IS YOUR “ZERA” BLESSED?

note: all scriptures are KJV. Bold font is added for emphasis. Ps 112:1         Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2          His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. The use of the word seed is of the Heb. word zera, which is interpreted as fruit, plant, posterity, sowing time, fruitful or child. With these varied usages of the word we can get a very broad view of the Lord’s intent to bless the seed of the righteous. As Christians, we are the righteousness of God in Christ so the promises to the righteous are ours. That same Hebrew word is in the following scriptures. As we read them, let’s try to list the conditions and the promises concerning this seed. Ponder the conditions and see where you have received, or need to receive, God’s Grace to meet them. We need to lay hold of the promises for our seed. Ps 25:10         All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and His testimonies. 12        What man is he that feareth the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose. 13        His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14        The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant. Ps 37:25         I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26        He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27        Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28        For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Ps 69:34         Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein. 35        For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. 36        The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein. These verses all have a common thread. There is something crucial to sowing this seed – PRAISE. Praising the Lord fills our hearts with hope, with confidence in His character. Faith builds as we praise Him, the faith we need to lay hold of these great and precious promises. We want to see our children blessed and prosperous, dwelling in Zion (a type for the Kingdom of God). The Lord will do His part to make this happen, but God has no grandchildren. This is one of those wonderful Bible “2 Doozzz.” Make praise and thanksgiving your life style. What other seed can we expect to see blessed in this way? Go back to the definitions of zera. q  Those to whom we sow the seed of faith, those lives we speak into, proclaiming the Word to. q  Ministries we sow into with prayer and finances. (Are we sowing or blowing financial blessings?) q  If you plant a vineyard you should expect an abundant harvest of grapes. There are many scriptural analogies to planting, to vineyards, and to grapes. q  _______________ q  _______________ The context of these verses imply zera as referring to our posterity, here are more similar promises: Ps 102:28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. (KJV) Ps 127:3         Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4          As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5          Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Those arrows need to be made straight in order to hit their targets. As born again believers, we are the children of God, adopted into His family. The Lord goes to great lengths to get us straightened out. Think about this concept of blessed seed in the light of God as the parent and the ecclesia as the children. Our heavenly Father is the example. We are His seed; all the promises to the seed apply to the Christian and to the seed of the righteous. “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD” (Ps. 112:1).

HEIRS OF PROMISE

All Scripture is from NKJV unless noted. Bold font is added where needed for emphasis.  Heb 6:17   Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise Catch the awesomeness of what this verse says. God loves us so much, he is determined to prove something, leaving no reasonable doubt. And to whom is all this effort directed? TO THE HEIRS OF PROMISE. We inherit, not earn. WOW! Rom 8:17      and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, Have you been born again? Then you were born into a new family, you have a new Father, ya gotta new Daddy!! & He created it all, owns it all, and has your best interests in mind. This is something you can believe, get a hold on & stay eternally excited about!!. Heb 6:18       that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Here is one of those marvelous paradoxes about the Lord we must accept by faith. God is omnipotent, yet there are things He cannot do. Ps 138:2        “…You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” He cannot go against His Word. Heb 13:8       “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”. He cannot change. So, He can’t lie, He can’t change and He can’t violate His Word, where does that leave us? Believing in a God who is not all powerful? NO WAY.!! It leaves us in the safest place in all creation, we, “have strong consolation,” we “have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Heb 6:19       “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” This leaves us strong because our soul is anchored on the Blessed Hope. So many people flounder through life, living on a roller coaster, no hope, drifting wherever the winds of circumstance blow. The Christian’s soul is not tossed by these winds, but anchored on Christ the Solid Rock. Though the winds blow, we stay in our Refuge, clinging to the hope set before us. We know that our circumstances are not coincidental, but orchestrated by a Father who loves us, and is drawing us closer to Himself. He wants us to enter the Presence behind the veil." Heb 6:20       “where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” John 14:6     “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The author concludes this awesome chapter (Hebrews 6) by showing us the road map. God wants His kids to enjoy the life He has chosen for us, not to worry as the winds of circumstance blow. We can experience this strong consolation as we simply follow Jesus. Jesus is the forerunner, Jesus is the way, Jesus provides the hope set before us. Jesus is our eternal priest, ever interceding on our behalf. Follow Him to Gethsemane; follow Him to the Cross; follow Him to the Tomb; and follow Him into RESSURRECTION LIFE, here & now!!

