Spot On With The Word: Recent Episodes
Pastor Scott Frazier
God who has endorsed us has also equipped us. God has validated you, so you can be confident in your assignment. If a product is defective and it does not work, you will more than likely send it back to the manufacturer. They will typically either repair it or they will send you the money back. Their name and reputation are on the line. When Jesus enters our lives, He gives us an assignment, which is backed by Him. Our lives and assignment are backed by the name that is above every other name. His reputation is on the line. Hear that word “Outrank”. Jesus is warm and compassionate, He is our friend, and our savior and deliverer. While all of this is true and almost beyond our comprehension, He is also KING! He has been appointed heir of all things. He is highly exalted. When He speaks, He upholds everything by the power of His Word! If He says something is going to happen, it MUST! His name is on the line. Jesus says in Matthew, “All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth!” Now, He has given us His authority and our assignments are to make disciples and teach all nations. Our assignment is not something we are to strive to accomplish in our flesh and through our own strength. If He endorses you, then He will equip you!
In Hebrews chapter one we are presented with an amazing visual. God says,” By His Son, in the beginning, He created the world for His Son, and it will all belong to His Son, in the end. We are told in the book of John that, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and The Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus was always part of the triune God, prior to making His physical debut into the world. This Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with His nature. There are certain denominations that emphasize a Holy fear of God. There is a reverential fear that is appropriate. The reverence was never meant to be torment. God is not distant with you. God and Jesus are not playing bad cop/good cop. God is not tolerating you because of Jesus. Jesus said, “When you have seen me, you have seen The Father,” in other words, Jesus looks like God, and God looks like Jesus. Can you comprehend that? Is this a reality to you? Maybe you and God have been at odds with each other because you have had a skewed perception. God is not mean or punitive. God was in Christ reconciling Himself unto the world. He wants to be reconciled with you!
The Message Bible is a great translation for this series of messages. It says in Hebrews chapter one, that, “ The Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with His nature.” The name and the nature should by synonyms. After Jesus completed His sacrifice for our sins, He took His place High in the heavens right along side God, FAR ABOVE any angel in rank or in rule. Jesus has been given the name above all names. The prophets spoke to the people for God. Jesus enters the picture and He speaks AS God. He presently occupies the seat of power. No other past or present authority can compete with Him. With no occupancy, you have no rightful authority. The pharisees in scripture would often challenge Jesus, by quoting Moses and the prophets and the asking what He would say on a given subject. Nobody who has ever lived, is presently living or who will live in the future can compare or compete with our King, our Lord, and our Redeemer.
This teaching not only refreshes my knowledge of Him, it also reveals thing I previously did not know. When I discover Him, there is a greater opportunity for me to discover my authentic self, as well. When Peter said, “Thou art The Christ!” He said that when his name was Simon. This answer prompted Jesus to respond to Him by saying, “Blessed art thou Simon, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father which is in heaven, and now I am going to call you Peter!” When you come to know who He is, He will tell you who you are. You won’t have to look and search for your identity, because when the One who has all authority and all power and all dominion identifies you, then that is who you are, by grace and through faith. In Philippians chapter 2, we learned that God had highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name. Hebrews tells us that God has anointed Him and made Him an heir of all things. So, God is now saying to the world, everything that He intends to communicate through His Son, Jesus. Present position is reflected in the authority of a name, not past pedigree. There are names we continue to respect, even when the person is out of public service, public eye, or even deceased. They only had authority when they occupied the position of power. Jesus has been given ALL power and ALL authority over ALL things. He outranks ALL the other Old testament prophets. He lives in us and has shared His name with us, and we have been made joint heirs with Jesus. Think about that the next time you feel that you are “under the circumstances!”
This is an inexhaustible subject to consider. In fact, the more you know, the more you realize you do not know. There will always be more to discover. We can never figure God out. He can never be understood. If we could dissect and analyze Him, then the creature would be as great as the creator. He does desire to be known. Everything that was broken in mankind, God through Jesus Christ reconciled to Himself. His desire is always toward us. Hebrews is the book of better things to come. It speaks of a better priesthood, a better covenant, and a better sacrifice. It is a written distinction between the bondage of the law and the freedom that is found by faith in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 1:1 says, “God who at different times and in different manners spoke at times through the prophets.” In Hebrews chapter 1: 2, the writer continues by telling us that, “God has spoken to us through His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things.” God said everything He needed to say through His Son Jesus. God said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Ye Him!” God validated Jesus. He is the anointed Word, made flesh. God has appointed Him. All authority has been given to Him. This is The God we serve!
The more you study this topic, the more you will be impressed by the power in the name of Jesus. You will be amazed at God’s power, His goodness, and His purpose. Everything He has made has a purpose. Nothing is random. Even you were made on purpose and for purpose. This is something for which we can all be thankful. His name is above every name. He outranks every name. He is superior n His authority. Jesus said all authority has been given unto me in heaven and in earth. God named Him and bestowed that power on Him. We have been given the privilege to call on that name. Paul says in Romans Chapter twelve, whosoever shall call on His name shall be saved. Even when you cannot always perceive that He is working, He is at work. Any time that you evoke the name of Jesus, He will respond to you. His nature will be released. There will be healing, provision. He is your way truth and life. He is your everlasting portion. Listen and hear how Jesus is revealed in The New Testament. You will find that there has never been a moment when Jesus was not the answer to man. He has always been an ever-present help in time of need.
The name of Jesus outranks every other name. In the Old Testament Jesus is concealed and in The New Testament He is revealed. His character and nature become more prominent as we see His life lived out in the flesh. Noah, Moses, David, and many others found Jesus In the Old Testament. They experienced His grace, His truth, and His mercy. They experienced His nature and His character. He was there all the time; He was just more concealed. That is good news for us because even in our present-day experience while He may feel far away, His presence is always there. We just need to look for Him. The Bible says that, “ To those who look for Him, to them shall He appear.” Listen as Pastor Scott shows you how He appears in Genesis through Revelation. Jesus has always been there. He is there right now. He is as close as the mention of His name. Cry out to Jesus. He will not disappoint you. He is waiting for you to call His name.
This teaching is so rich! Romans 10:12, says, “the same Lord over all shows mercy unto all!” He can bring healing and deliverance to whomever will call upon His name. There is no difference between Jew or Greek, He sees neither male nor female. The name is synonymous with the nature. The name of Jesus means,” Jehovah is salvation.” He lives up to His name! If you want to know His nature, get to know His name. Many who had an encounter with God had a name change. When we study The Old Testament, we see Christ concealed. In the New Testament, we see Christ revealed. David speaks about mercy, grace, and truth. Even if you do not see the name of Jesus on the pages of The Old Testament, you will see His nature revealed. When you call upon the name of Jesus, His nature will be released into your situation or circumstance. Are you facing something where you feel that you are “under the circumstances?” Jesus is Lord over it all. He has given you the permission and right to use His name as a “power of attorney.” Oh, what a love that would sacrifice everything for you and me. There is no greater love. Call on His name today!
God has given Jesus a name that is above any other name. He possesses the highest-ranking name in the universe. The name of Jesus outranks the name of my problem. He will have the final word and that is GOOD NEWS! The Lord, who is overall, will show the same compassion to everyone. Whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved. No name, sin or disfunction outranks Him! He carries His authority in His name. Jacob in The Old Testament had been given a name by his father. His name literally means “a trickster or deceiver.” When Jacob wrestled with the angel and refused to let go until the angel blessed Him, his name was changed to Israel. Israel means “A Prince who has prevailed.” The New Testament tells us that if any man be in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things are passed away and all things have become new! Before you knew Christ, you may have identified yourself, or others may have identified you, by your greatest sin or failure. Once you came to know Him as Savior and Deliverer an exchange in the supernatural took place. You are now the recipient of His name. You are a Christian. The One who is the final authority name has called you and He defines you. He says that you are joint heirs with Christ Jesus. You are a son of The Most High God. You are a daughter of The Most High God. It does not matter what people say or even how you feel. You belong to Him and He belongs to you.
We continue this week with our lesson on the name of Jesus and the power that there is in His name. He was named by God and His name carries with it a Seniority that no other name possesses either in heaven, in the earth or below the earth. We discover this in the book of Philippians the second chapter. In Romans chapter ten and verses twelve and thirteen we read, “ For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon Him. For whosever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved.” It does not matter who you are or where you are from. When you call upon His name, everything that His rank encompasses steps into the scene. You cannot separate the power of His name from who He is! Remember! The right to name something comes from the one who has the right to take dominion. Adam was given the authority to name everything. God The Father, named Jesus and told Mary what she could call Him. There is a huge difference. God has ultimate dominion. Calling on His name will release Him into every and any situation or circumstance. All through scripture, the name carries the nature. The Hebrew name Yeshua (Jesus) literally means “The Lord is Salvation.” It is where we get our name Joshua. He was called Savior because He was going to live up to that name in every circumstance. Whenever you call on the name of Jesus, He brings His nature and His authority over every situation! This is the good news of the Gospel! YOU ARE NOT ALONE! He is a participant with you as you face whatever happens in your life! You will be an overcomer because He has already overcome!
Once we understand what it means to call on the highest-ranking name in the universe and honestly believe that we have access to Him by that name, it will transform our entire paradigm for living. This is the good news of the gospel. In the book of Exodus there is the story of the burning bush. God speaks to Moses through a burning bush and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and tell him to, “ Let my people go!” Moses asks God an incredibly significant question. “Who shall I say sent me?” He is going to a ruler to demand the release of millions of people. Moses’s question is legitimate. He wants to know on whose authority he will be speaking. What right does Moses have to demand anything from the highest-ranking authority. He was no equal. BUT GOD WAS MORE THAN PHAROAH’S EQUAL! MOSES WAS NOT SPEAKING ON HIS OWN AUTHORITY, RATHER HE WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE AUTHORITY OVER THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. In the King James version God answers and says, “Tell them, I AM THAT I AM.” The closest translation means,” I will be what they need me to be, when they need me to be it.” In other scriptures Jesus identifies Himself by saying, “ I am The Light of the world.” “ I am The Bread of Life.” “ I am Living Water.” “ I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE” God said,” I AM THAT I AM!” In the desert God was the fire and the cloud. Whatever you need Him to be, that is what He will be. When you call on the name of Jesus, He steps into your situation. Call on Him today. He is waiting for you to ask Him to reveal to you His presence and His power!
