Sunday, April 13, 2014

An Angelic Visitation . . .

An Angelic Visitation . . .

Posted on April 13, 2014 by
I realized something . . . the only time we focus on the birth of our Lord is during the Christmas season. Why is that? It is such an amazing event, it should be the highlight of every day!
Well, that’s how I see it. This morning I began to take another look at His birth and I turned to the Gospel as Luke told it:
Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.
When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.”
She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.
The angel told her,
‘Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Yeshua. He will be a great man and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever, and his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:26-33)
Now think about this a moment. There are many things we can discuss in just these few verses, but the first thing that jumped out at me, was when the angel appeared and gave this amazing promise, he told her right from the beginning what His Name would be: Yeshua–ישוע–”to rescue,” “to deliver” Some commentators say it means, “God is Salvation.”
But what I am wondering is when you hear the name of our Lord, what other words come to mind? What emotions to you feel? Does it stir your spirit? Now, putting yourself in Mary’s place, how would you have responded? I mean, here you are minding your own business and suddenly an angel tells you, “Hey, you’re gonna be pregnant . . .” Well, okay for me it would be a real shock. I’m not saying He couldn’t do it, I’m just saying that it is quite unlikely.
But let’s say it comes and gives you a different promise, instead of being pregnant. For Mary this promise was completely impossible because in other passages we read that she was quite shocked and said, “Whoa! Hold your horses! I’ve never had sex with anyone, how could I be pregnant?”
Okay, let’s say the angel promises you something that is absolutely impossible for you. If you are stuck in a wheelchair and that angel said you would stand . . . how would your react? Would you tell him to prove it?
If you are living in poverty (or close to it), and that angel said you would be extremely prosperous, maybe win the Lottery or receive a big bonus check. I don’t know what it will take, but how would you react?
I have wondered about this, myself. I mean, if an angel appeared and said that my Lord declared that I my health would be completely restored: No longer so fatigued I can’t work; no longer unbalanced and having difficulty walking; no longer worrying about being able to pay bills; etc., how would I react?
Can I suggest that we pause, and say to this angelic being, “Yes! It will be as the Lord said!” No hesitations, no second thoughts. Just a straight-forward, “Yes! As you have said!.” (Exclamation point and period!.)
Well . . . you don’t need a special angelic visit, turn to the Scripture! Find the promise that pertains to your situation, and respond appropriately! It is just that simple!
Father, I am not going to wait for a special messenger to give me your promises. You have written them in your Word already, and today I am choosing to allow your Word to transform my life and my circumstances! You are my Lord and my Father and I love you. Amen!

Nickolas
(I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list)
Our needs have increased, and I thank you for all of your generous gifts.
Just remember that it is through your faithful and continued support
that make these messages and other aspects of ministry possible.

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    Saturday, April 12, 2014

