REVIVAL TALK

2012 A Year of Breakthrough

2012-01-04T01:19:00.000-05:00

At thebeginning of each year I like to spend time in prayer concerning the coming NewYear. For the last few weeks I havesimply heard that 2012 will be a year of breakthrough. I believe that the church needs propheticdirection in order to prepare and be positioned for victory and breakthrough.

I believethis prophetic cycle began in 2010. Inlate 2009 the Lord began to deal with me about 2010 being a year ofmovement. God repositioned andredeployed a number of us in order to position us for the coming decade.

In late2010 my family moved from Maryland to a new pastorate in Greenwood, SouthCarolina. Why? The Lord brought us to Greenwood so that wecould be a part of the harvest for this region. 2011 has been a year of transition and change. There have been many changes especially inthe nations of the earth. We have witnessedthe words of Luke 21:25 – ““And therewill be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earthdistress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.”

Many wouldsay that 2011 has been a year of disorder and chaos. We have witnessed riots throughout theworld. Dictators who have ruled thenations for decades were overthrown and have been replaced by newleadership. In our own nation we havethe occupy Wall Street movement that has spread to other major cities acrossthe United States.

Ourgovernment continues to be divided and opinion polls show that most Americansare fearful of the future and don’t trust our political leaders. When you study the number eleven in Scriptureyou learn that it represents disorder.

We are in aharvest season that began last year and will continue for three years. Many of these prophetic promises that Godgives to us will begin in this year and then continue into subsequentyears.

Severalthings that started in 2011 will continue into this year and subsequentyears. There will be a continuedseparation and division between the spiritual and carnal church will be morepronounced and will continue to grow. For those who hunger and thirst forrighteousness, they will see a release of supernatural power. This will bringabout a separation. Some churches will separate while new ministries will beborn and will thrive when they embrace the ministry of the Holy Spirit.Ministries that refuse to hear the voice of God and reject the move He desiresto bring will die and only be a memory.

The year2012 will be a year of breakthrough. Itwill be a year that will be characterized by the miraculous. There will be a visitation this year. Signs and wonders, miraculous healings, andsupernatural supply will accompany this visitation. There are three things that I believe God hasspoken to me about in the coming year. They are as follows:

1. A Year toRise – This will be a year for the Church to rise up in the power ofthe Holy Spirit and possess our inheritance. One of the synonyms for the word, breakthrough, is to rise.

We mustseize our moment in time. The Messiahwas referred to as the breaker in Micah2:13. “The One who breaks open the waywill go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their Kingwill pass through before them, the LORD at their head.” (NIV) This will bea year of sudden breakthroughs. Suddenlywithout warning God will break things open for His covenant people. There are going to be breakthroughs in ourfamilies, our finances, and for our congregation. God’s favor will intervene for you.

· Isaiah 60:1

· Micah 2:13

· Malachi 4:2

2. A Year ofRestitution – Restitution is defined as, “reparation made by giving anequivalent or compensation forloss, damage, or injury caused; indemnification. The restoration of property orrights previously taken away, conveyed, or surrendered.” [1] This will be a year that the enemy has toreturn things that have been stolen and delayed. This can be a year of restitution if we willask the Lord for those things that were stolen to be returned. One part of this restitution will bereconciliation. Watch how God restoresand heals relationships that have been strained and lost in this season. When this reconciliation takes place therewill be a spiritual blessing that is released as a result of thereconciliation. Let me encourage you topray for those relationships that you believe God wants to heal andrestore.

· John 10:10

· Proverbs 6:31

3. A Year ofRevolution – This will be a year of revolutionary change. These changes will come as a result of divinevisitation and revival. One of the characteristicsof visitation will be radical change. Thismove of God’s Spirit will be revolutionary. When men and women encounter God they are never the same as a result oftheir visitation. These changes are necessary for the future. If we embrace this visitation and allow Godto do what He desires in our personal and corporate lives He will bring forth anew identity that will change the face of the church and position us forgreater breakthroughs and influence.

· Isaiah 6:1-10

· Luke 1:5-25

· Luke 19:43-45

[1]Retrieved from the internet, 1/1/2012, www.dictionary.com

Rebuilding the Broken Altar of Prayer

2011-10-25T13:06:00.000-04:00

In Matthew 21: 12-13, “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Jesus made this declaration, “My house shall be called a house of prayer!” I believe that God is calling us back to the altar of prayer. For several weeks the Lord has dealt with me about rebuilding the broken altar of prayer in our personal and corporate lives. If we are going to see spiritual breakthrough in our churches and communities then we must rebuild and return to the altar of prayer.

Wayman Rogers writes, “The ministry of prayer is the most important of all ministries in the church. Prayer creates the atmosphere and binds the powers of darkness so the gospel of Jesus can go forward and the church can prosper. This is the area that the majority of our church talks about the most and practices the least.”[i]

An altar is a place of sacrifice. It is a meeting place with God. Catherine Brown defines the altar as “A meeting place between heaven and earth, where God creates covenant and where a priest offers either sacrifices or gifts.”[ii]

Today I want to challenge you to rebuild the broken altar of prayer. In the New Testament we are no longer commanded to build a physical altar, but we must establish a spiritual altar. John 4:24 reads, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We will not be successful in our Christian life without establishing an effective prayer altar. There are two altars that I believe is calling for the Body of Christ to rebuild in these last days:

The Personal Altar of Prayer

Your personal altar of prayer is the place where you meet with God for your devotional and quiet time. It can be a particular place and time. It can be a particular room in your home such as your study, den, or bedroom. Where is it that you set aside time to pray and listen for the instructions of the Holy Spirit?

Your personal altar will be a place of personal visitation. Why not schedule out a time to meet with the Lord on a daily basis. I believe that He longs to spend time in fellowship and communion with His children. In Revelation 3:20 John writes the words of Jesus, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Nobody in the Scripture was called a friend, or a prophet of God who did not have a strong personal prayer life. God does not only want us to work for Him but also to walk with Him in relationship. Our Lord is looking to partner and work together with us to fulfill His kingdom plans.

Those who were successful in the work of the Lord understood the power of the personal prayer altar. To be successful in our walk and relationship with Christ we must develop a solid personal altar of prayer.

The Corporate Altar of Prayer

Secondly, we must rebuild the corporate prayer altar. It is time for the church to rebuild and return to the altar of prayer. God is calling His church to become a house of prayer for all people. We are called to pray until the purposes of God are released into our assigned territory.

In Matthew 21:12-15 Jesus went into the Temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of those who were selling doves and profiting through the manipulation of God’s people. The Temple had ceased to be what God had called it to be. In Matthew 21:13 Jesus redefines God’s original purpose for His house, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”

When you read this passage of Scripture you learn that there are four things that get restored when the corporate altar is rebuilt and reestablished in the House of God:

1) Prayer gets restored to a place of priority – Matthew 21:13

2) Power is released for miracles – Matthew 21:14

3) Purity is released – Matthew 21:12

4) Praise is restored and becomes joyful and jubilant – Matthew 21:16

When we rebuild and repair the broken altars in our personal and corporate lives we will see the breakthrough and the revival that we have been longing and praying for. Will you join me in repenting of our prayerlessness and rebuilding the broken and neglected altars of prayer?

[i] Damazio, Frank, “The Gate Church,” City Bible Publishing, Portland, OR, 2000.

[ii] Retrieved from the internet, “What Happens on the Altar Determines the Destiny of Individuals, Cities, or Nations,” http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=10297

The Fourth Month

2011-07-08T10:48:00.000-04:00

In 1 Chronicles 12:32 we learn that the Sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do. Like the sons of Issachar we need to have an understanding of the times. We are in a time of uncertainty and fear, therefore we need prophetic insight into what God has for us and desires to do in our lives.

For some time I have been praying and asking God to give me insight into how He moves in time. The Sons of Issachar were masters of the calendar. In Exodus 12:2 the Lord establishes the Hebrew calendar. “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” The Hebrew calendar begins at Passover. This is the calendar that God ordained and introduced in the Bible. To better understand how God moves in times you can study the Hebrew calendar and the patterns that have been established in the Word of God. Our Gregorian calendar is on a different time cycle than the Word of God.

Each of the twelve months on the Hebrew calendar corresponds to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The current month on the Hebrew calendar is the month Tammuz that comes during our June and July. It begins a three-month period including the month of Av and Ellul, which are the summer months.

When you study the history of Israel you realize that the Ninth of Av is one of the saddest days in the history of Israel. Dr. Robert Heidler writes, “If you study the history of the Jews you discover something surprising. The Jews have experienced many calamities over the years, and most of those calamities have occurred on same day of the year, the ninth of Av. It was on this date that both temples were destroyed, and the final destruction of Jerusalem took place in 135.”

Tammuz is the name of a Babylonian god. The month got its name during the Babylonian captivity. The Bible refers to this month as the fourth month, beginning at Nissan (Passover). The Bible forbids the children of Israel to worship Tammuz. Ezekiel 8:14 – “So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” What Ezekiel saw were the defilement and the coming destruction of the Temple.

Several sources I studied called Tammuz the saddest month on the Jewish calendar. Tradition tells us that it was during Tammuz that Moses sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land of Canaan in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers. It was forty days later that the ten spies brought an evil report and the children of Israel refused to enter into the Promised Land. Other sources believe that Moses broke the tablets of stone during Tammuz when he came off the mountain and saw Israel involved in idolatry.

When you study the life of Reuben you learn that he was the first-born son of Jacob and Leah. The name Reuben comes from a Hebrew word meaning, “To see, to look at, to perceive.” Reuben messed up and committed incest with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Genesis 35:22 reads, “And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:”

This is a month to see. This is a month to ask God to allow you to see things clearly. We must ask God to help us find our path for this coming season. We must find His direction for the coming season in our lives. When you find your path you will find your provision. God positioned Elijah by a brook to provide for him supernaturally during a time of drought and famine. He then dried up the brook and took Elijah down a different path. God’s place of assignment will be His place of provision. This is a season to find your path.

This is also a month to watch for the traps and ensnarement the enemy will place on your path. Don’t allow the enemy to seduce you. We must be careful that we do not allow the devil to seduce us during this season. Be careful that you do not come into agreement with him by speaking the evil report.

This is also a month for things to turn in your favor. Recently in prayer the Lord spoke to me and said, “This is a month when things will begin to turn in your future.” Let me encourage you to be careful to hear His voice and listen carefully for His instructions in this season of time. Things are going to turn in your favor.

We avoid the traps of the enemy and recognize the doors that God is opening through our times of worship and prayer. Make your worship and prayer times a priority during this season and take time to listen for the Lord’s instructions.

Prayer for July - Beth Bailey

Dear Father,
We come humbly as we set You before us to seek counsel and instruction for the path of life in these times of uncertainty and fear. Our hearts are glad and we rest in hope as we are kept in the refuge of Your presence. (Ps. 16, 1Chron. 12) We ask for personal discipline to make worship and prayer a priority as we seek Your face. We ask that You show us how You move in times and seasons. Give us prophetic insight to understand the times and Your desires for the times. Let us be sensitive to hear Your voice and listen for Your instructions. We bind the enemy and cancel every assignment, ensnarement, and seduction that would prevent us from advancing through the door You are setting before us. We loose favor and protection over our future. Cause Your blessings to overtake us in this three-month period of summer. Give wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as You enlarge and enlighten our pathway. Let us be armed with a new strength to go up and be established in the new thing You have prepared for us. (Ps. 18, Ex. 12)

In the Mighty Name of Jesus.
Amen

Surviving and Thriving in Perilous Times

2011-02-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

Over the last few years we have watched in disbelief as our nation suffered terrorist attacks, went through the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, which was one of the costliest disasters in history. The Gulf region is still recovering from the devastation. Many of us have watched the upheaval in North Africa and the Middle East. Dictators and monarchs who have reigned for decades have suddenly come under fire and had to step down from office. What is happening? We are witnessing the great shaking the Bible tells us will come in the last days. We are witnessing a realignment of the nations of the earth for God's last day plan.

Some time ago as I was praying the Lord began to deal with me about preaching on God’s Survival Plan for Perilous Times. We are living in perilous times. The word perilous means dangerous. Webster's Dictionary defines perilous as “involving peril, which means exposure to harm or injury, danger or peril.”

Most believers agree that we are living in the last days. How do we know that we are living in the last days? The Bible tells us that there are certain signs that will be fulfilled that will let us know without any doubts that we are close to the coming of the Lord. What are these signs? In Acts 2:17 Peter preached the inaugural sermon of the new born New Testament Church. In this passage of scripture we learn that the last days began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We are not only living in the last days, but the last of the last days.

Notice some of the Scriptural prophetic signs that are being fulfilled that let us know without any doubt that we are close to the end of the age:

The Bible tells us in Zechariah 12:2 – “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness (trembling) to all the surrounding peoples.” Our President and his Secretary of State are putting pressure on Israel to divide Jerusalem and give away East Jerusalem as a capital for a Palestinian State.
Peter preached in Acts 2:17-21, that we would experience an unprecedented move of God’s Spirit in the last days. There are great revivals that are sweeping around the world, especially on the continents of Africa, South & Central America, and Asia. Isaiah 60:1 – “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
Jesus told us in Matthew 24:6 that we will hear of wars and rumors of war. He goes on to list the following signs that will point to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are wars raging in every different region of the world today.
Matthew 24:7 – “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”

In Matthew 24:8 – we learn that “all these are the beginning of sorrows.” Where are we on God’s prophetic time clock? According to God’s Word we are now living in the beginning of sorrows! What will happen next? I believe that we will continue to hear of wars and rumors of wars and those things will progressively get worse and worse. We are not headed for utopia, but the world scene is now being set up for coming man of sin, the lawless one, or the Antichrist. Matthew 24:12 – “And because lawlessness will abound the love of many will wax cold.”

The Apostle Paul wrote prophetically of our day in II Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” These times are upon us. The western world lives with the daily threat of when and where the next terrorist attack will occur. Our nation has been on a state of high alert, but many in our nation have forgotten the devastation of September 11, 2001 and been lulled into a false sense of security.

Most of us would agree that our lives have changed over the last ten years. Luke 21:25-26 says this, “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.”

We are living in perilous times, but we don’t have to be afraid. God has a plan for His children during perilous times! How do we live in perilous times? We live in victory! We say with the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20,“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

How do we survive and thrive in perilous times? There are three important things that we must do:

We must live in God's provision. We must learn to live by the promises of God. In these last days we will have to trust Him as our provider. He is looking for a people who will live in His miraculous provision.
We must trust God for our protection. His protection will come through our relationship with Him. The 91st Psalm is known as the protection Psalm. We must learn to claim this promises as our own and stand together in faith for His protection over our lives.
We must live in the power of His Spirit through prayer. If we truly believe that we are living in the last days, then we must live in the power of His Spirit. James 5:16 teaches, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

We are living in perilous times, but we do not have to be afraid. Jeremiah 29:11 reveals that God has a plan for each of our lives. He has a strategy to bless you and keep you safe even in times of uncertainty and difficulty.

