Crosslines

There are things, as believers, that ought not be in our lives. Many times, we settle for crumbs when God has promised us bread. Jesus loosed a woman from an infirmity she had had for 18 years. In Jesus' words, what was happening to her should never have been. It is those demonic things that should have never been that God calls us to defeat. Our assignment is to take back territory that remains in the hands of the enemy so we can see the fullness of God's will in our time. 

Discernment is a gift that few seem to have. It is also a stewardship. Without the Fear of the Lord, your discernment will not be clean. Being adamant or sloppy will not get you to the heart of the Lord. Discernment is truly a gift that must be treated as Holy unto the Lord.  When we are seeking knowledge or insight into a situation that is hidden, our own agenda or desires apart from God will not get us to the right conclusion. We should always be testing what we are hearing and holding ourselves accountable to God if we miss it. Having a pure heart that wants what God wants sets you on the path to seeing correctly. 

We need to have an understanding of the difference between God's protection and becoming a martyr. Is it true that God protects at times, but at other times allows believers to be martyred? It is not that simple. As a believer, situations will arise that will try to take your life prematurely, but God always promises a way of escape. Being a martyr is a choice between you and heaven, but many do not know we have a choice. Jesus said, "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily." God's promise of protection and deliverance stands. He does not want our life and purpose on this earth stolen. But when the time comes, and our purpose on earth has been completed, we have the choice to lay it down willingly. (Our apologies for the quality. This is an older recording from before we were releasing teaching online.)

Arrogance causes us not to ask God, even though it is God's nature to give. When we try to handle everything in our own ability and intellect, we close ourselves down from receiving. James 1 tells us to ask God for wisdom. God will never twist things on you, and He will give wisdom unconditionally if you ask. Our carnal mind demands to be in control, to know everything before we trust God to do anything outside of our comfort zone, but Proverbs tells us to "lean not on our own understanding." It's not our own, earthly understanding that will help us. Our wisdom has limits, but God's Spirit has none. Could it be there is no limitations with God but our ask? 

Nehemiah received an assignment from God, and the enemy sent people to attack what God had commissioned before they even started building. The enemy tries to come and beat all the good out of what God has given you to accomplish. He wants to burn you so bad that you never think about doing ministry again. But we cannot allow the enemy to scorch the goodness of what God has given us. Even harsh reality can be overcome by commanding and forbidding. Truly, the joy of the Lord is our strength. 

Protect everything good in your life. There is an attack that comes like a plant being exposed to too much sun. Everything becomes scorched at once. The devil will even try to steal the good memories and feelings from your past. This is warfare. It is like putting your hand on a hot stove. The enemy will try to keep you numb, but keep your joy. Fight for your joy, and the goodness of God will quickly return.

You have to give God something to work with to win in spiritual warfare. Think of the boy who gave Jesus his lunch. Jesus adds to and multiplies what we give Him, but the devil subtracts and divides. Many times, we are so consumed with what we need from God that it never once crosses our mind what God wants from us. Could it be that giving something you already have is the key to what you are asking God for? There are no excuses with God when He is offering us everything in return. 

Do you know how to use what God has given you so you don't end up powerless? A promise from God is something God does, but authority from God is something we do with what God has given us. Authority is us taking the Word of God and doing something with it. God intends us to use the sword, which is the Word of God, to defeat the enemy.  This is how we move from ignorance and powerlessness to growing in our God given authority.  

There are different arenas in which we can choose to do spiritual warfare. There is civilian (agricultural), courtroom, and battlefield warfare. God truly wants prayer to be preventative in our lives. We can have things theologically that we don't yet have experientially. Intercession is meant to bring what we have theologically into reality. Jesus and His 12 never experienced sickness, tragedy, or loss. They were always on the offensive, solving other people's problems, healing the sick, and casting out demons. God desires for us to live in a place of security and safety so we can go out and fight other people's battles, rather than being stuck fighting our own. 

With Rebekah and Isaac and the blessing about to be passed down to the wrong son, there might be a better course of action for Rebekah to have taken, but at the very least, she acted on the Word of God that had been given to her. No action would have been the worst thing she could have done. 

Can we trust Jesus, pray, and do nothing? We all know that action out of the flesh causes problems, but does a Word from God provoke action in us? A group discussion on the theology of Rebekah and Jacob and the "ethics" of what they did to Isaac and Esau to yank the wheel of history toward the Word God had spoken at Esau and Jacob's birth. 

In certain situations, the Bible commands us to be shrewd. Rebekah with Jacob is a timeless example. The Bible commands us to be shrewd towards evil, in emergencies, and when something is about to go down wrong. If you want to have success against evil, you will need to become shrewd. You must have the ability to outthink your enemy. Christianity is not a competition about who has the best ethics. It is about furthering the kingdom of God in the face of evil. 

Have you ever wrestled with God? Have you wrestled with God and prevailed? Few wrestle with God, fewer wrestle with God and win. Jacob wrestled with God for one night, and his life was changed forever. He was given a new name, a new identity, and the name God gave him was given to a whole nation. The Israelis are forever a passionate people, full of fight. When will we, as Gentiles, direct our fight and passion toward our relationship with God? 

The Authority of the believer is thought of as a recent idea in Christian circles, but have you heard of John A McMillan? He was born in 1873 and was a Canadian Presbyterian businessman who walked in the Authority of the Believer. What if you had been given authority from God but never walked in it? Instead of complaining about our problems, if we want results like Jesus, we might want to do it the way Jesus did. Speak to your mountain. Not everything we experience in this life is God's will. Ask yourself, are you asking God to do things for you when He has already given the authority to pull those things down from heaven?

Is there another experience with the Holy Spirit after we are born again? What does the Bible have to say? God gives gifts that seem foolish, only to confound those who think themselves wise. The Holy Spirit is the change we all need. Every character in the Bible who encountered the Holy Spirit was forever changed. Their boldness increased as their fear decreased. Are you asking for more of the Holy Ghost? 

Most Christians live and die in the wilderness, but it was only meant to be temporary. The Promise Land is God's true desire for every believer. People stay in the wilderness for three reasons. 1. They are still attached to Egypt(slavery) in their heart.  2. They are afraid of more of God and losing control. 3. They are afraid of the giants. God truly wants you free of carnal Christianity, free of control, and walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

Is your plan for losing weight watching workout videos while eating food? This is how many of us approach faith. We watch sermons, listen to podcasts, attend church, pray, and even read the Word...but there is little to no action. There are two categories of people: those who hear the Word and do nothing, and those who hear and do the Word. Be a doer of the Word. 

How can God use people who are so arrogant? The religious in the church often judge Samson but fail to see how God used him. The church works to disciple the lower levels of society, but we fail with the influential and strong. Be careful who you judge and stand against, many times God uses the "arrogant" more than the religious who refuse to take up any fight for the kingdom of God. 

What does the Bible say about drinking? Interestingly, the Bible tells us when not to drink and when to drink. But it's not a rule to follow, but a decision God is looking for us to make with our heart. 

The more you serve the Lord, the more surprises God has in store. God doesn't reveal everything the moment we start trusting Him, otherwise, it wouldn't be trust. He always seems to do something better than what we could think up. He likes to surprise us. Like a dear friend setting up a surprise birthday party or a man planning a date, God is setting you up for something good. When you figure out God loves you, the mystery becomes fun. And you truly see the mystery of God lead you into His goodness.