A Simple Truth

No matter what problem you are facing; no matter what storm you are caught in; no matter how lifeless everything seems, there is one answer: more of God. If you don't think He has an interest in your situation - even if you think it petty - then you don't know Him very well. He is wanting to surprise you. Relationship going sour? More of Him... Health issues battering you continually? More of Him... Does the job just stink? More of Him. Maybe today is the day that you determine to seek Him out for the first time. He knows how to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. But chances are - if you don't seek, you will NEVER find.

All Things New Pt2

As mentioned yesterday, God will not pour something new into an old container. In order to do a new thing, God's pattern is to build it, then move into it. For this last-days move of God, He is building something, but first His foundation must be in place.

Sometimes we ask the question, why wasn't somebody healed after we prayed for healing, especially from leaders of the church. A very well-known church leader routinely experiences healing and great miracles in his church. However, when his father contracted cancer, healing never came and his father passed away. This man's faith remains resolute, and to this day he sees more people healed in his church than perhaps anywhere else.

In the Kingdom, a solid foundation is a people who may experience 'apparently' unanswered prayer, or undesired outcomes, yet still hold faithfully to the belief that God is good and that sickness is not. These people (pillars) are especially visible, and when they hold fast, every one's faith increases. This will give God what He needs to build the final work of this age, a people who do not waver at unexpected outcomes. When we all possess the faith that God is good, and that His Kingdom will trump all else, then we will all experience a greater anointing and confidence to successfully see the Kingdom come on earth - as it is in heaven. But to get to this point... faith must be tested - if not in God's eyes, then in our own eyes.

All Things New Pt1

God's desire is to make all things new. New wine will not fit in the old wineskin. Just as such, nothing new from God will fit into the old container. When you received His spirit, you were 'made new'. Or perhaps when we were made new, His Spirit then came in.

2Co 5:17 MKJV
(17) So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Have we ever tried to explain things of God to someone who does not believe? They physically cannot contain the revelation. But when presented with the things of God, they are either drawn, or repulsed. Either way, a shaking of their minds and hearts occurs. They fight, they squirm, they get very uncomfortable. These are the 'birth pains' of a new believer. Then, a new creature is born. The earth behaves no differently. That which is truly new from God in the coming age will also require a new heaven and a new earth to contain it. As we approach the dawning of a new age, the earth shakes and travails.

Rev 21:1-5 MKJV
(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is.
(4) And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.
(5) And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

Are you stagnating in your faith? Is anything or anyone moving you? Invite God to shake you.

All Glorified God

Act 4:21 MKJV
(21) So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way as to how they might punish them, because of the people. For all glorified God for that which was done.

After Peter and John healed the man at the Gate Beautiful, quite a crowd gathered. Peter announced that it was the power of Jesus, who was crucified but raised from the dead to the right hand of God, that had healed this man.

Peter and John were not arrogant. The 'power' had not gone to their head. It's a false argument to think that this is always a side-effect of walking in the miraculous. It is not intended to bring attention or fame to the God-man or God-woman. A miracle is intended to do exactly what it did in that instance: bring glory to God. All glorified God.

It's imperative that we who wish to walk in the miraculous 'get over' what people might think about doing what the Spirit calls us to do. Don't even weigh it. If He says say it, say it. If He says do it, do it - and do it without worrying about explaining yourself. When Jesus started slapping mud on the blind man's eyes, what we did not get was a dissertation on 'why'. Jesus was peculiar. If we look like Him, we are going to look a bit peculiar as well.

Pre-Christianity Fail

Often I hear people talking about pre-Christianity. Typically they are referring to writings or traditions that 'supposedly' date to times before Jesus, and yes... much was written before 1 a.d. However, John the apostle wrote:

Joh 1:1 ESV
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

When we realize that Jesus IS the Word, and in the beginning was the Word, it's difficult to date any of your stuff prior to that point. This was a sticky point even to the Jews of Jesus' time, to which Jesus stated:

Joh 5:39 ESV
(39) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

When speaking to His followers on the Road to Emmaus, Jesus showed them how He had been the one that all of scripture had been written about.