When Adam was given dominion, he was also given the responsibility to name creation. Whatever he called it, that is what it was. The highest authority is given the right to name something. This is the reason that the authority of Jesus can never be questioned. God exalted Him and named Him above every other name. The name of Jesus outranks every other name. Do you remember how the angel of the Lord visited the virgin Mary? He tells her that she would give birth and have a son. He told her that she would call his name Jesus. The angel never gave Mary the right to name Jesus. He was named by God. Mary never had authority over Jesus. His heavenly Father named Him and told her what to call Him. This is so beautiful and critical to us that we understand the gift that God gave Jesus and that He in turn gave us when He gave us permission to use His name over the heartaches and crises of our lives. Whatever you may be facing when you call on the name of Jesus, you have literally invited the power of God into your circumstances. When God shows up, He will then show out. You can count on it!
Have we been living far beneath our God given potential because we never understood or applied the powerful name of Jesus? Is it possible that the very name of Jesus, when spoken with heartfelt belief can heal the sick and move mountains? Scripture teaches us that this is exactly true. God exalted Him and named Him above every other name and then Jesus turned and gave us the permission to use His authority to transact Kingdom business in the earth. This is important because the ability and the authority to name something is one of the blessings and privileges of dominion. When God created Adam, he created him in His image and then gave him dominion over all the earth. He gave Adam the right to name the creatures of the earth. Creation did not get a vote. Adam decided. We understand that the power to name is given to the one who has the greater authority. This is critical. Do not let anyone give something a name in your life that is contrary to what God has called it. Do not submit to the authority of anyone else who negatively defines you or your life experience. Do not even do it to yourself. It is easy to do when you are hurt or agitated. You empower what you name. Be careful what you declare is unattainable, impossible, or unforgiveable. Be careful who you say is unlovable. Some circumstances that you declare are destructive were meant to develop you. David said, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” In the beginning, he names it,” The valley of the shadow of death.” When he came out of the other side of the valley, it was named the “valley of fear no evil.” He came through it and out the other side of it. No human on earth can dispute the power in the name of Jesus because they will never be able to dispute the power of THE ONE who named Him.
Philippians Chapter 2 vs. 9, tells us that God has highly exalted Jesus and named Him. Not only did He name Jesus, but God gave Him a name that is above every other name. Jesus has supreme authority. The writer goes on to say, “At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow. Those that are in heaven, those on the earth and those under the earth.” There is no other name that is more powerful. What could we accomplish if we really believed in the power of The Name of Jesus? In scripture Jesus tells His disciples that they would go out in His name, lay hands on the sick and they would recover. We would have the ability to speak to mountains and they would be removed and cast into the sea. It has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with the power that is in The Name of Jesus. His name is superior in all things. It will do no good unless we use the name and activate the power over the situation or circumstances. We go to doctors for a diagnosis. Jesus can not only diagnose the problems accurately in your life, but HE IS THE SOLUTION. All through the day, NAME HIS NAME when the other names seek to overwhelm you. When you introduce His name into the crisis, the atmosphere must change.
There are aspects and facets of God’s nature at you may never have known before. It is God’s desire to be known. He cannot be understood, but He can be known by us. Our God does not require explanation. All you will need is an experience with Him. The person with an experience with God, will never be at the mercy of the individual with an argument. There will be occasions where the anointed Word of God will literally seem to jump off the pages with Divine revelation. Such is the case in the book of Philippians the second chapter. The Apostle Paul says in verse nine,” God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name.” You can draw strength from that. Each of us are walking through challenges in our lives, particularly at this present moment. Every one of those challenges has a name. We can rejoice that no matter how difficult a situation that name represents; Jesus has been given a name that is above that name. The word “above” literally means “seniority or rank”. It is given to a high ranking official. The name of Jesus outranks every other name. That is good news. If you were in the military, you would understand that a grunt from a general outweighs a soliloquy from a sergeant. This is because of the bars and the stripes that the general has earned. When he speaks, he has greater authority. The Bible declares in the book of Ecclesiastes that, “The word of the king has power and who can question it?” Today, if you are facing a problem, a sickness, or a challenge, I would encourage you to name it. Whatever name it has, you can then call on the name of Jesus. His name outranks any other name in heaven, on the earth or below it.
We have been considering the activation of truth in our lives. It really does not matter what you believe if it is not translated into a living reality. It also will not help you, if you can believe for someone else, but not for yourself. There are some who can pray and believe God for others, but they are unable to activate faith for themselves. An activated truth brings visible, tangible results. We should see fruit. We should see results in this life. We should see the goodness of God manifested today! Scripture tells us that, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!” Once you have recognized, received, cooperated, and wrestled with truth, the last step is you must learn to rest in the truth. The visible proof that you are believing in something is the act of resting. This is an outward proof of an internal confidence. You must learn to labor into rest. You may not always see the results immediately of a promise for which you are believing. Rest in The Lord. Rest in His Word to you. As you do this, you will experience more of the goodness of God and the fulfillment of His truth in your life.
Most people do not listen to what you say as much as they watch what you do. Our faith is something that must be something bigger than the pages of a book. It must be demonstrated by our choices. Faith without activation through cooperation manifests nothing. It is of no use. For our faith to be strong we must be not only hearers of The Word of God, but doers as well. If faith is not activated, there will be no fruit of what you say you believe in your life. God’s promises are to be revealed in our present not just for our future. We must recognize truth, receive it, and cooperate with it. The fourth step is that you may have to wrestle with it. You may be standing on a specific promise from God and time seems to stand still and nothing is moving in the direction of that promise. This is when we must learn to stand, irrespective of what we see with our natural eyes. God’s timing is not ours. His ways are not ours. Wrestling with The Truth is tough. We are the most vulnerable when we have not yet seen the manifestation of a promise in our lives. What would happen if you grabbed hold of every truth in God’s Word and you refused to let go? Do not be frustrated during your season of wrestling. God responds to the intensity of your desire!
Do you want every promise God has for you in His Word to become a reality? Then you must cooperate with your faith to bring it to pass. You will first have to discern truth and then receive it. Next you will have to cooperate with what you say you believe. Many people believe that exercize is good for the body. It will not do them any good personally however, unless they engage with that belief by exercizing. The Bible teaches us that faith without works is dead. You don't have to work to earn salvation, but in order to activate the priciples of the truth and promises of God, you must participate by acting on them. If you believe in the principle of forgiveness, then you will have to choose to put forgiveness into practice in your life. The walk of faith was never to be only cognative in nature. It was to be an experience that results in a manifestation. Sometimes it may feel that you are being asked to walk on water. Faith will require that you step out of your comfort zone and into the arena where the supernatural can occur. God honors faith. It is an action word. He will meet you there.
We are continuing to consider why we do not always see in our life experiences the truth that we profess to believe. Faith comes by hearing, but it is an action word. We must be active in our faith. To see the manifestation of the promises of God in our lives, we must be active participants. We must cooperate with the process. Are we doing what we need to do so that our spiritual walk with the Lord is more than just a cognitive belief system? An inactive faith is like an automobile with no ignition. The first step is recognition. It is imperative that we learn to recognize and discern the voice of truth when we hear it. God gives both the seeing eye and the hearing ear. These are gifts from God. The more you engage the more they are developed. The second step goes beyond recognition to reception. In John chapter 1, scripture tells us that “ Jesus came unto His own but His own received Him not. But to as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God.” Reception is the seed for power. You receive the power to become. Jesus can not do anything beyond an individual’s ability to receive Him. Reception of Him determines what you can receive from Him. Do you have a hard time receiving? It is not based on your worth. It has everything to do with His worth. God loves and desires you. Do not eliminate yourself from the blessing.
We can believe the Bible and The Word of God as it is preached, but we do not always see the results of that truth experientially. Is there something that we can do to activate this truth in our lives? The Word of God needs to be more than just something that is a part of our belief system. This series will deal with the practical measures and steps that we can take to move from head knowledge to results. How do we activate The Word? This is more important now than ever before because we are being constantly bombarded with incoming data. The ability to hear and recognize truth is more critical than it has ever been before. Scripture teaches us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by The Word of God. How do we activate faith in our lives, so that we are not just hearers of The Word, rather we become doers of The Word? There was a time in scripture when God spoke, but some thought it was thunder. Others heard His voice. This means that you must be tuned into His frequency. This requires relationship with Him. Jesus said,” My sheep hear my voice and another’s voice they will not follow.” Discerning the voice of God is something we can do, and we must do. Pastor Scott digs deeply into this life changing truth. You do not want to miss a day! God bless you!
Pastor Scott begins our second season with a series on what it means to have a healthy soul. In 3rd John the second verse, the scripture says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” The word prosper has little to do with finance in this verse. It literally means to be healthy and without limitation. It means to be without need. It is important to differentiate the parts of our being. We are created in the image of God. He is a triune being. He is God the Father. He is God the Son and He is God the Holy Spirit. He is three in One. We are created in His likeness and in His image, so it stands to reason that we would be three in one. We are a spirit; we have a soul and we live in a body. It is our spirit that interacts with God when we are born again. That transaction can take place in a minute because of a decision. Our soul, however, is in the process of being saved. Psalm 23 says, “ He restores my soul.” Deliverance is past, present, and future. My spirit is instantly saved, my soul is being saved and my body will ultimately be saved. Deliverance is a continual process. It is not one event. Your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions. This series will deal with what it means to think healthy thoughts which will result in making healthy choices and decisions. That is the will of God for each of us.