God Sets Before Us Blessings or Curses

2011-01-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

Deuteronomy 30:19 teaches us that God has set before us both blessings and curses. Disobedience to the Word of God will bring a curse upon our lives. Malachi 3:9 teaches us that a failure to tithe on our income will bring a divine curse. Malachi the prophet told Israel that they were under a curse because they had refused to bring their tithes and offerings to the Lord.

As believers we have the responsibility of being obedient stewards of the resources that God has entrusted to each of us. In order to be obedient we must be faithful to bring our tithe and offerings into the storehouse. Leviticus 27:32 reads, “…The tenth (tithe) shall be holy unto the Lord.” Leviticus 27: 30-34 teaches us that the tithe belongs to the Lord. Malachi 3:10 instructs us to “bring all the tithes into the storehouse…” To obey the precepts of God’s Word brings blessings into our lives. To disobey brings a curse. When we give to God what He requires from a thankful heart then we will be blessed in the following ways:

We become the Lords treasured possession. (Dt. 26:18) NIV
He sets us in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations He has made. (DT. 26:19)
Our barns are filled with plenty and our vats overflow with new wine. (Prov. 3:10) NIV
A generous man will prosper. (Prov. 11:25) NIV
We don’t have room enough to receive the blessings He gives (Mal. 3:10) NIV
He opens the floodgates of heaven and pours out blessings. (Ma. 3:10)
He rebukes the devourer for our sakes. (Mal. 3:11) NIV
He protects our investments and the fruits of our labors. (Mal. 3:11) NIV
He makes all grace abound to us enabling us to have all that we need. (II Cor. 9:8) NIV
He supplies all of our needs. (Phil. 4:19) NIV

God sets before you blessings or curses. We must choose. Will you choose to be obedient to His holy Word? You obey His Word by bringing your tithes (one-tenth of your income) into the storehouse. The storehouse is the New Testament Church. II Corinthians 9:7 says “…God loves a cheerful giver..” Will you become a cheerful giver today and choose His blessings upon your life? A failure will bring His displeasure.

Taken from tract entitled, “Blessings or Curses” – by W. Terry Bailey

Entering into 2011

2011-01-10T18:00:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of each year I like to spend time in prayer concerning the New Year. I believe that God has spoken prophetically about the following things that will begin and continue through 2011:

This will be a year to finish. God is going to bring completion to some things that He started in the last season. Things that have been left incomplete are going to come to completion.

Hebrews 12:2 – “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Philippians 1:6 – “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

This will be a year to recover. Some things that have been lost or stolen in the past season are going to be recovered in the coming season of God. Some are going to clearly hear, “Pursue and recover all.”

1 Samuel 30:8 - So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”  And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”

This will be a year to enter into your promises. For many this has already begun. Long standing promises that many have carried will see fulfillment in this coming year. For some they will see the beginning of what God has promised and it will continue for a period of time. This may start with something small and insignificant. Don’t miss what God is doing because it begins in a small way or seems like something insignificant. Watch the relationships that are on your path, because they may be kingdom connections that will propel you into your promise.

Zechariah 4:10 - For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

This will be a year of separation. The division between the spiritual and carnal church will be more pronounced and will continue to grow. For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will see a release of supernatural power. This will bring about a separation. Some churches will separate while new ministries will be born and will thrive when they embrace the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Ministries that refuse to hear the voice of God and reject the move He desires to bring will die and only be a memory.

Acts 2, 5:1-11
Romans 8:1-17

This will be a year to prepare and be positioned for harvest. This will begin a three-year harvest season. The next three years will be a time of expansion and increase. The fields are white unto harvest. We must get into position and prepare to gather the harvest. We must pray for laborers to be released into the harvest field. The harvest will be both local and global. God is going to open up nations for ministry in the coming year. Mission teams will be sent to these nations for ministry.

John 4:34-38
Matthew 9:37-38

This will be a year of governmental crisis. Our government will face difficult decisions that will affect the lives of people. These decisions will cause civil unrest and violence in major cities. This will lead to more government intrusion and regulation. The economy will remain fragile for the first part of the year.

Proverbs 11:8 – “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.”
Proverbs 11:10 – “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.”
Proverbs 24:34 – “So shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.

The Life Changing Benefits of Fasting

2010-12-29T00:16:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest disciplines available to the New Testament Church is the discipline of fasting. Fasting is a powerful tool in our arsenal. We are called to fast and pray. Pastor Mahesh Chavda writes, “Nearly every Christian I have talked with has had some questions and misconceptions about fasting.” Fasting is a discipline that we have neglected in the twenty first century church.

This fast is to prepare God's people for Spiritual leadership for the new season we are entering into. This new season will bring unprecedented change into our personal lives and our society. How are we going to embrace the new things we are entering into? Are we going to make a decision that we are going to awake from our slumber and let the world know that we are here! Most churches in America have fallen asleep. We are caught up in materialism and the pursuit of pleasure instead of doing the perfect will of God. Our society is in trouble.

This troubled society demands a response from the church. We are called to influence our culture. Where do we start? We start by humbling ourselves through prayer and fasting. Why do we need to fast? Because fasting is God’s chosen method of awakening the church and giving us a conquering spirit! To fast is to abstain from food, pleasure, or fun with the goal of drawing closer to God.

Fred Hartley says, "The first time I heard someone talk about fasting, I thought, 'They must be a little odd-almost weird.' Let's be honest. Eating is only one of our bodily appetites, but it is the granddaddy of them all. The sheer thought of denying that appetite triggers unsolicited, rebellious cries of protest."

We are a people who love to eat. Our highways are lined with all kinds of wonderful places to eat. We live in a day of Taco Houses, pizza parlors, burger joints, diners, and cafeterias. To fast cuts across our culture. We do lunch together. We discuss business over a meal. A great deal of money exchanges hands in America today at lunch or supper. When we want to spend time with our families we do it at mealtime.

God is calling us to fast to prepare us for the days that lie ahead. To position us for the changes that He is bringing to the Body of Christ and to our society at large. Mahesh Chavda writes in his book, “The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting,” “There are 12 specific benefits of the ‘fast that God has chosen listed in the Book of Isaiah.’”

1. Revelation – “Then your light shall break forth like the morning…”
2. Healing and Wholeness – “Your healing shall spring forth speedily….”
3. Righteousness – “Your righteousness shall go before you…”
4. The glory of the Lord (Presence) - “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.”
5. Answered prayers – “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer…..”
6. Continual guidance – “The Lord will guide you continually…”
7. Contentment – “then your light shall dawn in the darkness”
8. Refreshing – and satisfy your soul in drought
9. Strength – “and strengthen your bones;
10. A work that endures (like an ever-flowing spring) – “and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
11. Raising up future generations – “you shall raise up the foundations of many generations….”
12. Restoration – “and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, and the Restorer of streets to dwell in.”

We need to get serious about deliverance. We have a decision to make. Are we going to get desperate about salvation and deliverance? When we put the same effort into our prayer meetings and our times of fasting and prayer that we do in our fellowship events then we will see our sons and daughters born again and serving the Lord. My prayer is that we will see what God sees – broken people all around us who are in bondage. They are broken, hurting, and desperate under demonizing influences. These are the ones that are delivered through prayer and fasting. Jesus said, “These kind come out except by prayer and fasting.”

It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to rise up in God’s glory. We have been called to set the captives free, and the Lord has provided mighty weapons to pull down the strongholds that have entangled and hold people in bondage. Everyone seeking deliverance from an entangling sin or chronic weakness needs to get serious about prayer and fasting. If parents want to see their children healed or set free from demonic oppression, then they need to get serious about prayer and fasting for their children. We must humble ourselves and become desperate before the Lord!

What will be the result of humbling yourself through fasting and prayer? Six things will take place when you fast:

1. You are humbling yourself
2. You will see life’s priorities more clearly.
3. You will see balance return to areas of your life where there is imbalance.
4. Your selfish ambition and pride will begin to be washed away.
5. You will be more sensitive to God’s Spirit, and the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit will work more effectively in your life.
6. Your hidden areas of weakness or susceptibility will rise to the surface so that God can deal with them.
7. God will make you more unselfish.

21 Days of Fasting and Prayer – Positioned for Harvest – January 2-22, 2011

2010-12-21T16:53:00.002-05:00

Scriptures and Quotes on Fasting:

Joel 2:12-13 – "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm."

The Apostle James says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Bill Bright says, "Fasting prepares us for the deepest and richest spiritual communion possible. It clears and liberates our minds to understand what God is saying to our spirits. It conditions our bodies to carry out His perfect will."

Preparing for the Fast:

Bill Bright gives us the following suggestions about preparing for your fast in his book, "The Coming Revival."

Set a specific objective – Why are you fasting? We are fasting at South Greenwood to prepare ourselves for the coming harvest season.
Prepare yourself spiritually – This begins with confession and repentance of any sin in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area of your life that is not surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Evelyn Christenson, internationally known authority on prayer gives a list of possible sins:

I Thessalonians 5:18:
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Do you worry about anything? Have you failed to thank God for all things, the seemingly bad as well as the good? Do you neglect to give thanks at mealtime?
Ephesians 3:20: "Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Do you fail to attempt things for God because you are not talented enough? Do feelings of inferiority keep you from trying to serve God? When you do accomplish something for Christ, do you fail to give Him the glory?
Acts 1:8:
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Have you failed to be a witness with your life for Christ? Have you felt it was enough to just live your Christianity and not witness with your mouth to the lost?
Romans 12:3 - "For...I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think." Are you proud of your accomplishments, your talents, and your family? Do you fail to see others at better than yourself, more important than yourself, in the body of Christ? Do you think as a Christian you are doing quite well? Do you rebel at God wanting to change you?
Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." Do you complain, find fault, and argue? Do you have a critical spirit? Do you carry a grudge against Christians of another group because they don't see eye-to-eye with you on all things? Do you speak unkindly about people when they are not present? Are you angry with yourself? Others? God?
1 Corinthians 6:1"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, that you are not your own?" Are you careless with your body? Are you guilty of not caring for it as the temple of the Holy Spirit in eating and exercise habits? Do you defile your body with unholy sex acts?
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth." Do you ever use filthy language, tell slightly off-color jokes? Do you condone others doing so in your presence, in your home?
Ephesians 4:27 "And do not give the devil an opportunity."

Do you fail to see you are a "landing strip" for Satan when you open your mind to him through satanic music, occult electronic games, pornographic literature, computer chatrooms, yoga séances, psychic predictions, occult movies and literature? Do you get advice for daily living from horoscopes rather from God? Do you let Satan use you to thwart the cause of Christ in your church through criticism, gossip, and non-support.

Romans 12:11 - "Not lagging behind in diligence. "(NAS) "Not slothful in business. " (KJV) Do you fail to pay your debts on time? Avoid paying them altogether? Do you charge more on credit cards than you can pay when due? Do you neglect to keep honest income tax records? Do you engage in shady business deals whether as an employer or employee?
1 Corinthians 8:9 "But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." Do you feel you can do anything you want because the Bible says you are free in Christ? Even though you were strong enough not to fall, do you fail to take responsibility for a weaker Christian who has fallen because of your example?
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking our own assembling together." Are you irregular or spasmodic in church attendance? Are you skipping prayer meetings? Have you neglected family devotions?
Colossians 3:9 "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices." Do you ever lie? Exaggerate? Do you fail to see little white lies as sins? Do you tell things the way you want them rather than the way they really are?
1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved ... abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul." Are you guilty of a lustful eye toward the opposite sex? Do you fill your mind with pornography or sex oriented TV programs, movies, books, and magazines? Do you indulge in any lustful activity God's Word condemns —fornication, adultery, and perversion?
John 13:35 "By this all men will know you are My disciples, for you have love for one another." Are you guilty of being a part of factions and divisions in your church? Would you add fuel to a misunderstanding or help correct it? Have you loved only the ones in your church, feeling those of other denominations are not of the body of Christ? Are you secretly pleased over the misfortunes of another? Annoyed by their successes?
Colossians 3:13 "Forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, also should you." Have you failed to forgive anybody anything that person might have said or done against you? Have you turned certain people off? Are you holding grudges?
Ephesians 4:28 "Let him who steals steal no longer,' but rather let him labor." Do you steal from your employer by doing less work, staying on the job less time than you are paid for? Do you underpay?
Ephesians 5:16 "Making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Do you waste your time or that of others? Do you spend time watching TV trash, reading cheap books, procrastinating?
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters ...you cannot serve God and mammon (riches)."
Is your goal in life to make as much money as possible? Accumulate things? Have you withheld God's share of your income from Him? Is money your God?
Matthew 23: 28 "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Do you know in your heart you are a fake, just pretending to be a real Christian? Are you hiding behind church membership to cover a life still full of sin? Are you faking Christianity for social status, acceptance in your church or community? Do you smile piously during the Sunday sermon but live your sin all week? Are you the person in your home you are trying to impress people you are?
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, ... honorable, ... right pure, ... lovely, ... of good repute, if there is any excellence and f anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Do you enjoy listening to gossip? Passing it on? Do you believe rumors or partial truths, especially about an enemy or your competitor? Do you fail to spend time every day reading the Bible? Do you fail to think on the things of God — only good and true and pure things — always?

Make your list on the basis of the above questions and whatever else God says to you. Claim the promise of 1 John 1:9 – "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Prepare Yourself Physically:

Never start a long period of fasting without first consulting with your pastor and your physician.

Things that we can fast:

Television
Sweets
Soda/Coffee/Tea
Entertainment
Meals – lunch – supper – breakfast
Recreation

Remember that you must take this time to pray and seek the face of God. Just to miss a meal to lose weight is not fasting. There must be a spiritual purpose attached to our efforts of self-denial.

Fasting Resources:
Books:
Fasting Forward, Advancing Your Spiritual Life Through Fasting by Billy Wilson, Pathway Press, 2005
Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough, A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts by Elmer L. Towns, Regal Books, 1996
The Power of Prayer and Fasting, 21 Days That Can Change Your Life by Marilyn Hickey, Warner Faith, 2006
The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting, Releasing the Awesome Power of the Praying Church by Mahesh Chavda, Destiny Image Publishers, 1998
Fasting, Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God, by Jensen Franklin, Charisma House, 2006
Websites:
http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/fasting.html
http://www.allaboutprayer.org/prayer-and-fasting.htm
http://www.freedomyou.com/level%202/Fasting%20Page%20Guide.htm

Give Me My Mountain

2010-12-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

The story of Caleb is a story of victory, perseverance, and reward. It teaches us that God keeps His Word to us when we stay faithful to Him. Caleb realized His promise when he was 85 years old. He was delayed, but He was not denied. Joshua 24:12 records his words, “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day.” This mountain was his promised inheritance. You and I have a promised inheritance.

