VISITATION, TRANSFORMATION, HABITATION

“…because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
Luke 19:44
“…I will prepare him an habitation.”
Exodus 15:2
…”thou hast guided [them] in thy strength
unto thy holy habitation.”
Exodus 15:13

Certainly there is a vast difference between having a guest to visit and having them move in for good! If a guest is coming to visit, you may make a few modifications to accommodate their needs. However, permanent occupancy requires major renovations.
When God comes to visit, His ultimate goal is that we will allow Him to take up permanent residency in our lives. He will visit us with His love, healing, deliverance, miracles, signs and wonders. The joy of the visitation should be so impacting that it should cause a transformation in the way we think and the way we live. His visitation should cause us to experience the baptism of repentance and live in a way that will please Him.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Bible says he began to weep (Luke 19:41). He wept because the people failed to perceive the time of their visitation. He worked signs wonders and miracles before their very eyes and yet they failed to acknowledge that He was their Messiah. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we find the people wanted the blessings and rewards of His visitation but failed to allow the transforming power of His presence to be effectual in their lives. Many only followed him for the fish and loaves, but went right back to their old way of living.
The song of Moses in Exodus 15 gives great insight into the correct response to God’s visitation. Moses experienced the very presence of God which resulted in his desire to ‘prepare a habitation’ for the Lord by obeying His commandments and statutes. A habitation is a ‘dwelling place or an abode.’ It also means ‘to be decorous or becoming.’ In essence, Moses was saying, “I want to prepare a place for you to dwell; a place for you to sit down and rest and a place that is becoming for a holy and righteous God.” A visitation should result in transformation. Just as Jesus told the woman, “Go, and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14). We should not squander a visitation by reverting back to sinful habits and actions, but live in a manner that will welcome the presence of a holy God. We must allow His word to transform us into His image. When we create a habitation for the Lord by living a holy life, God will lead us to HIS habitation! We can then abide in His very presence. Oh, the glory of His abiding presence!
Cherish each visitation by allowing His presence to transform you. The transformation will create the environment for Him to make his habitation in your heart and in your life!

FRIENDS OF THE BRIDEGROOM

“He who has the bride is the bridegroom;
but the groomsman who stands by and listens to
him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the

bridegroom's voice. This then is my pleasure
and joy, and it is now complete.”
John 3:29
The Amplified Bible

There are many disturbing things that occur and happen in the religious circle. There are reports of molestation, theft, all types of abuse, addictions, financial and sexual misconduct. Church leaders are divorcing left and right. Just this week, a praise and worship leader was arrested for rape and the murder of his wife! All of this is deplorable. The scripture clearly tells us in Ephesians 5:3 that “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people.”
The enemy and the world love to put these things on display and would try to discredit the gospel of Jesus Christ. While these things are true, the ‘answer of God is ‘I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal’ (Romans 11:4). God does have a righteous remnant and He has never left himself without a witness (Acts 14:17).
It is vitally important to understand that what God will do in the earth will not be done by a presidential candidate, congress or any other institution. The Church, the ekklesia, HIS Bride is the vehicle that God will use in the earth! Regardless, it is The Glorious Church triumphant and God will perform all of His good pleasure through His church. The church is His bride. Christ loves His Church and laid down His life for Her. Instead of listening to outsiders, we must listen intently from the inner chamber to hear what He is saying about His bride.
In this passage, John the Baptist gets his perspective of the Church from the groom, Jesus Christ. He listens to what He is saying about the Church and can rejoice in knowing that the culmination will be the marriage supper of the lamb.
In Jewish culture, the wedding came in two stages: the betrothal and after an unspecified amount of time later, the full marriage. At the first ceremony, the groom would tell the bride, "I am going to prepare a place for you, then I will come again for you" (John 14:2). The second ceremony was at his father's house. Finally, the wedding feast took place at the bride’s home. There were two witnesses at the wedding. One brought the bride; the other, "the friend of the bridegroom", listened at the bedroom door for the groom's shout that the wedding was completed. John was this friend (Jn. 3:29).
Are you a friend of the bridegroom? Whose perspective do you communicate; the world’s or the groom’s? Friends of the bridegroom listen closely to the voice of the groom and will communicate His heart. Friends of the bridegroom are preparing their generation for the Second Coming of Christ through the preaching of the gospel, prayer, intercession and praise and worship. Be a friend of the bridegroom!

