Tag: Favor

I Prayed-He Heard

July 4, 2017

I Prayed, and He Heard

Together, we are experiencing a change in the atmosphere. I really love this stuff. “Something going on!!!”

Not long ago I shared a quote on twitter by Frank Bartelman.

The depth of your repentance will determine the height of your revival.

We live in a world where people want something for nothing. The church world is no different. I say this broadly.

Nothing real, nothing lasting, ever comes without repentance and prayer. “Lots of it”

I want to share some thoughts titled, “I Prayed, and He Heard”

When I began to think of Sunday’s message I had nothing. I looked at notes, scriptures, thoughts that I had jotted down. Nothing seemed right. So I prayed.

Usually in these situations I simply ask for a word. A place to start. The word came very quickly and it branched out with two more words that I will get to today.

In prayer, I heard the word, overwhelmed. It led to the word encompassed, and the word mourning. We will get to them all.

David wrote a Psalm after he had been delivered from all his enemies, including Saul.

Psalms 18:1-6

1 “I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

David had been overwhelmed, encompassed. He prayed and God heard.

He wrote again about confidence in God’s protection.

Psalms 61:1-4

1 Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For You have been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.

Another Psalm David wrote when he was hiding in a cave.

Psalms 142:2-4

2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul.

“overwhelmed, encompassed, in mourning”

Emotions all over the place. Defeat, fear, doubt, sorrow, enemies abound.

David went on.

Psalms 142:5-7

5 I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
6 “Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me.

7 “Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name; The righteous will surround me, For You will deal bountifully with me.”

Much of David’s life sounds like some of our days, and weeks, and years.

Overwhelmed, with life events, family and relationship problems. Financial situations, and on and on.

Encompassed, surrounded by negative influence. Situations that look hopeless, no way out.

Mourning, with a broken heart for family, friends, failures.

“Still have to face the issues”

What did David do? He prayed, and God heard.

James approached these issues with something of a different take. Now for those of us who have lived a while we understand that life events just happen. Without reason, without sin, or without failure. They just happen.

“It still feels the same.”

Still James wrote that we must look at ourselves. Probably because mankind has never changed. We still continue to make mistakes, bad decisions, and chase our fleshly desires.

James 4:8-10

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

If I could give a short commentary for these 3 verses it would be this.

“There are times, when we ain’t all that.”

Yes, there are times when we must accept some accountability for the things that come our way. It doesn’t make us bad people. It does however mean, that our heart must break for our part in the mess we are in.

James 4:8-10 AMPC

8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].

9 [As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].

This is all about verse 10.

10 Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].” Here is the link for the video of this message. http://bit.ly/2tbBXnH

We pray-He Hears.

Blessings to you all.

#lovewins #hopelives

A Season of Increase

February 3, 2017

“A Season of Increase”

I am excited about what God is doing, and positioned to do in our lives and in the world. We are living in an exciting time of expectation. People are rising to the challenge that faces the church. Moving away from dead works of the law and becoming relevant in their communities.

Some say that people have abandoned the truth, but Jesus said I am the Way, and the Truth.

Preaching the story of Jesus is preaching the pure undefiled by the hand of man truth. The Truth, Jesus will set you free.

It is the Divine destiny of the church, and God’s people to live in Kingdom authority and provision. Words and phrases like, I want more, more of Jesus, increase, supernatural, ring over and over in my head.

I have heard others say similar things as we press forward in the amazing presence of God.

I want to establish this fact. I can not give you more. You have to get it the same way I do. I can create hunger, share examples, define more, and present the path that will take you to more of Christ. You have to follow it. You have to want it.

Remember this, God is always available to lift you up, heal your brokenness, and establish your paths in Him.

The prophet Jeremiah was telling of the promise of deliverance of God’s people from captivity in His 30th chapter.

Jeremiah 30:17 NASB

‘For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the L ORD , ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.”’

God says I will do it because I can. Not because others do, or do not want me to. I will do it because I can.

In God’s plan for us and for His church there has always been seasons. I will define this as periods of time that are a part of our relationship with Christ. The passage in Jeremiah tells of a season of hurt and persecution. These things develop into depression and feelings of despair. They felt as if they had no value.

God took this season of drought and watered it with a promise. I will heal, I will restore, because I care for you.

In Hosea the fifth chapter God had rebuked Israel and their priests for their apostasy. Apostasy meaning turning from God to other false gods.

Hosea 6:1-3 NASB

1 “Come, let us return to the L ORD . For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

2 “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.

3 “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD . His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

Hosea 6:3 Amplified

So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the greatness of the LORD to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us in salvation like the heavy rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.

I believe that God is calling us as a body, and some of us as individuals to press on to know and fully understand the greatness of God.

All of us together, the faithful, the givers, the prayers. Those of us who are risk takers not satisfied with status quo. All of us together will weep for the lost, cry for the church that has left it’s first love. Repent of our sins, fears, and doubts. Rejoice and worship for His mercy and grace.

We will see friends and families saved, healed, and restored.

I want to share an awesome word from the Gospel of John.

John 3:26-30 NASB

26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.”

27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.

28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

From the Greek increase means, to cause to grow, to increase, to become greater. Decrease means, in dignity to be made less.

This mighty man of God stepped down from the stage

and gave place to the one whose season had come.

“Jesus said this of Him.”

Matthew 11:11 NASB

Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

There are seasons of time that seem like we are losing ground. Heaven seems quiet. Revelation comes slowly. It is just a season of time. Requiring our faithfulness and love to remain strong.

One thing I have learned in my relationship with Christ, and studying His words.

There are times we have to give up, to get.

Jesus taught us that when He wrapped a towel around Him. Picked up a bowl of water and washed the disciples feet.

He was teaching us that strength, faith, power. All the Kingdom authority that we have inherited. All of this and more is shrouded in humility.

You want to be great in the Kingdom of God? Learn to serve. Do it like He did it.

May you be blessed and favored by His love and grace. In Jesus name.