What is our inheritance? Psalms 2:8 - “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession.” A part of our inheritance is the harvest that God has appointed for us to reap. I believe that there are some Caleb’s who have carried some long term promises that God has kept for this hour and is now going to bring them forth.

Are you ready to possess your promise and take your mountain? This is our time for breakthrough! This is our moment. Don’t miss the opportunity that God will give to you in this season of time. This is the year to give birth. This is our year to move through the open gate or the open door. Revelation 4:1 - “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

This is a time to receive revelation. We must move through the open door of opportunity so that we can receive revelation for our new assignment. I heard someone say recently, “Assignment means inheritance or lot.” Your assignment is your inheritance. The assignment is to possess your promise and to help establish the kingdom of God in this region.

In examining the life of Caleb there are some valuable lessons about how to possess your promised inheritance. Caleb's actions reveal the following about moving into your promised possession and seeing the realization of your prophetic promises.

Caleb refused to give up on the promises of God. In Numbers 13 we learn that Moses chose twelve men who were key leaders to go in and spy out the land. Ten of the twelve brought back an evil report. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a good report. Ten of the twelve became infected with fear, while Joshua and Caleb chose to believe the promise of God.

The result of the unbelief of the ten was that the children of Israel never realized their promised inheritance. They died in the wilderness without ever entering into the Promised Land. When the twelve spies returned, ten told the children of Israel, “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” In verse 30 we learn of Caleb's response, “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

In Numbers 14 we learn that Israel missed their moment. They failed to enter into their promise by faith. They believed the majority report of unbelief. The result was that only two people from that generation were able to enter into the Promised Land. Caleb understood the timing of God. He understood the promises of God and was willing to move out by faith to possess his promise.
Forty five years later Caleb is still holding on to the promise that God made to him.

In Joshua 14:7-9 Caleb stands ready to possess his inheritance. “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.” “Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.” “So Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.”

Caleb was delayed, but he was not denied. He refused to let go of the promise that God made to him. Like Caleb we are a people of promise. We have a promise from God. Others may give into fear. They may miss their moment, but like Caleb we must be faithful and persevere until we realize the fulfillment of our prophetic promises.

Seasons of God

2010-11-05T23:43:00.002-04:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:" There are 28 different seasons in this passage of Scripture. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) God is a God of seasons. Just as there are natural seasons there are spiritual seasons. There are winter seasons where things have to die, so that they will have the capacity to bring forth new life in the spring (next season). There are spring seasons where we till the ground, prepare the soil, and plant the seeds. This season is important, because it brings us to the summer and fall seasons where we work to reap what has been sown.
There are several unique things about the four different seasons:

Seasons have to do with humanity and our journey of faith. They relate to creation. There are 28 seasons. (8 x 4). Four is the number of creation.
They are fixed laws in creation naturally and in the kingdom spiritually.
They relate to man, and God deals with man in seasons, and brings us into different seasons of change in order to do something specific in our lives. We have to change, but God never changes.

There are 28 different seasons of life listed in this passage of Scripture. In my study of seasons I have learned that we must understand the timing of God and when our seasons are changing. You will know, because God will deal with you long before the season actually changes. Why is this important? Because to stay past your season is detrimental. You cannot reap a harvest in a season meant to sow seed. You must be sensitive to the voice of the Lord.
How do we define a season? Seasons don't have a set period of time. They are defined in the following ways:

When your assignment is completed - The Apostle Paul wrote, "One man sows, another waters, but God gives the increase." God will reveal when your assignment is complete. You will have a sense and know within your heart. Every season has a specific assignment. Our part is to seek God and find what we are to accomplish in this period of time.
Seasons are defined by revelation and truth. What did God reveal to you during this current season? What truth did you have to stand on? What area of your life was processed, and what area of your life came under attack of the enemy? Revelation and truth will enable us to do the following: confront, conquer, and control. Many times we cannot move forward because we are stuck in a particular time or season.
Only God can determine the length of our season. Acts 1:7 - "And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority."
The season will only end at the word of the Lord. We can miss our season, or short circuit our season; we can move ahead or lag behind the directions of God. God will give us a word of ending.
The old season must close for the new season to begin. God will not begin a new season until He brings forth the new. "Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning."
To refuse to embrace the new season will become detrimental. If we do not allow God to bring forth the new, then we can undo what God did in the past season. To refuse to enter into the new season and allow God to bring forth the changes that He longs to bring will result in rebellion.

Prayer for the Narrow Place

2010-07-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
Lord of the covenant, bend down and hear our prayer. Answer us in Your mercy, kindness, and unfailing love as we constantly call out to You. Protect us and save us for we serve You and trust You as our God. Lord, You are good and ready to hear our cry, offer forgiveness, and perform wonderful deeds as we wait and worship You. Give us happiness and teach us Your ways. Let us operate in truth and purity of heart, sincere, undivided and wholly fixed on You. Rescue us with Your love and compassion. Grant us new strength. Show us Your favor. You are great in who You are and what You do. May Your name be glorified as You demonstrate Your deliverance. Let all bow before You and praise Your holy name. (Psalm 86)
Amen

UP – A United People

2010-06-14T17:24:00.002-04:00

God is calling the local New Testament Church UP! He is calling us to rise UP in faith, to believe His promises, and possess our inheritance in Christ. He is calling us to be an UP people. What does the Bible have to say about being an UP people? Revelation 4:1 reads, "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."

What do I mean by becoming an UP people? UP simply stands for a United People! If we are going to experience His power and anointing in a new way then we must become an UP people. We must unite together as one. How will this happen? It will take the anointing of the Holy Spirit to make it happen. Unity is a product of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:2 reads, "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

How do we position ourselves to flow together in unity and to become an UP people? The first part of Ephesians 4:2
reads, "With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in bond of peace." The opposite of unity is division. To cause division is to be in rebellion. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:23, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

What happens when we reject the Word of the Lord and rebel against the Lord's commandments? We will suffer the consequences. Saul's rebellion caused him to lose his kingdom. God rejected Saul and gave the kingdom to David and his descendants. One of his descendants is our Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Saul suffered a tragic end.

To fail to unite together and embrace what God has for us will cause us to suffer the rejection of God! What happens when we suffer the rejection of God? In Revelation 2:5 Jesus gives a message to the church of Ephesus. We learn about the Ephesians church in Acts 19. Paul spent nearly three years and they experienced a great revival. Acts 19:10 reads, "And this continued for two years, so that all who dwell in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." It was to this church that Paul wrote the Epistle of Ephesians. Yet we find in Revelation 2 that they had lost their first love. Listen to the warning of the Lord in Revelation 2:5 – "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent."

What did the Lord mean by, "remove your lampstand?" The lampstand was a menorah. The candlestick (lampstand) was the most beautiful and elaborate piece of furniture in the tabernacle. Its magnificence was a thing of admiration and awe. The menorah in the Tabernacle is a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that removing their lampstand meant that they would lose the manifest presence of God.

This beautiful menorah was located in the holy place in the Tabernacle. It illuminated the place where the priests would go to minister to the Lord in the holy place. It represented Christ, who is the light of the world. If the lampstand gets removed then that simply means that the church at Ephesus would be left in darkness.

What happens when the lampstand gets removed? There is no revelation. Between the two testaments we have what we call the silent years. Four hundred years of no revelation. We must be an UP people. God is calling us UP. The Bible always referred to the children of Israel as going up to Jerusalem. He is calling us UP to worship. He is calling us UP to commune with God. We must become a united people. One of the key words for our local church in this season of God is to become a united people!

We must unite together as one. God is calling us to become an UP people: God is calling our local congregation and the Body of Christ to Unite together in the following ways:

United in our purpose

United in prayer

United in our praise

United in our planning

United in our preaching

We are living in what the New Testament defines as perilous times. We have a divine assignment as the people of God. To enter into what God has for us as a people and realize the promises of God we must become a United People.

The Wilderness Season is Over

2010-05-04T08:16:00.000-04:00

Recently the Lord spoke very clearly to me and said, “The wilderness season is over.” The Body of Christ has been in a wilderness season. It is time for us to cross over into our promised inheritance and possess our promises. I believe that the wilderness season is coming to a close. When the children of Israel were enslaved in bondage they began to cry out to God for deliverance. God heard their cries and spoke to Moses through a burning bush in the wilderness, and commissioned him to lead them out of Egypt and back to the land that He had promised them through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Promised Land was a land that flowed with milk and honey. It was given to Abraham and was their promised inheritance. Like the children of Israel God is calling us to rise up in faith and possess our promised inheritance in Him. Several weeks ago we celebrated Passover. Before God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt He instituted the Passover. Passover marks the beginning of the Hebrew year on the religious calendar. Passover commemorates the passing over of the death angel in Egypt when God delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and started them on a journey to their inheritance in Canaan. The Jewish people have celebrated the festival of the Passover for thousands of years. It is the retelling of the great story of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt. The celebration itself was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt. It is a very beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was our Passover lamb.

What does Passover mean to us today? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” I believe that Passover speaks to us in the following ways:

Movement begins at Passover. We move from an old season to a new season. The children of Israel began a transition out of bondage and slavery into freedom and liberty.
This is the beginning of a transition. When I think about transition the following things come to mind:

Confusion is normal during transition.
Transition seems to always involve a wilderness experience. You must be careful to hear God’s voice clearly during transitional times.
God always provides during times of transition.

When Israel left Egypt they journeyed into the wilderness to Mount Sinai. God visited them at Mount Sinai. This was the first Pentecost. He visited them to establish a new order and inaugurate a new day. What happened when God came down on the mountain and spoke to the children of Israel and then Moses?

He established a covenant with the children of Israel. We call this the Palestinian Covenant.
He gave them the Law, both the civil and the ceremonial law, which was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He outlined their destiny assignment – to be a nation of priests representing the one true God to the nations of the earth.
He established boundaries and gave them a pattern by which to worship Him.

What should have been just a short journey of days and weeks turned into a 40-year journey of wondering aimlessly in the wilderness. Instead of entering into the land that flowed with milk and honey, and possessing their promise they missed their opportunity because they refused to believe the promise of God and embraced the evil report that the Ten spies brought back in Numbers 13-14 when they went in to spy out the land. What happened? God did not allow them to enter into their promised inheritance and they spent 40 years and died in the wilderness.

In early March the Lord spoke very clearly to me as I was praying and studying in the book of Joshua the following words: “Movement will begin at Passover and culminate at Pentecost.” We are currently in the transitional period between Passover and Pentecost. Pentecost this year will be celebrated on the Hebrew calendar on May 19, 2010. Pentecost Sunday on the Christian calendar comes on May 23, 2010.

What does the festival of Pentecost mean to us today? Pentecost is a time of visitation. God visits us to set things in order, and to establish our boundaries. He visits us to give us instruction and to empower us to carry out His instructions. As we enter into this important season of time we must have God’s directions in order to be effective for Him in the coming days.

Before we move into our new assignment and enter into what God has for us as a people we will pass through a wilderness season. The Bible tells us that this generation died in the wilderness. Only two of the ten spies brought back a good report, The two leaders who brought the good report were Joshua and Caleb. Both of these men were allowed by God to enter into the Promised Land. Caleb conquered his territory and Joshua led the children of Israel into conquest of the land and then divided as God instructed to each of the tribes as an inheritance.

God is raising up a people who are tired of dead traditions, powerless religion, useless rituals, and irrelevant church. He is raising up a new generation that will no longer tolerate wilderness Christianity. There is a generation in the land today that is crying out for their inheritance. Are you ready to possess your promised inheritance? Are you ready to cross over the Jordan and out of your wilderness season?

Revival's Coming to our Land

2010-04-26T22:50:00.000-04:00

Revival's coming to our land.

A powerful outpouring from God's hand.

Revival's coming in waves of power to all who will believe.

The Spirit's instructions are enlarge your heart's capacity to receive.

Revival is coming as a mighty raging fire.

It will cleanse the sinners and believers inspire.

Revival is coming as a rushing mighty wind.

God says, "Church be ready for what I will send."

Revival's coming - His blessing will fall like rain.

It will release those held captive and heal those held in prisons of pain.

Revival's coming with thunder

and lightning God's voice will be heard.

Will we be ready to hear His word!

Revival's coming its time to pray.

Revival's coming to a people who say - No matter the price we are willing to pay.

W. Terry Baily

2/28/1998

A Normal or Abnormal Church

2010-04-10T17:18:00.006-04:00

I don’t want to have church as usual but I want to experience an outpouring from heaven. We need to have a renewed sense of mission and a renewed sense of direction. Too many within the church have fallen into a rut and have allowed the winds of adversity to blow them off course. We must get back to Spirit-Filled living. God longs to pour out His Spirit upon and within His church. Recently the Lord began to deal with me about being a normal or abnormal church. I don’t know what kind of church that you are looking for, but I know what kind of church God is looking for! What we call normal, God calls abnormal! What God calls abnormal we call normal.

The following items will help us distinguish between a normal or abnormal church:

A Normal Church is predictable and refuses to embrace what God is Saying.

An Abnormal Church is unpredictable and spends time listening to God’s voice.

A Normal Church does the same things and you can set your clock by what happens during a service on Sunday morning.

An Abnormal Church has a set time to start and just may stay in church all day long or way up into the early hours of the morning.

A Normal Church puts very little priority into prayer, and when it prays, the prayers are lifeless and without spontaneity.

An Abnormal Church will make prayer a priority and refuse to move without getting clear direction from the Holy Spirit.

A Normal Church has no life-giving, life-changing, or life-impartation.

An Abnormal Church has Holy Spirit anointed life-giving, life-changing, and life-imparting services.

A Normal Church knows nothing about the cloud of His presence.

An Abnormal Church refuses to move unless they are following the cloud of His presence.

A Normal Church has no interest in the deeper things of God

An Abnormal Church cries out continually for a greater revelation and understanding of the deeper things of God.

A Normal Church imparts information

An Abnormal Church imparts revelation.*

I believe that God is calling us to what the world calls an abnormal church. Church growth studies and Missiologist tell us that one of the fastest growing segments of Christianity is the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. We are part of that movement. Our Church is a Spirit-filled fellowship and my prayer today is that we will be abnormal to the world, but normal in the eyes of God. How many of you would like to be an abnormal Christian? What is an abnormal Christian? An abnormal Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian.

