Treasure in Vessels

(2 Cor 4:7 NLT) We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

This morning we continue by continuing to discuss Paul: his life and his teachings. I trust you have been blessed by learning from Paul. Paul, to me, epitomized the "Warrior Spirit." He endured seemingly insurmountable challenges and not only did he NOT lose heart, but he also urged us to do the same.

We have already learned that Paul opened the fourth chapter of his second letter to the church at Corinth with the words: "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." In that same chapter he goes on to share with us our focus text. Early on in my Christian journey I memorized this verse from the traditional King James Version, which reads: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." To be honest, I memorized the words, but I really did not understand the message. But now, after many years of study and after learning more about Paul's tumultuous journey, I better understand his writings. Furthermore, I have also leveraged more modern translations like the New Living (quoted above) and the Contemporary English Version, which reads: "We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us." As I taught on this a little last night at my life group reading scripture from different translations and looking up the meanings of the words in the original Hebrew and Greek have helped a great deal. I then couple that with my own Christian experience and my life becomes a confirming witness to the scriptures I seek to live by.

The picture Paul paints for us is one of a container (a jar) which holds a precious commodity. We are the container and the Holy Spirit Himself is the precious prize. But the picture is not as simple as a jar and its contents. In this case the jar does not just contain the precious prize, it is actually empowered by it. We don't just house the Holy Spirit, but He literally equips, enables, empowers, and employs us to do the Father's work in the earth. The reason Paul could unreservedly say that "We do not lose heart" is because he knew that we are not just living off of our own power. Human ability alone is very limited. I am convinced that Paul could not have endured all that he did on his own. Without the power of the Holy Spirit Paul would have 'thrown in the towel' well before he accomplished all he did. But since Paul had God's power flowing in and through him, he was able to supernaturally persevere and perform. Paul plainly states, in our verse today, that the power is from God, not from us.

So what does this mean to you to you? A few things:

1. The Holy Spirit gives you His presence: You don't have to face your challenges alone. He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

2. The Holy Spirit gives you His power: God's ability, on your ability, enables you to do what you could not do based upon your ability alone.

3. The Holy Spirit gives you His peace: The peace of God is a peace that passes all human understanding. Paul experienced this peace and so can we. This peace enables us to remain calm in the midst of any storm. If you have a Warrior Spirit, you will need this peace to keep you when it seems like everything is going haywire in your life.

Father, I thank You for filling me with Your precious Holy Spirit. Your Spirit, in me, guarantees me Your presence. I know I am never alone so I don't have any need to fear. NO FEAR HERE! You Spirit gives me access to Your power. Your super, on my natural, enables me to operate in the supernatural. I know that the true power comes from You and not me. I rely on Your power daily. I do what You have blessed me to do, and I then BELIEVE for the rest. And lastly, Your Spirit gives me Your peace. Your peace cannot be figured out. Even when it seems like I should be at my wit's end, I keep going, I hold on, I persevere, I continue, because Your peace gives me the serenity to endure any challenge and to remain focused every step of the way! In Jesus' name. Amen

We Do Not Lose Heart

(2 Cor 4:1 NIV) Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

This morning we continue our mini-series entitled “Renewing a Warrior Spirit” by continuing to discuss Paul: his life and his teachings. As we read Paul’s writings we are encouraged, uplifted, edified, and instructed. But when we realize that he wrote a great deal of his letters while enduring significant challenge, and some while incarcerated, it adds more depth to the significance of his endless enthusiasm. If anyone had a Warrior Spirit it was Paul; and he, if anyone, needed a Warrior Spirit to do what he did.

It’s remarkable what you can accomplish in life if you resolve to never quit and to resist every temptation to get bitter when things don’t go your way.

If you study the lives of those that God used mightily you will find that they were able to accomplish what they did, not because of the absence of opposition, but because of their determination to continue-on through the opposition, trusting God every step of the way. The enemy knows that he can’t really stop us, but he make every attempt to discourage us so that we stop ourselves by quitting. Paul refused to quit and he urges us to do the same.