You can be a different person due to your faith in Christ but never use your faith make a difference. All throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus making a difference in the environment. For instance, Jesus didn’t sermonize at the wedding, when His mother told Him that they had run out of wine. She asked Him to do something about it, and He did. There was a need and she asked Him to meet it. Likewise, our assignment is to make a difference in the world. Jesus instructs us to go, teach, and make disciples. Do it on your job, at home, and in business without preaching a word. We are salt and light not sermon outlines. Faith without works is dead. We have to put our faith in practice. We were never meant to stay hidden behind church steeples and stained glass windows. Choose to be a witness and not just tell witnessing. We are salt and light. When we show up, there should be a difference for the better in people’s lives.
The day that you accept Christ, you become a new creation. You become different. As you grow up in Him and put into practice the principles, you are not just worshiping the teacher, but you are practicing His teachings. Now, you are no longer just different, you are equipped to make a difference. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples go tell others about Him, rather, He commissioned them to preach the good news of the gospel and make disciples, telling them of the things He had taught them. Upon being born again, God recreated you into a new species of being. As believers, when we implement His words on a daily basis, then we become difference makers. We become the light and the salt wherever we go. We change the atmosphere. Our prayer should not be just that we become saved, but that we walk in our salvation experience. We want to be transformed into His image. It is a supernatural, spiritual metamorphosis. Don’t settle for just being different. Earnestly strive to grow to be a difference maker. How does your presence influence others? We are not saved to just be full scripture and data. People who spend time with us should recognize that we have spent time with Jesus.
Psalms 118 vs, 24. This is the day that The Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Memorize this verse! Before you woke up this morning, God had ordered this day. You did not make this day. God did. Your choices did not make this day. Your enemies did not make this day. If you are living this day, it is because God ordained it to be so. God is the creator of every moment in time and space. As human beings, it is natural for us to want to avoid loss. Nobody wants to lose relationships, time, money, possessions or anything else we may deem valuable. While loss is not comfortable, we can lose some things and still discover that we can be okay. We can lose money but find that God will still provide. We can lose friends and it will hurt, but we can discover new friends. You may lose a job or position and find yourself redirected into something else that you never knew that you would enjoy. The one thing that you cannot afford to lose is time. You cannot go back in time. Don’t waste it on resources that are not that important. Time is currency. God is a very present Being. Scripture teaches us that He is a very PRESENT help in time of trouble. Aren’t you glad that we don’t serve a futuristic God or the God who did something long ago and is no longer around? Don’t wait until the day is over. Rejoice in the God of your salvation. He is still a saving, healing and delivering God. Take a praise break right now!
Our souls are comprised of three major components - the mind, the will and the emotions. Another way to say it is, our intellect, our feelings and our decision-making process. It is an active choice to rejoice. Psalms 118 vs 24 declares, ‘This is the day that The Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We are consciously telling our situation that we refuse to wait to see the outcome before we choose to rejoice and be glad. We will not wait until we feel like it or until it makes sense. If we wait until we feel like it, then our emotions are driving our decisions. Have you ever reviewed your life in your rear view mirror and recognized after the fact that were based on a feeling at the moment? We were never meant to be people void of emotions. We are not automatons. Just don’t let your emotions drive your “bus.” You may not feel the same way in twenty-four hours. The last thing you want to do is to become a hostage to a choice you made out of an emotional response. I may not feel like rejoicing. It may not make sense to be glad in this day, but I am going to do it anyway, because I choose to be lead by my spirit. Let your choices be determined not by what you have done, rather by what God has done for you. Wherever you are today, take a breath. Live in the moment. Make a difference! There is something about praising, thanksgiving and rejoicing that gets the attention of God!
Psalms 118 vs 24 declares,” This is the day that the lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Previously in Spot On segments, we discussed what our part is in the Christian walk. What can we do to cause God’s word to be activated and accelerated in our lives? God has the biggest part obviously, but we also have a part to play. In the aforementioned verse we see this in action. This is the day that God made. He made it. Our part is too rejoice and be glad in it. We must make the choice to do our part. WE WILL REJOICE! If God is faithful to give us another twenty-four hours to live then shouldn’t we be faithful to have praise be our response? We can choose to complain about everything that is wrong in this day or we can choose to rejoice! Sometimes when the pressure is turned up, we think that praise will be what we do when there is relief. The Psalmist didn’t say we will rejoice and be glad AFTER it, or at the end of it. He said we will rejoice and be glad IN it! Things may not be going in your life the way that you hoped it would go or thought it would go. The trajectory of your life can change if you choose to rejoice regardless of your circumstances. We can rejoice, simply because it is the day that God made. In the midst of whatever is occurring in your life, find time to take a praise break! If I am in the day, I am still alive and breathing. Let everything that hath breath PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Do you remember the Bible story of Jonah and the whale? God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and he rebels. He gets on a ship headed in the opposite direction. A terrible storm arises and the crew determines it is because of Jonah, so they throw him overboard and the storm stops. Are you in some storms because you are travelling with some relationships that are in rebellion to God? If you have an assignment and you allow someone who is running from God to become attached to you, there may be storms that you have to fight (consequences) that were not meant for you. You may have to tell some of them to get off your boat. You may be losing your mind because someone who is attached to you is robbing you of your peace, joy or even your sanity. Don’t let people who carry storms with them crash your boat! Don’t be afraid to tell people who are running from God that they can run with you at the same time! You can still love them, but they need to get off your boat!
Have you considered which relationships in your life feed you? Do they feed your problems or your potential? Are they reminding you of your mistakes or believing with you for your miracles? Are they keeping you trapped in your identity of yesterday or releasing you into your future blessing? It is your responsibility to observe, identify and then practice appropriate self care. People will come as far into your life experience as you choose to allow them. Many friends may have access to the living room of your house, but certainly not your bedroom. The same level of discretion should apply to your personal and spiritual relationships. Everyone is not welcome everywhere. If you invite an adversary into the power center of your life, they will feed your weakness and drain your faith. When you feed what inspires you, then the noise of your past becomes faint. When you feed on the promises of God for your life, your problems won’t scream as loudly. When you feed faith, futility withers. I choose to put myself in the right environment, with the right people. I choose to deny equal access to anyone or anything that does not feed my faith. What will you choose?
A wise person knows how to accurately identify who deserves access into his or her life. Everyone should not have equal access to what is most precious to you. They may not handle what you value with the same amount of respect. When you discern this, distancing yourself is responsible self care. An adversary will feed your weakness. It may be an individual or a situation that feeds your anger or your restlessness, for example. It can be identified as anything that does not feed the best in you. It will always be up to you to create the appropriate boundary. Whatever you feed will become stronger. Whatever you feed lives, and conversely whatever you starve will die. Romans 13 tells us that, “We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.” In other words, DON’T FEED THE ANIMAL! If you have issues with anger, uncontrolled temper or compulsive behaviors and you keep indulging them, in time they will overtake you. Anything that feeds your weaknesses you must avoid! In the well known story of Sampson and Delilah, scripture never speaks of her seductive beauty at all. The only thing we know about her is that she breathed life into Sampson’s weakness. Don’t allow anything close to you, which can potentially sabotage your well being or the call of God on your life!
The relationships that you forge in this life are critical to your success or your failure. Both God and Satan influence people. Some are vessels used to bless others and some are used as emissaries of destruction. There is a difference between being suspicions and being discerning. Scripture teaches us that bad company can corrupt good morals. You can have the best of intentions, but if you are surrounded by people who do not want the best for you or do not want to allow you to see yourself growing and prospering, it can cause you to be defeated. The sooner you recognize what the objectives or agendas are, you will be able to still love, while determining the degree of safe access. You must be aware so that the toxic behavior of others does not pollute your good intentions. It is good to give people the benefit of the doubt, but don’t be naive. When you love people, you will be vulnerable. You will at some point be hurt. There is no getting around it. You can however, spare yourself unnecessary hurt, by taking charge of your atmosphere. Negative people can corrupt your good ideas and intentions. Let’s be a part of building others up and not tearing them down.
What season are you in, and can you discern the season that you are in, at the present moment? Life is made of times, levels, and seasons. We understand this in the natural. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to be an infant child, adolescent, adult, and mature adult. Each age carries with it the expectations of appropriate behavior. Knowing your season will eliminate so much frustration in your life. There are three discernable seasons in growth. This is true in the natural and the spiritual worlds. Likewise, it true in business, and any other kind of relationship. You will either be in the season of learning, earning, or returning. The first season is learning. It is all about discovery. Discovering what you want to become. Is a large part of this moment in time. What makes you better as a person? Conversely, what diminishes you? In whose presence do I find yourself excelling? What you want can be more easily discovered by determining what you do not want. This is called the process of elimination. An overabundance of choices can cause anxiety. First, try making a list of what you do not want. Learning is a season to be mastered. Solomon says in the book of Proverbs that in all we seek to acquire, we should seek understanding above all else! Self-awareness is critical to living a successful life. Ask questions of yourself. What do you want? Learn everything that you can in the learning season. You are much less likely to feel behind or lacking when it is time to move into the next season. This is will set you up for success. God wants that for you. Jesus came so that you would have a life that is abundant.
We can receive a blessing from people who were sent to oppose us personally, or those who are in opposition to our progress. David knew this. He told us in Psalms 23, that The Lord had prepared a table before him, in the presence of his enemies. We will rise or fall at the level of our associations. We are not against people. We love them. True Christians are a forgiving people who extend grace and mercy, because they have been the recipients of so much from God. While this is true, we should not equate grace extended in forgiveness, with grace for relationship. It is good to recognize the need to extend forgiveness as beneficial to ourselves. Simultaneously, we must discern whether the relationship is beneficial for us going forward. Pay attention if any those in your circle are fine when they hear that you are failing in any way. If they are comfortable around others who speak negatively about you, it should be a red flag. We do not need to give everyone equal access. An adversary will resent your desire to be better. Your champions will want you to become the best version of yourself. They will not be threatened by your growth. Make sure that your inner circle is comfortable with your future and not perpetually reminding you of your past.