Luk 24:27 ESV
(27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Some would argue that even the writings of Moses were pre-dated by other writings. These same people first argued that Moses could not have written what he wrote because there was no established written language during his time. Once science disproved this, they adopted the idea that older writings existed. Perhaps.

But since we are limited to what we have faith in - what we believe - then I must state that I do not believe there is 'anything' that pre-dates Christianity. Jesus was the anointed one, and He was there in the 'beginning'. Gen 1:1 says "In the beginning, God..." Why is God plural?

Waiting On God

1Sa 16:11-13 ESV
(11) Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here."
(12) And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he."
(13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

This was the point where David was anointed King of Israel by Samuel the prophet. Saul, the current king, had disobeyed God and had turned his heart from God, so God took his anointing from Saul.

Here's the question: what did David do after Samuel left?
Here's the answer: he went back to tending his sheep.

It was literally years before David sat upon the throne of Israel, even though God had chosen him for the job. Saul continued to reign - ineffectively - chasing David because of jealousy and satisfying the demands of his own ego.

Do you sense God calling you to something? Something big? Are you ready to step into it, or is there a spiritual training camp you need to attend? Don't step into anything until God says you're ready - even if you know He has called you. Make sure, above all, that you have been walking under God's authority, which typically starts by placing yourself under the mentor-ship of someone in your church! If you cannot submit to authority, you will never be placed in authority.

Don't Agree With the Devil

1Sa 27:1 ESV
(1) Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."

If you read the story of David, especially in the early going up until this passage, you will notice that there is nothing but David's faith and God's deliverance. David's faith.... God's deliverance... and the promises of God to establish David as king of Israel. This was all a done deal. Saul was bi-polar. He was hurling javelins at David one minute, crying and begging for forgiveness the next. Through all of this, David kept his eyes on God and God delivered.

But David grew tired of running. With fatigue comes weakness of spirit, and that's when the enemy whispers in our ear the loudest. David said in his heart, "One of these days, Saul is going to kill me." The devil finally got a public declaration out of David - an agreement, and even though this declaration never came to pass, it had quite the effect on him.

He moved in with the Philistines. He moved to Gath - the very place Goliath lived because he knew Saul would not follow him into enemy territory. How popular could David have been? He'd killed the most famous person to ever come from Gath. From this action, a number of near-disastrous events occurred. However, God faithfully continued to deliver David.

Take comfort that even the greatest men of the Bible were beaten down from time to time. They, too, made silly decisions at times. But God never let them down. Lean on the promises of God in your life. What are they? Recite them. When you're beaten down, immerse yourself in His Word. When we can hear Him, then we can't hear the enemy.

Stepping Into The Prophetic

Regarding prophecies, there are a couple of types that come to mind. There is that which is fore-ordained. God has said it, and He will not 'repent' of it, therefore it WILL be. Bank on it. If we read Revelation, we see a solid twenty two chapters of that which will be, period. There is nothing that can happen that will prevent Jesus Christ from accepting the deed to the creation He has purchased. We will rule and reign with Him. There will be great tribulation on the earth. You get the point.

However, when you have a word prophesied over you, realize that you must step into it. Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament were given as a warning to Israel. Rarely were the prophets popular for this reason. Literally, the word to Israel was often 'turn or burn'. Sometimes they turned. Sometimes they burned. But as a people they stepped into the prophetic. They had a say.

1Sa 23:10-14 LITV
(10) And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.
(11) Will the masters of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? I pray You, Jehovah the God of Israel, tell your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
(12) And David said, Will the masters of Keilah shut me and my men up into Saul's hand? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up.
(13) And David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and left Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he ceased to go out.
(14) And David stayed in the wilderness, in the strongholds. And he stayed in the hill, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all his days. And God did not give him into his hand.

