Learning the Rhythm of God

One of the things that needs to be understood about the God we serve is that the God we serve is a God of rhythm. He's not a God of the abstract, He's not a God of spontaneity (even though He can be), He is a God of rhythm. And if you're going to truly serve and worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4), it is important as well as imperative that we learn the rhythm of God.

If you look at how God has structured the Universe, most everything operates on rhythm. The earth revolves around the sun based upon a rhythm, 365 days per year. The four seasons of the year come and go based upon a rhythm, 3 months per year. Even our heartbeat, it is not sporadic, it beats with a rhythm. All of these things occur because God is a God of Rhythm.
This being the case, this is also how God operates in the lives of His children. Things are not happening "arbitrarily" in our lives, there's a spiritual tempo that God has set for the direction and timing of our lives. Once you identify the tempo that God has set for your life, calling and destiny, then you can begin to regulate your heart and mind to the pace that God has regulated for you through His Spirit.

The key to learning the rhythm of God is identifying the pace that He has ordained for your life. No one runs the pace of a sprinter if they're running a marathon. No one runs the pace of a long-distance runner if they're competing in the 100 yard-dash. A lot of our frustration is not so much the "timing" of God, as much as it is we're running at the wrong pace and therefore are out of the rhythm of God. Could it be that you're running too fast and God wants you to "slow it down"? Could it be that you're moving too slow and God is ready for you to "pick up the pace"?

Saints, at the end of the day, God is Sovereign. He has a "set time" and an Appointed Time for everything He's ordained in the earth. If you want to diminish your frustration and regain your peace of mind, quit trying to rush things and quit operating in slow-mode; learn the rhythm of God, let the Spirit establish your pace and you will walk in perfect peace.

The Handwriting is On the Wall

Many of you, I'm sure, are familiar with the old phrase, "the handwriting is on the wall." This phrase actually comes from the 5th chapter of the book of Daniel, when the king Belshazzar insulted God by using certain vessels from the Temple to celebrate at his party. The Scripture says that a hand came out of nowhere and started writing on the wall of the king's palace. The only person who could interpret the writing was Daniel.

The hand that God used to write on the wall of the king in Daniel chapter 5, was prophetic of the judgment that God was going to release upon the king and the kingdom of Babylon.
Saints, let me assure you, the handwriting is on the wall. The Divine Sentence of Judgment is already being scripted for this nation (America) if we continue on the path that we are trodding. If you listen to the media, it's almost a foregone conclusion that when the Supreme Court convenes this Spring, that they're going to legalize same-sex marriage. I rebuke that belief in the name of Jesus! Another area that we as a nation need to be wary of is the deterioration of our foreign relations with Israel. Israel is still the chosen people of God (Romans 11).

It's not too late for America to repent. But even if she doesn't, we as the people of God have a responsibility to stand in the gap and intercede for the deliverance of our nation. Every one of us needs to pray that God will not allow same-sex marriage to be legalized in this country. Regardless of your personal views, it needs to be understood that if this nation "insults God" with that type of nationally legalized perversion, the judgment of God is inevitable. The handwriting is on the wall. The Church of the living God cannot afford to sit idly by and watch the powers that be literally send our country to hell. If you want to picket, that's fine. If you want to protest, that's great. But whatever you do, pray saints, pray!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before Your Throne of Grace, interceding on behalf of the United States of America. Father, we ask for forgiveness for our blatant disregard for Your Divine Order in regards to Your sacred institution of Marriage. We ask that You show mercy on our country and deliver us from this spirit of delusion and perversion. Father we declare and decree, that same-sex marriage will not be legalized in this country. We declare and decree, that the Supreme Court of this nation WILL NOT legalize same-sex marriage in America. Father, we know that You hear our prayers, and that the prayers of the righteous availeth much. We declare these decrees in the Name of Jesus, and by His Blood, Amen.

The Purpose of the Son of God

Photo courtesy of Dr. Ashraf Fekry via Flickr

When considering the purpose of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, one might quickly say that His purpose was to die for the sins of the world and redeem humanity back to God. Of course, this answer would be correct; but what else does the scripture say about the purpose of the Son of God? In the first epistle of John the 3rd chapter, the Scripture says that the purpose of the Son of God was to destroy the works of the devil.

Saints, one of the challenges that we have as Christians is to make sure that the works of the devil are being destroyed in our lives. Jesus died for our sins, and His Blood atones for all of the sinful deeds that we have and ever will commit against God. With this grace perspective in mind, we don't want to be guilty of "abusing" the grace and mercy of God. The forgiveness of God is not a license for sin, it's a provision for the sin that we inevitably commit. Therefore, if we understand the purpose of the Son of God, we won't grow complacent and indifferent about those things in our lives that do not reflect the divine will of God.

