End of the Desert

If I were to give a round trip ticket to any destination of your choice, where would you go?  Maybe Paris, France!  Or how about an Alaskan trip to see the Northern Lights?  Truth be told, I am not sure anyone would pick the destination of a desert.  If so, I would truly question their mental state.  Why would you want to go to the desert?  It’s incredibly hot!  No quick place to find shelter except in a cave or near a camp fire.  It’s a tiresome walk alone!  No matter where you look or walk it’s bleak, barren, and seems completely lifeless.  All of God's greatest warriors had to walk through the desert to inherit their promise.

Yet, if we truly desire to grow in Christ, we can’t escape the desert.

Sometimes, we wonder if the tests and trials of this life are producing anything.  Or what’s the purpose of all of this?  Is the promise really worth waiting for?  As we try to take another step in the tiresome heat, we grow faint from exhaustion.  Where is God?  Where is He leading me?  Doesn’t He see that my enemy is chasing me! 

Trials do have an end!  Although it may look bleak upon ever turn, God’s still directing your life.  The prophetic promise upon your life isn’t going to be destroyed because the enemy is pursing you.  If anything the tactics of the enemy are being used to prepare your life to take hold of it.  When God truly calls someone’s life; everyone is aware of the anointing upon you.  It can’t be hidden or disguised in your life if God is truly your hearts pursuit.   David’s family saw the oil poured upon his head, the call placed upon his life, and didn’t understand his purpose.  Although David’s fame was recorded for defeating Goliath, his fame wouldn't usher him to the inherit the throne.   

"Isn't this the David the they sang about in their dances: " 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" (I Samuel 29:5) 

If we are to have victory in our lives, we just rely on past victories.  We have to keep relying on the name of the Lord.  Goliath wasn't David's only enemy to defeat, he faced several others before his prophetic calling was fulfilled.  David's enemies wasn't just Goliath or the Philistines, this enemy was someone personal, a member of his family.  David had to try a different strategy to defeat Saul, he had to wait upon the Lord.  David never attacked Saul with vengeance or try to remove the kingdom, although it belong to him.  David was able to defeat Saul because he keep the Lord as His refuge, so his enemy was never able to corner him.  

Although Saul savagely pursued to take David's life; it tested the heart of David in the midst of the desert.  David had to learn how to inquire of the Lord, rest in promised Word, and keep walking when no one is praising your name.  

Besides chasing David in the heat of the desert, he brought 3,000 chosen men to hunt him for four years. (I Samuel 24:1-2)  Another four years David dwelt in Ziglag to avoid Saul's plot, he was working for the enemies-Philistines. (I Samuel 27:1)  No matter where David would run, someone would send word to Saul, so the pursuit would continue.  How do you not lose heart in the heat of the desert?  The desert doesn’t cover the earth; it has an END.  As the finish line blows through the breeze; it awaits to be crossed.  It will only break the moment your feet has crossed it.

Yet, even in the midst of the desert, God will not allow the enemy to have the upper hand.  He will protect your life in the cleft of the rock.  Jesus was FULL OF THE SPIRIT and LED BY THE SPIRIT into the desert after fasting for forty days. (Matthew 4:1)  If the Spirit is leading you into the desert; He will bring you out of it.  The testing of desert did end, the devil was defeated, and Jesus was strengthened after. (Matthew 4:11)

 Besides being David’s father-in-law, Saul, was king of Israel.  Saul had the complete power and authority to destroy David; this was his motive.  It would be nervous enough to have one man to chase you down.  How about 3,000 men chasing you in the desert?  How quickly could you find a refuge?  Or how fast could you out-run them?  Besides being outnumbered, they were trained to disintegrate a person, I would be scared out of my mind.   However, God gave David a perfect view of the situation in 1 Samuel 24:1-10) 

What do you do when your enemy has your back against the wall of the cave?  Wait until God brings your enemy into perfect view!  Saul was reliving himself in the opening of the cave.  Saul was vulnerable, without a weapon, a plan, and only a man.  He couldn’t destroy David who was hiding in the cave; He was secure in the rock. 