    Developing Your Fear of The Lord

    Developing Your Fear of The Lord

    Posted on April 12, 2014 by
    As many of you know, I have developed an appreciation for what we call the Old Testament. One thing that has grown for me is an understanding of the nature and character of our Lord. I have learned—or maybe it would be more correct to say “what has been reinforced”—is that there is:
    • One God, and His name is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh. (not Allah, Buddha, Ba’al, or any other title given to the pagan gods)
    • He is the same God that appeared to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai.
    • He is the Creator of everything, but He is also above and not organically part of the things He created.
    • He is present, and He is near, but His being is not the same substance of any created thing (except, in small part, for Mankind).
    • This God of Abraham is different than any of the pagan gods.
    • His area of dominion is infinite, his powers are infinite, and yet, He constantly interacts with mere men. In other Words, the God of Israel is deeply involved in human affairs, and in fact, uses human affairs to achieve a much grander purpose.
    • His grand plan involves the establishment of a nation of people that He will rescue, redeem, teach, nurture, and discipline. I am of course referring to Israel, of which was the foundation, the root of our Christian faith. He created the Hebrew people, and we have been grafted into their “family tree.”
    The Old Testament also helped me understand the contexts of the fear of the Lord, This is something every believer should cultivate. True fear of God certainly includes awe and respect, but it goes beyond that. David tells us, “Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all” (Psalm 36:1). What David is saying is that when we see somebody indulging in evil, our hearts will tells us that that person has no fear of God. He doesn’t acknowledge the truth about sin, or about God’s call to holiness.
    The fact is, godly fear gives us power to maintain victory in times where evil seems so prevalent. So, how do we obtain this fear? Do we have to spend days fasting? Do we have to swear off Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and Lemon Pies? Well, Jeremiah has an easier answer for us:
    “I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever — this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant not to turn away from them, but to do them good; I will put fear of me in their hearts, so that they will not leave me” (Jeremiah 32:39-40)
    See? What I have learned is that we don’t do anything—we simply accept what He has done.
    That, my friends, is a wonderful promise from the Lord! It promises us that He will provide His holy fear. He doesn’t just drop this fear into our hearts in a supernatural flash: –Whammo!– and you got it. No? No. We obtain it through His Word.
    Does that mean God’s fear is planted in our hearts when we simply read the Bible? No, that is not what I am saying. It comes as we read, meditate, consider and ponder His Word. As it comes, it will form and shape our lives and our hearts. It will come when we consciously decide that we are going to obey every word we read in His Word. Scripture tells us this is how godly fear came on Ezra: “Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of Adonai and teaching Isra’el the laws and rulings” (Ezra 7:10). See? He prepared his heart; he sought the Word and applied what he read to his life!
    I assure you that the fear of God isn’t just an Old Testament concept. We see godly fear mentioned in both Testaments. The Old tells us, “Fear Yahweh, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). The New Testament declares, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). Paul adds, “we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).
    It is a work of His Spirit in our lives, with a corresponding effort of our own to study to show ourselves approved (II Timothy 2:15); to give diligence (II Peter 2:10).
    Nickolas
    (I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list)
    Our needs have increased, and I thank you for all of your generous gifts.
    Just remember that it is through your faithful and continued support
    that make these messages and other aspects of ministry possible.

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      Friday, April 11, 2014

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      Tuesday, April 8, 2014

      Spiritual Battles

      Spiritual Battles

      Posted on April 7, 2014 by
      I recently found a great message from Derek Prince which he had originally preached back in 1968. In the message he was encouraging believers to actually get involved in spiritual warfare—which was of course, something he continually taught during his ministry.
      In this particular message, he was citing a classic book from Jessie Penn-Lewis entitled, War on the Saints. If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to put it on your reading list!
      Anyway, Prince taught that when it comes to spiritual warfare, too often, Christians are afraid of where Satan is going to strike next; that we should be on the offense, rather than defense. As Prince said, “I’d like to see someone write a book for Christians entitled, War on Satan!”
      Well, as I searched a little more, I found a Teaching from Derek Prince that seems to tie in with that recording, because it reminds us that we are in a conflict with the enemy of our souls, and that we need to understand our strongest weapon in waging this war effectively. He presents a full picture of what “The Blood of the Lamb” does for us:
      “We are to be moving out on the attack against his [Satan’s] fortresses to destroy them with our spiritual weapons. We must not remain passive.”
      Are you ready for battle? Go read that article because I know you will benefit from his teaching. Several years ago I followed Prince’s teachings quite aggressively, but over the years I lost touch with his ministry and recently I began to long for his messages (and reading his books). I discovered he can still be heard on many radio stations, so I am again listening to him (along with rediscovering Dr. J. Vernon McGee!).
      I often heard Prince teach on the prevailing attitude on the familiar Scripture in Ephesians 6:12:
      “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age . . .”
      His usual response was that, “Far too many Christians stop at the words, ‘For we do not wrestle.’” And then add, “If you are not wrestling, you are wasting.”
      Go ahead and follow that link I provided, and my hope is that his teaching will stir up a desire to reverse that trend in your own life. I also hope it will at least begin to equip you as you engage that “wrestling match,” which, as you will see, is not option for any of us who are followers of Jesus. Let me know how it goes, okay?
      Nickolas
      (I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list)
      Our needs have increased, and I thank you for all of your generous gifts.
      Just remember that it is through your faithful and continued support
      that make these messages and other aspects of ministry possible.
      About these ads
      This entry was posted in Daily Thoughts. Bookmark the permalink.

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