MAKING SMART DECISIONS

Personal Character and Fear of the Lord – The underlying, bottom line to Godly Decision Making

There are several stories about 2 kings of Judah that will help us understand God’s ways of doing things. I love to let the Word of God speak for itself. This sermon is mostly scripture with few of this author’s comments..

2 Chr 14:1-6

1          So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

2          Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God,

3          for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.

4          He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.

5          He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.

6          And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

Also see Chapter 15 to see how God used Asa to bring revival throughout Judah and even several tribes in Israel come over to Judah.

What was the key to the victory in this battle?

2 Chr 14:8-15

8          And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor. (580,000 soldiers)

9          Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.  (1,000,300 – about 2 to1)

10        So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11        And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"

12        So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

13        And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the LORD and His army. And they carried away very much spoil.

14        Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them.

15        They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

Many years later we see Asa doing something differently when facing an enemy:

2 Chr 16:1-5

1          In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2          Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,

3          "Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Here, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."

4          So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

5          Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work.

Look at the change of heart and the consequences:

2 Chr 16:7-10, 12, 13

7          And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

8          "Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.

9          "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars."

10        Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

12        And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.

13        So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

Now let’s look at his son, another example of these same principles.

2 Chr 17:3-19

3          Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals,

4          but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel.

5          Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

6          And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.

7          Also in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

8          And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah-- the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

9          So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

10        And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

11        Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.

With a heart for God, this king prospered greatly. Even the historical, and current, enemies willingly brought tribute to him.  Also note his approach to training the people in the Law of the Lord.

Here we see him seek council from God before going to battle, as Asa his father did. But note the seed of trouble in his relationship with an ungodly man.

2 Chr 18:2-17

2          After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

3          So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war."

4          And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire for the word of the LORD today."

5          Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand."

6          But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?"

7          So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say such things!"

8          Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, "Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!"

9          The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10        Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, "Thus says the LORD: 'With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.'"

11        And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."

12        Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement."

13        And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak."

14        Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!"

15        So the king said to him, "How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

16        Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.'"

17        And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

As you would imagine, the battle did not go so well. Ahab was killed and Jehoshaphat escaped by the skin of his teeth. Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord when he was surrounded by the Syrians and the Lord helped him escape. Jehoshaphat made a serious mistake and the Lord let him know it:

2 Chr 19:1-4

1          Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem.

2          And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you.

3          "Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God."

4          So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD God of their fathers.

Jehoshaphat set-up a theocratic government under himself as king. Note the tone he established:

2 Chr 19:5-11

5          Then he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

6          and said to the judges, "Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

7          "Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes."

8          Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, when they returned to Jerusalem.

9          And he commanded them, saying, "Thus you shall act in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and with a loyal heart:

10        "Whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the LORD and wrath come upon you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty.

11        "And take notice: Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters; also the Levites will be officials before you. Behave courageously, and the LORD will be with the good."

May God give us leaders in this land with such principles to govern by.

Now let’s look at how he handled things when an enemy came against him

2 Chr 20:1-25

1          It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.

2          Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).

3          And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4          So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5          Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6          and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

7          "Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

8          "And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

9          'If disaster comes upon us-- sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-- we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'

10        "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir-- whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them--

11        "here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

12        "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

13        Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.

14        Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

15        And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16        'Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

17        'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."

18        And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

19        Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.

20        So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

21        And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever."

22        Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

23        For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24        So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25        When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

The outcome of that battle is such a WOW!!

There are many lessons in this chapter. For today, just tell me how he knew what to do in this potentially disastrous situation.

Late in life, as his father did, Jehoshaphat made a costly mistake. Remember the mistake he made earlier, getting together with Ahab. I guess he forgot that lesson when he got older and here we see he paid a great price for the same mistake

2 Chr 20:35-21:1

35        After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.

36        And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.

37        But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

21:1    And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

These 2 men of God were Kings of Judah. They were responsible for the nation, for the welfare of its people. The 2 books of Kings and the 2 books of Chronicles are filled with the stories of the kings of both Judah and Israel and I think we should all read through these exciting histories about once a year.