THERE ARE MORE ON OUR SIDE!!!

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him.
"For there are more on
our side than on theirs!"
II Kings 6:16
The New Living Translation

The cliché says, “If its’ not one thing, its’ another. And if its’ not another thing, then its’ the same thing.” Nowadays, we can add “Its’ not just one thing or another, its’ everything all at one time!” But, God is faithful to deliver us out of each and every situation absolutely every time. The things that are coming against the saints certainly can become overwhelming and disheartening. The enemy truly is trying to ‘wear out the saints of the Most High God’ (Daniel 7:25). As we go about doing the work of the Father, our adversary, the devil, will try to surround, overwhelm and kill us. But, we can be assured and know that He is on a short leash and it is God that fights for us!
Elisha was a true prophet of God. The king of Assyria continually tried to attack the children of Israel. He would devise his plan of attack with his military leaders however, the Bible says, “immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Assyrians are planning to mobilize their troops there." The Assyrian king became so frustrated with his ‘leaked intelligence’ that he thought that he had a traitor in his ranks. “It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!" This further infuriated the king and he sent his troops to find out Elisha’s location and surround him. The Bible says he sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround Dothan, the city where Elisha was staying. Isn’t it interesting how the enemy must send an entire army for one man?!
Elisha’s servant looked around in dismay wondering what they were going to do. Every where he looked, he was faced with the enemy’s army. He began to cry and ask Elisha, "Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" The prophet prayed a simple prayer, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” The army of the Lord of Hosts was present and ready to do battle on their behalf. The host of heaven was far greater than the army of the enemy.
Do you feel overwhelmed and surrounded? Have you been asking, “God this looks bad. What am I supposed to do?” Pray and ask God to open your eyes and allow you to see from a God’s eye view. Has the enemy sent discouragement, weariness, sickness, disappointment and all types of trouble to surround you? “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Be encouraged and know that God has your enemies surrounded and they are already defeated!

ON THE WINNING SIDE

“Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ,
and maketh manifest the savour of his

knowledge by us in every place.”
2 Corinthians 2:14
King James Version

ESPN is currently receiving votes to determine what US city deserves the Titletown USA award for being a city of champions. People will be voting to make sure their city takes the title. ESPN even provides a listing of every title the city’s teams have won over the years. That is all well and good, but all this is for a corruptible crown that will most certainly fade away. This will give the city bragging rights for a while, but will mean nothing in eternity.
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ won every title in every region and division and has maintained a winning streak ever since. Not only did he win every battle, but the Message Bible says, “He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets” (Colossians 2:15). Furthermore, He defeated his enemies so badly, that 1 Corinthians 2:8 says, “None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.”

The diabolical plan of the enemy to kill Jesus was actually the ultimate coup d’état of the kingdom of darkness. Jesus faced the heavyweight contenders of sin, death, hell and the grave. The Prince of Life took them on all at the same time and He rose with all power and authority in his hands. He took the sting out of death and snatched the victory from the grave when he took the keys from the powers of darkness.
As His sons and daughters, God has given us the same victory and authority over the power of sin, the penalty of sin, death, hell and the grave. We are on the winning side! We can rejoice and know because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, we know NO defeat and we always triumph in Christ! Because we are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), He has also “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). His victories become our victories!
Because we are in Him, we are now like exquisite perfume. We have the scent of Christ’s victory emanating from us. He uses us to share the good news of Jesus Christ and His victories with everyone we meet and in every place we go. We are the trophies of Christ’s victory in this world.
ESPN will pick a city, but know that the residents of the Kingdom of God are the winners and hold the Titletown Award! He fought the battles, but gave us the victory! We are on the winning side!

