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| Today God spoke to me through the sermon “The Zig Zag Way – God’s Divine Detour” by Nicole Conner. In brief the sermon discussed how God orchestrates detours in the journey of our lives to expose our heart, and to make us depend on Him more, which ultimately transform us into who HE has called us to be. Since God’s ways are higher than our ways, we can’t see the purpose for the detours, but they are in fact acts of divine mercy and grace because God acknowledges our frailty a lot better than we do ourselves. HE knows taking us from point A to point B directly will destroy us! In spite of the detours, however, we must never forget that HE is always in control and will ultimately lead us to fulfill our purpose. Psalm 138 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands. God is more interested in who we are becoming in the journey than getting us there. Many times the detours lead us to come face to face with ourselves and our sins, and how desperately we need a Savior. Nicole compares the belief system of the Israelites during the Exodus with that of Job during the hardships he faced. Both complained about the hardships they faced, but Job nevertheless chose to believe in God and his goodness. The Israelites never did, however, and thus tragically came under the judgment of God: Numbers 14 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times- 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. The enemy of the promised land of the Israelites was not Pharaoh, but themselves! Nicole then goes on to compare the sins of the Israelites with the sins of King David. The difference between David and the Israelites, however, is exemplified when David, after sleeping with Bathsheba and is confronted with his own sinfulness by the prophet Nathan, chooses to confess his sins and repent. The zig zag way of the LORD has two components: 1) God’s providential care 2) Our response to the dealings of God We are meant to confront the issues and failures that God brings before us, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. | | |
| Cycles of Temptation (Reverend Dr. A. R. Bernard) Dr. Bernard opens up the sermon by sharing how it is the mission of his ministry to teach people how to live by seeing life from God’s point of view; to get God’s perspective on life. He continues that the Bible for us is not a religious book, but rather a practical book. When God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt it was a miraculous event, but He gave them a value system in the form of The Law, which will teach them how to conduct themselves on a daily basis. He did not invite them to heaven; He taught them how to live here on Earth. Jesus’ prayer was to let them remain in the earth realm, protect them from evil, and teach them how to live. It is when the Word of God becomes flesh - alive and working in a human being – it is then that that Word is able to be seen by the rest of the world and the glory of God is revealed. Luke 4 – The Holy Spirit leads Jesus Christ to the Mount of Temptation in the desert before He revealed Him in the fullness of His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. In order to get to the Mount of Transfiguration, we must first experience the Mount of Temptation, because life is about testing, trials, and tribulations. The Bible reveals an age old conflict between good and evil – good culminating in a person Jehovah God (Jesus Christ), and evil culminating in a person called Lucifer, better known as Satan. The Bible presents both God and the devil as persons, not as concepts or ideas. Although these persons are diametrically opposed to each other, there is no shadow of a doubt that it is Jehovah God who is in power and authority over Satan. Jehovah God has allowed this conflict to be played out here on earth with one universal objective, which is to exemplify before all creation that any rebellion against His authority will be crushed, and that life can only be experienced to its fullest when creation is in harmony with its Creator God. We as Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. We believe that through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, we identify with the sacrifice on the cross and become acceptable to the Lord Almighty in Jesus Christ. The Book of Hebrews reveals that Jesus is the expressed image of the Father. It is this aspect, the humanity of Jesus, out which we can learn how to deal with life. He is our example, because in Him, dwelled the fullness of God bodily. He was the embodiment of God for the purpose of expressing the nature of God in human society. His disciple Phillip once asked Him, show us the Father God and we will be satisfied. Jesus replied, “Have I been so long with you, that you haven’t recognized me”. Jesus said again, “He that has seen Me has seen the Father.” All four gospels reveal the deity of Jesus Christ, but also the humanity of Jesus Christ. Luke 4 (Amplified Bible) 1THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit 2For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted ([a]tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry.(A) 3Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread]. 4And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone [b]but by every word and expression of God.(B) 5Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [[c]in the twinkling of an eye]. 6And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will. 7Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [[d]just once], it shall all be Yours. 