Let’s bring these stories home. Let’s look at what we can do to make the right decisions in our daily lives, in the nitty gritty of where we live and work.

Anytime either of these godly kings formed an alliance with the ungodly king of Israel they got in trouble. In Corinthians, Paul puts it bluntly:

2 Cor 6:14      Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

Paul uses the rest of that chapter to really drive the point home. This verse is usually referred to in terms of keeping believers from making the mistake of marrying unbelievers. That’s very true but there is more to it than that.

Eph 6:5,9

5          Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

9          And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

These verses clearly indicate working relationships with unbelievers, It’s neither wrong for us to work for, nor employ, unbelievers but I think it would be a serious mistake to enter into a business partnership with an ungodly person.

Is there anyone here today who has not done what the following verse says?

Rom 10:8-9

8          But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

9          that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ø  What does it mean to confess the Lord Jesus?

o   Don’t all of our decisions need to go through Him?

o   If so, how do I know what’s OK and what’s not?

2 things become critical – knowledge of the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The battle:

Rom 7:18       For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

19        For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I do

24        O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

The source of victory:

25        I thank God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord!....

The spoils of victory:

Rom 8:1         There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2          For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

FREEDOM, NO COMDEMNATION

Walking it out:

Rom 8:14-16

14        For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15        For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

16        The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Gal 5:16         I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

It’s the Word that we reference to learn of all this. The Word tells us to be led of the Spirit. We have the responsibility to grow in a relationship with Jesus where there is 2 way communications. We develop a sixth sense so to speak, an insight into the spiritual realm so that He can lead us by His Spirit. We must know, in our hearts and minds, His character, His desires, His ways of looking at things so we can determine which direction to take. Discipleship is the process and is clearly defined:

Rom 12:1       I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2          And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Thank God that this is not just an intellectual exercise, I’m not that great a student. Even little kids can walk in the Spirit and be used of God. When Jesus was talking with the woman at the well it showed both sides of the most valuable coin,

John 4:23      "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

24        "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

We see the phrase repeated twice here, “in Spirit and truth.” If we feel led to do or say anything it is crucial that we test that leading with the Word, thus we see “in Spirit and truth.”

2 Tim 2:15      Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)

There’s a key word I must use to wrap this up. The word is cultivate. Have you ever raised vegetables in a garden? There are specific things that must be done in order to get any harvest at all; some things by you and some by God. What tools do you need in order to cultivate a garden? –

ü  Rototiller or plow

ü  Hoe

ü  Potato Fork

ü  Shovel

ü  Garden hose

ü  Fertilizer

ü  Insecticide

ü  Etc.

What are the tools the Lord has provided to cultivate a hearing heart and mind that can understand and follow His will?

ü  Bible Study, experience the Author of the Book of Life giving you understanding of what it says.

ü  Prayer, experiencing the Presence of God 1 on 1

ü  Worship and Praise, experiencing the Presence of God in a group.

ü  Fellowship with other believers, experience His presence flowing through others of like precious faith

ü  The 5 Fold ministers and other mature leaders, experience the presence of God as poured out through these special anointings

ü  There is no limit to ways God causes us to experience Him.

When Asa and Jehoshaphat won battles there were things they did and things God did. 1^st they sought God’s will in the matter and did not do anything until they know His will. The prophet spoke, their hearts were touched and then they did what He said to do. Jehoshaphat knew when the lying prophets spoke because something just wasn’t right, there was no witness in his heart that they were speaking direction from God. This king had cultivated a relationship with God and knew something was not right.

May we always be a Spirit led people, following Jesus in all aspects of life. Life is filled with decisions, some big, some small. Every decision may have profound consequences so it is important to renew then use the brains God gave us and be led of the Spirit. Spend time with God, in Word and in prayer daily. Just as these kings of old sought council, sought a word from God in an important matter, we encourage you to also avail yourselves of the ministries the Lord has put in this body for your help and guidance. 