ONLY WITH YOUR PRESENCE

“Then Moses said,
‘If you don't go with us personally,
don't let us move a step from this place.”
Exodus 33:15
New Living Translation

The presence of God is priceless. His presence is necessary and vital. Without His presence, we are not living, merely existing. Psalm 16:11 says, “in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” In the presence of God is where we can experience completeness and new life sublime.
Moses experienced great and awesome wonders before his very eyes. He had seen the power of God up close and personal. Once the people had made it safely out of Egypt, God further instructed Moses to lead them on into Canaan, the land promised to Abraham years earlier. The Lord told Moses, “But I will not travel along with you, for you are a stubborn, unruly people. If I did, I would be tempted to destroy you along the way." This must have terrified Moses. He would have to journey through the wilderness with an estimated two million people who murmured and complained at the drop of a hat. They were a rebellious bunch and quickly disobeyed the laws and ordinances of God. Not only that, but upon arriving in Canaan, they would still have to defeat the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The scope of the task and responsibility must have been quite daunting. Immediately Moses surmised that in his own strength the assignment was far beyond his capabilities as a leader. Moses recognized the only way he would be able to complete the assignment is that God must personally escort the people.
God has given each one of us an assignment and mandate to complete while here on this earth. If what you are doing can be done in your own strength and ability, it is most likely not your God-given assignment and potentially useless in light of eternity. You only get credit for completing what you were assigned to do. Not only that but it must be accomplished in and by the power and strength of God. Everything is ordinary without His presence. But, with his presence everything becomes extraordinary!
As you start your day today, do you really want to face what is ahead without the presence of God? You may not have to lead millions of people through the wilderness, but whatever God has assigned to you, realize you need His presence to go with you. Regardless of the task, great or small, do not move one step without the assurance of knowing that God is going with you. Always say, “Yes, Lord, but only with Your Presence."

RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP?

“And when he [Herod] had gathered all the chief priests and

scribes of the people together, he demanded
of them where Christ should be born. And they
said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea:
for thus it is written by the prophet.”
Matthew 2:4-5 ~ King James Version

It is possible to know a lot of facts about a person and still never really know them. Knowing facts about a person is a far cry from being intimate with them. You may know my name, address, birthdate, occupation, husband’s name and children’s names and never really know who I am. In order, to know someone, you must spend time with them and develop a heart relationship and not just head knowledge.
When the wise men came to Jerusalem to enquire about the Christ child, the news of the birth of a king greatly disturbed Herod and all of Jerusalem. It is amazing that a king was intimidated by an infant! The angel of Lord warned Joseph that he should take Mary and the child and flee to Egypt because Herod would seek to destroy him (Matthew 2:13).
Herod’s fear drove him to gather the chief priests and scribes to learn more information about the exact location of the King of the Jews. What is very interesting is that when asked, the religious leaders had the right answer! They did not request more time to go and search the scrolls. They immediately answered “in Bethlehem of Judaea.” They knew the prophet Micah prophesied, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5:2). How is it that the religious leaders knew the exact location of their King, yet they never made any movement in the direction of Bethlehem? They never moved to the location where the word of God clearly stated He would be.
These religious people were very familiar with the prophecies, yet they did not acknowledge the Christ as their Messiah. They had a lot of religion, but no relationship with the God of the Bible. For a fact, one can quote the scriptures about God and still never know God! James 2:19 says, “…even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!” The religious leaders were experts in the law and the prophets, yet they failed to follow the star that shined so brightly from the east for the wise men.
It is great to go to church, read devotions, and serve in the church, but it is more important to KNOW GOD and have an intimate relationship with Him. It is great to exegete the word, know hermeneutics and homiletics… but do you see His star? Even more importantly, are you following His star? Our desire should be to not only know about Him, but to know Him!

AN EAR TO HEAR AND A HEART TO OBEY

“Then while it is [still] called Today,
if you would hear His voice and when you hear it,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion
[in the desert, when the people provoked
and irritated and embittered God against them].”
Hebrews 3:15 ~The Amplified Bible