Some years ago Dr. Peter Wagner did a study on the Pentecostal Movement. He concluded that we have been successful because our churches have been churches of purity, power, and of the poor. The Pentecostal Movement has reached out to the people that nobody else wanted. He concluded that one of the greatest threats that faces individual Pentecostal churches is what he called “the curse of credibility.” When we seek credibility with the world if we are not careful we will lose the passion and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We must heed Dr. Wagner's warning. We must not blend into the world or allow the world to define who are we, but we must be filled with the Spirit. We must stop trying to blend into the world, and start infusing God’s power and grace into the world in which we live.

*Source unknown. (These materials were found in sermon notes and I am not sure of their origin.)

Time to Cross Over

2010-03-30T15:10:00.004-04:00

Recently in prayer, I felt that the Lord was saying, "It is time to cross over." We are close to the Passover Season. Passover represents a time of crossing over. In Mark 4:35 we read the words of Jesus, "On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, let us cross over to the other side." Why did Jesus feel compelled to cross over to the side? He felt to cross over because there was an assignment on the other side with a man with an unclean spirit. This is a season to cross over into your new assignment. God always has an assignment for you. We must find what God is asking of us? Please note in Mark 4:36-41 that Jesus and His disciples encountered a storm on the Sea of Galilee as they endeavored to cross over to the other side. I believe there is a principle here. When you endeavor to cross over into your new assignment and enter your new season, you will encounter a battle or a storm designed to prevent you from crossing over into your inheritance.

There are a number of instances where the children of Israel crossed over into a new season. In the Old Testament Israel crossed over into a land that flowed with milk and honey. When we cross over we are leaving the old behind and crossing over into something new. In the Old Testament Israel crossed over into a land that flowed with milk and honey. When we cross over we are leaving the old behind and crossing over into something new.

What are we crossing over into? What does it mean, "It is time to crossover?" I believe that we are crossing over into three different things:

God is calling us to cross over into our inheritance. Ephesians 1:11-12 reads, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." "That we who first trusted Christ should be to the praise of His glory." What do I mean by inheritance? We know that we have an inheritance in heaven, and for the most part that is all that we have been taught. You can hear it in our hymns and songs about heaven. We have an inheritance in heaven and that is secure in Christ, but there is also a spiritual inheritance for us today. The inheritance for the children of Israel was the Promised Land of Canaan. I have heard many teachings that talked about Canaan land as a type of heaven and our eternal inheritance, but that is not true. Canaan land represents the abundant life that is available through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. God has provided the believer with a rich spiritual inheritance, both here and in heaven. Psalms 16:5 reads, "O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot." Dr. Chuck Pierce writes in his book, "Possessing Your Inheritance," ""Our inheritance not only includes spiritual things. It also can include physical inheritance or material things that God has set aside for each of us. God has a specific interest in each of us as individuals. Each of us has an inheritance that is uniquely our own."
God is calling us to enter into our destiny assignment. Every blessing and promise that God gives to you is related to your destiny. We are a people of promise. God has a prophetic destiny for your life. You will find your destiny when you find your purpose. Destiny is defined as "A predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or an individual." (Dictionary.com) Listen to the words of Jeremiah 1:5 – "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you: and I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Many believers walk through life never knowing who they are in Christ, or what God has called them to be.
God is calling us to enter into abundance. What do I mean by abundance? God has an abundant life for us. John 10:10 reads, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that you may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." To live an abundant life does not necessarily mean that we are rich in this world's goods. An abundant life can involve the following blessings:

An abundant life is having peace with God.
An abundant life is having a relationship with Christ.
An abundant life is having your sons and daughters saved and serving the Lord.
An abundant life is the blessing of health.

An abundant life will be the result of laying up treasures in heaven.

God is calling us to cross over. It is time to cross over out of division and into unity. The Apostle Paul challenged the church in Ephesians 4:1-3 – "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called," verse 2 "with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, verse 3 "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." God is calling us to cross over into our inheritance. Jeremiah 29:11 reads, ""For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God has exciting plans for you individually and for our church corporately, but we must be willing to cross over into our inheritance.

Winds of Adversity Part 3 – Extreme Pressure

2010-02-20T20:39:00.002-05:00

The third wind of adversity in our four part series on the Winds of Adversity is extreme pressure. One of the winds of adversity that we are dealing with today is anxiety and pressure. "The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety." — George Muller

The Bible addresses anxiety in a number of places. Daniel 7:25 teaches that one of the tactics of the enemy is to "wear out the saints." The enemy's strategy is to wear us down with extreme pressure. Anxiety and extreme pressure will leave you emotionally drained – exhausted, and without hope. Many of you are experiencing great pressure. Satan's plan is to wear you out physically and emotionally, and move you out of God's timing. Daniel 7:25 reads, "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:"

What does the Bible say about dealing with anxiety? Anxiety and worry are both attacks on the mind intended to distract us from serving the Lord. The battle we are engaged in today is an attack on our minds. The enemy will use both of these to press our faith down, so it cannot rise up and help us live in victory. Joyce Meyer is quoted, "It is absolutely impossible to worry and live in peace at the same time." The follow Scriptures will help us during times of anxiety, stress, and extreme pressure:

Matthew 6:25 – "Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

Matthew 6:31 – "Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? What are we going to have to drink? Or, What are we going to wear?"

Philippians 4:6 – "Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God."

1 Peter 5:6-7 – "Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you," "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

Dr. E. Stanley Jones is quoted as saying, " I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality."

Four Winds of Adversity - Part Two

2010-02-10T15:06:00.006-05:00

There are four different winds of adversity that are going to come against the believer in this season of God. We should expect adversity as we enter into the new season that God has for us. The first wind of adversity that you are going to encounter will be frustration.

The second wind of adversity that many of you are going to experience is perplexity. To be perplexed means to be puzzled. The Merriman-Webster Dictionary defines perplexed as “filled with uncertainty, full of difficulty.”

The Apostle Paul wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines perplexity “as being filled with confusion or bewilderment, puzzled.”

Some of you are walking through a time of perplexity. You are puzzled by what is going on around you. You don’t understand why you are confused or bewildered. In times of transition we must understand that confusion is normal. We must be careful to hear the voice of God during transitional times.

Why does God allow us to walk through times of perplexity? 2 Corinthians 4:10 – ““Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the life of Jesus might be manifest in our body.” The end result of perplexity is despair.

Notice three very important things that we must know when we are walking through seasons of perplexity:

1) It is a sign that a spiritual battle is going on around you.

Anytime you are perplexed and wonder why things are happening the way that they are happening it is a sign that a spiritual battle is going on around you.

We must realize that there is a war for the purposes of God in the earth.

This battle is an unseen battle. It can only be realized by spiritual insight.

In II Kings 6:15-17 – “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

Verse 16 – “So he answered, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more those who are with them.” Verse 17 – “And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray that he may see. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

2) Perplexity Is Not An Indication of Low Spiritual Estate

The enemy will use perplexity to discourage you and accuse you concerning your relationship with the Lord.

So often when we encounter fiery trials we ask the question, “what have I done wrong?” Perplexity is not an indication of low spiritual estate.

What is God doing when we are perplexed? He is pruning us. He is surfacing things in our heart that will short-circuit the plan and destiny of God.

John 15:2 – “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

3) Perplexity Is Always An Indication That A New Day Is About To Dawn.

We are on the threshold of a brand new day. We are about to enter into a new season. Why has the Body of Christ been in perplexity? Because God is about to bring us into our new season. The following people in the Bible are examples of how perplexity is an indication that a new day is about to dawn:

Abraham had to separate from his nephew Lot. Lot chose the well- watered plain, and it looked like he got the better parcel of land. But God gave Abraham the whole land as his inheritance.
Moses led the children of Israel out into the wilderness only to be What happened? God opened up the Sea and performed the greatest miracle of the Old Testament.
Esther suffered through perplexity, but received ½ the Kingdom.
Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused at Potiphar’s house, was shut in prison, but later became the Prime Minister of Egypt.

Frustration and perplexity are signs that you are about to enter into a new day. It is a new day.

Prayer for the New Year by Beth Bailey

2010-01-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

Dear Father:

I praise You as You hear my prayer. Forgive me of transgressions and iniquitous patterns in my generations. Cause me to be drawn to You and experience Your goodness. Show me Your mighty deeds, confidence, strength, and power.

Still everything around me and enable me to rejoice from morning until evening. Visit me, enrich me, and provide all you have prepared for me. Watch over and bless me. Crown my year with goodness and guide me as I follow your path with abundance.

Let me prosper in your joy as you place songs in my heart. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Psalm 65

Entering into 2010

2010-01-04T13:34:00.007-05:00

The year 2010 is an important because it is the first year in a new decade. It is hard to believe that we are now ten years into the 21st Century. We are entering into the second decade of the 21st Century. Why is the first year important? Because we must position ourselves in this coming new year. The way we respond to what God says to us and where He places us will establish us for the upcoming decade.

I have recently been praying for direction for the new year. What does God have for us in 2010? Why do we need prophetic direction for the coming year? We need prophetic direction so that we can consecrate ourselves and draw closer to God. We need direction so that we can enter into all that God has for us as His people. Amos 3:7 reads, "“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

Dr. Chuck Pierce recently taught, “We need to understand the times and the seasons of the Lord, Pierce explained how the church has come to an intersection, in which the constraints in spiritual giftings and finances, and the perpetual 'here-we-go-around-the-mountain-again' syndrome, that were a hallmark of the last season, will finally be broken off as we enter a new direction and a new season.”

I believe that the following will be important prayer points as we enter into 2010:

1. Genesis 26 is an important chapter for this coming year. In this coming year we are going to dig some new wells and also redig some old wells. These wells were inherited by Isaac from his father, Abraham. This will be a year redig the wells of our fathers.

2. It is very important that we correctly respond to the voice of God in this year. Revelation 2:7 – “He that hath an ear let Him hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.” Denny Cramer writes, "“As each Believer walks in obedience, all negative "hearing" FILTERS—blockages, hindrances, and restrictions that affect our hearing the voice of God—will be removed." (Recent Elijah List Posting @ elijahlist.org) There will be continued change in this year. There will be political changes, governmental changes, and economic changes that continue in this New Year. It is imperative that we are led by the Holy Spirit in this season of time.

3. There will be persecution of Christians, churches, and Christian organizations. Some will come under open attack and have to defend themselves in court. Revival and persecution go hand and hand. You cannot have one without the other. The Devil always opposes the work of God. The Apostle Paul writes these words in 1 Corinthians 16:9 – “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

4. This will be a year to get established and to enter into your inheritance. Psalms 16:15 reads, "O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my cup." Our inheritance not only includes spiritual things. It also can include physical inheritance or material things that God has set aside for each of us. “God has a specific interest in each of us as individuals. Each of us has an inheritance that is uniquely our own.” This includes your individual destiny, or that which Go desires to do through you.

5. This is the year that some of you will be given a new assignment. Some of you are going to be relocated. This is a transitional year and some will be moving to a new location.

6. We are entering into a season of revival and awakening, but this must be preceded by a call to consecration and repentance. Dennis Cramer writes, “It is time for the Church to clean up her act. "The filthiness of the flesh AND OF THE SPIRIT…" will be eradicated from the Church." Joel 1:14 – “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.

As we enter into 2010 we must do so prayerfully. Many in the Body of Christ are beginning the year in prayer and fasting. I encourage each of you to humble yourselves and seek God's assignment for you in this new year.

FOUR WINDS OF ADVERSITY - PART ONE - FRUSTRATION

2009-12-10T00:02:00.002-05:00

We are currently live in a changing world. Over the last two years the world has changed drastically and will continue to do so in the coming year. The church must learn how to discern the changing seasons. We must allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to embrace what God is doing and when to enter into a new season. We are in the closing days of 2009 and about to enter into 2010.

What does God have for us in the coming year? I believe that Genesis 26 is a key chapter to read and study for the coming year. This will be a year to redig some wells that have been stolen and stopped up by the enemy. It will also be a year to dig new wells. I believe that 2010 will be a year of movement. Some reading this posting have been sensing a geographical change coming, but just don't know where. God is going to bring things in focus in the coming year and put the pieces together for you.

There are four different winds of adversity that are going to come against the believer in this season of God. We should expect adversity as we enter into the new season that God has for us. The first wind of adversity that you are going to encounter will be frustration.

Frustration is defined as “a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.” The Merriman Dictionary continues, " Frustration is a common emotional response to opposition. Related to and anger and dissapointment it arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will."

One lesson I have learned is that there are going to be some disappointments in life.You are going to have plans that get disrupted, delayed, and sometimes people are going to disappoint or fail you. Frustration can result from perceived delays in fulfillment of our destiny. Delays are not always denials, but preparation for the fulfillment of the prophetic prophecies over our lives. You cannot control what happens to you or what other people are going to do, but you can control how you respond to it.

One of the winds of adversity that we are going to experience in this season is going to be frustration. Many of God’s chosen warriors have walked through times of frustration. Loren Broadus, Lexington Theological Seminary writes, “A frustrated person cannot accomplish much because frustration blocks creativity, wastes time and energy as it divides the individual.”

Frustration can result from how we perceive our circumstances. I believe that frustration can be a sign that our breakthrough is near. Frustration is often one of the last signs that we are near to experiencing our breakthrough.

God has an assignment for you, but before you enter into it you might have to pass through frustration. Psalms 37:8 NET – “Do not be angry and frustrated!Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!”How do I deal with frustration? The following five simple principals will help you deal with frustration.

Understand the source of your frustration. What are the problems, unrealized expectations that are causing you to experience this frustration?
Prioritize your problems. Are they severe? Are they just irritants? Your problems are probably not as severe as you think. Just look around and you will find people who have greater problems than you. (Don’t be so self-absorbed)!
Understand that what you are going through is temporary. Some of the most encouraging words in the Bible are “it came to pass.”
Take the frustration to God in prayer. Sometimes you need to vent. Talking about the problem will relieve the tension. Take it to God – Elijah told God, “I am the only one left.” God then spoke to him. He vented his problem to God in prayer. Prayer is your best source – then listen to what God says.
Take control of the situation – what are my options. How do I respond to the situation?

The Power of Unity - Part Two, the High Cost of Unity

2009-11-09T15:45:00.008-05:00

Unity comes with a great price. It does not just happen. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:3, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The Amplified Bible reads, “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

Unity is not without cost. It is the result of a people who are submitted first the Lord, then to the God given authority in their lives. Unity cost you your own agenda. It means uniting together behind the mission and vision of the church. Most churches never realize their potential because they have not settled the authority question.

If you have a problem submitting to authority then you have a submission issue in your relationship with the Lord. If we cannot submit to the God ordained authority in our lives then we will not be able to completely submit to the Holy Spirit. Refusal to submit to authority is rebellion.