8And Jesus replied to him, [e]Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.(C) 9Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on [f]a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here; 10For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully; 11And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.(D) 12And Jesus replied to him, [The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, [g]test exceedingly) the Lord your God.(E) 13And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, [h]stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time. The devil comes and then leaves, but only for a season. Jesus came that we may have life, and have it abundantly. God is not out to get you, to destroy you, or to hurt you. God is not looking for the moment you sin to beat you over the head with a baseball bat! Jesus said that I came not to condemn the world, but through me the world might be saved. I came to give life. It is that abundant life that Satan desires to steal from us through a basic pattern of temptation. Paul constantly prayed for us believers to be sharp at discerning the strategies of evil in its desire to consume and destroy our lives. The first thing the devil hits Him with is these words, “If you are the Son of God…” The first line of attack has to do with your identity. The resolution of the identity crisis is common to all human beings. Most people are off track in life, because they are trying to be somebody other than who they really are. They haven’t discovered who they are. Your self image comes out of the resolution of your identity. Who are you? It is out of who you think or believe yourself to be that you will operate in life. Your self image is the foundation for life. You will build your life based upon the image you have for yourself. If you have a poor self image, you will accept a poor life and poor relationships, and will never rise above that image you have of yourself. My self image is the foundation upon which I build my life. Out of my self image comes my self esteem. Out of my self image comes my sense of worth. Out of my self image comes my sense of value to myself and to others. When people don’t think much of themselves, they will live like it and allow themselves to degenerate in their lifestyles. We will never accept our purpose in life until we are clear as to who we are. We may have that purpose, but not accept it until we know who we are in Christ Jesus. Jesus had a clear self image. We know this because of how He described Himself. John 8:12 (NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He sees Himself as one who was empowered to illuminate the understanding of others. John 14:6 (Amplified Bible) Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. He also said of Himself, “I am the Truth”. In other words, He represents ultimate reality and consistency. He also said, “I am the Way”, which means He saw Himself as the ultimate path that leads to life. He said, “I am the Life”, which means that He is what every human being seeks to be. It speaks of health, prosperity, and a high level lifestyle. John 15:1 (NIV) "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He also said “I am the vine”. He nurtures and brings health and life to other people. He is a resource: John 6:48 I am the bread of life. Throughout the scriptures He moves from one image to another of what He though of Himself. His self knowledge is what gave Him validity. He did not need validation from anyone else. If others recognized Jesus for who He was, it was simply confirmation but not validation. We live in a society where everybody is seeking for someone else to validate them. The moment we give someone else the power to validate you, you also give them the power to define you. And you may not like the definition that they give you. They may call you lazy, and if you accept that you have allowed them to define you and thereby they are your validation. What we think of ourselves is clearly reflected in everything we say and everything we do. It is reflected in the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the books we read, the entertainment we engage in, the places we visit, and the people we associate with. The clearer the images that we have of ourselves, the greater the influence these images will have on our thoughts, our motives, our words and our actions. The images Jesus had of Himself were an expression of that image God has of Himself. Genesis 1:26 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness God had an image of Himself, and out of that self image, He created Adam. You can tell the kind of home and living environment that God likes by the beauty of the garden. If He was cheap and poor, and had a poor self image, the Garden would look like a junkyard; but it was beautiful. The same image God planted and expressed in Adam was also expressed in Jesus Christ, because the original image of God in Adam was corrupted the moment Adam sinned. When we celebrate Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, we are also celebrating the restoration of the image of God in humankind (any human), that is willing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and as the representative of God in the earth. Whenever the new birth takes place, God is restoring to us the image He has of Himself. The new birth is called a miracle. We are a new creation! We are not reformed by God, we are transformed! He does not fix up the old self; He eradicates it and brings up a new force to go to work in the human life. You must reject all the low things of life and begin to embrace the higher things of life. If you do not, and