Can you remember your parents giving you instructions to do something but you didn’t do it? A few minutes later, they would say, “Did you hear me? Or “You must have not heard me?” Have you ever wondered why they didn’t ask, “Why haven’t you obeyed me?” In Hebrew, ‘to hear’ actually means ‘to hear intelligently with implication of attention, obedience.’ Our obedience determines if we have actually heard.
The children of Israel repeatedly disobeyed God’s voice. Numbers 14:11 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?” After all God had done for the people, they still murmured, complained and disobeyed. God said they were ‘stiffnecked and hard of heart.’ They provoked God by turning a deaf ear to the counsel and wisdom of God. Not only did they disobey, but they totally discounted all the promises God had assured them. Their distrust and disobedience was an open affront to God and clearly displayed their lack of hearing.
For some it is hard to fathom the disobedience of the children of Israel after all the mighty miracles they had seen performed right before their very eyes; they had seen the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, the Red Sea parting and they walked across on dry ground, bitter waters of Marah made drinkable and the manna from heaven. Yet, they chose not to listen, obey and trust.
Before we come down to hard on the Israelites, let’s evaluate our own hearing. What has the Lord been saying to you? Do your actions reflect obedience to the instructions or admonitions? Provoking and irritating God is not wise, AT ALL!
Moses interceded, God reproved them, they repented, they sinned again. The cycle repeated, until finally, they irritated and embittered God so that He killed thousands instantly for their rebellion and the others he left to wander in the wilderness until they died. Proverbs 29:1 says, “HE WHO, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed--and that without remedy.” Today, while you hear the instruction of God, will you have an ear to hear and a heart to obey? “He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit is saying!”
TODAY, when he speaks, hear him and do whatever He says. Delayed obedience is simply disobedience in slow motion! The promise is given that if we are willing and obedient when we hear Him, we will eat the good of the land. Hear & Obey!

STAND BEFORE THE LORD for your SPOUSE

“When Abigail saw David,
she quickly got off her donkey and
bowed down before David with
her face to the ground.”
I Samuel 25:23
New International Version

Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, sanctioned by God and is to be held in high regard and esteem. Genesis 2:24 says, ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.’ The divorce rate is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among believers. Matthew 19:6 says, “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Husbands and wives are co-laborers in the marriage. In order to succeed, both must be in agreement and in alignment to God’s word. However, what should a spouse do when the other walks contrary to the things of God or perhaps is just unwise? The first thing is to stand before the Lord in prayer.
The story of Nabal and Abigail is a great example and gives great insight to standing before the Lord for a spouse. The Bible says that Abigail was ‘intelligent and of good understanding,’ but her husband was ‘harsh, cruel and mean in all of his doings.’ Also, from this account we learn while David and his men were in the wilderness they protected Nabal’s men and livestock without harming or stealing from them. It came the time for sheering the sheep and David sent messengers to Nabal to request food and provisions for his men. Rather than replying with generosity, Nabal responded foolishly, as his name implies [Nabal means ‘fool’]. He refuses David and begins to rail on him.
Upon hearing his response, David vows to kill Nabal and all of his men by sundown! One of the servants tells Abigail of the recent events and she responds quickly and with great wisdom. She prepares all the food and provisions and sets off to meet David. When she finally meets David, she presents all the food to him and kneels down before him and asks that he not kill her husband and servants. She humbles herself, putting herself in harm’s way for the life of her husband, a foolish husband, at that. David concedes and Nabal’s life is spared because Abigail behaved wisely and stood before David.
Are you willing to stand before the Lord for your spouse? He/she may be unwise, mean and harsh, but what is your response? Other examples of the spouse interceding on the behalf of the other: Hosea and Gomer and Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 4:25), to name a few.
Are you willing to stand before the Lord for your spouse? For your marriage? God is able to deliver. In the words of a friend, the whales and manatees will be fine… stand before the Lord & save the marriage!

STAND BEFORE THE LORD

“Then the men turned away from there
and went toward Sodom,
while Abraham was
still standing before the LORD.”
Genesis 18:22
New American Standard Version

(Read Genesis 18:17-33)

The role of an intercessor is of vital importance, especially in these last days. An intercessor is someone who goes before the Lord on behalf of someone else that needs help from Almighty God. They cry out to God to be merciful and gracious to someone else. In most cases, it is prayer for those whose situations or circumstances need the mercy and grace of God’s immediate attention.
God’s word says that he will return to judge the earth. This promise is as sure as His judgment was against the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are many who are not ready to stand before a righteous Judge in peace. Eternal destinies lay in the balance. These souls are in need of an intercessor. It may be a spouse, child, relative, or dear friend. Are you willing to continue standing before the Lord on behalf of someone else?
After the Lord told Abraham of his plans to destroy the city, Abraham stood before the Lord and began to intercede for the righteous of the city. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family lived in Sodom. He petitioned God to spare the city if he could find fifty righteous people. God agreed to his request, if in fact, he could find fifty righteous. Abraham must have considered the wickedness of the city and decided to decrease the number of his request to spare the city to multiple times until he arrived at ten. As we read, the city was destroyed, however, Abraham’s nephew and his family was given the opportunity to escape. They were taken from the city because righteous Abraham stood before the Lord. God honored his request so much that the angel told Lot, “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there” (Genesis 19:22). What an impact Abraham’s intercession had upon God and what a benefit for Lot! Intercession is close to God’s heart.
It can be so easy to only pray about our own needs and forget about those who need someone to stand in the gap for them. Do you have family members who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior? Are you willing to stand before the Lord and continue standing in fervent prayer for your family? Your church? Your city? Your nation? Are you in right standing with God to intercede on behalf of someone else? Jude 1:7 exhorts us to remember the fate of Sodom as an example of the eternal punishment of the wicked. Let us also remember and follow the actions of Father Abraham and stand before the Lord for our loved ones and for the world. Stand before the Lord and ask Him to save from the wrath to come!