In the 2nd chapter of Titus, the Scripture says that Jesus gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us unto good works. Hebrews 6 also talks about repentance from "dead works." What are the areas in your life for which you need to "repent" from? Sometimes, it's not sin that we need to repent from, but dead works.

If there are areas in our lives that we know do not reflect God's Divine Direction for our lives, it's time we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us afresh to correct and rectify those places in our lives. We can't continue to walk down a "wrong path." We can't continue to be stiff-necked and stubborn when it comes to the things that please us, stroke us and satisfy us, but are not pleasing to God. The Father loves us, regardless of where we are in our lives as it relates to the execution of His divine will. But it's a pretty sad indictment when we refuse to yield to the will of the Father, knowing that goes against the purpose of the Son of God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we beseech You today, break the yoke that is keeping us in bondage to dead works. Set us free from the mind-set that has us consistently going against the path that You have ordained for our lives. Give us the Spirit of Your Son in the Garden of Gethsemane, not my will, but Thy Will be done. Thank You for the Deliverance Father, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

A Gated Community

If you are at all familiar with the architecture of Heaven, then you know that it is, in fact, a "gated community." The Scripture says that there are 3 gates in the east, 3 gates in the west, 3 gates in the north and 3 gates in the south (Revelation 21). Why would it be significant for Heaven to have gates? Because Heaven is not simply a spiritual location, it is the residence of the government of God. Any government of significance has to be protected, has to be barred, has to be gated.

Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17). Therefore, we should represent the Gated Community of God. Some of us are "too loose" and giving the Enemy too much room to come in our lives and "kill, steal and destroy" (John 10). We need to be more guarded so that we will not fall victim to the random attacks of the Devil. It's hard for a robber to break in your house if they have to break through iron gates.

One of the areas for which we need to be more guarded is our mouth. We need to guard the things that we say. Jesus says that we will be accountable for every word that comes out of our mouth (Matthew 12). Be more conscious and monitor the things that come out of your mouth. Let there be a spiritual gate that your words must pass through.

We need to be more guarded with our eyes and ears. These two physical instruments represent gates into the spiritual world. What you look at and watch, and what you listen to and hear directly affects your heart and spirit. That's why Jesus says that if you so much as "look" (eye-gate) at a woman with lust in your heart, you've committed sin (Matthew 5). And the scripture says in Romans 10 that faith cometh by "hearing" (ear-gate) and hearing by the Word of God.

Lastly, we need to guard our relationships. Not everybody should qualify to be your "friend." Yes, you want to be friendly and kind to every one, but you can't afford to open your heart and mind to everyone that likes you or everyone with whom you're associated. The Scripture says that bad company corrupts good manners (1Corinthians 15). There are some relationships God does not want you in; sometimes even family. You have to be guarded and make sure people qualify to enter the gate of your inner circle.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, let us be prayerful and watchful as we go forward in Your Name. Give us the discernment to recognize that in the earth realm, we represent the Gated Community of the Kingdom of God. Give us the Grace not to be judgmental or self-righteous, but Spirit-led and obedient to what You would have us to allow into the gates of our lives. We count it done, and we give You the Praise, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Keep Hope Alive

One of the essential characteristics that a person needs in order to work with God is Hope. A lot of times we talk about faith, and of course we talk about love, but I don't know if we focus enough on Hope. In reading 1Corinthians chapter 13, the scripture states that in addition to faith and love, hope is essential in regards to our relationship with God.

The reason hope is so significant in serving God is because, a lot of times, God will allow things to look "hopeless." It wouldbe nice to think that when working with God, everything's going to be smooth sailing. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. God will allow things to get to their lowest point. And when He does, you're going to need Hope in order to persevere and endure.

Hope can be described as the ability to believe in the prospect of tomorrow in spite of the dismal circumstances of today. When you put your faith in God, you're believing Him to be in control of the situation and to take care of you through it. When you put your hope in God, you're not trusting Him just for you, you're trusting Him for the outcome for which He has promised you. You're believing that, no matter what it looks like, the outcome is determined, and your hope in God is reflected in persistent expectation of what the outcome is going to be.

When the children of God were stuck at the Red Sea, with Pharoah's armies closing in behind them, their situation looked "hopeless."  It wasn't just a matter of having faith in God, it was a matter of keeping Hope alive that, regardless of the circumstances, this was not the end. There was still hope that God would deliver them.

When Jesus went to Calvary, and was arrested by the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Disciples lost Hope. It wasn't so much that they stopped believing in Jesus, but the outcome for which they had anticipated no longer looked promising. When they lost hope in what they expected, they jumped ship, even starting to deny that they even knew Jesus (John 18).