you call yourself a Christian, then you are despising the power and work of God in your life and you need to repent. Deuteronomy 28:13 And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them. God told Israel, I will make you the head and not the tail. I will place you above and not beneath. I will cause you to become the lender and not the borrower. The Jewish people who have embraced the law and the promises have experienced the benefits of it worldwide. They are a people that have been dispersed through all the nations of the earth, and no matter where they are, they begin to rise up in any given society. The same promise for Israel has been given to us in Jesus Christ! There is no reason in this world except laziness, unbelief, and fear that the Christian should not be economically and spiritually viable and an influence in their society. | | |
| After discussing my dream with a close friend at One Eighty the other day, I am now convinced that the dream I experienced with a little bit of pornography was indeed from the Holy Spirit. HE did not give me the dream to accuse me, but rather to convict me of my sin. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:8-11 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." | | |
| Eph 6:11-12 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Dawn began last night's sermon with the above verses from the scripture on "The Armor of God". We are in a war against a very real enemy and must stand firm against all the strategies of the devil. In order to succeed we MUST put on armor of God. Eph 6:13-15 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Pastor John preached on the belt of truth and Pastor Derek on the breastplate of righteousness, therefore Dawn's sermon focused on how we must put on Shoes of peace of the Good News to be prepared fully. WHY DO WE GET STRESSED? Turn to God for peace in times of stress. ONLY GOD CAN GIVE US PEACE. Phi 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Dawn stressed that in all the times we face persecution and turmoil in our lives we should pray, not worry. We must ask God and HE will answer. Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Peace is a gift. We are responsible for maintaining it. GOD LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY, SO WE SHOULD HAVE PEACE ABOUT OURSELVES. We can then plant peace - reconcile situations - in life and reap righteousness, which is to have a right standing before God. WHAT ARE THE AREAS IN MY LIFE WHERE THE ENEMY ATTACKS ME? I MUST TRUST THAT GOD IS WORKING GOOD IN ALL OF THEM. I am struggling with work at the moment because Front Desk operations at the hotel is very new to me. Interacting with guests comes naturally to me and thus is not the source of my struggle, but rather it is just the routine policies and procedures that sometimes cause me to stumble. I am aware that making mistakes and stumbling is all part of the learning process, however, I am almost always persecuted when I stumble. The enemy seizes every opportunity to accuse and criticize me through my coworkers and friends when I make a mistake. I understand this is simply because greater is HE that is in me than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. I am aware that GOD is using all these events to stretch and strengthen me. At times I feel I am falling short of the mark and failing the Lord in my efforts, but this is not true. The Holy Spirit encouraged me last night by reminding me to trust God; trust that my boss will recognize my efforts and abilities in due course. When I am accused and persecuted by the enemy in the spirit realm, I feel the wounds caused by the enemy in my spirit body. I cannot describe this pain to you in words, but it hurts terribly! One time I tried to hold on and endure until the pain got so unbearable that I cried out desperately to the Lord and HE was with me in a heartbeat! I locked HIM out of my heart just for a short while until I could lock myself in a bathroom stall and then burst into tears as I opened my heart and received HIM in the fullness of HIS awesome love and glory. HE took all the pain away and restored me to overflowing once again. (Usually I sneak off to pray when I am hurt in the spirit before the pain becomes unbearable) I thank the Lord for these lessons on the armor of God. I believe I have been fighting either with some armor missing, or not fastened properly by the belt of truth, and as a result the enemy has hurt me incessantly in the exposed areas of my spirit body. I pray in Jesus' mighty name that we will soon learn to properly put on the full armor of God and be able to truly stand amidst all the attacks of satan. | | |
| 1) He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:8-11 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." 2) He transforms us in the sight of God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 3) He helps us to remember the word of God. John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." 4) He helps us to lead a godly life. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit (evidence) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 5) He gives us spiritual gifts for the edification of believers. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. 6) He is our guarantee of eternal life with God. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. 7) He empowers us to be witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ. John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me." Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. | | |
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