God what He sees. Only then are they enabled to participate with God in what He is doing. When we see with Him then we are enabled to fight with Him. He shares with us the victory in the battles He has won. When we must fight, even in situations that appear to be overwhelming and defeat appears to be inevitable, faith rises higher than rising current against us. The enemy comes in like a flood, a tsunami threatening to overwhelm our banks. Then there arises before us a righteous standard judging the threat of evil and dismantling its attempts to overtake us. Discerning leaders will lead his troops into to battle. But he will also lead them through each battle to triumph.