WWTK Blog

True faith is hearing God’s voice, believing and obeying what you have heard.

Jesus said he only spoke what he heard his father saying and that he only did what his father told him to do.

Often times we are disappointed when our prayers go unanswered. Our frustration builds, our faith is discouraged. Unfortunately, we are using our faith like a shotgun pointed up in the air and hoping we’ll hit something. We are reactive and not proactive.

There is no need to feel this way. What we must do is get our marching orders in the morning. Ask God for your assignments that day and trust me, if God is setting up the appointment, it never fails. As we draw closer to being his “living sacrifice” he will entrust to us the “kingdom appointments” that Jesus had. I believe that everyday, Jesus knew who was going to be healed, who was going to oppose him and he knew this not because he was God, he knew this because he spoke with God and received his daily appointment calendar.

Let go of your shotgun faith and pick up your sniper rifle faith. Use the scope of God to pick up your targets and squeeze the trigger. Get up early. Perpare with prayer and fasting (if led to by the spirit.) Read the word and ask God for your daily tasks and listen. Then when you hear, believe and do what he tells you to do. Let God do the work for you.

Ephesians tells us that our works have been prepared in advance for us so relax and understand that you have works to do. Let God tell you what they are and do them!

WWTK (Walk With The King)

How many of you want to have faith that moves mountains? The God-given faith that does the same things that Jesus did while here on this earth? The faith that extends withered hands, opens blind eyes, deaf ears, and mute tongues. We all want that kind of faith, don’t we? And if we don’t have it, we want someone handy who does have it!

I know you have thought these things. We all have, especially when we are faced with a particularly tough life-circumstance. We want to “pray and make it go away.” That could be my catch phrase, I know. Kind of like Ron Popeil’s, “Set it and forget it!” We want “magic faith.”

Pray and go away: Cancer, emphysema, heart failure, Alzeimer’s, you fill in the blank…

I would personally love that kind of power. I mean if I had that kind of power, Mercy Hospital, Memorial Hospital, San Joaquin Hospital would either be out of business, or they would eventually lock me out when they saw me coming. Not to mention Green Lawn and Hillcrest Mortuaries… gone. Imagine all the churches in Bakersfield having this power to just wipe out sickness and disease, death, poverty, all with our word. Can you imagine? With this kind of power every church would be filled, and everyone would be saved.

Oops.

Someone already had that kind of faith on this earth. His name is Jesus. While on this earth, all those who came to Jesus for healing, they were healed. The dead were raised, all those things that we want to do, he did them. The next thing you know, he is hanging on three nails crucified and being mocked. If I performed all those miracles and that’s the thanks I got, I would be using the “power” to wipe everyone out. Not Jesus, he knew his purpose was fulfilled on the cross and by coming out of that grave. He did it for us and he was in the center of his father’s will. Ouch.

Some facts:

1. Everyone that Jesus healed or raised from the dead is now physically dead.

2. Everyone that Jesus healed, fed miraculously, touched etc, is in one of two places, heaven or hell. (Unless John the Beloved is still around…)

3. Everyone who is in heaven or is in hell is there because of their faith. If they put their faith in Jesus, heaven. If they put their faith in themselves or other religions, hell. (I didn’t make the rules, sorry.)

When we face life circumstances and excercise our faith and pray to God to have it “go away,” we may be trying to unwittingly alter the plan of God. I don’t want that kind of power. I want to be in the center of God’s will for my life. If that will is to hang me on a cross, I better hang on it like Jesus did and forgive. Better to end up in heaven and be crucified than in hell and to have had no negative circumstances in my life. Whatever God has for me to do I should do it like Jesus did. Amen? Amen.

The assignment: Read Hebrews Chapter 11, the “Hall of Faith” chapter. List all the things those listed in that chapter did by faith. Magic faith? No. Miraculous faith? Yes. Go with God.

P.S. Remember, Jesus could not do any mighty miracles in his home town because they did not believe he was who he said he was. Have faith in God and have faith in Jesus.

Hey y’all!

I am forever navel-gazing so don’t think I am thinking about you as I write. If the Holy Spirit says this is for you that is between him and you.

Anywhobeeewattee, I was thinking about some of my favorite promises in scripture and was contemplating why I don’t see some of these promises fulfilled in my own life, atleast to the extent that I would desire. Ready? Here we go.

Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Malachi 3:10

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Did you notice the promise part. Very often I quote the promise and forget the conditions for receiving those promises. If you remember from high school your “if, then” statements. God’s promises for our life are those types of promises. If I am not receiving the promise statement, then I need to look at the if statement. Another “if, then” statement right there!

So let’s look at the scriptures again focusing on the “if” statement:

Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Malachi 3:10

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

If we take care of the “if,” God will take care of the “then.”

I have had a couple of messages from the Holy Spirit given to me warning that the time of Jesus’ coming is near. One was a warning given to me by a friend and the other was given directly to me after discussing the relevance of the “useless book of Nehemiah” with Pastor Larry. Both messages said to get busy and to understand that He (the Lord) is coming soon. Very soon.

When I think of the Lord’s imminent return, I cannot help thinking about the way I have both lived my life in the past and the way I am living my life now. If I think about it too much I can, at times, bring up a spirit of fear in my heart. Have I done enough? Am I doing enough. Does my life please Him? With the realization the He sees everything I do in secret, He hears every thought, every spoken word and he knows the smallest evil intent of my heart, the fear can really creep into my heart.

The Bible says we do not have a spirit of fear (from being under the law and its penalty) but of sonship (Daddy!) It also says that we do not have a spirit of fear but of love (unconditional agape love), power (to be the sons of God) and of self-control (no excuses for my behavior.) It also says that if I have that Spirit, I will not continue in sin.

That being said, many times I fall short. How about you? We all do, don’t we?Are you thankful for 1John 1:9? I know I am. I am also thankful that He sees everything I do. He hears everything I say or think. John, why would you be thankful for that? I am thankful for those things because that means I cannot shock Him with the confession of my short-comings. He sees it all and He still loves me. He’s always ready for me to come to Him for forgiveness! His utmost desire is to forgive my sins and to have me with Him forever! PTL

If you don’t feel ready for His return or you need forgiveness, let’s go to Him right now! Pray with me. Lord, forgive me for my sinful behaviors and sinful thoughts. Cleanse me with Your son’s blood. I thank you that I am your child. Fill me with Your power, Your love, and Your Spirit. Amen.

We’re ready! Now let’s get others ready.

Amen, come soon Lord Jesus!

WWTK

1 John 1:9 (New International Version)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Have you ever gone through stuff or had friends go through stuff and think, “What is going on here?”

Lately, I have had a lot of circumstances in my life to ask that very same question and frankly, I haven’t been dealing very well with “what’s going on!” I’ve been mad at God, mad at myself for being mad at God, and in a fairly foul mood while “not dealing with it very well.”

I haven’t felt like going to church, so I don’t go. I haven’t felt like playing my guitar, so I don’t play. I have been possessed by the spirit of Eore.

Of course, God will not let you settle in the land of Pity forever. With the help of my pastors’ prayers and of course my wife’s prayers I have pulled out of Doomsville and headed back on the right track.

Do you think the devil gave up? No. The devil is good at two things, lying and tempting us to believe a lie. One of my pastors is going through a serious season of financial hardship (actually I think the show is in syndication by now) . He has been faithful through out this time but has asked the question “What is going on?” quite often and justifiably so. Of course, I have been there with my encouraging words and support but inside I have said— you got it, “What is going on? These people don’t deserve this.”

My tendency is to get mad again. Resentment and bitterness love to get their foothold on my soul. The devil is relentless.

Thankfully, so is God.

Scripture tells us that we will have troubling events in this life but that we will be delivered out of them all! I love that word all! All, All, All! Not all but one or two. All. The Word also tells us that the sorrows of this life are attempts to steal the word of God from our heart but it also says that God has written His word on our hearts. For every circumstance that comes our way, God has said that He is the one that will handle it. He is our advocate.

Very rairly, does a District Attorney handle a case personally and not everyone can afford a really famous attorney but we have the Judge handling our cases personally and His motivation is His love for us and our best interest. PTL!

Am I still going to ask why? You bet. Do I want everything to always go smoothly in my life and in the lives of those I love. Absolutely. But it is comforting to know that when life stinks it is just the announcment, “God will be here soon with the deliverance!”

Keep your heads looking up my friends.