I Samuel 15:23 reads, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” Many don’t believe that witchcraft exists in the church today. In the past when I have taught concerning witchcraft and talked about demonic spirits many in the church have questioned that teaching. The Bible is filled with references about the unseen enemy that we engage when we endeavor to do the work of God.

Witchcraft can be defined as manipulation, intimidation, and domination. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, in Galatians 3:1, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” What is the result of this witchcraft? What happens when there is division caused by rebellion? There will be strife. James 3:16 reads, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

Recently the Lord gave me the following four things that result when a spirit of witchcraft is in operation:
1) Criticism
2) Oppression/Confusion
3) Discouragement
4) Depression/heaviness

The Bible defines heaviness as a spirit. Isaiah 61:3 reads, “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

What is the end result of division? The Apostle Paul writes these words in Galatians 5:15, "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” The end result of division will be destruction. Matthew 12:25 records the words of Jesus, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Division will devastate a church, a family, or any organization. God is calling His church to unite together to reap our God ordained harvest and to demonstrate His love to a world that does not know Him.

The Power of Unity - Part One, The Destructive Power of Division

2009-10-29T11:44:00.000-04:00

The Apostle Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians to address division in the Church. Division in a church, a family, or an organization becomes an entrance point for the enemy. The enemy thrives in a divided atmosphere. Disunity and division produces contention. Contention is defined as “a struggling together in opposition; strife. a striving in rivalry; competition; contest. strife in debate; dispute; controversy.” (Dictionary.com).

A divided church is a contentious church. Division is a problem that happens in every church. The early church experienced this problem in Acts 6:1-7. Verse 1 reads, "There arose a murmuring against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their windows were neglected in the daily distribution." This problem was solved by addressing the problem through prayer. Verse 3 reads, "Therefore brethren seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."

A divided church will become a factional church. We will be fractured and separate ourselves into factions. The enemy would love to divide us racially, generationally, and ideologically. The Apostle Paul addressed these issues with the New Testament Church in Corinth. He writes in First Corinthians 1:10-11 - "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those Chloe's household, that there are contentions (quarrels) among you."

Verse 12 reveals that their divisions had developed into factions. "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." What causes division? Why are we divided? The Apostle Paul answers this question in First Corinthians 3:1-3. "In verse 1 he defines them as being carnal, babes in Christ. A divided church will be an immature church. A church that refuses to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord.

One of the symptoms of division is murmuring and complaining. Throughout the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land the children of Israel murmured and complained against God. Look at the people's lives who are always complaining and causing division. Do you see spiritual growth? Do you see a genuine hunger for God? Do you witness spiritual maturity.

Murmuring and complaining is rebellion against God. When we complain we do so from a heart that is not totally and completed surrendered to the Lord. We must be careful to praise God and to give Him thanksgiving even in difficult times. First Thessalonians 5:18 reads, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

In First Corinthians 3:3-4 the Apostle defines the cause of division. "Or are you still carnal. For where there are envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos,' are you not carnal?" To be carnal means to be worldly, fleshly, or temporal. To be carnal means to "live at the human level of life." In this passage the Apostle Paul describes a people who are following the lower part of their nature. They are allowing the flesh, with its passions and lusts, to control their behavior." (Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible)

One of the results of carnality will be division. Division produces strife, envy and jealousy. Division becomes an open door for the enemy. The Corinthian church had a number of problems. Their carnality and division gave access to the enemy. The Apostle had to address a number of problems in this divided church. He had to write to bring correction for confusion and abuse of spiritual gifts, incestuous relationships, lawsuits among believers, marriage and divorce, and immorality and fornication. The Bible tells us in James 3:16, "For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

Divisions are a result of rebellion and refusing to recognize God given authority. When we are divided we will not realize God's best for our lives. M prayer is that we will unite together in one mind, with one heart to accomplish God's highest will for our lives, our families, and for His church.

Rebuilding the Broken Family Altars in our Homes

2009-10-21T12:30:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest privileges available to the believer is the ability to communicate with our divine creator through the discipline of prayer. The Lord desires to establish a relationship with His people. In order to have a relationship there must be communication.

Prayer has been a neglected discipline in the Church today. Most believers struggle with prayerlessness. Perhaps one of the most common sins today is the sin of prayerlessness. When we fail to pray we become weak and anemic spiritually. We open a door and give access to the enemy into our lives.

The Bible defines the Church as a “House of Prayer.” We must transition from being a Church that prays and become a “House of Prayer.” Your family and home should be defined as a “Home of Prayer.” Prayer must saturate our lives and become a part of everything we do as people of God.

We are living in the last days and we are in what the Bible defines as perilous or dangerous times. I want to encourage you to join with me in the month of November in praying together as a family. Someone has wisely said, “The family that prays together stays together.” God wants your family to be strong, your children and grandchildren to have a loving relationship with Him. He wants you to have your needs supplied financially and emotionally. He has a plan for your life and wants you to realize your destiny as individuals.

We are too busy. We must set time aside to pray for one another’s health, well-being and safety. You have the responsibility to teach your family to pray. We must rebuild the broken family altars in our homes.

We are designating November as a month to "Pray Together." Every Monday night we are encouraging the families of our church to gather for prayer together at the family altar at 9 PM. To encourage you we are scheduling conference call prayer times for the following dates:

Wednesday nights, November 4, 11, and 18 at 9:00 PM. For more information go to http://www.kingswaycc.org/calendar.

Psalm 91 Prayer by Beth Bailey

2009-10-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

Psalm 91

Dear Father,

We acknowlege You as the Almighty God. We humble before You and repent of anything that would hinder Your word from being established. We claim every promise of Psalm 91. We come before Your throne and dwell in the secret place under Your wings, knowing that in Your shadow we will remain stable and fixed where no foe can withstand You.

We lean on and rely in You as our refuge and fortress. In You, we confidently place our trust, judging You faithful to deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Help us to abide in Your truth and faithfulness. Your shield and buckler will protect us from the terror of evil plots and destruction though they may come to those all around us.

Release Your angels to have special charge to bear us up, defend, and preserve us. We take authority in Your name knowing that Your deliverance is near. Satisfy us abundantly in Your great love.
Amen

Five Disciplines For the Coming Season of God

2009-08-18T14:10:00.009-04:00

The Bible teaches that God is the great chronographer of the ages. He is eternal and is not limited to time or by time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reveals that God works and moves in seasons of time. The first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 reveal that there are at least twenty eight different seasons in life. The Body of Christ is about to enter into a new season. The present season of time has been preparatory for the new season.

Over the past twelve to fourteen months God has dealt with me concerning Isaiah 43:19 which states, "Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth...." I have identified a number of new things that God is doing:

A new assignment. This current season has been a time to define the assignment that God has for us. This new season will be a time to enter into that assignment.
A new territory. Your assignment will involve a territory. This is a time to determine the boundaries of your territory.
A new authority. God is enlarging our territory and giving us authority within those boundaries.
A new mantle. We must have a new anointing in this coming season to accomplish what He has assigned for us to accomplish.

Many of us have prophetic promises related to our destiny that have yet to be fulfilled. Many have grown weary while waiting on the fulfillment of the promise. The reason that many of us have not realized all that God has promised us is because things have been out of order in our lives. There are five disciplines that must be dealt with in both our corporate and personal lives in this season of time.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines discipline as "training that is supposed to produce a specified behavior character or pattern of behavior, especially that which is expected to produce moral or mental improvement. Controlled behavior resulting from such training.” (Houghton Mifflin College Edition). The Christian life is a life of self-discipline. We are to discipline ourselves. When we were children our parents brought discipline or correction in order to help us to grow up to become responsible adults.

We must understand that God will bring discipline and correction into our lives. Hebrews 12:7-8 – “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” Verse 8 – “If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.”

When God disciplines – He does so gently! He disciplines in love! He is never harsh. When we discipline a young child we must break their will without breaking their spirit. Harsh discipline will crush the spirit. It will lead to resentment and rebellion.

There five different disciplines that we must allow God to work on in our lives. They are as follows:

Submission to Authority. We must answer the authority question. Who is in authority? Who are we submitted to? Who are we aligned with? Until a church or an organization answers this question, they will never move forward. Without a clear definition of authority in the home, children live in chaos. Romans 13:1-2 is clear about submission to authority. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God."
Order. Order can be defined as "the proper arrangement of things." There are many things that are out of order in our lives. We must allow God to bring our lives into order. Order does not happen by accident. Pastor Mark Pfiefer writes in his book, "Alignment," "Order is the channel through which the power of God flows. It is like the banks on a river. Without it, you have a swamp. No matter how much power is available from God, if the church is out of order, none of it matters. It won't reach the earth." (Page 73)
Function. When we get things in order we can then get in our place and function in the way that God designed us. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 16:18 - " A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men."
Blessing. When we get authority restored, allow God to bring order, and begin to function in the place that He has desgined for us, then blessing will be automatic.
Honor. The fifth discipline that God wants to deal with in this season is honor. We have not had an understanding of honor. We must honor the leaders that God has placed over us.

We are entering into a time of increase. This will be a season to enter into your inheritance. Allow God to work on these five areas of your life so that you will be able to enter into all that He has for you and your family.

Prayer of Agreement for the Gathering - Beth Bailey

2009-07-15T13:44:00.000-04:00

Prayer of agreement for the Gathering:

Dear Father,
We humble ourselves before Your mighty name. We repent of anything that would prove to hinder what You want to do in our lives. We take the posture of faith and declare Your Lordship over Kingsway. Every evil spirit that seeks to hinder or bind us has to pass us by today. We refuse and break agreement with anything contrary to what Your word says You have ordained for us in the fulfillment of the plans of a future and a hope, of good and not evil. We rest in the purity of what You are doing. We can do all things through You. We put on new garments of praise for the breakthrough You desire to bring. We cooperate with what You are doing. We decree that the right supply is being sent for every spiritual blessing bringing us into a rich fulfullment of You. We ask that You visit us, enrich us, provide for us, prepare us, water us, settle us, make us, and bless us; You, our own God, will bless us. Praise awaits You as You answer us with Your deeds of righteousness. You are our confidence and You cause us to rejoice on the way. We make Your praise glorious for awesome are Your merciful works. (Psalms 65 and 66)
Amen

Preparing the Way of the Lord Part Two - Repentance

2009-07-01T09:55:00.003-04:00

Recently as I was praying, I kept hearing the words, “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” Why do we need to prepare the way of the Lord? We must prepare for a visitation from the Lord. Joshua spoke to the children of Israel in Joshua 3:5 and instructed them to "sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

To sanctify means to be set apart. In sanctification we are set apart from sin, and set apart unto God. He sanctifies us for a holy purpose. Joshua instructed the children of Israel to prepare for a visitation from the Lord. This is a day of preparation. God is visiting His people and we must prepare ourselves for His holy visitation.

John the Baptist's assignment was to prepare the way of the Lord. He was a voice crying out in the wilderness. His message is found in Matthew 3:1– 2 - “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

The Word Wealth of the "Spirit Filled Life Study Bible" defines repentance as “a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change of purpose.” Some people will interpret repent as only to turn. But it is much more than that. It is a change of mind that results in a change of purpose.

The Lord is calling us to repent of the mindsets that have held us in bondage. Religious mindsets that have held us in the powerless traditions of man. Lustful mindsets that hold us in bondage to lust. Romans 12:1-2 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If we are going to know the will of God and understand what we are supposed to do in these last days we must have our minds renewed. Our minds must be renewed so that we will not be conformed to the world’s thinking. The Bible teaches in I John 1:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Repentance prepares the way of the Lord. The first call of the kingdom is a call to repentance. We must come clean with God both personally and corporately so that we can prepare ourselves for a visitation of His glory.

Prepare the Way of the Lord

2009-06-22T23:56:00.003-04:00

In Matthew 3:1-3 we are introduced to John the Baptist. He is a voice crying out in the wilderness. His assignment was to be a forerunner to Christ. The Bible says that He was to prepare the way of the Lord.

Jesus said this about John the Baptist in Luke 7:28 – “For I say to you, among those borne of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Jesus recognized John the Baptist as a prophet. As a matter of fact He said, "there is not a greater prophet than John. In the Old Testament both Moses and Elijah were revered. Moses was used of the Lord as a deliverer and prophesied that one greater than him would come. This was a prophecy of the coming Messiah.

Elijah was known as the prophet of the supernatural. He called fire down out of heaven and stood up against the worship of Baal that had infiltrated Israel. God used this great prophet to call Israel back to the worship of Jehovah. The Lord used this great prophet of God to anoint kings and to raise up his successor, Elisha.

John’s assignment was to initiate a new order. His task was to prepare the way of the Lord. What did Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist have in common? They were used of God as forerunners. They prepared the people of God for the new thing that God was getting ready to do. God is doing a new thing today. Isaiah 43:19 reads, “Behold, I will do a new thing, NOW!” What is the new thing that God is doing? Dr. Chuck Pierce, in his book, “Interpreting the Times,” gives five new things that God will do:

A new identity – He is going to restore our souls so that we can enter into God designed us to be.
New garments of favor – Favor is much like grace but is linked with obedience. Favor opens doors.
New relationships – When God does a new thing in us, we must evaluate all of our relationships. He has new, fresh, divine connections to bring into our paths.
A new anointing – God is going to give us a new anointing for a new day.
A new level of authority – We are going to stand in dominion in the sphere of authority that we have been assigned by the Lord.

Recently as I was praying, I kept hearing the words, “Prepare the Way of the Lord.” How do we prepare the way of the Lord? Why do we need to prepare the way of the Lord? We must prepare ourselves for what God is releasing in our midst. Joshua 3:5 reads, “And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Dr. Chuck Pierce writes, “Sanctification means to set apart so you are ready to move forward in God’s purposes.” (Interpreting the Times)

God is birthing a new order and bringing us into a new day. We must be prepared for His coming. Malachi 3:1 - “Behold, I send My messenger,and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. Verse 2 - “ But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap. Verse 3 - "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."

These are the last days. We must get serious about seeking for Him. There is a wake up call to the sleeping church. Ephesians 5:14 – “Therefore He says: “ Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” How do we prepare the way of the Lord? We learn from John the Baptist. He came with a message of repentance. Repentance will prepare the way of the Lord.

Socialize or Evangelize

2009-05-09T20:30:00.004-04:00

The Apostle Paul wrote the following prophetic words that describe our day to His young son in the faith, Timothy. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

We are living in perilous times. The Apostle prophetically wrote the headlines that we read in our newspapers today. The Church today must make a choice. Are we going to be a people who have a form of godliness and deny its power, or are we going to be a supernatural people? Our mandate is clear. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. In Mark 16:15 – 18 - And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The problem is that we have become a sub-culture within the greater culture. We have been called to impact the culture. In Acts 17 the Thessalonians referred to Paul and Silas as those “who turned the world upside down.” The question for us today is, “Are we going to socialize or evangelize?” Are we going to simply have social events with no purpose, or are we going to fulfill the great commission? Are we going to entertain the saints, or are we going to reach out to those who are lost and in need of Christ?