In this example, the very word from God was: The citizens will give you over to your enemy, Saul. It was prophesied by God. David could have stepped into this, but heeding the word of God, he chose to run to the desert, and nothing prophesied came to pass.

If it has been prophesied in your life that you will be a great man or woman of God, and that you will lead many to Jesus, you need to understand that this will not come to pass in front of your PlayStation. It's difficult to reach people for the Kingdom if you invest nothing in the Kingdom. We must press in. We must be serious. We must be zealous. We must be intentional.

Divine Captivity

Joh 21:18 LITV
(18) Truly, truly, I say to you, When you were younger, you girded yourself, and you walked where you desired. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you, and will carry you where you do not desire.

Jesus broke this oar over Peter's head on the day He restored fellowship with him. Peter had gone back to fishing, and Jesus came along, made him lunch, and asked Peter if he still loved Him, to which Peter replied, "Lord, you know I still love you." Jesus then says, "Then feed my sheep." After this statement, Jesus tells Peter how he will die - by stretching out his hands in crucifixion. This is seemingly out of place.

In the verse after, Jesus simply says, "Follow me."

"Lord, you know I love you."
"Peter, feed my sheep. You used to have a choice, but now you won't. Just follow me."

People often wonder about the angels and the choice they had to follow God. Was grace presented to them? What was their decision process like? How was it presented? We don't know, but we now know that they no longer have a choice.

There comes a time in a believer's life when the Holy Spirit girds him and carries him 'where he would not otherwise be inclined to go'. This is the meaning of the phrase in the Greek. It's like divine captivity - truly it is just that. Thank God certain things are no longer options in my life. I have no doubt that as I mature in the spirit, other things will no longer be options, either.

So in heaven, will we no longer have free will? Yes, absolutely! But some things will not be an option. If this makes no sense, good! That's how we know it's true.

Where the Enemy Walks

1 Timothy 4:1-5 MKJV
(1) But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,
(2) speaking lies in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience,
(3) forbidding to marry, saying to abstain from foods which God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
(4) For every creation of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.
(5) For it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer.

Did you know that demons teach? Isn't that an interesting verse? If you were a demon (stretch here) what would you teach? What kind of people would you target? Would they be people of influence or common folk? Do you think they would get into the political affairs of men, or perhaps sit in the elementary classrooms of our children? Maybe both...

The Spirit expressly says that in the last days, some shall depart from the FAITH. Aha! So we at least know the demons are teaching in the 'church' arena. They are working to destroy the testimonies and faith of believers, or at least people who claimed at one time to believe. If there were a demon at work in your church, what kind of mischief would he create? Internal strife? Jealousy? Unforgiveness amongst the brethren? Unbelief?

Pray that God's light would shine in your church over the dark places. Yes, the enemy can stand a lot more scripture reading and praise music than a lot of Christians think. But what he cannot stand is the Presence of God. What he cannot tolerate is Love. Truth sickens and infuriates him. Make sure your church is saturated with these.

Playing It Safe

1 Samuel 22:5 MKJV
(5) And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.

When David was on the run from Saul, he left the cave of Adullam and went to Moab, seeking shelter from the king. God sent His prophet, Gad, to tell David to move on.

There are safe places for us to stay - thankfully - where we can rest spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the embrace of our church family is such a stronghold. However, it's very easy to live within the confines of the church walls and never stray outside. We get complacent. Our Christian walk is only on sanctuary carpet. If this has been your walk, God says it's time to move on. Yes, there are risks outside, but with no risk there is no reward. God's plan for us rarely involves us being stagnant. His kingdom is constantly moving forward. Are we moving forward with it?

That Which Is Hidden...