It is a false belief that once you have a relationship with Christ, there will be smooth sailing all the way. Jesus Himself said,” In this word you will have trouble.” It is the intention of the devil to devour. Wisdom is the ability to recognize among others the differences in people, situations, conversations, inflections, expressions, outcomes, and particularly relationships. We need to stop being gullible. Loving everyone does not mean we give them equal access to every area of our lives. An adversary is anyone or anything that will attack our assignment. Anyone that distracts me has the potential to destroy me. We cannot afford to live in a state of delusion, to play with the false. Anything that attacks our assignment must be confronted and dealt with. Each of us have been uniquely created with a particular purpose in mind. If we are not diligent to guard that purpose, the distractions will keep us from reaching our God given potential. We are to have no contact with anything or anyone that trivializes our faith or convictions. If someone in my life has the capability of getting me off course, I must distance myself from that person. I must choose the people and situations that will enable me to be the best version of myself and refuse those that continually pull me away from God’s perfect will. Choose carefully who you let close to you. Why? Because you are worthy!
Can we learn from adversaries? Can we receive a reward for adversaries? The answer is, “Yes!” God will throw a party for us in the presence of our enemies. Their very presence indicates a clue that reward is on the way. They are indications that you have outgrown where you are. Sometimes it takes a giant to press us out of our comfort zone. It is not enough to hear truth; you have got to be able to put it into practice. That may require resistance. According to Matthew chapter 7, there were two men who were both builders of houses. The difference is that the “fool” built his house upon the sand and the “wise” built his house upon the rock. Jesus warned his disciples. He instructed them to beware of men. They will turn on you. He didn’t just warn them about the devil, he warned about certain people. You can build your relationships on solid people or people with no substance. Some will work with you as you strive to reach your destiny and others will actively work against you. Everyone will not be eager to see you succeed. We must learn to recognize those who are for or against us. You don’t have to be fearful, because you can choose to believe that God will cause everything to ultimately work for your good. That being the case, it doesn’t benefit you when you refuse to acknowledge the reality of an adversary in your life. People who were sent to destroy me, can be used to develop me. Adversaries don’t have to be a sign of destruction; they can indicate that promotion is on the way. Paul tells us to fight the good fight the faith. Sometimes you must put on the full armor of God and fight with wisdom, revelation, and confidence. Don’t let who or what was meant for your destruction have the last word!
Most adversarial situations do not self-correct. It is up to us to take a stand. Casting down thoughts that are in opposition to what God thinks or says about us will always be our responsibility. We get to choose which thoughts we will endorse and upon which ones we will meditate. Likewise, it will be our responsibility to determine everyone’s specific entry point for intimacy in our lives. For example, close family members should have different access than acquaintances. We must be careful to recognize adversarial relationships and be discerning about the access we give them. We are always to be Christlike in our attitude, however, we must use wisdom. Pretending that someone is not our adversary when it has become evident that they are, is both delusional and dangerous. Teachers or mentors are for instruction. They are coaches. They celebrate and correct. Friends are for comfort. Good friends may resist giving you advice. We need all these relationships to serve their purpose. An enemy is for reward. David tells us in Psalm 23, that The Lord prepared a table for him in the presence of his enemies. Even our enemies have an ultimate purpose. If you always avoid the enemy, you will also miss the table. If it weren’t for Goliath, David would have remained a shepherd boy. Avoiding an enemy is not the same as dealing with one. Jesus recognized an enemy. He knew that there were adversaries to His life and to His ministry. When an adversary presents, it could mean that God knows that you have what it takes to ascend to the next level. Enemies are for promotion. By the grace of God, you have got what it takes to go to the next level!
It is not wise to live your life pretending that you will never be faced with adversaries. There is a very real strategy in the heavenlies for your success, as well as a very real strategy that is meant for your failure. The good news is that because of Christ, we have overcome. There is nothing that can come against us that will not ultimately work for us, because as scripture teaches us in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to them that love God and walk according to His purpose. We must still be sober and vigilant. 2nd Corinthians 10:4, says,” The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God, for the pulling down of strongholds.” The next verse explains what the strongholds are. It says,” Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The first stronghold or adversary to our progress are the imaginations of our minds. Any thought that contradicts God’s thoughts toward us must be rejected. God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you says The Lord, not plans to harm you but to prosper you, to give you hope and a future.” Have you let internal thoughts override the thoughts of God toward you? Today, go to war with stinkin’ thinkin’! Don’t let the adversary win! The enemy’s objective is destruction. His strategy is distraction, and his tactic is delusion! We cannot afford to be ignorant of his devices. In the original Latin, the word delusion means, “to play around with the false.” We must quit playing around with thoughts that are inconsistent with the thoughts of God! We were created in His image and as Proverbs tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
This is a difficult subject. We try so hard to avoid hardship and resistance. They aren’t pleasant. If we are not careful, though resistance can be sent to fortify us. 1st Peter 5:8 it says,” Be sober and vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” God has no adversary because God has no equal. He has no worthy opponent. The writer indicates that we indeed do have an adversary, and this requires that we be both sober and vigilant. This is an important truth to recognize, so that we are not ignorant and therefore vulnerable. There is an old saying, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. What you don’t know can hurt or destroy you. In the Old Testament God says, “My people perish for their lack of knowledge.” You can die because of what you don’t know! Ignorance is not bliss. Scripture encourages us to walk with full awareness of what is happening around us. The encouraging truth is that the roaring lion is not the one to be afraid of. He roars only to frighten and intimidate. The lion to be afraid of is the one who is quiet and ready to pounce. Satan may roar, but our God is The Lion of Judah. When He fights for us, it is game over for the devil!
It is the heart of God for each believer that we enter into the fullness of all the blessings that Jesus died for us to have. We lose the victim mentality when our thoughts, emotions and choices stem from an internal compass based on the Word of God and relationship with Him. We can have a healthy soul. We can live an abundant life. True prosperity will only be obtained with a soul that is healthy. Every circumstance doesn't qualify as a crisis. We can discern the world around us with an appropriate perspective.
Full prosperity or health happens first in your mind. Our decisions and choices should originate with our destiny in consideration. Practical indicators of a healthy mind include an internal compass, appropriate responses to situations and circumstances and the ability to relate to a variety of people and personalities. If you can only get along with people just like you, how will you ever be able to minister to those that are different? Jesus didn't just hang around religious people. The Bible says that He was a friend of sinners. If you have an internal compass that defines who you are, then you will not gain your identity from external places or other people. Be careful that you don't isolate yourself and thereby limit your sphere of influence.
God wants us to be content to live in peace. That is what Jesus died to give us. Some are unfortunately addicted to chaos. They don't seem to be happy unless there is a crisis of sorts. Every situation or circumstance isn't catastrophic. God desires that we be redeemed in our spirit man and restored in our emotions. He wants us to be whole. One of the indications of health and wholeness is the ability to discern the difference between a heart attack and a hangnail. While that may be humorous, it bears consideration. Next time your reactions seem out of bounds, you may need to adjust your perspective. The peace of God is yours for the asking and the receiving! Be at rest!
In the third book of John chapter two, We are told that God wants us to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospers. In the 23rd Psalm, David says that God restores my soul. Clearly it is a process. It is important that we have an internal compass that is directed by The Holy Spirit. He is the One who keeps us centered. We were never meant to make decisions from an emotionally wounded and needy place. People do not define us. Only God can truly do that. We were meant to respond to the situations in life from a realistic perspective. Everything in life is not a crisis of epic proportions. When we are wounded, we lose perspective. God desires that we become whole in our bodies, minds, souls and spirits. This is the abundant life that Jesus died to give us. It starts in our mind, will and emotions.
Your environment matters. The law of environment matters. It states that WHERE you are is just as important is WHO you are. WHERE you are matters. God gave many instructions in scripture that were geographical. ‘I want you to leave here....and go there’. There are far too many examples to mention. In one example, He told Jeremiah to go down to the potter ‘s house, because He was going to show him a lesson that Jeremiah could only learn THERE. Jesus was the Son of God, but there were some places that He was unable to work miracles because of their unbelief. WHO He was never changed, but even He was limited by WHERE He was. Environment matters. It is important that you make sure that you are not only doing what God has called you to do, and working WITH God in all He is doing in you, but that you are WHERE you are supposed to be. Recognize the strengths and the weaknesses of your environment. If you intend to wrestle with a shark, it is best that you do it on dry land. This ferocious creature is powerless outside of his natural environment. Don’t let circumstances pull you out of an environment where you excel. Protect your environment by what you see and what you hear. Protect it by who you choose to engage in conversation. If God has given you an instruction to GO, THERE...then He is only authorizing blessing in your...THERE. Find the place where you were designed to flourish and when you have found it, you must protect it!
This week we are continuing with Pastor Scott's series on How to have a healthy soul. We have come to understand that your soul is comprised of your mind, will and emotions. It is critical to evaluate your thoughts. Where the mind goes, the emotions are sure to follow. We were never meant to make long term choices from a purely emotional place. Emotions are fickle. We can be up one minute and down the next. Our perspective is critical. Take time to become still before God. Consult Him. This series is critical to our well being, probably now more than ever. Stop and consider what you feed your mind. Get in God's word. Find out what He thinks is best. Prosperity is health.
We continue with the series on how to have a healthy soul. We are a spirit; we have a soul and we are living in a body. Our salvation experience is progressive. The word prosper in this context means healthy. God wants us to live our best life. Jesus died that we would have an abundant life. He tells us that Himself. It is so important not to allow our minds to just wander into negative territory. What happens in our minds will show up in time. The Apostle Peter tells us in scripture to gird up the loins of our minds. We have control over the thoughts that we choose to dwell on and that we allow to take root and become a reality. We are also instructed to set our minds on things above. Things that have virtue. Things that are of a good report. If it is positive and life giving, then we are to dwell on those things. Our mind is the place where the enemy has access. We want to be healthy in our emotions. There are times when our emotions can rage like the waters of the ocean. That is when we need Jesus Himself to speak peace into our being. We do not want to make permanent decisions in temporary situations. Do not make long term decisions when you re in a place of neediness. When your need becomes your compass, you will steer your vessel anywhere that promises comfort. This can become a catastrophe. God does not want that for you!