IT'S ALL OUT WAR!

"Watch ye,
stand fast in the faith,
quit you like men, be strong."
I Corinthians 16:13
The American Standard Version

We are in a war! Not just in Iraq, but in spiritual warfare. War is not for the faint of heart, cowardly or fearful. Our enemy, the Devil, will not give up, until at last, he is cast into the bottomless pit! Once you name the name of Christ, it’s all out war. Throughout the scripture, we are warned to be on guard against the tricks, plots, schemes and wiles of the enemy. I Peter 5:8 says, “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” He is not playing ‘pick-up-sticks’ with you; Satan is out to utterly consume you!
Ultimately, the battle has already been fought and the victory won over 2,000 years ago on Calvary’s cross! Jesus fought the battle and gave us the victory. However, we must yet be sober minded and vigilant, lest the enemy come and steal our faith in God.
We are instructed in the word of God to watch. But, what are we to watch? Almost every single scripture reference regarding this refers to watching for the coming of the Lord. Why is it important to watch for the coming of the Lord? Mark 13:35 says, “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.” If we are watching for the Lord, we will be ready when he comes. In watching, we will not enter into temptation or be ignorant of Satan’s devices.
Paul’s next directive is to stand fast in the faith. In these last days, there are various FALSE doctrines that may sound right, but we are to ‘contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to the saints' (Jude 1:3). We cannot waiver in our faith, but stand firm, persevere, persist and keep our feet rooted and grounded in the faith. In your faith and all that it teaches be absolutely firm, absolutely unyielding.
The phrase, “quit ye like men” is a military term that means, ‘to behave courageously; do not let yourself become wimpish, a weasel, a girly-man! Be real, authentic, a credit to your company.’ You cannot quit at every turn and be weary and faint in this battle. In today’s vernacular, Paul was saying, “MAN-UP!”
Finally, Paul says ‘be strong’. The tense, mood and voice render the text, “you be strong and keep on becoming strong!” It is not advice, it is a direct order. In this war, we must learn to strengthen ourselves in the Lord through His word.
Whether we like it or not, It’s all out war! So, “be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him which His boundless might provides” (Ephesians 6:10).

SETTLED ON THE LEES

“Moab hath been at ease from his youth,
and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied

from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone
into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him,
and his scent is not changed.”
(Jeremiah 48:11)
King James Version

The majority of Jeremiah’s prophesies were to Israel and Judah, but God also gave him prophecies against the surrounding kingdoms. This fulfills the ministry given to the prophet in Jeremiah 1:5-10 that calls him to be a prophet to the nations. In particular, Jeremiah prophesied against the nation of Moab. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Lot and his two daughters escaped God’s judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. The daughters got their father drunk and had an incestuous relationship with him producing Moab and Ammon.
The Moabites were prosperous and arrogant. Jeremiah 48:7 says of Moab, “Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive.” The Moabites had begun with ease, continued with ease and were established in ease. They never pressed in; they were a complacent, lukewarm, passive people, as well as prideful and arrogant regarding their wealth and accomplishments. The phrase ‘settled on his lees’ alludes to wine where the husks of the grape, and other waste parts of the berry were left to settle in the bottom of the vessel. Left alone, the dregs will infect the wine with a coarse, earthy, unpleasant taste, which spoils the wine making it scarcely
drinkable. Spiritual lees could be pride, covetousness, hypocrisy, worldliness, etc. Moab was also guilty of not being poured from vessel to vessel. Once the lees have settled the remaining juice must be gently poured into another vessel. If not poured, the fermentation of the dregs will produce yeast and ruin the wine and the vessel. This can be likened to the process of sanctification in the life of the believer. The result of not being poured out (the self-life or flesh), or not being sanctified, is the taste of the old man remains the same and the scent does not change. Our lives are likened to wine. God is our wine taster. Have you settled on your lees and not allowed progressive sanctification to occur? Not only will God judge the Moabites, but Zephaniah 1:12 says, “I, the LORD, will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish those who are satisfied with themselves.”
Have you allowed yourself to become complacent and satisfied in your walk with God? Have you allowed God to pour you from one vessel to another? In 2 Timothy 4:6 the Apostle Paul says, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering.” Never allow yourself to be stagnant or complacent settled on the lees. But rather always yield to the pouring of God into a new vessel.

