Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 17, No. 5 May 2008
Proverbs 12:5 “The thoughts of the righteous [are] just…”
The Lord has been telling me this for two weeks. It has brought me to a new level of accepting many things that go on in my mind. There is so much confusion today; but the Lord wants us to know our thoughts are right, not wrong. That gives me hope and the ability to know the decisions that I make are acceptable to Him because He is guiding me continually in all things.
I recently was tested in this and found myself to still miss it at times. I was talking to someone on the phone and I could not believe what I was hearing. It was about health insurance. I have had to get my own health insurance for nearly 20 years now and it has cost a small fortune. And what he was telling me, was just too good to be true. It really was. I just didn’t believe it, so I said so. The person on the other end responded with, “If you don’t believe me then you are wasting my time.” I had to get a hold of myself to carry on and get to the bottom of the conversation. It really was true. In this day we just don’t want to believe anything that is good and righteous – we don’t trust anyone because of the way life has become.
Well, that turned me around and I heard the Lord say once again, “Your thoughts are just and right when they are focused on truth.”
Jesus had the same problem. People did not want to believe Him.
John 14:1 “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.”
The enemy works overtime to keep God’s people from believing anything today that works. But when you know your thoughts are just and right, then things really do happen for the good in Christ Jesus.
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
PS. I now have incredible health insurance and am saving a bundle.
Warring For Breakthrough
Psa 22:3 (KJV) “But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
(Translated) “Where the Lord’s people praise Him, there His authority is established.”
The key to maintaining the victory is the authority of God in your life.
Eph.6 tells us we do not war against flesh and blood, but against “principalities and powers of darkness (vrs.12).” Look at Psalm.149:8 (KJV) “To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;”
“kings and nobles” = principalities & powers. They are here to harass and criticize the saints.
What is it that stops and binds the enemy? Psa 149:6 (KJV) “[Let] the high [praises] of God [be] in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;”
The high praises of God and a two-edged sword - his is the relationship between worship and spiritual warfare. The more we praise Him, the more authority of God is given to us so can bind the enemy and render him powerless.
What is a “high praise” = exaltation. The more we exalt Him, the greater the deliverance.
David exalted the Lord by saying the Lord prepares a table before me in the midst of my enemies. (Psm.23:5) This table is fellowship with God. When the battle is great, when you believe God has forsaken you – PRAISE!
2 Ch 20:17-19 (KJV) “Ye shall not [need] to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye [still], and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD [will be] with you. (18) And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with [his] face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. (19) And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.”
When the Moabites invaded, God told Jehoshaphat not to fight, but to have his men take up their positions – so they could watch the salvation of the Lord. Their response was worship. Praise on high = above everything else (to stir up).
As they began to praise, the Lord ambushed and confused the enemy until they were fighting among themselves.
The connection: To pray without the act of worship will produce resistance from the enemy and will produce discouragement.
If our worship does not cause us to seek the face of God and intercede in spiritual warfare, then our worship is not from our hearts and by the spirit. GENUINE WORSHIP provokes GOD to arise and take notice.
Worship is the “high praises” (exalting Him) and Warfare is the intercession. True spiritual warfare is focused on VIOLENT force of the spirit realm. [The warfare is not based on anger, fear or pride, but on a deep desire to hunger for the righteousness of God.]
KINGOM OF GOD = the rule of Christ. So wherever Jesus is in charge, the Kingdom of God is being manifested.
Remember Psalm 22:3 “God inhabits the praises of His people,” but it means “the Lord’s rulership is realized wherever God’s people praise Him.” In other words, “the adoration of the Lord prepares us to yield to the authority of the Lord.” (this is how you can tell if you have truly entered in – are you yielded to what God wants next?)
Worship makes room for God. In an atmosphere of worship; the presence of God is manifested to transform the heart of the individual.
When Joshua took Jericho, he did not do it by military force, but in obedience to the Word of God – “A shout.” What was the shout? Probably the greatness of God! And the walls fell down and victory was won. [shout = to split the ears] To release the greatness of God with His power. A praising people are essential to God’s strategy of victory and warfare.
Ezekiel 28:11-19 speaks of Lucifer’s glory before his fall. Verse 13 clearly says “you were in Eden the garden of God;" verse 16 “out of the mountain of god.” This is a prophecy about Lucifer. Lucifer guarded the glory of God by leading the worship of God.
·Gabriel was to guard the word of God
·Michael was to guard the power of God
·Lucifer was to guard the glory of God
BUT PRIDE! Verse 13 – Every precious stone (building) was your covering (protection)…with tabrets (musical notes that drum) and pipes (a bezel – to hold the stones causing different sounds). The protection around the glory of God was musical sounds emanating from Lucifer’s being. Lucifer = light bearer (Morning Star). So along with the sounds, a radiance of spectacular light came forth enhancing the glory of God. And I believe the same thing happens when we worship in spirit and truth which causes the enemy to go hay-wire. The glory of God is ushered in. The power and greatness of this “son of light” must have been beyond imagination. Yet Lucifer became so enthralled in the worship, he craved the attention for himself. So God had to throw him down from the mountain of God.