Luke 8:17 HNV
(17) For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

It can be difficult to get away from the obvious implication of this verse. The first thing that comes to mind is all the things I don't want revealed in my own life. It's a scary verse if we harbor sin, or guilt, or embarrassment (things Christians should have given away long ago). But what about hidden talent? Hidden skills? Hidden resources? Hidden or missed opportunities?

What about knowledge and mysteries - good things?

Luke 10:21 HNV
(21) In that same hour Yeshua rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight."

What about the Living Word Himself - Messiah?

Colossians 1:26-27 HNV
(26) the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his holy ones,
(27) to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory;

That which is spiritual must also be signified in the physical. There must be a physical representation of this in God's creation.

Genesis 1:10-11 HNV
(10) God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
(11) God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth;" and it was so.

Sure enough - once the waters were gathered together, the land which had hidden seed was immediately able to bear fruit. The earth 'put forth' grass - from seed that was hidden.

When a mother is about to give birth, what always happens before that which was hidden - the baby - is revealed? The 'water' breaks.

Romans 8:19 LITV
(19) For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God.

I suggest to you that it will take the waters of the Holy Spirit, breaking over 'all flesh', that will reveal the Sons of God.

Walking Under The Anointing

1Sa 14:6-7 LITV
(6) And Jonathan said to the young man bearing his weapons, Come, we shall cross over to the fort of these uncircumcised ones. It may be Jehovah will work for us, for there is no hindrance to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
(7) And his armorbearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself. Behold, I am with you according to your heart.

1Sa 14:23 LITV
(23) And Jehovah saved Israel that day. And the battle passed over to Beth-aven.

Between verse 6 and verse 23, amazing and miraculous things happened. Check out this story! Notice, though, that the Lord saved Israel in one day because of a chain of events that started by one man of faith who pressed against the enemy. Jonathan, the king's son and (supposedly) heir to the throne lived a life of risk because he knew that God could save 'by many or by few'. Wow! God loves those who tackle the miraculous. If our walk doesn't require faith, we live a powerless life. Jonathan's walk was 'ridiculous'! But what was Israel saved from? Exactly what happened because of one man's faith? To answer that, we go one chapter back and take an objective view of the enemy that had formed against Israel:

1Sa 13:5 LITV
(5) And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, with thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the lip of the sea for multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

Formidable, yes, to the human eye. To God, however, the overwhelming odds against us don't amount to much. The rule Jonathan lived by was one that Samuel presented his father, Saul, just a few years prior. It was this:

1Sa 10:7 LITV
(7) And it will be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds, for God is with you.


We who are called according to God's purpose have an anointing to serve and to be ministers of God. If we are attached to the 'body', then we MUST have an anointing, because Christ means 'anointed one', and HE is the HEAD. All the oil (anointing) poured upon the head must flow down - therefore the body is anointed always. The question I hear is... anointed to do what? The answer is:

Do as your hand shall find; for God is with you.

Attack In Faith

1Sa 13:2-5 JPS
(2) And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in the mount of Beth- el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeath-benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
(3) And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the horn throughout all the land, saying: 'Let the Hebrews hear.'
(4) And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also had made himself odious with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
(5) And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Michmas, eastward of Beth-aven.



Pressing into the Kingdom of God is a job for 'violent' men and women (Matt 11:12). What we find when we become active in 'pressing' is that we upset the powers of the enemy. We become targets. Saul and Jonathan learned this the hard way, as they became 'odious with the Philistines'. Jonathan was a man of faith that 'pressed' by faith. As a result, Jonathan was victorious in his battles, but really ticked off the enemy! Saul never proved to be much of a man of faith. He relied more upon numbers and the backing of his people and his prophet, Samuel. This reliance upon flesh never panned out for Saul. Rather, it cost him absolutely everything.