We are talking about a prosperous soul. God wants you to be healthy in your body, mind, soul, and spirit. We will always have human needs, however He never intended us to be needy. There is a distinct difference. When you are needy, there is a good probability that your discernment will be cloudy. When this occurs, your choices will be negatively impacted. The soul includes the mind. Scripture tells us that we can have the mind of Christ. We can ask and expect His mind to be inside our thoughts. Colossians chapter 3 tells us that we are to “Set your minds on things above.” The salvation of our spirit is an act performed by God alone. The salvation of our soul is a process in which we exercise participation. Your spirit is made new instantly, but your soul is in the process. Your body will one day take on the incorruptible form. Until then, you continue to be a work in progress. Romans 12 says, “Be not conformed to this world but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If you are constantly in a position of need or lack, then we can easily develop a victim mentality. This may prompt you to make rash, short term, reactionary decisions. These are rarely in your best interest long term. If you are needy for companionship, you probably will not think about the long-term consequences. It is about numbing the pain of the moment. It is important that you understand the need for a healthy mind which will produce healthy thoughts and will result in the ability to see the healthy choices. God wants you whole in every area of your life. He does not want you fragmented!
We have been discussing what it means to have a healthy soul. We have been created in the image of God. We are a spirit . We have a soul and we live in a body. There are so many sincere Christians who have security in their salvation, but they are living a substandard life. This was never the plan of God for us. We were never to be forgiven and yet remain fragmented, bitter, angry, and broken by life. God wants us to live our best life. Jesus said, “I have come that you would have life and have it more abundantly.” He wants us to be healthy in our minds and in our thought life. He wants us to be healthy in our bodies. You can think your way into depression and in many instances, you can think your way out of it. What happens in your mind will happen in time. When you feel your mind wandering, gird up the loins of your mind. Set your mind on things above. Your mind is the place where the enemy has access. We want to be healthy in our mind will and emotions. Our health in this area is greatly affected by the focus of our attention. The noise around us can cause our souls to rage like the waters of the oceans. We do not want to make permanent decisions in temporary situations. Ask Jesus to be your “Peace speaker” today. Invite Him into your soul to calm you. Let Him be the peace that passes all understanding.
Pastor Scott begins our second season with a series on what it means to have a healthy soul. In 3rd John the second verse, the scripture says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” The word prosper has little to do with finance in this verse. It literally means to be healthy and without limitation. It means to be without need. It is important to differentiate the parts of our being. We are created in the image of God. He is a triune being. He is God the Father. He is God the Son and He is God the Holy Spirit. He is three in One. We are created in His likeness and in His image, so it stands to reason that we would be three in one. We are a spirit; we have a soul and we live in a body. It is our spirit that interacts with God when we are born again. That transaction can take place in a minute because of a decision. Our soul, however, is in the process of being saved. Psalm 23 says, “ He restores my soul.” Deliverance is past, present, and future. My spirit is instantly saved, my soul is being saved and my body will ultimately be saved. Deliverance is a continual process. It is not one event. Your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions. This series will deal with what it means to think healthy thoughts which will result in making healthy choices and decisions. That is the will of God for each of us.
God is not random. He has never been never will be, bound by circumstance. He does everything with purpose. When Jesus was born, they wrapped Him in swaddling clothes. It has been said that those rags were often used as burial cloths. Random? I don't think so. He was laid in a feeding trough for animals. He was called the " bread of life". Random? I don't think so. Jesus was never meant to be considered, He was meant to be consumed. From the moment He was born, He was being prepared for His death, burial and resurrection. He was born to be the very sustenance of life. Random? I don't think so!
Jesus, The Son of the Most High God, should have been born in a palace, wouldn't you think? So then, why wasn't He? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Could it be that it was because Gad was demonstrating His willingness to be identified with the outcast, the imperfect and the impoverished? God was willing to sit down in the middle of the messiness of humanity. Jesus was born in a stable. It was there that Majesty entered the mess of mankind, for the purpose of becoming THE solution. The shepherds needed instructions as to where to find Him. They never would have imagined that He would be found in a stable. God came to the unclean, where it was unclean. Your messy circumstances or dysfunctional life will never disqualify you from having a relationship with The Sovereign Lord. Open your arms and let Him have access to you. Jesus is as close as the mention of His name. He can handle your mess. He came to help you clean it up.
The wise men followed the star, which was the sign of the promise they expected. God will always enter your world and lead you to the fulfillment of His purpose for your life. When you can't see the whole picture, look up and follow what has been revealed to you. Most of our attention is focused on the details. God doesn't always reveal everything at once. We learn to walk in the light that we have been given, until there is more light. He moves and then we move. He leads and we learn to follow. We keep moving forward. It was said that when they saw the star, they rejoiced. Notice that they started to rejoice before they saw the child. They rejoiced in anticipation of the miraculous discovery. They rejoiced on the way. That is an act of faith! God is FOR you! You may not have arrived yet, but have you seen enough to begin rejoicing? He that has begun a good work in you, SHALL COMPLETE IT! Therefore, He will sustain you in the night season. You can count on it!
There is a difference between the shepherds and the wise men. The shepherds CAME. The wise men FOLLOWED. Sometimes we may have to follow what we can see, in order to arrive at the place we want to see. In order to see a star, you have got to be willing to look up in the darkness. It takes faith to walk in darkness. The wise men had to journey in the night. It is so much easier in the day. Anyone can walk with Christ in the daytime. In darkness, there can be peril. Let God give you the tenacity to keep moving forward, no matter what, until at last you finally come upon what you were longing to see.
Pastor Scott Frazier continues this critical teaching on processing pressure points. If you ever needed to listen to a series, these messages are both powerful and timely. If we are not only to survive the days ahead, but THRIVE, we must learn to navigate through the pressures of life and be strengthened through them. We were meant to be more than conquerors. The pressures of life will either make us, or break us. Listen and join us as we reach together for a God who desires to make us overcomers. He lives in us and has already overcome for us! Be encouraged today!
Pastor Scott Frazier begins a new series on a critical topic for our time. We are considering the word "pressure." Most of us do everything we possibly can to avoid pressure or relieve it, at almost any cost. Consider this. Is all pressure bad? Some valuable and beautiful gems are formed due to tremendous pressure, such as the diamond and the pearl. Pressures in life are unavoidable. The question is why are we pressured? Do we have some responsibility in it? Is it leading us to change certain behaviors, avoid specific people or places? Perhaps we need some discipline in an area. Not all discomfort is bad for us. Other times, life circumstances or the choices of those around us create pressure that is not of our own making. If it causes us to push further into God, then it will ultimately be for our benefit. This is when we we can discover that all things work together for good to them that love God and those who are called according to His purpose. Let pressure work for you, by allowing it to drive you to the feet of The One who promises to never leave you nor forsake you. He is The One, who has promised to complete the good work that He has begun in you. Let this teaching equip you to face uncertain days ahead, trusting in the faithfulness of God.
Pastor Scott continues with his series on excellent choices. People of excellence understand the importance of using wisdom.
Pastor Scott continues with his series on excellent choices. People of excellence understand the importance of using wisdom.
Pastor Scott continues with his series on excellent choices. People of excellence understand the importance of using wisdom.
Excellent Choices guarantee excellent outcomes. Consider that your choices are like seeds. They will one day reap a harvest. What kind of harvest do you want? Whatever you sow will grow. You can't plant corn and expect to harvest peas. It is the same principle when you are talking about life choices. Negative choices will result in negative consequences. Wise choices result in favor over your life.Proverbs chapter two teaches us that wise choices will serve as a protection. They not only protect in the moment, but in the future as well. People of excellence continue to make choices that are excellent and they do it consistantly. They avoid difficult people and toxic environments. They are problem solvers not drama seekers. They are lubricators and not agitators. Pay attention to those around you. What is their focus. Mark them. Be judicious with your time. Don't waste your life on those who love problems. Spend your time wisely with those who are stimulated by the desire to be overcomers. Pay attention to those who value their own time and show equal respect for yours.
Wise choices will protect you! God is our Protector. One of the ways He protects us is by freely giving us wisdom when we ask for it. When we make excellent choices, we are being proactive about our lives. We stop the cycle of wandering around the same territory and inevitably falling into the same pit over and over again. We can choose wisdom and understanding. They will both protect and preserve us and keep us from negative consequences. CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES! God's word gives us guidance and the option to choose the better way.
Sometimes life can get messy and we find ourselves in a difficult place. God is still a God of miracles. He can make a way for us, even when we have participated in our own dilemma. His grace and mercy can and will help us to find our way over, under or through the valley. Excellent choices will protect us because we can learn to choose the better way. We have the power to choose. People of excellence know how to avoid some negative situations by using wisdom. In scripture, we read about Daniel who was kept by angels in the lion’s den. That was the miraculous intervention of God. After his deliverance, it was excellence that caused him to have favor with the king. Excellent decisions will save some tread on your life! Excellent people avoid difficult people and are problem solvers. Solutions excite them. They are lubricators not agitators. Look for the best in a situation. Make the atmosphere around you shift toward the positive. Offer solutions. Excellent people value time. They are dependable. If they do not value your time, then chances are they will not value their time either. If you do not learn how to schedule your day, then the day will scatter you. Before you realize it, time has flown by, the day has passed, and you have accomplished very little. This pattern of behavior builds insecurities. It creates anxiety. Make lists. Write it down. Check it off. When you finish a project, the sense of accomplishment is exhilarating. Finish the project. Manage the time. Proverbs tells you to guard your heart. Guard your time. Guard your space. Guard your atmosphere. The reward will be worth it.