Today God is calling us up to that same mountain to radiate the glory of God that comes through a people who will worship in spirit and truth. But we must cast down the enemy.
The enemy keeps us from coming in with strategies that keep us from worship. Dr. Zacharias once said, “A people will never be able to worship corporately until they are worshipping individually.” We have the strength of God through Christ Jesus to see the manifestation of the glory of God, but the continual attacks of Satan with bitterness, unforgiveness and pride keep us from worshipping. I WON’T HAVE IT IN MY LIFE. I must worship. And I need others to worship with me before this darkness overtakes God’s people. We absolutely must win – God’s way. WORSHIP & DISTRACT SATAN FROM CARRYING OUT HIS PLANS AGAINST YOU.
Satan wants the glory --- So we must give it all to God as an expression of praise as we violently oppose the enemy with our worship. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves unto God and resist the devil…"
What is true intimacy but worship? It is an active expression to the one you love. Dance with God and you can dance on the serpent’s head.
-Pr. Steve
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2007
May 1: The latter rain is coming into the image of Christ.
May 3: It is the time of God’s favor.
May 5: “I have come to measure the church. You are standing in water to the hips and loins. Some have gone into the deeper water but you hesitate. I see the hunger to go deeper. Then don’t hesitate. You have been comfortable where you have been. I am asking you to come deeper. I will hold you and sustain you through the experiences. I do not disappoint.”
May 10: There are so many blessings that come from above. Why would anyone ignore You, Lord? Some are in anguish because they do not discern Your goodness and favor. Thank You for life abundant. May I be all things to the people You send me to offer them this abundant life.
May 12: “Let the elders and leaders bear the glory in their shoulders and you worship Me. Do not touch the ark.”
May 14: “Let Me rest in you! Assurance and trust will give peace.”
May 16: Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.
May 19: “Rejoice in everything you encounter. I am with you.”
May 22: “You are giving up your freedom to honor me. I will give you peace and comfort. It is My presence to guide you and the freedom of knowing Me.”
May 24: Dream: I was going to die and I prayed “Lord, forgive me for not living my life to the fullest in You.” May this constantly remind me to serve the Lord with all my heart.
May 25: “I take full responsibility for My church and My people. Whatever happens I will care about it. You are established in Me and at My place of ministry, and My hand of direction is still with you to show you things to come and what to do.”
May 27: “Do not be ashamed of the gospel that you preach.”
Be Strong
Where God is concerned, there is so much that we can think upon every day. When thinking about any member of the Holy Trinity, there is more than enough to remain amazed about and excited with. That may seem a bit different to many people, because most of the time people concentrate upon God as to how He can meet their needs. But God is so much more than a need-satisfier.
Matt 6:7-8 (KJV) “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (8) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
Oh, yes, we must still ask many things of God, but that will come so much easier and be accompanied with so much greater faith if we are consciously meditating daily upon the greatness, and the goodness, and the awesomeness, and the holiness, and the faithfulness, and the presence of our great God. In contrast, we need to realize how much we try to do in our own strength when we take God for granted and take our eyes off Him.
Deut 11:7-9 (KJV) “But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did. (8) Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; (9) And that ye may prolong [your] days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.”
What we do cannot stop at the prayer stage. We don’t have to pray this kind of prayer: “God, I want to be enamored with You.” Instead, we need to do it. Be enamored with God. Try this: Smile. Now look up and think about the Lord. Think about how strong He is. Think about how incomprehensible His power is. Think about how great His love and desire is toward you through Jesus Christ His Son. Think about how small of a sacrifice it actually is for you to do what He has asked you to do. Then show forth an attitude that says, “God, thank you for being my God, I will follow and obey you.” Then walk it out.
Matt 6:31-34 (KJV) “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.”
What a waste it is when we sit around worrying about and striving over the things we do and don’t have. It really is our choice; we could be enjoying an edifying reflection and admiration of our creator. After all, we cannot add one inch to our stature by fretting. But we can take courage, and we can demonstrate our faith, and we can be determined not to let our hearts be overtaken with base and natural affections.
Heb 10:35-36 (KJV) “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. (36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Hallelujah! Don’t pray for patience, demonstrate it! That is a mindset that we must have, and then we can call upon the Lord for strength and direction through the trials. In the day that we live in we cannot be lazy; we must be strong because we truly have a lot to lose if we are not.
Rom 1:28-32 (KJV) “And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (29) Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, (30) Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (31) Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
-Kurt Thurston
God is presently seeking for a humble, praying people that He can pour His glory through. If we will not yield to the Holy Spirit in humble obedience, He will find a people who will! Let’s not deceive ourselves, God is not committed to us, but He is committed to remember the prayer of the humble: Psalms 9:12 “For the One who seeks an accounting for bloodshed remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.” If we refuse to prescribe to the Christ-honored methods of humility and prayer, we will certainly be refused for the Master’s use in the coming revival.
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