We can know that in these days, we are to be acting more like Jonathan. Attack in faith and expect victory. Also expect the enemy to gather against us, but realize no enemy can overcome the people of God, for no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

Prophecy in Hannah's Prayer

1Sa 2:1-10 MKJV
(1) And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in Jehovah, my horn is exalted in Jehovah. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
(2) There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God.
(3) Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
(4) The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
(5) They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased; yea, while the barren has borne seven, and she who had many sons has languished.
(6) Jehovah kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
(7) Jehovah takes away, and He gives riches; He brings low; yea, He lifts up high.
(8) He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Jehovah are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them.
(9) He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
(10) The foes of Jehovah shall be broken to pieces. He thunders in the heavens upon them. Jehovah shall judge the ends of the earth. And He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed.

If you will remove the first five words of this passage, you would have trouble telling it apart from something David, or Solomon, or even Paul wrote. This is a clue that we are seeing a style of the Holy Spirit. I like to call it His signature. The preceding chapter details Hannah's plea to God for a son, and how God answered her by sending Samuel. This passage is one of gratitude to God for answered prayer. But what do we not see?

"Thank you for my son. Thank you for my son! Thank you thank you thank you for sending my Samuel!"

Instead, we see a Psalm of praise, and when we examine it, we find some fascinating things.

• Verse 1: "I rejoice in Your salvation." The Hebrew word for salvation is "Yeshua", or "Jesus" in English.
• Verse 5: The barren has borne seven; this is a picture of one who could not have children (barren) miraculously bearing seven (perfection). I see the virgin birth in this.
• Verse 6: Jehovah kills and makes alive. Who did Jehovah kill and make alive again? Jesus! "He brings down to Sheol, and brings up." Again, this is Jesus.
• Verse 7: He brings low; yea, He lifts up high. This is a picture of the life of Jesus, living as a suffering servant, but elevated to the right hand of the Father.
• Verse 10: "He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed (Christ)." This is also a reference to Jesus, "His King and His Anointed One."

There is so much else in this passage, but that the Spirit screamed praise to God through Jesus even in the time of Samuel's birth is an amazing thing.

The Price of Crowning Our Own King

1Sa 8:11-18 MKJV
(11) And he said, This will be the privilege of the king who shall reign over you. He shall take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen. And they shall run before his chariots.
(12) And he will appoint commanders over thousands, and commanders over fifties, and some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and weapons for his chariots.
(13) And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
(14) And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive-yards, the best, and give them to his servants.
(15) And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants.
(16) And he will take your male slaves and your slave girls, and your finest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
(17) He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants.
(18) And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.

Life is a never-ending struggle. If it's not relationships, it's health. If not health, it's finances. It's work, it's school, it's growing pains, it's aging. These are the components that are seen, but behind it all is a spiritual war that continually wages. Satan hates everyone and is bent on doing what he does: stealing, killing, and destroying. In this war, there is no neutral. To claim neutrality is to rebel against God. We are instructed to choose a side. (Joshua 24:15) God cannot stand spiritual neutrality. (Rev 3:15-16)

For all of this, we cast a vote for a king; either we opt for God and He alone, or we cast our allegiance to the king of this world, the devil. There are some things we should understand about casting our vote for the enemy which we can learn from the passage above.

• Our children will be consumed by the war effort. Some will fight, and some will work, but they will be taken without a choice. (vs 11-13) Remember, they will be fighting a war that they have already lost, and they will not survive it.
• Our fields, vineyards, and orchards represent our fruitfulness. All we produce will go to the enemy, adding up to nothing in the scope of eternity. (vs 14)
• Many avoid serving God because they believe He wants a tenth of all they have. The bad news is that what could be voluntarily given will be taken by force; one tenth of what we have to sow, and one tenth of what we've already grown. (vs 15)
• Anything and everything we have that makes life easier goes to the enemy. All our resources become his. (vs 16)
• All of our livestock, which represents our 'sacrifice', goes to the enemy, while we ourselves enter servitude. (vs 17)
• By the time you realize your mistake, it will be too late. (vs 18)

We should definitely choose our king wisely.