Desperate

Have you ever been in a really intense circumstance? In a situation where it looks like there is no hope to get through? How we act under the stress of adversity defines our spiritual and emotional condition. This teaching will help you handle those life events graciously.

Let me begin with a personal testimony to set the stage for what the Lord will teach you as you read through this sermon.

Way back in 1999 I started a new job in Maryland. After a long haul we finally sold our house in Charlotte and we were all packed up and ready to move. The packers were done and the truck was coming in the morning. The phone rings. Our realtor, almost in tears tells us that they buyer’s mortgage didn’t go through. “Oh God, now what do we do?” Feeling ready to just cry I took a walk to let the dust settle in my head and heart. By the time I got back to the house I knew what the Lord was directing. We asked the people we were buying our house in Maryland if they would be willing to rent to us week to week until this situation was settled. They were willing and off we went to a new city, and a large beautiful house. Only one week later our buyer was able to arrange for a mortgage which enabled us to close on the house in Maryland. God came though in a miraculous way. We lived there four years and made a large sum of money when we sold that house to move north for another job.

What do you do when it looks like there’s no hope? When you’ve waited, and prayed, and waited and prayed and nothing is changing and it seems like God is far away?

Let’s look at some heroes from the Bible and see what God did in their desperate circumstances.

 

Stephen’s in a bad situation in Acts 6 and 7.

Stephen was a Deacon and in the Jerusalem church at that time that meant he was like a waiter. He was passing out food. Much of that church lived in 3^rd world poverty and the deacons were appointed to pass out the donated food. As he did this he had many opportunities to pass out the realities of the Gospel. As always happens, there were some legalists who didn’t like what he was saying

Acts 6: 10       And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

11        Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."

12        And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.

13        They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;

14        "for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." (NKJ)

Now what’s Stephen thinking at this point? Doesn’t this scene sound like Jesus’ trial? Surely he knows what’s coming – it’s a lynch mob. Before I got saved I studied some things about mob rule and learned how to stir up a riot. People tend to follow the crowd and get caught up by whatever spirit is motivating the crowd.

Look at what God does in this situation.

Acts 6:15        And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. (NKJ)

In the next chapter we see Stephen launch into an amazing speech. Obviously the anointing was all over him, he had no time to prepare this speech. He takes the religious leaders through a beautiful history lesson. He hits on all the major events from Abraham to Solomon then turns it right against his accusers. Super natural things are happening here. Look back at Acts 6:15. Read Acts 7 to get the full speech, its great. For now, let’s look at Stephen’s conclusion and the reaction:

Acts 7:52-52    "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,

53        "who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."

54        When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. (NKJ)

In the natural it’s getting really ugly,

Acts 7:55        But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

56        and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

57        Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

58        and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59        And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

60        Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (NKJ)

Did Stephen have intestinal fortitude or was this an example of a super natural gift of Grace? You’ll have to answer that for yourself. I can not believe it was the former. Here was a supernatural event that reshaped the future of the world because of its long term effect on Saul who latter became Paul the Apostle. Stephen was just a man like any of us, serving the same Jesus we do.

If you like great action drama with great life lessons, read Acts. Paul’s life story takes up much of this book. The apostle Paul was in many tight spots and suffered many things for the sake of the Gospel. We should not have the mind set that says, Oh, that was Paul, the great apostle, that stuff doesn’t happen to ordinary people like us.” History is filled with stories of ordinary people going through horrendous situations and/or doing spectacular things.

Let’s look another dramatic story with a great life lesson - Paul getting ship wrecked near Malta. Remember, Paul was just a man like any of us, serving the same Jesus we do.

Read Acts 27 if you want all the details, let me summarize to save time.

Paul was on trial in Jerusalem but a Roman citizen. Apparently to save his neck from the Jewish authorities he appeals to Caesar. Now Caesar is in Rome and that’s a long way from Jerusalem. They put him with many other prisoners under Roman guard and sent them to Rome. Most of that trip would be by boat and the boats in those days were nothing like the cruise ships of today. They pull into a port along the way and Paul advises that they spend the rest of the winter there because the Mediterranean gets pretty ugly that time of year. Paul says, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." (Acts 27:10). It wasn’t a great place to stay and the centurion in charge was persuaded by the ship captain to go and off to sea they went

They don’t get very far and they hit a very bad storm. After 3 days they stopped trying to go in any direction and let the storm drive the boat and threw the ship's tackle overboard.