    Trials do have an ending point but we don’t know the length; only God does.  However it’s important to keep your spirit right in the desert.  The desert will not only test your character; it will test your heart to keep believing God and His Word.  Don’t allow the enemies whisper rob your prophetic destiny; the desert does END.  Only by Encountering God will you have the power to endure, rest in knowing it will Never destroy God’s purpose, and Deliverance is promised through God.

The Nose Hook of Sin

Sin is sin; it cost our Savior to die whether it was a white lie or murder.  What’s the greatest sin?  Does God have a scale to measure what is the greatest or least committed sin by mankind?  As I was reading Genesis recently; I was very surprised at a verse found in Genesis 6:6, “The Lord was grieved that he made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.”  Have you ever thought of God’s heart filled with pain? It was hurt due to several issues: sons of God were marrying ungodly women, inclinations of the thoughts of heart were ONLY evil, and full of violence; and corrupted there ways. (Genesis 6:1-12)

What people do not understand is our thoughts are just as important as our actions.  Sin is birthed in the mind through our OWN evil desires.  James 1:14-15 records, “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”  Sin destroys not only our relationship with God but with mankind; this is the truth of the commandments.  Yet, sadly it seems we desire to compare our sinful scars or validate ourselves since we haven’t committed someone else’s sinful act.      

    It’s only through the Word of God is sin defined.  “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers-and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.” (I Timothy 1:8-10)  Doesn't it sound like a rough crowd of people?

     Besides sin being defined by God; the Father sent the cure-His Son to die for ALL mankind.  Sin has been committed by all; no one is righteous. (Romans 3:23)  Yet, the penalty of sin has been paid for through the death of Christ.  It’s only through the death of Christ we can be made righteous before God. (Romans 5:19) If you are human, we all have been tempted by sin even our precious Savior was tempted. (Hebrews 4:15) Only Christ is the only one who was tempted in all ways but DIDN’T SIN.  He is our advocate, mediator and high priest who can sympathize with our weakness.  So, we don’t have to be afraid to approach him regardless of the dark deeds we have done, he just wants us to come.

     Although the Apostle Paul describes himself as “the chief of sinners”, scripture is full of some interesting characters who have committed some horrifying actions such as King Manasseh.  King Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord by following the evil practices of the nation. (2 Kings 21:2) What was so evil? Scripture records Manasseh committed the following: rebuilt the high places, erected altars to Baal, made an Asherah pole, he bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshipped them, built altars to the starry hosts in the Lord’s temple, sacrificed his OWN son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. (2 Kings 21:3-6)  Sadly, the list continues through the chapter by leading the children of Israel astray and his sins were GREATER than the Amorites.  God called out to Manasseh but he ignored His voice.  What was going to turn Manasseh’s heart?  Manasseh was pulled by a hook in his nose and shackles into the dungeon of his enemy. (2 Chronicles 33:11) Sin will capture your life with shackles pulling your soul into the chambers of Hell.  As the shackles weighed upon his life; it was leading him to his prison cell.  Was Manasseh getting righteous judgment by God?  Of course, the penalty of sin was to be paid.  God’s holiness will produce righteous judgment but the judgment issued comes from our choices. 

     What if King Manasseh entered our church doors?  How do you think we would respond?  Would we offer grace to this man; a man who murdered his child, committed idolater, and caused the downfall of a nation?  How great is Manasseh’s sin?  It is pretty great; there is no argument here.  Yet, there is something greater!  God’s amazing grace!  God’s grace covered all of Manasseh’s sin, restored his life, and his kingdom.  What captured the heart of God?  It was a heart with humility. (2 Chronicles 33:13)  He sought the favor of the Lord in his distress, truly repented by removing the evil he made, and followed God’s Word.  