There is a harvest to reap. Jesus said in John 4:35 – “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” As I look around the Church today, my question is, “Where is the burden to reach those around us who are lost and without Christ?” Where is the passion to gather our God ordained harvest?

We measure success in the Church today by the size of budgets, the number of activities that we offer families, and the size of our congregations. We can build multi-million dollar facilities, but can we impact our city and the culture of our region? People shop for churches and ask what can you do for me? Our church programs are consumer driven to attract people.

The problem is that most of our church growth is transfer growth. People are drawn away from churches for a number of reasons. I believe the Church must examine everything we are doing, and ask the following questions:

1) How does this fulfill the Great Commission?
2) How does this help us equip people to share their faith and to live an overcoming life?
3) How does this reach the next generation and what are we doing to teach them to impact their world?

My question today is “are we going to socialize or evangelize? Do we exist to entertain the saints, or do we exist to equip the saints. The Apostle writes in Ephesians 4:11 – 13 - “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

The purpose of the Church is to equip people for the work of the ministry, and to become strong in the Lord and the power of His might. To enable the believer to experience God, establish a relationship with the Lord, and to become a witness for the Lord.

An Approaching Storm

2009-03-03T22:15:00.006-05:00

Recently the Lord spoke the following to me about the coming storm:
In the early morning hours several weeks ago the Lord began to speak to me about a two-part storm. He told me that there was a break in the clouds. The sun had broken through, but it was only temporary, because the second part of the storm was coming. It would have a different intensity. The second part of the storm would be different than the first. The picture that I received was like looking at the clouds and a storm on radar. I saw the clouds and the turbulence of the first storm. I saw the break in the clouds, and then the approaching second storm. I asked the Lord was this two different storms? He said, “No, it was the same storm in two parts.” The first storm has passed, but there is another part of the storm to come.” His instructions were as follows:

1. Do not fear the storm. He is in the storm and His glory will be revealed in the storm.
2. Get into position. Take the posture of faith. Don’t be moved by what you see. Be moved by what He says.
3. We must be careful to hear His voice in this season of time and move only by His direction.
4. Get ready to move into your possession. It is time to possess your promise.
5. We must not allow the enemy to intimidate us. He will use intimidation to move us out of our inheritance (assignment). Our place of assignment will be our place of protection and provision.

It is time to get in your rightful place! This storm in not going to destroy us, but its fierce winds will move things around and in some cases it will change the landscape around us. It will bring the “winds of change.” The wind is going to serve as God’s servant to expose some weaknesses in old structures. Old structures will fail because of the fierce wind, and some things that have been covered up are going to be revealed. When the winds cease and the storm subsides we are going to reap the benefits.

How do we prepare for the coming storm? We get prepared! To be forewarned is to be prepared. The following will help you to prepare for the coming storms:

We discern that a storm is coming. The National Weather Service continually measures the winds, currents, and watches the elements to try to determine the climate and warn us of inclement weather.
We must learn to watch the spiritual climate. God is moving, doors are opening, and revival is on the horizon. If REVIVAL is on the horizon then why are you warning us about storms?
I Corinthians 16:9 – “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
Great REVIVAL, OPEN DOORS, and ADVERSARIES go together. They cannot be separated. We are entering into harvest time. In the midst of difficulty God is going to move by His power and there will be a harvest of souls that come in.

Wholeness

2009-02-09T22:08:00.007-05:00

God desire to bring each of us into wholeness. The Bible teaches in Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, verse 21 – “make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

God desires to make you whole. He longs to bring us into wholeness. The Bible reveals Him as a healer. He is our great physician. Exodus 15:26 says, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” The Psalmist writes in Psalms 103:3 - “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.”

He is our deliverer. He is our Savior, and He longs to do more than just heal our physical bodies. He longs to make us whole. The Apostle Paul wrote these words in I Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Philippians 1:6 the Apostle Paul writes, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” The Lord desires to do a finishing work in our lives. He longs to make us whole, and complete in Him. As I was praying and meditating on wholeness I started to think about the opposite of wholeness, which is brokenness. Most of us have been broken by life. The church and the world around us is filled with broken people.

We have been broken by bad relationships, divorce, separation, and betrayal.
We have been broken through sickness and disease.
We have been broken through depression, discouragement, and hope deferred.
We have been broken through disappointments.
We have been broken through financial difficulties, family problems, and stressful situations.

We are affected by what we hear and what we see. The things that we encounter in life have an affect on us. We must have His holy presence. Why? Because there is healing in the presence of the Lord. In Isaiah 6:1-10 Isaiah encountered the presence of the Lord in prayer and God brought wholeness into his fractured soul.

There is good news today, "God specializes in repairing broken things." God loves broken things. He specializes in repairing, and reshaping those things that have been broken.
We are repelled by brokenness. We throw away and discard broken things. Many times we even throw away broken people. The good news is that Heaven is drawn to our brokenness. The Bible says in Psalms 51:17 - “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise.” Our Lord is drawn to your brokenness and contrition. He will come to the fractured and broken areas of your life with His healing power.

My friend this is a season to allow God to bring you into wholeness. Wholeness comes as a result of an encounter with God. Isaiah encountered the holiness of God when He saw the Lord “high and lifted up and His train filled the temple.” Our heart is revealed when we get a glimpse of His heart. God encounters us and convicts us so that He can restore us and bring us into wholeness. Psalms 23:3 reads, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Allow me to encourage you to invite the Lord into the areas of our lives that have been broken and into the areas where we are incomplete.

Walk Out of Your Past, Walk into Your Now - Part Two

2009-02-01T23:11:00.003-05:00

Many only see the Lord as a historical figure. He is the God of the past. Every reference is of something that He did in the past. Too often the Church gets stuck in time. I call this time warp Christianity. We relish the past, we pine for the past, and even idolize the past. The problem is that we have a selective memory. We select only certain things to remember about the past.

He is the God of the past. He alone can heal us of the wounds and the hurts that we experienced in our past. He is not only the God of the past, but He is also the God of today. Hebrews 13:8 says that “Jesus is the same yesterday, (Past), Today, and Forever.” We must celebrate the victories of the past. We must learn from the mistakes that we made in the past, but we also must seize the moment today.

To others God is the God of the future. They are always looking for something in the future. Things are going to be better tomorrow. We have a tendency to live in tomorrow. Happiness is just around the corner. God is going to make my circumstances better so I can be happy. You know I am going through a hard time right now, but it will be better in the future.

Recently in a time of worship and prayer the Lord instructed me to tell you that you need to walk into your NOW! We serve a NOW God. He is the God of yesterday, and He will be the God of tomorrow. But He is also the God of Today. He is a NOW God.

You don’t have to wait for joy - You can have joy right NOW.
You don’t have to wait for peace - You can experience His peace right NOW.
You don’t have to wait to hear His voice - You can hear His voice right NOW.

You don't have to wait for something to happen to you in the future. You can know God NOW. He is the God of today, and He longs to become Lord of your life today. We must deal with hope deferred and learn to enjoy the relationship that He has provided for us today. When we are young we spend most of our time wishing we could be older. When we are older we spend most of our time wishing we could be young again.

In Hebrews 3:7 it says “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “ Today, if you will hear His voice,” This passage deals with Israel’s refusal to hear God’s voice. They missed their moment in time and spent a generation in the wilderness. Why? Because they did not realize that God is the God of today. When we refuse to walk into our now we murmur and complain against God.
The Lord told me that this is rebellion against His provision. How do we walk into our now? We pray the Lord’s prayer - “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

When the children of Israel gathered manna in the wilderness, they could only take enough provisions for that day. If they gathered too much it would spoil. God wants to have a daily intimate relationship with you. There are things that He wants to do in your life today.
He is a NOW God. Why do I need to walk into my now? Because there are things that God wants to show you that will position you for your future.

Let me encourage you to walk into your now.

Walk Out of Your Past, Walk into Your Now, and Position Yourself for Your Future - Part One

2009-01-26T19:18:00.007-05:00

The Bible teaches us that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." The Bible has a great deal to say about our walk and relationship with the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that "we walk by faith and not by sight."
Galatians 5:16 – “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Ephesians 5:2 - “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Micah 6:8 - “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

We stand poised at a crossroad. There are many changes that lie ahead for the Body of Christ. The Church as we know it today is going to go through radical changes. I recently heard Pastor John Kilpatrick say, "The Church as we know it today has a rapidly expiring shelf life." We must be willing to embrace the changes that God is bringing to His church.

As I was praying and meditating about our walk of faith the Lord gave me the following strategy:

Walk out of your past.
Walk into your now.
Position yourself for your future.

Too many in the Body of Christ are bound by things that have happened to them in their past.
It is time to walk out of your past. What do I mean by walking out of your past? We must walk away for the pain and the trauma of our past. I believe it is time to embrace God's healing power in those places of our past that have held us in bondage.

But before we totally abandon our past we must remember that there are good things in our past. Happy memories and milestones. I believe that there are things that we must celebrate in our past. In Joshua 4:2-6 - 7 - “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” God commanded the children of Israel to build a memorial to teach their children about how He opened up the Jordan River at flood time and allowed them to cross on dry ground into their promised inheritance.

We need to build some memorials. Why? Because we need to remember the past victories that God brought into our life. We need to remember and celebrate our past victories. We must celebrate our salvation and remember when God brought us into His family. We need to celebrate when we embraced sanctification and the times He encountered us with His healing power.But we must also remember that there are victories and blessings that await us and we can only obtain them by faith and through patience.

We must learn to celebrate the past without living in or being in bondage to the past. What do I mean by “walk out of your past?” I believe it is time to leave past hurts, disappointments, and pain behind. It is time to allow God to embalm our past and bury it. The devil will use the failures and the trauma of the past to keep you in condemnation and hold you in bondage.

Romans 8:1 teaches, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Galatians 5:1 instruct us to, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” We must walk away from any unforgiveness or bitterness. This is a season to put the past where it belongs! In the past!

You may say, "You don't understand what I went through." "You don't know the abuse or the trauma that I endured." I don't know what you might have endured, but I know that God is able to heal you of the pain your endured in your past. He is our Healer. Hebrews 13:8 reads, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, (past) today, and forever." He alone has the ability to bring healing to the pain and trauma that you endured in your past.

Let me encourage you to walk out of your past by faith so that you can walk into your now. You can't bring healing to yourself, but you can allow God to encounter you with His healing power. How do I embrace His healing power? You simply ask and then receive through faith.

Entering Into 2009 - Part Three - Alignment

2009-01-09T23:45:00.007-05:00

As I was meditating and praying for the upcoming New Year the Lord gave me four different phrases that will be important in the coming year. The first was "Seismic Shifts." I wrote about this in "Entering Into 2009 - Part Two." In this session I want to talk about coming into proper alignment. We must come into proper alignment this year.

Pastor Mark Pfiefer writes in his book, “Alignment.” “What do a chiropractor and a mechanic have in common? They both understand the importance of Alignment. One aligns the spine for the health of the body while the other aligns the car for better tire wear and handling. The reason why many churches are unhealthy and leaders are wearing themselves out is because they are not in alignment.”

I believe that we must experience realignment. Alignment is a key word for the coming year. You will be hearing a great deal in the coming year about alignment and realignment. I believe that there are four things that are important in being in alignment:

1) Authority – There must be an alignment to the proper authority in our lives. It is very important that we understand authority. Who is overseeing us?

2) Order – We must allow the Lord to bring order into our lives. God is not the author of confusion. We must allow God to help us order our days.

3) Function – We must find where we can function in the gifting that God has placed inside us. It is important that we are connected to the right place and the right people.

4) Blessing – Proper alignment will bring us favor which will open the door to blessings in our life and ministry.

Here are some important questions that you can ask yourself about alignment:

1. Who are you aligned to in relationship?

2. Who are the voices of encouragement in your life?

3. What authority figures are you aligned with? Who are the leaders that God has assigned you to?

4. Are you aligned to God’s word in your life?

It is very important that we are properly aligned in this coming year.

Entering Into 2009 Part Two - Seismic Shifts

2009-01-05T20:21:00.004-05:00

I was meditating and praying in mid December about the coming year. I believe that God gave me four different things that we will see in the coming season of God. There are four phrases that will be important to us in the coming year:

The First phrase that God gave me was "Seismic Shifts." We are going to see seismic shifts in the days ahead. Our nation has been shifting since early summer. The election, the housing crisis, the mortgage meltdown, and the serious problems in the automotive business represent many of the changes and shifts that are taking place.

There are also going to be seismic shifts in the church and in many of our personal lives. Dictionary.com defines seismic as follows: "pertaining to, of the nature of, or caused by an earthquake or vibration of the earth, whether due to natural or artificial causes." Earthquakes cause seismic activity such as seismic waves. Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves that move through and around the earth. A seismologist is a scientist who studies earthquakes and seismic waves. Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an explosion.

What did God mean by “Seismic shifts?” I believe that it will be a release of His power that will produce seismic waves that will bring change to the landscape. Is this Scriptural? Acts 16: 25 “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Verse 26 – “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

When Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight there was a seismic shift that took place. What happened? The prison doors were opened, everyone’s chains were loosed, and then the keeper of the prison and his household were saved. Some of you are going to experience seismic shifts in our family that will result in household salvation and revival.

We must get ready for seismic shifts. Nine days after I shared this message there was an earthquake felt in Harford County, Maryland, where I currently live. Was this just a coincidence? I believe it was a confirmation about what God is about to do. We are going to experience some seismic shifts that will change our current situation. For more information about the earthquake felt in Harford County go to the following link:

http://www.wbaltv.com/weather/18366069/detail.html?rss=bal&taf=bal

Entering Into 2009

2009-01-03T18:37:00.005-05:00

In Deut. 1:6 “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.'" Verse 7 - "Turn and take your journey." The Lord told the children of Israel, “You have been at this mountain long enough.” I believe it is time to move from this mountain. God is calling us from the wilderness into our inheritance.

2008 has been a year of "New Beginnings." It has been a year to embrace the new things that God longs to bring into our lives and ministry. I believe that God is giving us the following new things:

1) A New Assignment
2) A New Territory
3) A New Mantle

Recently I was praying and asked the Lord, “Why have we had a hard time getting traction in the New Season that began in 2008? I believe that God gave me two reasons for why it seems that we have had a hard time getting traction in the “new season” of God:

1) As I was meditating on new beginnings I realized that God always starts a new thing with a seed. The Bible tells us in Zechariah 4:10 – “For who has despised the day of small things?” The new beginning has been seeded down inside us and 2009 will be a year to bring it forth and see it come to fruition.
2) God always begins a new day at night. Genesis 1:4 – “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” So we won’t miss it – He then repeats it in verse 8 – “And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

Anytime that God brings us into a new day He always begins it at night. There will always be warfare involved in entering into your new day. The first months of last year were some of the most difficult that I have encountered in a long time. Some of you have been in the night season. Persevere so that you can enter into your morning of joy. “Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning

This year, 2009 will be a year to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” We are going to taste the goodness of God. I believe that 2009 will be a year to pass through some narrow places, but it will also be a time to experience “supernatural provision.” It will also be a year to embrace change.

