We as men often let fear exist in our life. Whether it’s from a pressing decision that has to be made, or to someone’s opinion of us. We are big strong bull of the woods type who keep our fears locked away to never be confronted again.In 1 Kings there are quite a few mentions of a king who ruled with fear. He was a nasty king with a wicked wife. He ruled with fear, and caused fear in God’s people and prophets. He had a servant who ruled over all his possessions named Obadiah who he kept in line also with……..you guessed it, fear. Ahab was on a mission to find a land for his animals, and to find and kill the prophet Elijah.
Elijah showed up, and God showed up with him in a suddenly moment. At that moment Obadiah was overtaken by the fear of king Ahab. He said, “how can you send me back to tell the king you’re here, he’s going to kill me.”
That leads me to a few questions the Lord placed on me. What is the King in your own life that causes fear?
Is it a fear of what people will think if you step out and become one of those “Jesus followers”? Is it a fear of loosing an income because God’s calling you out to serve Him full-time? Is it trying to put together an event, and you don’t know where the funds will come from? Or maybe it’s a ministers fear that a new ministry locally is gonna be more impressive than his.
Whatever it is that’s causing you to fear a false king in your life, take a stand against it! God has gone before you to make you successful according to His standards. Don’t let an Ahab dictate your calling, or decision. God’s got this!
The Father has awakened me in the wee hours to prepare me for the day before the day gets here. In this last couple of hours He’s shown me much and I have appealed to Him to show me more. I have prayed about many things. You are one of those “things” my brother. And not only you yourself, but the purposes for which He has separated you and yoked you to accomplish.
2 Timothy 2:9 & 10 says – “He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” And again our destiny is confirmed in Ephesians 1:4 & 5- “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be blameless and holy in His sight. In live He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will.” Verse 10 – “to put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity in all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”……wow!
Before there was an earth He had a purpose for us and a reason to make us, each of us, and to determine what we are to accomplish and equip us to accomplish it! No wonder none of us need a song book in order to sing Amazing Grace. Our destiny awaits us Sparrow, walk it out in all faith and in the authority and power given to you before there was an earth or an Adam or a Noah or a Moses or a Joseph or a Daniel or a Paul or an America – before there was a North or South Pole He conceived us and sealed us to this destiny. That’s why you can’t mow grass and be successful if you you weren’t born to! …….. walk in the fullness of what you WERE created to do. If you don’t, who else is equipped to? This Kingdom WILL be established on earth as it is in Heaven and no power can stop it!!! Walk it out in joy and determination and teach others to do the same, not only in word but in power and example.
Psalm 1:1-3 says: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither- whatever they do will prosper.”
Jeremiah 17: 7 & 8 says: “Blessed is the one who trusts the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Revelation 22:1 & 2 says: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the of Lamb down the middle of the street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree(s) of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
John 15:8 says: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Men, it is very clear from scripture that we are to be like a tree, here in this fallen world, and that we are to bear fruit, correct.”
I assume that we must be an image of the trees of life that will be in the new heaven, correct? Now we know that any tree that bears fruit has leaves, so we must have leaves, correct? And the bible says they do not wither, correct? What are our leaves and what are they for?
I submit to you that our leaves are to be, just like the trees of life, for the healing of the nations, correct? If they are to be for the healing of the nations, what are our leaves to be healing? Is this a physical healing? A spiritual one? Both? So, if we are to heal the nations I suppose that we must first heal those which are in closest proximity to where we are so that they can become trees planted by the water that flows from the throne of God too, correct? And then their leaves will heal the nations too, correct?
If fruit is for food and leaves are for medicine then how do we get them to eat? By showing the fruit we produce in our own life that is irresistible to stay away from.
As we near the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto him, we will see a clear difference between the wheat and tares.During the growing season, wheat and tares look the same, but when harvest time is near, the wheat turns golden while tares turn black.In the same manner, as that Day draws near, we will see a clear difference between the true church verses the counterfiet, false brethren.The true church, when Christ returns will be walking in victory, reigning, blessed, glorious, without spot or wrinkle.Even in spite of the darkness that will be pervading the earth, the true church will be seen as overcomers, walking in power and authority, unmoved and unharmed by the perils of the world.While the false brethren will be overcome by the world, and will be suffering horribly, and will be falling under the curse along with the rest of the world.Just like it was when the plagues were falling upon Egypt while those in the land of Goshen were unharmed, so shall it be when God shows his protection and provision over his people while his judgement begins to fall on those who are not.
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Psalm 91:5-10
Jesus teaches us in the New Testament church that our works are as filthy rags, but that He will be looking for the fruit we are producing. That is also another way to distinguish between the wheat and the tares. Are you seeing works done by the hands of men, or the fruit of increase producing by God in that persons life? Be not deceived, God will not be mocked. Whatever a man sows that shall he reap.
One of the greats in scripture was king David. He is a great example of what to do, and more importantly what not to do. His life ended, and he still held the title “man after Gods own heart.” Which would make him a great success in my head.
Let’s start with Davids beginnings as a shepherd boy. He probably didn’t have the greatest home life. He was the on the fence promise to his earthly father. Jesse viewed him as either the rightful heir of his heritage, or an illegitimate son who would ruin him. Because of the changing of the laws at that time everything was uncertain, so Jesse put him in the field with the sheep in hopes he would be forgotten.
God however had David right where He wanted him. Through this process of herding sheep, God was molding a boy into a man after His own heart. David faced many trials, as so many of us do that deal with precious little lambs on a daily basis. He faced and defeated a lion (who run in PRIDES), and a bear (who is powerful but sleeps half the year, or is slothful). So after God allowed David to kill pride, and sloth then he was ready to be anointed King. But David would not be able to take his throne until he had faced the giant.
I believe that the giant represented David’s worse half. All his earthly fears, doubts, anxieties, and all the things that David disliked were represented in this man called Goliath. How many times do we look in the mirror and see a giant looking back at us? The giant of fear, doubt, anxiety, depression? What is the giant you see? But God’s battle plan is perfect, His aim is deadly, and He is mighty!!!!!
So start today by killing pride, and sloth out of your life, and when you face the giant of self know that he is a defeated foe. Love you guys, be blessed.
21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.3 Abraham gave the name Isaaca] to the son Sarah bore him.4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
—– Genesis 21:1-6, New International Version (NIV)
False intimacy with God, only produces false intimacy.
How many times do we as men come in contact with customers, friends, enemies, people we just don’t like? We have to put on a false intimacy, and smile, and we say things like “so good to see you”. Knowing the whole time that it’s fake because we only tolerate them.
See, we as Christians are the worlds best for putting on a fake smile, and the appearance of everything is just great and the whole time we are miserable. Abraham did the very same thing with his wife Sarah. He was not walking in communion with God and because of that false intimacy with God, he lied about his wife out of fear. When the king came Abraham told him that Sarah was his sister, so the king took her. The King didn’t get very far before almighty Yahweh said you need to take this woman back, she is the wife of my covenant man.
Long story short, the king returned Sarah, blessed Abraham, and Abraham got right with God. We see this evidence that Abraham got his intimate relationship back with God, because in Genesis, chapter 21 we see that in turn his relationship with his wife was restored as well because she has a son. The heir of Abraham, the promise of God fulfilled all because the right relationship with God, caused the right relationship with his wife, which reproduced the fullness of Gods promise. Where is your intimacy at?