PRESS ON

“I press on toward the goal unto the prize

of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14

The American Standard Version

The Apostle Paul was a high class, zealous Jew who had abandoned and counted worthless all his legal righteousness to accept Christ as the Messiah simply by faith. He outlines his rich heritage and genealogy in the previous verses. Paul had quite impressive credentials; he was a man of pedigree. Paul states clearly that if heritage alone was able to save then he could boast more than most. Yet, he counts all this as dung, or rubbish. Paul also understood that Christ has ‘laid hold’ of him (v. 12). However, he also realized that he had not attained and that he had to ‘lay hold’ of Christ. He realized he had to press to lay hold on the high calling God had purposed for him To press means to "to seek after eagerly, earnestly; to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after." The apostle who heard the voice of God call out to him on the road to Damascus and who wrote most of the new testament did not become complacent or passive about his relationship with God. He was in hot pursuit or in the press to reach the prize of the upward call. Paul did not rest or rely on his heritage or the initial encounter with God, but continued to pursue, run after and press on to receive the prize of intimacy with Christ.
In Colossians 1:29 Paul says, "I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me." His goal was to press on to perfection, or maturity, to the point where he was wanting. This maturity meant that nothing else was necessary to completeness or wholeness. Paul understood this pressing on was first for him, but also so that by his preaching and teaching he could present every man mature in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). Are you pressing on to know Christ or resting on your laurels? To rest on your laurels is an idiom that means to ‘rely on one's past achievements instead of working to maintain or advance one's status or reputation’. We should not settle for yesteryear’s experiences or revelations. We should be like the Psalmist who said, "My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You" (Psalm 63:8). You must press into God and the things of God to press on to maturity. Develop and maintain your prayer life, a fasted lifestyle, and study of the Word of God. Desire God. Let this be your confession, ‘with my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early’ (Isaiah 26:9).

GO GET YOUR STUFF!

“Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone; young and old, sons and daughters. He recovered the valuable things and everything the Amalekites had taken.”
1 Samuel 30:19
New Century Version

Click here to
Read 1 Samuel 30:1-31

While David was on the run from Saul, he decided to dwell in the land of the Philistines (I Samuel 27:1). David found favor with Achish, king of Gath, who granted David and his men permission to dwell in Ziklag. The Philistines were preparing to fight against Israel and Achish enlisted the services of David and his men to fight against their own countrymen. Although David had found favor with Achish, the other princes of the Philistines did not trust David to war against his own people. So, David was dismissed from the ranks.
Upon arriving at Ziklag, he found the city burned, valuables plundered and all the women and children taken captive by the Amalekites. After traveling three days, the sight was the last thing David and his men expected to find. Knowing their families were being held captive, seeing their homes burned and suffering from exhaustion, the men were devastated and overwhelmed. The men were so grievously distressed over the lost of their loved ones, they spoke of stoning David.
David’s wives were taken captive too and he must have felt responsible for what had happened. Yet, David ‘encouraged himself in the Lord his God’ (I Samuel 30:6) and began to inquire of the Lord. The Lord gave him instructions to, “Pursue: for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all” (I Samuel 30:8). The New Century Version says, David took his men and fully recovered the valuable things and absolutely nothing was missing. The enemy can have the things that are not valuable. Let him keep that! You have no need for them. But, the salvation of loved ones, joy and peace are valuable and worth the recovery mission.
Has the enemy invaded and taken your marriage, children, or finances captive? How about your joy? Peace of mind? Prayer life? What is the word of the Lord for your particular situation? Go get you’re your stuff! We don’t go in our own strength and own ability, but in the authority of the Lord’s Christ. We go in the authority of the name that is above every name, the name of JESUS.
How do you get your stuff? You get it through prayer and communion with the Father. Our means of warfare is not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. Get on your knees and fight like a man! Pursue God and go get your stuff back!