I believe that we have a window of opportunity to embrace the changes that God longs to bring both in our personal life and in our corporate life in the next few months. The winds of change are blowing, therefore we must put up our sails and allow the wind to carry us to our destination. 2009 will be a year to embrace change. I must caution you that yesterday’s methods, and yesterday’s anointing will not be sufficient in the coming year.

2009 will have some unique challenges and some unique opportunities. The changes that we must embrace are going to require faith and courage on our part. I believe it is imperative that we embrace what God is going to do, because if we don’t we may miss our moment and fail to enter into our inheritance as the people of God. The face of the church is changing. Everybody is not happy with the changes that we are experiencing. I must caution you that the changes we are to embrace are born of the Spirit of God.

Revelation 4:1 reads, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you thing which must take place after this.”This door standing open in heaven represents the door of revelation and breakthrough. The Lord spoke to John and invited him into this open door of revelation.

There are three things that took place in John’s life:

1) Come up – John was called to go up to the next level.
2) I will show you things to come – Jesus has a lot to tell us and show us.
3) I was in the Spirit – Some doors will take you into the supernatural.

What is God doing? Where is He taking us as a people?

This is the year to wear the apostolic mantle that He has ordained for us to wear.
This is the year to enter into “new season anointing” that He has for us.
This is the year to establish the relationships that will open doors and become kingdom connections in our lives.
This is the year to allow God to give birth to what He has seeded down inside you.

The year 2009 will be both exciting and challenging. Let me encourage you to pray for direction so that you can move forward and see the prophetic promises that God has made to us become a reality in our lives.

Change is not a Bad Word

2008-12-05T13:31:00.012-05:00

I have been praying and thinking about the condition of the church today. We have produced a sub-culture within the culture. God never intended for the church to become a sub-culture within the culture, but we have been called to challenge and impact the culture.

We have our own language, our own shops, our own television and radio stations. I don't believe that these things are bad or necessarily wrong, but I believe it is possible to isolate yourself from the culture at large. Most of our friends are our fellow Christians or churchgoers. We have Christian events, and Christian cruises, and most of us will avoid sinners at all cost.

This is very different than the Church in the New Testament. Jesus went home with sinners. He was called a "friend of sinners," and a "winebibber." I believe we have lost sight of the Great Commission. In Matthew 28:18-20 - "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." 19 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"20 - "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen

In Acts 1:8 Jesus gave these instructions: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We hear a lot about the power of God, but where is the passion that it should produce to witness to those who are lost.

If we are going to be relevant to this generation then we must be willing to embrace change in the way we communicate the greatest message of all time. Therefore we need to communicate it in a way that is relevant to our culture. The generation today is visual. They have tools and toys that I never had growing up. Multiple channels, High Definition Televsion, videos, iPods, cellular phones and text messaging. One of the newest forms of communicate is called twitter. You can check it out at twitter.com

How do we change the way we communicate to our culture? We embrace today's technology and use it to communicate the message of the Gospel. Our goal should be same as the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 1:17 - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

The danger of becoming a sub-culture within our culture is that we become disconnected and irrelevant to the great culture around us. This is a season to embrace change. The coming year will be a year of harvest. With all the uncertainty and fear in our society today many are going to look for something that can provide them with hope and bring peace in the midst of their chaotic lives. Are we up to the challenge? Let's pray together and ask God to enable us to be effective witnesses to our culture.

W x 5 - Five Things God is Requiring of His People in 2009

2008-12-03T16:39:00.004-05:00

Five things that God is requiring of His people in 2009

Every believer should be defined by these five characteristics. Why five? Because five is the Biblical number that represents grace. These five actions will define our mission for 2009 and beyond. Everything that we do will be defined and measured by these five actions:

1. Worship – Psalms 95:6 – “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Verse 7 – “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

A. Worship will change the atmosphere. True worship will create an opening in the heavens.

B. We must learn to ascend in worship so that we may descend in warfare.

2. Warfare – I Timothy 1:18 – “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.”

A. Warfare will involve intercession. We must be a people who heed the words of the Apostle in I Thessalonians 5:16 – “Pray without ceasing.”
B. We must war over our prophetic promises until we see them come to pass. This is a season to believe for the manifestation of our prophetic promises.

3. Walk – I Peter 5:16 – “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

A. We walk by faith and not by sight. We follow God as He shines the light on our pathway.
B. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
C. We are to walk circumspectly – Ephesians 5:15 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.”
D. We must walk in integrity and honesty.

4. Witness – Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

A. I Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reasons for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”
B. Mark 16:15 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
C. 2 Corinthians 3:2 - 3 – “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;” verse 3 – “clearly you are our an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink buy by the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone buy on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.”

5. Wholeness – Hebrews 13:20-21 – “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, verse 21 – “make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

A. Wholeness equals holiness- “Without holiness no man shall see God.”
B. God longs to bring us into wholeness.

A New Territory, A New Mantle, and New Relationships Part Two

2008-10-11T22:18:00.007-04:00

What is God doing? He is shaking the earth! Hebrews 12:26 – 27 - “26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Verse 27 - "Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” God is shaking the earth. He is realigning the nations and preparing us for the last days.

In these last days He is doing a new thing. Isaiah 43:19 prophesies of our day. "Behold, I do a new thing, now it shall spring forth." This is that "now time." In this "now time" God is raising up His last day church to be a new breed! This church is going to cast off the restraints of religion and take on a new level of freedom. Are you ready to move in a new level of freedom? A religious spirit is a condemning spirit. God desires His people to be liberated through the power of the Holy Spirit and learn to live in freedom, to enjoy your walk and relationship with Him, and to receive our strength through the joy that flows out of that relationship.

He is doing a new thing. God is assigning you a new territory. He is enlarging our sphere of authority. Webster’s Dictionary defines a territory as the following:

1. “A geographic area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental authority.”

2. “An assigned area.”

Our territory is linked to our assignment. We have an assigned territory. That territory is defined by your boundaries. In Proverbs 22:28 the Bible teaches, “Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.” You have authority within your God ordained boundaries. We must ask God to help us to define our boundaries and allow Him to establish us within those boundaries. Luke 10:19 – “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Henry Cloud and John Townsend define boundaries in their book, “Boundaries.”

1. Boundaries can be physical – These help us to determine who may touch us and under what circumstances.

2. Boundaries can be mental – These give us freedom to deal with our own feelings, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, choices, values, limits, talents, thoughts and desires. This will allow us to disengage from the manipulative emotions of others.

3. Boundaries can also be spiritual – These help us to distinguish God’s will from our own and give us a renewed awe for our Creator. Spiritual boundaries also protect our beliefs and faith.

Dr. Chuck Pierce writes, “There is and will continue to be a great war over boundaries. Individuals, people groups and entire nations will be jostling for authority through expansion of their boundaries.” God is assigning a new territory. That territory is a physical territory. What God calls us to do is tied to a place, a geographical place.

In Genesis 26 Isaac had to re dig the wells that had been possessed by his father, but had been stopped up by the enemy. He gave a name for each of the wells. When he re dug a well that was not contested by his enemies, he named it Rehoboth, which means "the Lord has made room for us." God is making room for you. He is bringing you into an enlarged place.

In this "now time" you must define your boundaries, because your supply will come from within those boundaries. How do we define our boundaries? We allow the Lord to define them for us. In Joshua 1:3 the Lord told Joshua, “Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” In verse 4 - "1. he gives him his boundaries, “From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.”

In Genesis 13:14 God defined the boundaries of Abraham. “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are – northward, southward, eastward, and westward.” This is the "now time" for you to allow the Lord to help you establish your boundaries.

God has a new assignment it will require a new anointing, and it will involve a new territory. Let me encourage you to move into your new territory and to begin building for the future.

A New Assignment, A New Mantle, and A New Territory - Part One

2008-09-20T16:59:00.010-04:00

What is going on in our society? Destructive storms, political corruption, and chaos in the financial markets. What's happening? We are experiencing shaking. God is shaking the earth. Hebrews 12:26 – 27 - “Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Verse 27 - "Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain."

God is shaking the financial markets. Markets all over the world have been affected by the housing problems in America. What do we do? We must not panic, because God is going to open new streams of revenue and supply in the coming days for His children. He is also shaking the nations of the earth and their governments. Why? Because He is bringing nations into alignment for His last day plans.

This shaking is also occurring in the Church. To shake literally means to move violently. Why is God shaking the Church? He is dealing with religion! Religious spirits cannot endure persecution and shaking. Religion has held God’s people in bondage for much too long. He is shaking the church to remove those things in our lives that have held us in bondage.
This shaking is being caused by the "winds of change" that are blowing across the Church. There are three new things that will be a result of this shaking: 1) A new assignment; 2) A new mantle; and 3) A new territory.

God has a new assignment for His people. We have entered into a new season. Many prominent prophetic voices declared that 2007 was a year of completion. For many it was a season where God did a work of completion in their lives. Many of us in the Church completed a cycle. I believe that God visited us and that His word to us corporately was to come into completion. For that to happen we had to let go of some old things, so that we could embrace some new things. Deuteronomy 1:6 - “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.”

God desires to break you out of the cycle. The cycle of repeating the same things over and over again. It is time to break out of the cycle of those things that have held you in bondage.
We have currently entered into a season of new beginnings, yet many of you have had difficulty getting traction in this new season. Why? Because the enemy has tried to prevent you from entering into the new assignment that God has for you.

We are in the early moments of the new day. There is a new assignment for us. What is it? Many of you already have glimpses of the plan, but you must seek the Lord for the strategy and the new relationships that He will bring into your life to enable you to complete the assignment. What is our new assignment? To pray for our families to be transformed by the power of the Gospel. To also see the region God has placed us in transformed through the power of God.

God has strategically placed you where you are as a representative of His kingdom. He will bring you into new relationships, and even renew some old relationships in order to help you shape your future and fulfill the call He has placed on your life. This will be a season where we see the prophetic promises, dreams, and visions that He has given you begin to take shape and be fulfilled. Get ready because God is giving you a new assignment.

The Nehemiah Strategy

2008-06-02T20:41:00.004-04:00

Nehemiah is an inspiring Old Testament leader. God used Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem around 446 B. C., to repair and rebuild the protective walls around the city. Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra, who was a priest that led the second of three groups who had been captive in Babylon back to Jerusalem.

In 538 BC Cyrus, who conquered Babylon, issued an edict that the Jewish people could return to Jerusalem, rebuild the city and the temple. The first was led by Zerubbabel. Upon arrival the first group starts rebuilding the temple, but opposition from the non-Jewish inhabitants discourages the people and they cease their work. God raised up two prophets to call the people to complete the task, Haggai and Zechariah. Nehemiah is called to complete the work that had been started by Zerubbabel. When the captives returned they found the city in ruins. The temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the gold and silver implements had been taken as spoils of war.

Zerubbabel and the early returning captives began the work in spite of difficult circumstances, and now Nehemiah was to be used of God to rebuild the wall and the protective fortress around Jerusalem. Nehemiah is a book about restoration and revival. My prayer is that God will use the book of Nehemiah to give us a strategy on rebuilding the walls that have been torn down by our enemies. The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, took many of the people captive, and finally destroyed the city.

In Exodus God had made a covenant with Israel. In Exodus 23:20-32 God told Israel that He would protect them, but they must keep His commandments. In Exodus 23:22 – “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” When Israel disobeyed God’s Laws and violated the terms of the covenant by giving themselves to idolatry and wickedness, God allowed the Babylonians to take them into captivity.

Like Israel of old we live in a time when our city lays in ruins, the walls have been torn down through compromise, sin, and disobedience. We are called to rebuild the walls and to prepare for revival. As we study the actions of Nehemiah there are some valuable lessons that can be learned about restoration and revival.

God is calling the Body of Christ today to rebuild the walls of protection that have been torn down by our enemies. There is a great need to rebuild the walls that have been torn down in our homes and churches:

The wall of prayer and communion with God - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs to "Pray without ceasing."
The wall of living a separated and holy life - 2 Corinthians 7:1 instructs us to "...Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

The wall of commitment - Jesus instructed us to "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

The first chapter of Nehemiah gives a the following strategy for rebuilding the walls that have been torn down by the enemy in our lives and our churches:

1. Nehemiah was moved by compassion for His people. In Nehemiah 1:2-3 Nehemiah asks a question out of concern for those who had returned to Jerusalem. “that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.”
Verse 3 – “And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

What is the condition of the city? What is the plight of the Jewish remnant? “They are in great distress and reproach.” These are questions that we must ask today. What is the condition of our city? What is the plight of the inhabitants? The walls have been broken down, they are unprotected, and they are in great distress.

This moved Nehemiah to compassion. Nehemiah 1:4 – “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Compassion will be birthed out of prayer and fasting. Nehemiah mourned for many days!! He spent some sleepless nights! He fasted and prayed. Why? Compassion.

Dictionary.com defines compassion as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” Compassion will move you to do something about the situation. When Jesus saw the multitudes who were sick and suffering – “He was moved with compassion."

Like Nehemiah, God wants to break our hearts – for our lost family members, our sick and suffering neighbors, and this Baltimore region that desperately needs Christ.

2. Nehemiah interceded for those in distress. Nehemiah 1:4 – “I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Verse 5 – “And I said, ‘I pray, Lord God of heaven, O Great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments.” Verse 6 – “Please let your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now day and night.”

Nehemiah is not praying for himself, but for those who had been scattered throughout the nations. He was interceding for his fellow countrymen. One of the best ways to have your own prayers answered is to pray for others. Compassion will move you to intercede. The first and best thing we can do for others is to pray with them and for them.

Dr. Frank Damazio in his book, "Seasons of Intercession," defines intercession as “a prayer with a set meeting time, place and purpose. It means to meditate or to stand in for another. It is a free-flowing, bold prayer, prayed with child-like confidence.” God is calling us to intercede for our families, the region we live in, and our nation.

God told Ezekiel – “I sought for a man among them who would make up a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30) You and I may be the only one standing between our lost, unsaved family members and hell! We must stand in the gap and fill in the breach with our intercession.