Acts 27: 20    Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

 

No hope – what a desperate place to be. Now let’s see what God does.

21        But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

22        "And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

Where does he come off to say this? Every natural indication is that they are all doomed. The answer is that God did something super natural to change everything.

23        "For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

24        "saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'

25        "Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

26        "However, we must run aground on a certain island."

Somebody heard from God. Paul was able to give a word from God that brought hope and direction. The storm didn’t stop but Paul encouraged them some more.

33        And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing.

34        "Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you."

35        And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat.

36        Then they were all encouraged, and also took food themselves.

How do you react when you’re hungry & you see someone eat? Paul had something good; they saw it and wanted some too. Do our lives reflect this to spiritually hungry people?

I hate to be left in suspense, so here’s the rest of the story.

39        When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible.

40        And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore.

41        But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

42        And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.

43        But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land,

44        and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.

Wow, what drama; but there’s a key lesson for us – in desperate situations we can trust God to do whatever it takes to accomplish all he intends to do through the situation. The problem is that we don’t always recognize our circumstance as so desperate. It’s easy to get content with less than God intends for us. It’s easy to get used to things as they are and loose the vision of what they are supposed to be. We tend to take the path of least resistance or to leave well enough alone. In doing so we miss so much, and worse yet, we do not accomplish all God intends.

In an obviously desperate situation, Paul had an angelic visitation. This happened several time in the Word. Let’s turn to Daniel 3.

Dan 3:28        Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him,

Other situations are not so obviously desperate. Circumstances in the natural may be OK, no unusual problems. These are times when it’s easy to miss God unless your heart is in tune with Spirit of God. In Daniel 9 we see a man who saw something in the Scriptures that sent him to his knees.

Dan 9:3          Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Daniel saw the spiritual condition of the Jewish people and saw in the Word what God intended to do about it. Read the next 19 verses and you’ll get a great lesson in intercessory prayer. The result is found in verses 20 & 21:

Dan 9:20        Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God,

21        yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

Daniel, like Paul in Acts, has an angelic visitation and receives a word of encouragement and direction. Whether these men had an angelic visitation or heard from God in other ways isn’t the point. The point is that they were men of prayer who interceded with desperation. They prayed through until they had a breakthrough. We need to be so desperate for the Lord to do great things through our churches. We should be able to relate to Daniel 9 because the circumstances in the natural are not so life and death as with Paul in Acts 27, yet in the Spirit concerning the change God wants to bring about in our localities, it is a time for the prayers of desperation.

I can tell you from experience that this kind of burden can only be something birthed by God in your heart. The only way one can give birth is by getting pregnant and that happens through an intimate relationship. God desires to put prayer burdens in His people, burdens that you will feel in your gut. As we draw close to God in prayer, in Church, at the altar, in the Word, or wherever, He draws close to us. It’s great to feel His Holy presence - but don’t stop there. As a church, it is time to get into the Secret Place of the Most High, to follow Him into His chambers and have a life changing experience. Your prayer life will never be the same; your times alone with God will get longer and more intense. You will love to spend time at the altar, just seeking His face with others of like mind and heart.

I believe what God is saying to the Church is to draw closer to Him. I was talking with my former pastor in Charlotte and we said simultaneously, “You can’t give what you don’t have.” As a group of believers, we need to get something supernatural that we can give to our communities. What characterized Jesus’ ministry? Signs wonders and miracles attracted people so that He had an audience to speak Words of life to. Its time to find that place of prayer Paul must have found in the lower decks of that boat and seek God together, so that we can ask Him together to speak to our hearts and give us that prayer burden that births His plans and purposes for our churche

s. This is too big a job for any Pastor. Pastor’s can’t do it all; it’s safe to say we need to share this job. I invite you to find an altar and spend some time waiting on God. Let your church leaders pray for you that God would accomplish all His plans and purposes in and through you.