God is our ultimate protection, but wise choices will also serve as a protection. He is our Way maker. He can open doors that no man can open and shut doors that no man can open. If in our humanity we find ourselves in a difficult place, God in His mercy, will bring us out or He will bring us through. I can make good decisions and sound choices after having asked God for divine wisdom. If I do this, I will avoid some crises for which I would have to beg God for deliverance. It is hard to be a person of excellence when you continually surround yourself with difficult people who resist your vision or purpose. Invite those you love. Jesus said in the gospels, “Whosoever will, may come.” The invitation is open to everyone. However, it is important that you learn to invest yourself in those who love you. Giving all your resources to everyone, all the time, will result in burn out. Excellent people are problem solvers. Solutions excite them. They are answer oriented. Many notice the crisis. All too few are focused on the solution to the problem. There are some individuals who feed on drama. You can surround yourself with lubricators or agitators. Lubricators make everything around them run more smoothly. They help. They are a benefit to the situation. Agitators are human stop signs. They will be the first in line to tell you why something cannot or should not be done. If you become a problem solver, you will be welcome in almost any business or personal relationships. Choose wisely!
Characteristics of Excellence. Today, Pastor Scott begins a new series on being people of excellence. That is not to be confused with people who are perfect. There was only One who was perfect. We can learn from people of excellence. We live in a time that can be described as the miracle generation. “God, get me out of my mess!” This is often the cry of the heart. The truth is, that there is no mess so great that it is beyond His ability to move heaven and earth if necessary, to respond to the desperate plea of one of His children. God is well able! While this is true, there are some things that I am able to do for myself. Instructions from scripture encourage me to take specific actions that will assist me in avoiding situational or relational traps. God should not always have to be bailing me out of trouble! Are there specific actions I can take to avoid unhealthy situations and maintain my deliverance? Absolutely! Proverbs 2:11, says, “Wise choices shall protect you and understanding shall keep you.” While God is our Protector and Deliverer, making excellent decisions serve as protection devices as well. People of excellence avoid difficult people. Do not confuse different people with difficult people. Learn which relationships encourage you to excel and which relationships leave you feeling diminished. In the garden, when Adam and Eve disobeyed by eating the fruit, they hid in fear from God because they were naked. God asked them the question, “Who told you that you were naked?” Whose voice were they listening to? It was not God’s voice. You may be very loving, but it does not mean that you have to give difficult people equal access. Invite those that you love into your life but invest in those where love is mutually shared.
Have you heard the expression, “Favor ain’t fair”? God’s divine approval is without merit. However, when it comes to favor, it is fair, and it can be learned. The Bible tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man. He grew into them. Favor is something that can be discovered, learned, and perfected. There is a path, price, and protocol for favor. So, the questions that we must ask ourselves is, who do we listen to? Who do we admire? Who are your heroes? What would you do for free? What do you like to read? The questions are designed to assist you in the discovery of your passion. When you discover your passion, that is the moment when you have found where you belong. When you know your path and you are willing to pay the price, you will follow protocol. That is your straight line for favor. Meditate on this teaching. Allow yourself the opportunity to digest it and assimilate it into your life experience.
The ability to discern seasons will be critical for you not just because you will need to function properly but also for you to flourish. God’s objective, through Jesus, is to see that you have life and have it abundantly. He does not want to see you function just barely enough to get by, rather that you flourish wherever you are. What circumstances draw the best from you? Who brings out the best in you and where do find the opportunity to become all that you were created to be? In the church environment you learn scriptures and biblical stories, but these do not benefit you if you cannot effectively apply them to your life experiences. You may be proficient with Bible skills and yet have no biblical reference for life skills. Those instructions come frequently come from psychologists, doctors, teachers, social workers, and other professionals in the world system. In the church you learn Biblical studies, but often you are not taught how to live an effective life. Are the people in your sphere of influence feeding your future or holding you captive to your past? There is a path for favor. Daniel refused to meet with the king for several years until he spoke the language fluently enough to enough to carry on a conversation. He desired favor with the king. The angels got him through the lion’s den, but it was his excellent spirit that caused him to have favor. There is a price for favor. Esther soaked in oil for twelve months in order to present herself to the king. If favor is your goal you will do whatever is necessary. Likewise, when Joseph was summoned before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, scripture tells us that He shaved. Facial hair was considered disrespectful in the Egyptian culture of that time. When you desire favor, you will walk the path, pay the price, and follow the protocol.
If you do not know what season of life you are in, then you will frustrate yourself and everyone around you. Discernment is key. The season of earning is taking what you have learned and making it work for you, not only for yourself, but for others around you. Know how to observe who is for you and who is against you. Do not give your heart away to everyone you know. Save your heart for those who are hugely significant in your life. When it comes to hiring someone, every employee does not need to have access to the most intimate parts of your personal or business information. Wisdom is the ability to recognize the differences in roles that individuals play in your life. There is a level of intimacy that certain people deserve. In ministry or in family relationships, it is important that people feel loved and accepted. There are situations in life, however, when people will need to be employed for a specific task. Strong emotional vulnerability will not be needed in those relationships. We are to be committed to some emotionally and to others as they fulfill only an occupational role. This is what Jesus meant when He told us to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar and to God what belonged to Him. He was talking about the level of investment that was due to each one. He was not just speaking about money. It was more encompassing. Save your heart for people who matter. Learn the difference between who you serve and who you hire. Keep your relationships clearly defined. They are an important key to your success.
Discernable seasons. You were meant to know the specific one that you are in. There is a season of discovery and self-awareness. Who are you at your core? Where are you your best? And who are you with when you are at your best? You do not belong everywhere. You belong somewhere. Even Jesus was not effective everywhere. It was not because He was ever deficient. It was due to the limitations that others placed upon Him. If that can happen to Jesus it can happen to you and me. It is important that you understand this as a foundation, prior to entering into your earning season. This is where you reap the benefits of what you have discovered in the learning season. Earning takes place when you learn how to work for, and how to work with what you discovered. Earning is not about discovering where to work. Or where you blossom. It is about taking what you learned and finding the place in which you fit. You do not belong everywhere. You were not meant to belong everywhere. The burden of learning is regret. It may be painful to discover some things about yourself or the choices that you have made. It may be uncomfortable to recognize, but it is valuable information that can lead you to make better choices in the future. When it is time to earn, you have to be clear about your purpose and the destiny that God has in mind for you to fulfill. God does not want you to be constantly in a state of confusion about who you are, what you were made to do in this life and how to accomplish your God given purpose.
Discernable seasons of life include learning, earning, and returning. Learn where you can be your best. Even Jesus could not perform miracles everywhere. That is why it is important to discover the environments in which you will flourish. Can you discern which things are mandatory and which are optional for you? It is important that you learn the difference between interest and entrance. Your interest will determine if, when and where my entrance point will coincide or conflict. Your entrance will determine my interest level. If all you want to do is engage in behaviors that are beneath my level of maturity, then I will lose interest. Deep calls to deep. If the only communication that you engage in with me, centers around your problems or your world, it will be easy for me to eventually lose interest. Sometimes we may find ourselves pulled into atmospheres that are of little interest to us and we forsake our own priorities. Very quickly we can become depleted. If we are constantly feeding someone else’s dream and losing our focus on what God has for us to accomplish, we will ultimately end up burned out and frustrated. In an airplane, when the cabin loses pressure, there will be mask that drops down in front of the passenger. You will be instructed to put the mask on yourself first. You cannot help anyone else until you first secure yourself. Do not let insecurity or obligation to others overwhelm you. Take care of yourself. IT TAKES A FREE PERSON TO SET ANOTHER PERSON FREE! Know what you were called to do and what you do best. From this position of clarity and strength you will be enabled to help those individuals that God sends your way!
Do you know the season of life you are currently in at the moment? Frustration results in your lack of awareness. The Bible says that God makes all things beautiful in His time. An infant is beautiful at that stage of life, however if a teenager behaves as an infant, it is no longer beautiful to behold. The season has changed. Behavior that is acceptable during teenage years becomes unacceptable when one becomes a young adult. There will be an expectation from parents and society at large that there would be corresponding growth and development. The seasons of life can best be described as learning, earning, and returning. Previously we discussed the importance of self-discovery. We can learn the difference between things that are mandatory and things that are optional. There will be certain challenging experiences in life you will have to go through, in order to reach the level that you desire. You cannot skip the necessary steps. Part of growth and maturity is understanding that there is a process of maturity. Not everyone in life is going to celebrate you. There will be specific protocols and you will more often than not, learn the most valuable lessons in the hard places. There are also some opportunities in life that will be optional. You can choose to walk away or not participate. These choices will always be a reflection of your level of self-awareness and authenticity.
There is a season of learning, earning, and returning. Sometimes we may try to skip through the seasons due to our impatience. When you miss learning the basics, it is almost impossible to continue without always trying to catch up. You will struggle when you miss the opportunities in the learning season, If you do not spend the appropriate amount of time in self-discovery. It is important in life not just to discover God, but to allow Him to reveal your authentic self. It is critical that you spend time in introspection, understanding what is most relevant to you. What is the best environment for you that will cause you to flourish? In whose company do you excel? What will be necessary for your life, in order to become the best version of yourself? Who challenges you? Who frustrates you? Who encourages you? All of these things are discovered in the learning season. If you have a particular aptitude or talent, you may need to make sure that you are in the right environment, surrounded by the best people in order for your potential to be maximized and truly blossom. Every choice made should direct you toward the opportunity which will result in the absolute best outcome. God wants this for you. God does not want you to just barely get by in life. He desires that you fulfill the destiny and call that He has designed for you. Toward the end of his life, the Apostle Paul exclaimed that he had fought a good fight, he kept the faith, and he finished his course. He would further go on to express, that he was not disobedient to his heavenly vision. Make sure that you surround yourself with people who will nurture and encourage your vision. Make sure that your environment is conducive to your success. Those closest to you should not just tolerate you but celebrate your success. Learn how to identify these important priorities. If you do, then you will not forever be playing “catch up” in the next season. Your choices made will have been intentional and will stem from clear, purposeful direction.