The only way to get free from the nose hook of sin is humbly calling upon God.  If we truly are broken over our actions, turn away from our sinful life, and choose to follow Him; it's how repentance is defined.  We can't hide our sinful deeds from God but we can be set free from sin, the dreadful shame removed, and our life restored.  We don't have to walk in bondage to the chambers of destruction with the enemy having a hook to our nose.  Have you committed the same sins as King Manasseh?  Maybe so or maybe not but it doesn't matter what you did.  Christ came to redeem the vilest of all sinners who will call upon His name.  It's time to remove the chains of sin!  Christ died to set you free, so come to Him!

Against All Hope

What’s so wonderful about God’s Word, it preserves us during difficult times.  Difficult times will come to us, life can be very challenging.  Usually during those moments, we begin to question if we are going in the right direction.  Although we heard God clearly, we walked according to His direction but its looks like a dead end.   As we stand in the midst of the wilderness our hearts grow faint, we can’t see the vision as clearly.  Regardless of what direction we turn, we hit a dead end with no signs pointing which direction to take.  It seems hope is losing her light, so start to listen to the voice of the night, “The promise will never come” or “You failed too many times; God’s not going to fulfill it.” As we look around us, it does seem everything is against us.  We being to question, “Will God ever fulfill His promise to me?”

 Our faith in God is what will steady us or bring us to the fulfillment of the promise.  “Without faith it is impossible to please God, we must believe that he exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  What kind of faith pleases God?  Jesus is looking for faith on the earth; do we have what He is searching for?  Faith is more than “believing” God exists, it’s a confidence in the person of God.  Abraham was credit for righteousness for simply his faith in God.  Yet, we need to understand the power of faith, so we can receive what God has promised. 

     Abraham received a promise from God, “He would be the father of many nations” but it wasn’t fulfilled until very late in life.  In fact, Abraham was over 100 years old before this promise was fulfilled.  According to Romans 4:18-22, Abraham considered the facts of the situation: it was against all hope for the promise to come.  Would this child come to him?  In the physical: Abraham was too old, his body was dead.  As Abraham looked at Sarah for hope, it was lost because her womb was closed.  The facts didn’t look very promising but Abraham didn’t allow it to weaken His faith, he believed in God.   We can consider the facts but we need to be confident in the Lord.  Abraham was a friend of God, so he was confident in the person of God. 

     Satan desires for us to grow weak in our faith, so we will give up.  He will whisper doubt into your heart but resist him by shouting the promise of God.  Write the promise on the tablet of your heart, so faith will arise.  Faith comes only by hearing and hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)  If we are to move the mountains, we have to be confident in the Rock.  A relationship with God will sustain us in the pilgrimage.  God’s is still our present help, His power will deliver us.  When all hope seems bleak, God has the greatest opportunity to perform the miracle.  We can’t fulfill His promise; we have to allow God to do it.  Our hearts may grow weary; strengthen it by nourishing it with the Word.  Although Abraham didn't have the written Word, he received a spoken Word from God.  In either case, God will complete it even if we failed the test.  Abraham obeyed God’s direction but he failed God during the waiting period.  Abraham and Sarah became very impatient, so they decided to have a child with another woman, Hagar.  When the child was born, it brought heartache and discord into the house.  So much in fact, Sara removed Hagar and Ishmael out of the house.   Also, it split a nation.  So, it’s worth waiting for God’s hand to bring it to fulfillment.    Yet, he didn't stop believing God's spoken promise to his life.

     The power of God hasn't changed, we can rest assured God will supply everything we need.  Although we haven’t seen the promised fulfilled in the physical, glorify God that it’s coming.  If we want to move the hand of God, we have to move the heart of God.  Our confidence in His power and His promise will get God’s attention.  Our faith is what He is looking for.  It’s a faith unwilling to yield to doubt or unbelief, it believes although it’s against all hope.