IMPORTUNITY

“I say unto you, Though he will not rise
and give him because he is his friend,
yet because of his importunity he will arise
and give him as many as he needeth.”
Luke 11:8
American Standard Version

The word importunity in other versions is translated ‘shameless persistence.’ In this text, Jesus, had been instructing his disciples about prayer. Jesus then tells the story of a man who goes to a friend’s house at midnight to borrow food to feed unexpected guests. The friend answers, but will not get up to give him the bread. The man is persistent and will not take “No” for an answer so he continues to call out shamelessly to his friend. Jesus says although the man will not get up to give him bread on the basis of their friendship alone, he will give him the bread because of his persistence.
We learn that an important element of prayer is persistence, or importunity. Importunity also carries with it the element of urgency and necessity. E.M. Bounds says of importunate prayer, “It is the ability to hold on, press on, and wait. Restless desire, restful patience, and strength of grasp are all embraced in it. It is not an incident, or a performance, but a passion of soul. It is not a want, half-needed, but a sheer necessity.” This type prayer goes beyond passing whims and glib requests. Importunate prayer has tenacity and perseverance interlaced with shamelessness that will never cease until the petition is answered.
In this hour, every believer must be fully engaged in importunate prayer, not for corruptible things but for things eternal. This prayer is not to twist God’s arm or force Him to give us our whims and wishes but rather to see His kingdom come in the earth even as it is in heaven. We cannot ‘keep silent and must give him no rest, till he establish and make his people a praise in the earth’ (Isaiah 62:6-7). We must continue to pray until all of His pleasure is fulfilled in the earth. The lesson found here in Luke 11:5-8 and its companion parable in Luke 18:1-8, teaches us that “If a bad man (or an indifferent friend will yield to the mere force of an importunity, which he hates, how much more will a righteous God be prevailed upon by the powerful prayer which he loves.”
Don’t faint in prayer! Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Cry out to him for the salvation of your loved ones, for manifested healing in your body, for deliverance from adversity. Importunity will not yield to weariness, impatience, discouragement, or fear. Whatever the situation may be, go to God in importunate prayer and never give up or lose heart until you see God’s perfect will manifested!

RIGHTEOUSNESS & CONTENTMENT

“And then he prayed,
"God, I'm asking for
two things before I die;
don't refuse me.”
Proverbs 30:7
The Message Bible

Although the authorship of Proverbs is usually attributed to Solomon, chapter thirty is written by a person named Agur. Not much is known about Agur, only that he is the son of Jakeh. Even though much is not known about him, this wise sage offers two petitions which are quite thought provoking. The two requests are not because he is on his death bed, but he desires this favor upon his life until the time comes for his death.
The first request, in general, is that he might be delivered from sin. In particular, he requests that God will deliver him from deception, lies and falsehood. He did not want to have empty thoughts, words or actions. He requests that he be delivered from all sorts of sinful acts. The request resembles the petition in Matthew 6:13 that says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” How many people make excuses for deception or ‘little white lies.’ Oh, that we would be delivered from falsehood, flattery, unprofitable thoughts and worthless words! Matthew 12:36 says “And I tell you that on the Judgment Day people will be responsible for every careless thing they have said.” Agur asks for purity of heart and mind.
The second petition is just as profound as the first. Agur asks that he not be given poverty so that he won’t have to steal and bring shame on the name of the Lord. Proverbs 10:15 says, “but the need of the poor is what destroys them.” But, he also goes on to request that he NOT be given riches! Agur says riches may cause him to trust in his wealth and see his fortune as a refuge instead of God. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Matthew 6:22 says, the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word and cause the hearer to be unfruitful. Agur wants only what is ‘convenient’ or his ‘prescribed portion’.
We can learn from this insightful petition to desire righteousness and contentment. Agur was aware of his sinfulness and did not deny it. He was also aware of going to extremes, so he requested balance. As believers, we don’t make allowances and excuses for sin, but rather repent and desire cleansing of the flesh and spirit so that we can perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. I Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Desire righteousness and just enough satisfy your needs.