God is calling us to put a wall or hedge of protection around our loved ones, our churches, and the region we are called to. We can determine judgment or revival! We can determine outpouring or devastation. We are called to stand in the gap and make up the hedge. It is time to pray like Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1:11 - "O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

God has an assignment for each of us. Like Nehemiah we must rebuild the walls of protection that were broken down by our enemies.

Strategies for Entering Into the New Season of God

2008-04-10T15:31:00.003-04:00

We have entered into a new season. God is bringing change in the New Testament Church. This is a day of new beginnings. Early this year I spoke to you about the first four months of this year and told you that I believed we would be fully in the new season in the fourth month of the year, April. This is a month of change. If we don’t go through the doors that are opening this month and embrace the relationships that God is bringing into our lives, then we may very well miss our opportunity to make the necessary shifts and changes that will enable us to move forward in the harvest that God has appointed for us to reach.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 teaches that the Lord works and moves in seasons of time. To understand what He is doing you must understand the present season that we are in. What is God doing in this present season? He is rearranging things in our lives so that we can be positioned for our harvest. The farmer understands the different seasons. There is a season to sow, a season of cultivation, and a season to harvest what has been sowed. God is trying to prepare us for harvest. This new season is a season to enter into our inheritance and to receive a harvest off what has been sown in the past seasons.

During this time of tranisition you will experience opposition. This opposition will come in the following four ways:

1) Confusion – Remember God is not the author of confusion. Confusion is normal during times of change. Many times it is difficult to embrace all that God is doing in our lives. Don't be overwhelmed by the changes that God is bringing. Pray for the peace of God to flood your being.
2) Fear – the enemy will use fear in the form of intimidation. 2 Timothy 1:7 - “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind.” Intimidation is one of Satan's favorite weapons to use against us.
3) Adversity – Satan is our adversary – seeking whom he may devour.
4) Misunderstanding – Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of valuable relationships through petty misunderstandings. Prayerfully watch over your relationships during this transitional time.

To move into a new place or thing that God has for us, we must allow our minds to embrace new ways, and new methods. If we are not careful we can relinquish the new and return to the old. There are several things that we must relinquish if we are going to enter into what God has for us:

1.) Mindsets that are rooted in a past season. Things that keep us tied to some event in the past. We must be willing to relinquish those things that hinder us from embracing the new things that God is doing.

2) We must be willing to let go of old relationships that were meant for a past season. Everybody is not going with you into the new place that God has for you. Ask God to identify those seasonal relationships and to bring you into the new relationships that He has appointed for you.

These are excititing days for the Body of Christ. Abraham saw our day and rejoiced in it. My prayer is that you will embrace all that God longs to do in your life and ministry. May He give you grace to let go of the old things that have hindered you in the past, and may He give you wisdom to embrace the new things that He is doing.

Victory Mingled with Pain

2008-02-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that God works and moves in seasons. God does not move according to man’s timetable. He does not always work in the space of minutes, hours, days, and weeks. The Bible teaches us that the “times and seasons are in God’s hands." God is not bound by time, but reigns above the time and space continuum.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”
There is a time to weep, a time to rejoice, and a time to mourn. We don’t always understand the seasons that we find ourselves in. Note the words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To everything there is a season.” God has a purpose in what comes into the life of the believer. The Bible teaches us in Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Recently in prayer I had the thought, “What God does is sometimes mingled with pain.” What do I mean by that statement? Often times our victories are bitter sweet. Why? Because we had to fight so hard, or we had to endure so much. Our victories are oftentimes mingled with pain. What most Christians don’t understand is that we are engaged in a spiritual conflict. The moment you are born again you enter into this conflict.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” The word fight in the Greek language is the word we use to get “Agonize.” It means to strain every spiritual muscle. When we stand in faith it takes all our spiritual energies. Standing is not inactivity, but is the posture of faith. It takes spiritual energy to stand on the promises of God in faith. That is the reason that the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

No labor for the Lord is in vain. In this Christian experience you will encounter some fights with the enemy. We are to take a war stance. We are to stay spiritually alert. We are to understand that we have an enemy that seeks our destruction. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in the first Epistle of Thessalonians 5:6 – “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” When you read certain portions of the New Testament they are written to prepare us for battle. This is not just a religious book filled with rules and regulations. It is a battle plan for the believer. It is a soldier’s manual that outlines how we posture ourselves for battle.

I love the Epistles because they were written specifically to the New Testament Church. They address what we are engaged in today. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:3-5 – “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Verse 4 – “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Verse 5 – “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

In Ephesians 6:10 – 18 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Verse 11- Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Verse 12 – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Verse 13 – “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Verse 14 – “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” Verse 15 – “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” Verse 16 – “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Verse 17 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” Verse 18 – “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

Why is there a conflict? Because Satan gained entry into this earth when he usurped Adam’s authority. The only authority that Satan has is the authority we give to him. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 – “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” John 10:10 – “The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy.”
The Apostle Peter writes, “That Satan like a roaring lion – seeking whom He may devour.”

I don’t have all the answers to human suffering. I don’t always know why certain things happen the way that they do, but I do know that the Bible tells us that we must be prepared for the attacks and harassments of the enemy. I have taught my Bible College students something very simple about the promises of God:

1. Everything that God does begins with a promise. Every ministry is born of a promise. Every believer has a prophetic destiny over their lives. The Bible records this promise early in the first pages of the Bible. In Genesis 3:15 – “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” This is the first promise of the Messiah. Even the Messiah’s ministry began with a promise. Promises are wonderful. Mary encountered Gabriel, the messenger angel, and rejoiced at the promise of the baby, but later wondered “where are the angels now.”

2. Every Believer must walk through a process. Before the fulfillment of the promise we must first walk through the process. The enemy comes to war over the word that God gives to us. The enemy comes to contest the word. Psalms 105:18-19 gives the following information about Joseph. “They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. Verse 19 - Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him."

How does God use the process? To bring death to our flesh, to pride, to ambition, and to prepare us for promotion and the fulfillment of the promise. Always remember that the very thing that God uses to promote us will be the very thing that destroys us if we short circuit the process.
One of the most deadly sins is the sin of pride. God uses the process – the battles, the persecutions, the difficulties, and the storms to teach us to totally trust Him. He uses the process to destroy our self-reliance and our own self-sufficiency. To teach us that “Without Him we can do nothing.” Do you want to see the fulfillment of your promise? Then you must not short circuit the process.

The Bible gives a record of great leaders and the processes they had to go through before they received their promotions:

Joseph – God showed him that he was to rule and reign with Him. But before he got to the throne he was betrayed, beaten, his reputation was ruined and he was imprisoned.

Moses – God called him to liberate His people from Egyptian bondage – but first he was place on the back side of the desert tending his father-in-law’s sheep.

Joshua – was prepared for leadership by leading Israel into battle and hanging out on a ledge while Moses spent 40 days and nights in the cloud of God’s glory receiving the Law.

Daniel – Taken captive and removed from his home and family. Shut up in a den of lions.
The Apostle Paul – His life threatened, stoned, shipwrecked, in peril, imprisoned and falsely accused.

John the Revelator – Exiled to on the Isle of Patmos.

3. The Promotion of the believer - It is only after we have gone through the season of process that we are prepared for the Promotion. Dr. William Comfort, President of Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary, says that "The price is greater than the prize."

Why does God allow the tears? Why are our victories often mingled with pain? Because the battles we are engaged in are difficult. Matthew 11:12 - “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” God does allow His children to walk through difficult times, but He gives us the grace we need to get through it. Why the battles? Maybe the story of Joseph as recorded in Psalms 105:17 - "He sent a man before them - Joseph - who was sold as a slave."

The battles that we engage in are not in vain. God uses them in our lives to prepare us to minister to others. Don't despair because you are in a place of tears. Just remember that "weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Entering Into New Beginnings

2008-01-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

We are entering into a new season. The New Testament Church today has entered into a new season. I believe that we have entered into a time when God is releasing His inheritance to His people. We have just finished a time of acceleration and completion.

We are going to see the fulfillment of prophetic promises that we have carried for many years come to pass. Most of us have misunderstood God’s timing when those prophetic promises were released to us. God allows prophetic ministry to come to give us a glimpse of the future plans and purposes that He has for our lives. The problem is that we haven't had an understanding of the times and seasons of God. There is a season of revelation when God reveals His plans, and then there is a season of fulfillment. Prophetic ministry involves the following seasons:

1. The season of promise – this is when the revelation comes or the prophetic promise is released.
2. The season of preparation – this is where God prepares His children for the fulfillment of the promise.
3. The season of positioning – this is when we discern that the answer is near and we take the posture of faith in order to receive the fulfillment of the promise.

In this new season the church is entering into a time when we are going to see many of the promises of God come to fulfillment in our lives and ministries. You see God moves and works in seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reveals that God works in seasons. There are 28 different seasons listed in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. How long is a season? Only God can determine the length of a season. I believe that our willingness to submit to the Holy Spirit and learn the lessons of the seasons that we are in sometimes determines the length of that particular season in our lives.

The spiritual seasons correspond to the natural seasons. We have four natural seasons – winter, spring, summer, and fall. I believe that God brings us through each of these four seasons in our spiritual walk and journey. Each of the 4 seasons has a specific purpose in our lives.

1. Spring is a time to plant – a time of renewal.
2. Summer is a time to grow – a time to cultivate and prepare for the greater harvest that comes in the fall of the year.
3. Fall is a time of harvest – a time of change. It is also transitional from the hot summer season to the cool winter season.
4. Winter is a dormant season – it is a time when the nutrients are returned to the earth. Death prepares the ground to produce new life. In the past season God has been bringing death to some old ways and habits. He has been doing a work of completion in preparation for the new season.

How do we enter into a new season? We prepare ourselves spiritually and then position ourselves to enter into what God is doing. We must develop a hearing ear and discipline ourselves to hear the voice of God.

Four Things You Should Know About Transition

2007-12-30T00:23:00.000-05:00

Four Things You Should Know About Transition

As the Body of Christ transitions into a season of new beginnings there are four important things that we should know about transition.

1. Confusion during transitional times is normal. One of the greatest enemies to moving into the new things that God has for us as believers is a carnal mindset. Too many in the Body of Christ never realize their destiny or move into the new seasons of God because they get locked into a certain mindset. Romans 8:7 - tells us, "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be." We must put aside our old carnal mind-sets if we are going to make it through the narrow place of transition. Transitions have a way of changing our mind-sets. Some of us could move to a new level of God's glory if we would just allow God to change our mind-sets. The carnal mind resists change. When you go through a transitional period in your life and spiritual walk you will encounter times of confusion. We must be careful that we don't resist the new season that God is bringing us into. We are creatures of habit and by nature we resist change. When God begins to bring us into a new season it will look different and feel different and if we are not careful we will find ourselves wondering, is this really from God? Is it the intention of the Lord to confuse us and cause us to wonder? No, but it is our nature to resist the changes that He brings and to retreat to what has worked in the past. We must be willing to abandon our old carnal mindsets, and enter into the rest of faith during these times of transitions.

3. Transition has an ending. The good news about transition is that it is just a season. The Bible has a lot to say about the different seasons of life. Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:” Some of the greatest words in all the Word of God are “and it came to pass.” God does not leave us in the narrow, confusing transitional places longer than is necessary. God does have a time to bring it to completion.

4. There is a new beginning. We are transitioning into a new season. We are entering into a season of new beginnings. I believe that God is going to make things new during this new season of God. This will be a time to enter into many of the prophetic promises that have been made to us both personally and corporately. I believe that we will see some of the following in 2008:
A. There is a call to holiness for the Body of Christ. God is going to continue to expose sin.
B. Spiritual sons who have been faithful will become spiritual fathers to sons and daughters. There are a number of spiritual leaders that are going to be promoted by the Lord during this season.
C. Earlier in the year the Lord impressed on me to prepare for both revival and persecution. No true revival movement is without its critics and persecution.
D. This will be a season of favor. The favor of God will rest upon individuals and churches during this season. This favor will open the door for increase and expansion.

[i] Retrieved from the internet at www.dictionary.com.
[ii] Pierce, Chuck, “Possessing Your Inheritance,” Renew Books, Ventura, CA, 1999.

Transitioning into a New Season

2007-12-17T17:03:00.001-05:00

The New Testament Church is transitioning into a new season. 2008 will be a New Season of New Beginnings. We are entering a time when many of the prophetic promises that God has made to us will be fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 reads, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

The Bible teaches that we are being transformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are transformed from glory to glory. What does it mean to be transformed from glory to glory? It means that God continually brings us into a new and deeper level in our relationship with Him. God longs to bring us into a new realm of glory. What is He doing in His church today? He is bringing us from grief to glory. He is bringing us out of the wilderness and into the Land of Promise. As believers we have an inheritance. Our inheritance is defined in Ephesians 1:3– “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

We are changed as we go from glory to glory, but what happens between those realms of glory? We go through transition. Currently we are transitioning from a season of completion into a season of new beginnings. We hear a great deal about going from glory to glory or mountain top to mountain top, but what about what happens in between those times? Between every mountain top there is a valley that we must pass through. We transition from one season to another.

What is a transition? Dr. Chuck Pierce in his book, "Possessing Your Inheritance," defines a transition "as crossing over to a new place or passing from one condition to another." Transition is passing through a narrow place. Many of us find ourselves in this place today. Why is transition necessary? Because God uses transition to bring us out the wilderness and moves us into the precious promises of God. Before we can move into our inheritance God will use the narrow place of transition to prepare us for our inheritance.

Transition is a very important time in our Christian journey. I have learned to take time to clearly hear the voice of God when I am in a time of transition. Let me encourage you to spend time listening carefully for direction when you find yourself in a time of transition in your life.

Political Correctness

2007-12-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas. Those are refreshing words to hear in our politically correct world. I would have never believed that I would see a day when so many of our traditions would be under assault. Our nation is a land of opportunity and God has richly blessed us. There is abundance everywhere we turn and there is an element in our society that wants to destroy what has made us great.

The world we live in is much the same as the world that Christ was born into. His birth didn't make the headlines and was definitely not politically correct. As you know Herod had all the young children killed to preserve His throne. His political correctness failed and ours will as well. Things forever changed that first Christmas when the Christ was born and the world has never been the same. He continues to work in the hearts and lives of men today.

A massive revival is sweeping across our world and will soon touch our nation as well. It hasn't made the headlines and most likely will be considered politically incorrect - even in some churches. We are about to enter into a new season of new beginnings. My prayer is that as this year ends and a new year begins that you will position yourself to receive all that God has for you in the coming year.

REVIVAL TALK

2007-11-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

The goal of REVIVAL TALK is to post informative leadership principles, prayer requests, exciting upcoming events that will benefit leaders, and to proclaim the Gospel.

We will continue to update REVIVAL TALK so that it will be relevant and up-to-date.

Thanks,
Pastor Terry Bailey