We are talking about discernable seasons. Do you know what season of life you are in at the moment? If you can properly discern it and then become acclimated, you will less likely frustrate yourself. Do not be so quick to skip this season because you are in a hurry to “get somewhere.” Most of us are so focused on arriving at our destiny, that we do not understand that most of our character is developed during the journey. There are three definable seasons of life. The learning is the most important. In this season you will discover the most about yourself. During this time, you will discover traits about yourself as well as relationships and how they either benefit or diminish you. In whose presence do you thrive? What is the atmosphere that speaks to the creative you? Creative people do not flourish in a rigid atmosphere. If you are person who craves structure, you will not be peaceful in an atmosphere that is loose and unbuttoned. It is imperative that we understand how we are wired as individuals and move toward what is a natural fit. We learn sometimes through what we eliminate as well as what is revealed. Pain is a signal. It indicates. It is a result of disorder or disobedience. Relationships that produce pain, will either torture us or teach us. Who challenges you? Who frustrates you? Anger causes us to back up and reassess. Who is a constant source of fatigue and struggling? Who is a source of encouragement and empowerment? You must learn these things. This will shave years of disappointment and frustration from your life. This insight, will likewise propel you faster and farther into your divine destiny.
What season are you in, and can you discern the season that you are in, at the present moment? Life is made of times, levels, and seasons. We understand this in the natural. There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to be an infant child, adolescent, adult, and mature adult. Each age carries with it the expectations of appropriate behavior. Knowing your season will eliminate so much frustration in your life. There are three discernable seasons in growth. This is true in the natural and the spiritual worlds. Likewise, it true in business, and any other kind of relationship. You will either be in the season of learning, earning, or returning. The first season is learning. It is all about discovery. Discovering what you want to become. Is a large part of this moment in time. What makes you better as a person? Conversely, what diminishes you? In whose presence do I find yourself excelling? What you want can be more easily discovered by determining what you do not want. This is called the process of elimination. An overabundance of choices can cause anxiety. First, try making a list of what you do not want. Learning is a season to be mastered. Solomon says in the book of Proverbs that in all we seek to acquire, we should seek understanding above all else! Self-awareness is critical to living a successful life. Ask questions of yourself. What do you want? Learn everything that you can in the learning season. You are much less likely to feel behind or lacking when it is time to move into the next season. This is will set you up for success. God wants that for you. Jesus came so that you would have a life that is abundant.
Pastor continues his message on counsel and instruction. Now more than ever, we need to hear the voice of God.
Pastor continues his message on counsel and instruction. Now more than ever, we need to hear the voice of God.
Counsel and instruction are important and critical for us. Proverbs tells us that in all that we get, we are to receive understanding. While you are acquiring things, make sure that you get understanding to assist you as you use them. Psalms 1:1 tells us, that a blessed man meditates on the law of The Lord day and night. In other words, it does not matter how you may be feeling at the moment. You may be on the mountain or in the valley. Whatever condition you may be in, you will be blessed when you are meditating on the law of The Lord. The counsel of God keeps me through the eb and flow of life. Understanding is the ability to appropriate wisdom. God gives us wisdom, but its s our responsibility to seek out the proper counsel and instruction we need to maintain and sustain the blessings that come from God. The word instruct is a compound word. Two words are combined that make up the word instruction. They are inward and structure. It is literally the ability to rework the structure within you. It is important at times to rework your thought processes and emotional responses. There are things in life that we must learn to do. Recognize and validate the teachers in your life. Who has significant influence in your life? Who are the individuals attempting to speak a word of counsel to you? Do not listen to everybody about everything with equal intensity. This is a great skill to master. When it comes to the inward structure of your life, you must be particular about who you give access. This requires discernment that must be developed. No voice should be louder than the voice of The Lord. Not even your own voice.
Psalms 1:1 tells us that we are blessed when we do not walk in the counsel (word, understanding, structure) of the ungodly. Counsel and instruction are incredible tools that we have at our disposal that will save us years of time. A book can be read in one hour that took fifteen years to live, learn write and distribute. If I can internalize the content, I will receive from counsel or mentorship, what would have taken me years of mistakes to learn and assimilate on my own. Who gives you counsel? What instruction do you take? We are always listening to someone. If we spend hours of precious time on various social media platforms or with too many individuals who are constantly speaking into our lives, our thinking will become clouded or crowded. The Bible says that there is safety in a multitude of counsellors. We live in a time where it is customary to celebrate our intellectual independence. While it appears that there is merit to this, that is not always the wisest position to take. It is beneficial to cultivate the ability to listen well. It is imperative that we learn to discern the voices that speak into our lives. You cannot allow every voice to have equal volume in your life. You will become like a ship tossed in the waves. Do not always seek the opinion or instruction that will result in the greatest happiness. Look for the voice that encourages health. An instruction that seems to make you the happiest at the moment may seem best. However, a happy person going in the wrong direction can end up in a catastrophic situation. You can actually experience a negative emotion while you are headed in the right direction. It is God’s desire that we be healthy in every area of our lives. The blessed man walks in the information and the law of the Lord. He meditates on it all the days of His life. Take advantage of the wise counsel in your life. You will not be able to ever really calculate the value .
In Psalm 1:1, scripture teaches us not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. It goes on to say that the blessed man is a man who meditates on the law of The Lord. That word law means word, instruction, or counsel. The blessed man knows the difference between the world’s counsel, the world’s logic and God’s counsel or logic. If you read through the book of Proverbs, you will discover that it is not so much about getting blessing or things. It is about mentorship, wisdom, counsel or understanding regarding your management of what you have been given. This takes wisdom that comes from above. You can have all the passion in the world for something, but if you are constantly listening to every bit of input, then your thoughts will become crowded or clouded. When your thoughts become clouded, there is so much information, everything seems blurred. Crowded is when every voice has equal access. The voices that you listen to should be appropriate to relationship. Whose counsel are you listening to? Would you give the same access to your pastor, your plumber, or your mate? We are a composite of our past experiences and our present choices. Our experiences and our decisions are often predicated on the opinions and advice we are hearing at the moment. Social media is not a place for affirmation or information. Sometimes we need true friends. Tune your ear to God’s voice above all others. Choose counsel wisely. When you do, you will be a blessed individual, with the ability to sustain and maintain every blessing from God!
Pastor Scott continues with this inspiring series on the blessing of Abraham. You have been blessed to be a blessing! This series has been archived with a word of encouragement that will change your life! God wants to bless you! Believe! Receive! Belong!
Pastor Scott Frazier continues with this life changing series based on the beautiful truth of what God has made us. So much has been conferred upon us as believers. There is more to being a child of The Most High God than salvation for an evelasting reality with Christ. If this was in fact, all there ever was, it would be more than enough indeed. But God...who is rich in mercy and limitless in His love for each of us, has favored us to become a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. He has made us to be kings and priests. We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are blessed to become blessings. The blessing of Abraham is upon us. It is through him that all the families of the earth are blessed. If you truly believed that, would you live differently, live with faith and expectancy and live boldly? Meditate on these truths each day. Let them become part of your spiritual DNA!! Don't choose to live beneath the inheritance that God desires to share with you. God has more in store!! Accept it. Believe it! You belong to Him. That is great news!!
We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, and a holy nation. This all started thousands of years ago, with a man named Abram, before he was even a follower of God. In Genesis chapter twelve and verse one, we are told that God directed Abram to go to a land that He would show him. His name would be great, and he would be both blessed and would be a blessing. God would bless those that blessed him and curse those that cursed him and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. In the New Testament, Jesus arrives and connects us to this promise. This is part of our heritage. Once again, it is not by works rather it is accomplished because of His word. Our entrance to belonging is through believing. We are part of the family of Abraham. We were never to be isolated. In Galatians 3: 6, the Apostle Paul tells us that we are counted as righteous because of our faith. It further indicates, that looking forward, the Gentiles would also be made righteous in the same manner. It is due to faith alone. At least once a day we should boldly confess “I am right in His sight!” It really does not matter if the rest of the world agrees with us or they do not. It only matters that He has declared us to be “right in His sight!” Therefore, all who put their faith in Christ receive the same blessing that Abraham did, because of His faith. That is the GOOD NEWS!! If we are born of faith, then we are heirs to the promise!
We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, and a holy nation. This all started with a man named Abram before he was even a follower of God. In Genesis chapter twelve and verse one, we are told that God directed Abram to go to a land that He would show him. His name would be great, and he would be both blessed and would be a blessing. God would bless those that blessed him and curse those that cursed him and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. God wants more than just forgiveness extended toward us. He wants us to walk in His divine favor and blessing! God loves family and connection. Galatians chapter three and verse six informs us that God counted Abraham as righteous because he placed his faith in God. In the same way, the real children of Abraham are those who put their faith in God. That is why we refer to him as, “ the Father of faith.” Abraham believed God. Likewise, we access God by believing in His Son. This is what assures us that we belong to Him. Today, If you will choose to believe, then you will immediately be part of His family, and the nation which God identifies as holy and set apart.
We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, and a holy nation. God has always desired community. In Genesis, He told Abraham that he would make him the father of many nations. God wanted a family so much that he was willing to sow a seed which was His only son Jesus. He would eventually become the first born of many sons. The church is no second-class citizen within the economy of God. Peter declared in the New Testament, that we are a holy nation. That word “holy” means separated, or other than. We are an “other than” nation. In order to track our lineage spiritually, we will have to go back to Genesis chapter twelve. In verse one, we are told that God directed Abram to go to a land that He would show him. His name would be great, and he would be both blessed and would be a blessing. God would bless those that blessed him and curse those that cursed him and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. It is imperative that we understand that God desires connectivity. He desires family. We are the fruit of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The Son of God came so that we could both believe and belong. God’s desire is that we would belong in the family, in the house and in the nation. This is the good news of the gospel. When you believe, you will always belong!
