Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Answer The Same Way

Grace and peace.

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to give a reflection to the congregation. There were a couple of things on my heart to share, but one particular thing just stood out. As I was sharing I believed that I had spoken about what the Lord told me to go with, but as I sat down and begin to reflect on my reflection, I somehow thought that was not the Word for the day. But yesterday and today the Lord began to reveal some things to me. He gave me "revelation" on my reflection. And that is this If God tells you to speak a Word share it. I thought that no one wanted to hear that Word, but God said, maybe not at that moment but that is not for you to decide. Someone may not need it at that moment, but the Word is a living Word and someone will need it when they have a NEED FOR IT. So bless God, I may not have needed it the other day, and maybe someone else might not have needed it the other day, but I needed it today and God knew that and He is faithful. And His Word is yet true! Praise the Lord!

God had me reading the Book of Nehemiah a few weeks ago. And in Chapter 6, vs. 1- 4, it says this... Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. The last verse just stuck with me. Again, it says again, "Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner." The NIV says, "Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer." Hear this: FOUR TIMES, THE SAME MESSAGE. God said this to me, Nehemiah, the prophet of God, was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem for protection from their enemies. He had started this great work back in Chapter 4 and received some opposition, but the opposition went away for a time. How many of you know that the enemy of your soul comes and he opposes you for a while but then he goes away for a season. So Nehemiah received some opposition, but they went away after awhile so he was able to overcome it and kept on building. But after hearing that Nehemiah was close to finishing the wall, his enemies, the enemies of God, Sanballat and Tobiah returned. And after seeing just how close Nehemiah was to completing his great work they try to stop him from finishing by telling him they had to have an important meeting. And each time that Sanballat and Tobiah came back, the Bible says that Nehemiah answered them the same way. He said, "Why should I come down to you? I am doing a great work and I WILL NOT come down." They came to him, FOUR times saying the same thing and each and every time, Nehemiah answered them the same way. "I AM DOING A GREAT WORK and I WILL NOT COME DOWN." God wants you to know that the enemy of your soul is out for your destruction. That work that you are doing for God is a great work. That promise of God that you have been holding on to, is a great promise. That healing that you have been confessing over yourself, or your loved one, is a great healing. That Word from the Lord, that God will provide for you and you shall be the head and not the tail, you shall be above only and not beneath, that your loved ones shall be saved, that your seed shall be mighty in the earth, that's a great Word. God says to hold on. He says to keep confessing. He says to keep believing and waiting patiently on Him. Because the enemy will come. And if he has come and has left, he has only left you for a season. He is coming back. And he is coming back when you are the closest you will ever be to that GREATNESS coming to pass in your life. And each and every time he comes back to you, telling you not to believe, telling you things contrary to the word of God, you MUST answer him the same way you've always have. The same way and in the same manner that has been allowing you the victory up until now. Speaking and believing the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, satan came to him three times trying to stop him from fasting. Essentially Jesus told him, "I AM DOING A GREAT WORK AND WILL NOT COME DOWN." And every time satan came at Him, Jesus answered him the same way. With the Word. Whatever you have spoken to that enemy that lined up with the Word of God, you need to keep telling him the same thing. Be consistent. Be steadfast. Be immovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Keep confessing that Word. And keep telling that enemy "I will not stop believing. I AM DOING A GREAT WORK, I AM BELIEVING A GREAT GOD, AND I WILL NOT STOP." Amen. Hallelujah!

And know this when you do this, your blessing is at hand. Because right after Nehemiah finished that wall, all kinds of things begin to happen for the people of Jerusalem. The wall was completed, and things just started flowing. Their was a revival in the land. Their fellowship with God was restored. The people received the protection and the healing they missed. The city was repopulated. All because Nehemiah, through the grace of God (he acknowledged that God's hand was on him in Chapter 4 - we do nothing on our own). Nehemiah did not stop doing his great work. And did not stop believing his great God.

God is good. And He's real!

Be blessed.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E

Thursday, October 9, 2008

GOOD AFFLICTION

I was reminded of something that the Lord revealed to me a few years ago. The issue actually came up after I received an email about someone texting other Christians about the love of Jesus. For whatever reason, the person that sent the text had the other person's number to text him, but I guess only for certain things?! Anyway, so the person that sent the text began to receive all these emails stating how wrong he was for sending an unsolicited text, an unsolicited text about Jesus Christ, mind you. Come on... we receive countless numbers of emails, text messages, phone calls that we did not solicit, nor do we want. But we receive them anyway. What are you going to do about it, really? We have too much time on our hands and spend too little time on our knees if we get caught up in unsolicited whatevers! Yeah, some people say I am missing the point that you should not send anything unsolicited no matter what it is, and who you are. Christians, included. But you know what when John the Baptist was in the wilderness preaching the gospel, there were plenty who did not want to hear it... he was preaching unsolicited. Nobody (human) asked him to go out there and preach the gospel. He was led by the Spirit. When Jesus told the disciples to go and knock on people's doors to spread the gospel, the people did not ask them to come to their dwellings. They went unsolicited. BUT Jesus sent them. They were led by Him. So bring that to today, if we go out and spread the gospel, and share it with people who did not "ask" for it, by whatever means the Spirit leads us to do so, I have to believe we are being led by the Spirit of God and doing the will of the Lord. Especially if that is your calling. Some of us have that call on us so strong that we just have to share it... with those who will listen and even if with those will will not. But it's like fire shut up in our bones! Jesus told the disciples (and I believe He did so just for us - He has already walked out our steps), if they don't receive you, shake the dust off your feet and move on. So if you believe that you are being led by the Spirit of God and you send an unsolicited text, email, letter, stick a flyer or postcard in the mailbox, or even call somebody, and they are offended by it and don't receive you, shake the dust off your feet and move on.

Now this person that sent the text, the person who received it cursed him out. CURSED HIM OUT. And I will say this about that, in 2 Samuel 16, v. 11-12, And David said to Abishai and all his servants, "See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse. for so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day."

David was being cursed by Shimei, a relative of Saul. In fact the Bible says he was cursing continuously. And it wasn't just insults or words from a foul mouth, he was asking God to destroy David. He threw stones at him. He called him a rogue, which means a "useless piece of trash." He hated David and blamed him for Saul's demise. When hearing that David's men wanted to kill him, that was their response, but David told them to leave him alone.

Two things, one, don't ever get to the point, where you think you can speak to or about the man or woman of God like that and think that you are going to get away with it. It won't happen. God looks out for his leaders. Second thing, David knew enough to know that vengeance is the Lord's. He will repay. He knew that if he endured what was wrong, the cursing and the threatening, and did not take the matter in his own hands, God would avenge him. David thought it was good to be afflicted and believed that the Lord would bless him for it, through it, to make up for what Shimei was doing to him.

The Word says this, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be EXCEEDINGLY glad, for great is your reward in heaven."

Saints, we must endure. Whatever comes our way, for whatever reason, even if you sent an unsolicited text desiring to bless someone and they curse you out for it, let it alone. Shake the dust off and most of all rejoice. Because God sees and He will repay to us (and to them), our just reward!

It was good that I was afflicted that I may know thy statutes! Praise God for good affliction!

Be blessed and encouraged.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E