However, one of the greatest examples of hope was the thief on the cross. If you closely examine his request to Jesus, it was packed with hope. His words were, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom" (Luke 23). Don't miss the profundity of this request. Jesus was dying, and so was the thief. Both of them were being executed as criminals of the Roman state. How in the world can the thief talk about Jesus "coming into His Kingdom"? Because he had hope. He was not reacting to the drama of the crucifixion. He was not reacting to the political machinations of Pilate or the Sanhedrin. He was responding to the belief that Jesus was in fact the Messiah and that He would be raised from the dead and establish The Kingdom of God on earth.

Saints, my prayer is that, like the thief on the cross, we fixate our faith and our belief on who God is and the promises He has made to us as His children. Don't get lost in how you feel, don't get distracted by temporal situations and circumstances. Make sure to keep hope alive. 

The Reprogramming of God

Every born-again believer in Christ has been called to ministry. Based upon the various gifts that God has deposited in us through His Spirit, we all have a specific area in the Kingdom for which we have been assigned to work. Many people in the church have identified and acknowledged their call to the ministry. This is commonplace amongst  those who have answered a call to preach. Others have answered various callings in pastoral care, youth ministry, music ministry, as well as areas such as prophecy, deliverance and healing. However, if one is going to be "successful" in the ministry and the calling for which God has assigned them to fulfill, it's going to require the reprogramming of God.

When people answer a call to the ministry, a lot of times they are inclined to believe that the gifts that God has given them will be sufficient in fulfilling what God has called them to do. This is incorrect. Then there's another school of thought that, once one enters the ministry, one should receive some sort of seminary training. This too, is incorrect. Most seminaries are not designed to equip ministers for Kingdom building. What is required for the fulfillment of God's call for one's life is submission to the reprogramming of God. 

The Reprogramming of God entails the "reconditioning" that one must undergo in order to qualify to work with God. Remember, Jesus said very specifically that His Kingdom is "not of this world" (John 18). Since all of us were born on the planet Earth, we have to learn how to think and process from a "heavenly perspective". This requires Divine Reprogramming. This is one of the reasons why we don't see more Miracle Manifestations in our mainstream churches, because the leaders are still trying to produce Kingdom results from an earth-bound mindset.

A classic example of someone who went through the reprogramming of God was Moses. According to Acts chapter 7, when Moses was 40 years old, it hit his spirit that he would be the one that God would use to free the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. According to his pedigree and skill set, he appeared to be the man to do it. But he failed. And the scriptures say that God used the next 40 years on the backside of the desert to "Reprogram" Moses for the Assignment he was called to complete.

Even Jesus, after He was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist, went into the wilderness for 40 days. Why? Because even the Son of Man, through Satanic temptation, had to be Reprogrammed (or at least programmed).

Saints, don't think that your anointing and your experience in the church is sufficient for you to answer the Divine Call that God has placed on your life. There's a transformation process (Romans 12) that we have to undergo in order to be fit and qualified for the Kingdom Assignment for which God has ordained us to fulfill. Make sure that your heart and mind are positioned to receive, the Reprogramming of God.

Working for God vs. Working with God

It needs to be established that every born-again believer has a divine calling on their life. God has called everyone of His children to ministry. No one who professes to be a Christian and to know Jesus Christ in the pardon of their sins should resort to being a "bench member" or a "sideline believer". All of us should be on the battlefield for the Lord.

This does not mean that every believer in Christ is a "preacher" per se; someone who proclaims the Word of God in a sermonic fashion behind a pulpit. Not every Christian is called to "preach," but every Christian is called to minister. There are specific gifts, and there is a specific calling and destiny that God has ordained for your life, that was established even before you were born (Jeremiah 1:5). Therefore, every Christian has a call to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The question is not are you called to ministry. The question is what type of ministry will you have. In posing this question, I'm not referring to the "area" of ministry; I'm referring to the "quality". There are some believers who work "for" God, and then there are other believers who work "with" God. What's the difference?

In working for God you're in service for God, but not necessarily "partnership". You can work in the church, you can serve on an auxiliary, you can even preach the Word or pastor a church. But when it comes to working "with" God, you have to learn the character of God. You have to be positioned to shift with God as He shifts in the earth. This is a challenge for many believers, because if you are fixated on living a routine and predictable life, you won't be able to work "with" God. You can work for Him, because if you're an available vessel God will use you. But you won't be able to work "with" Him.

Examples of people in the Bible that were able to work with Jehovah were Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah and of course most notably, Jesus. These men worked "with" God. This is why their ministries were characterized by supernatural acts of miracles, signs and wonders.

Saints, we don't need more preachers. We don't need more evangelists or prophets. We need some men and women, regardless of their office or calling, who have the maturity and commitment to work with God, not simply work for God.