We have been considering the various truths surrounding how God has made us. In scripture we find that He has made us righteous. He has made us acceptable. He has made us to be more than conquerors. He has made us to be a royal priesthood and a chosen generation. We are kings and priests unto our God. It is important to know that we have access to God and authority in our world. If all we have is access, then we can pray and worship, but we have no authority over our circumstances. God has put a word of power in our mouths. We can change our atmosphere. We can speak, and the anointing of God will shift our circumstances. The king and priest can flow together. The word of the Lord tells us that we are to speak the truth in love. The king and the priest are evident in that admonition. We are to speak the truth. That is to administer what is just in a situation. To do so in love is an attribute of the heart of ministry. We must decree the truth, but it is not harsh. In Proverbs the writer tells us that truth and mercy come together. Jesus was full of grace and truth. The king speaks of truth (the lion), but He was also grace (the sacrificial lamb). God has given us the privilege to bless and the authority to see it manifested.
What does it mean for us to be both kings and priests unto our God? There were typically two incredibly unique offices in the Old Testament, occupied by two different people in two different locations. The only exception was with David. How wonderful it is that God has torn down the walls of exclusivity. When Jesus was crucified, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. Now we have access unto our God. We no longer need animal sacrifices as a substitute. We are not required sacrifice an animal once a year and hope that this particular sacrifice would be sufficient. The annual sacrifice rolled the sins of the people away for one year and one year only. Aren’t you glad that Jesus did not just roll away our sins for the year, rather He dealt with sin once and for all? The writers of Hebrews tells us that we can now have boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies, because Jesus has paid the ultimate price. This does not mean we have a right to be arrogant with God, rather we have the freedom to enter His presence because Jesus made the way for us. In the Old Testament, only one person could enter the Holy of Holies each year and that was the High Priest. But because of the finished work of Jesus, we each have equal access to the Holy of Holies, by a new and living way, which He has consecrated for us. It is a new way for a new day. Thanks to Calvary, we can all with boldness and confidence enter into the presence of God, the Most Holy Place. Today, enter into His presence with thanksgiving and into Hs courts with praise. He wants you. He is waiting for you there!
Pastor Scott Frazier continues with the series "We've been made!" Please review the previous segments which are archived. The foundational truths outlined here are critical for understanding your identity in Christ. Join us daily as we learn about all that our faith means to us. You won't be the same!
We have been looking at what it means to be a royal priesthood. What exactly does that mean? We previously examined the differences between kings and priests. They were unique in their office, their locations and even their expression of worship. In the tabernacle of Moses on Mount Gideon, there was no presence of God, because the ark was not present, and yet they still worshipped. Have we fallen into the same lifeless experience? At times we have known how to “do church”, better than we have known how to get an audience with God. This is something to consider! The ark was brought back to Mount Zion by David. He made it a place of kingly authority and priestly worship. This was a picture of what was to come through Jesus and eventually through to us. We have been made joint heirs with Jesus Christ. There was distinct difference between the tabernacle of Moses and the tabernacle of David. In the tabernacle of Moses there were animal sacrifices. Under the New Covenant, we no longer offer animal sacrifice, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices. God does not want animals. He wants US! Every day that we live and move, we have the opportunity to offer ourselves as sacrifices allowing the Spirit of the Living God to flow in and through us. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. What a way to live!
Join Pastor Scott as we continue diving into the series "We've been made!" It is such a relief to know that we can be secure in all that God has done for us through Jesus. There is so much to unpack in the subject. Please review the archived teachings. Let this precious truth penerate to the deepest part of your being. It is the foundation and bedrock for living an overcoming life!
We have been studying in this series that we have been made kings and priests by God. In the Old Testament, kings and priests were separated by function and geography. The priests were in the tabernacle on Mount Gideon and the king was on Mount Zion. When David brought back the ark that had been stolen, he returned it to Mount Zion. He essentially married the two offices. People continued to conduct their services in the tabernacle even though the presence of God was on Mount Zion with David. It was just ritual with no presence or power of God. On Mount Zion there was singing and music. There was praise going on twenty-four hours a day. There was dancing and here was no veil to separate the people. We have been given the rights and privileges as kings and priests unto God. We were designed to worship and affect positive change in our communities. We were created to be the difference. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the earth and we are to conduct ourselves with the high praises of God on our lips.
We have been made a royal priesthood and a holy nation. We have been made kings and priests. We are supposed to be reigning, not living like victims. In the Old Testament, when Saul was king, the Ark of the Covenant had been stolen from Israel by the Philistines. The Ark at that time was the physical representation of the presence of God. Once that was stolen, there was no visible manifestation of God’s presence in the nation. This is important because they were still having services in the tabernacle. It was located on mount Gideon and they were still conducting spiritual ceremony as usual, without the Ark present. They were just going through the motions. There was no presence or manifestation, yet they were still having “church”. There are people in places today that continue with the form and ritual, but there is no manifested presence of God. He has left the building! This is why David’s first order of business was to bring the Ark back where it belonged. When he did there was such joy and celebration. When he brought the Ark back, he wore the crown and the linen ephod of the High priest. This was a foreshadow of what was to come. He was making a statement. This is what identifies Jesus. He is both King and High Priest. We have been made joint heirs with Him. We need to exercise our God given authority. Let us take back the health of our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits. Let us take back our destinies, our families, our ministries, our businesses, our homes, and our finances. We were not meant to just survive in this world, but to thrive!
We are continuing with the series, WE ARE MADE. We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus for the purpose of being more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We were meant to overcome obstacle and to complete our God given destiny. We are a royal priesthood. Revelation 5:10 speaks about God having made us kings and priests and how we shall reign on the earth. We were never meant to be victims of our circumstances. We were meant to live an abundant and overcoming life. Revelation 11:5, talks about our salvation because of the sacrifice of Jesus with the result being that we have been made kings and priests unto God. In the Old Testament, when David becomes king, his first order of business was to return the ark of the covenant back to Israel. He wore both the crown and the priestly garment. This was a picture of what Jesus would one day fulfill in the New Testament. God wrapped up both offices into one person and then Jesus shared these awesome rights and privileges with us! God wants a people who can minister to Him in worship but can simultaneously administer the direction of God in the earth. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in The Holy Spirit. We were built to worship and to exercise spiritual authority.
We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation a holy nation and a purchased, peculiar people to show forth the praises of Him who chose us. Throughout the Old Testament, we see a variety of kings and priests. They had unique roles and responsibilities. Jesus was both King of kings and our compassionate High Priest. The Priest’s responsibility was to minister to the people for God and to God for the people. The Priests were to carry forth the revelation and the instruction that God would give for the betterment of the people. The king’s responsibility was to administrate authority and power. Frequently, the king and the priest were at odds and it inevitably caused dissention. The priest could be feeding the people God’s instructions, but if the king were ignoring those same instructions there was no advancement or rest. God’s solution was for Jesus the King of kings to become both King and Priest. He could minister to the needs of the people by interceding for them to the Father. He could also administer authority from The Father, to the people He shares that with us. He has given that ability to us. In Revelation 5: 10, we find that He has made us unto God both kings, and priests. It is God’s desire that we exercise authority in our sphere of influence. Take charge over your mind, your soul, your home, your circumstances. Use the authority you have been given in the name of Jesus to walk in the divine victory God intended you to have in this life, and then offer praises to Him as a priest.
We have been made. We are who are because of God’s word and not our works. This needs to be branded in the very bedrock of our belief system. If this truth becomes a reality, it will take the pressure off performing for God in order to gain His acceptance. He has already accepted us. That is the Gospel. It is the good news. We are a chosen generation. WE have been made a royal priesthood. This may not seem so important if we are only familiar with western civilization. Apart from a biblical context, at face value it appears to be unnecessary for today. In God’s economy, it is a profound blessing. In the Old Testament, you would find kings and priests. The Priests would minister, The King would be responsible for administration. When Jesus came, he married both offices and shared that reality with us. God’s desire is that we minister to others as priests though praying, ministering, and sharing the word. Simultaneously, we have been given a kingdom authority to by which we were intended to govern. The first place we govern is in our home, but it will only stem from an awareness of who we are in Christ and that we have been given the authority of His name. He has made us both kings and priests. We have been given authority over our circumstances. We were never meant to live under the circumstances. We were meant to be triumphant in them and over them through the power of Christ that dwells within us!
We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This is not accomplished by our own strength, through our own might, because of our works or due to the law. It is simply because of His grace. He loves us and He chose us. In first Peter chapter two, we are told that we are a chosen people. We have gone from rejected to accepted by the shear fact of His decision. In The New Testament, Jesus tells us that we did not choose Him, rather He chose us. When you begin to truly comprehend the love of God that would motivate Him to choose you, the change will be one that is everlasting! You will be able to RELAX, and enjoy the life you were created to live. Without this reality settled in your heart and mind, you will live a life based in fear and insecurity. You will constantly be striving to earn love and acceptance from a multitude of sources. YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN FAVORED! God knows your frame. He knows your weaknesses and failures. It doesn't stop Him from loving you. He understands why you are the way that you are. This is why He is so longsuffering. Don't let your failures talk you out of believing that you have been accepted in the beloved. Stop being anxious and rest in His abiding love!
What you are is by God’s creation and not by your effort. This must be galvanized inside of you. If not, you will continue to try to earn that which was always a gift. Religion says must behave in a certain way in order to be acceptable. Relationship says you are accepted simply because you are loved. The more that this truth becomes a reality in your life, you will want to behave in ways that are acceptable. Your desire will be motivated by the fact that you know you are completely loved. You can rest in the fact that you have already been accepted and chosen by God. When you fall or make a mistake, you will be able to get up again. You have been made more than a conqueror. YOU are part of a chosen generation. God knew exactly what He was getting when He got you. God is not afraid of your shortcomings. He is not put off by your issues. Before the foundations of the world, He knew you. It has pleased God to separate you from your mother’s womb. He called you and destined you to have purpose in this life. Maybe you were never chosen for a team or some a competitive event. The world in which we live is highly competitive. Perhaps you believe that your failures have caused God to disqualify you. God loves you in spite of yourself. He chose you and will equip you to be what He designed you to become. That is GREAT NEWS!!