Yesterday we discussed Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth and we led up to the fourth chapter. The opening verse of the fourth chapter says, “Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” In an attempt to make sure we understand what Paul is saying I will share this same verse from a couple of other translations. The New Living Translation reads: “Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.” The Contemporary English Version reads: “God has been kind enough to trust us with this work. That's why we never give up.” Let’s highlight a few things from this verse:

Through God’s mercy: While Paul arguably accomplished more than any other apostle and more than any other believer during the first century of Christianity, he made every effort to remain humble. Paul understood that he was where he was, and we are where we are, by the grace and mercy of God. Paul had committed his fair share of mistakes and he persecuted the church with fervor and fire before his conversion experience. He was ever thankful for the mercy of God and so should we. Don’t allow pride to cause you to cross over into arrogance.

We have this ministry: I like the fact that he said “we” and not “I.” Like Paul, we too have a ministry and that ministry is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Now, you may not ever stand behind a pulpit, but rest assured that your life is preaching every day. What type of message if your life sending? Are you shining as light or are you allowing the challenges of life to keep your flame dim? You have way too much to accomplish, before you die, to allow days to go by without being productive. You have an assignment, get to it!

We do not lose heart: When you think about the mercy of God (how you should have been consumed by now) and the assignment God has for your life (with all that He expects from you), you just CAN’T give up. The Greek word used here for “lost heart” means: to turn out a coward; to lose one’s courage; then to be fainthearted, to faint, or to despond in view of trial, difficulty, etc. Paul was not disheartened, discouraged, or deterred by the difficulties he faced and neither must you. The consciousness of being entrusted with such a ministry animated him and the mercy and grace of God sustained him. The same can and should be said of you!

Father, I thank You for Your grace. You have given me much more than I deserve. I also thank You for Your mercy. You have withheld from me much of the punishment that I do deserve. It is only by Your grace and mercy that I am still alive and still available to be used of You. You looked past my failures and flaws and You still gave me an assignment in life. I take this assignment seriously and I am determined to accomplish it before I die. I have a ministry and I will get busy performing it. I am too focused on performing Your will to quit. I do not lose heart, turn coward, faint, or shrink in the face of opposition. I know You are on my side and You are more than the entire world against me. Together we move forward today – BY FAITH! In Jesus’ name. Am

An Attitude of Thanksgiving!

(1st Thes 5:16-18 NIV) Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

This morning we continue by continuing to discuss Paul: his life and his teachings. Yesterday we looked at the fact that Paul taught us to focus in on the overwhelming victory we have in Christ, even in spite of trouble, calamity, persecution, hunger, destitution, danger, and threats of death. Make no mistake, this is not an easy thing, but it is a necessary thing. Sure, it's awesome to be able to avoid a challenge altogether. When the Father delivers us from something, resulting in smooth sailing, it is definitely a time to sing praises to Him. But what about those times that He doesn't and we wind up enduring the challenge? We have already seen how Paul faced considerable opposition to his life's assignment. So what did he do? Did he cry "Woe is me!"? Or did he take his stumbling blocks and turn them into stepping-stones? We all know by know what he did, but this morning I want to share with you one of the reasons I believe he was able to do it. I am convinced that one of Paul's secrets to maintaining the right attitude was:

THANKSGIVING!

It's hard to be mad while you are praising God. It's hard to be upset while you are allowing thanksgiving to flow from your lips. When you look at the writings of Paul you see a man who was always encouraging others and he often encouraging them to be thankful. His relationship with the Father enabled him to maintain Joy and Peace (Rom 15:13), even while in prison for preaching, while recovering from the physical abuse he endured for the gospel, and while on long missionary journeys in which he encountered all sorts of dangers.

Maintaining an attitude of thanksgiving is an essential part of developing a Warrior Spirit. When you are faced with challenges the enemy will attempt to flood your mind with thoughts like: "You see, God does not love you anymore;" "God could have protected you from this, but He didn't. Why should you continue to worship Him? He is not there for you anymore;" or "Is it really worth it? Why don't you just give up and die? Take your own life, God is not pleased with you anymore and you are not doing anything production with your life... end it!" While the enemy cannot make us do anything, he can sure suggest many things. And if we listen to his suggestions too long it is easy to get bitter. This is where thanksgiving comes in!

In Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica he taught them about living a life that pleases God. In his closing remarks (our text) he said,

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

How do we live a life that is pleasing to God? By maintaining our joy, by keeping an active prayer life, and by giving thanks to God IN all circumstances. Now, notice that he said "IN" all circumstances and not "FOR" all circumstances. Not everything that happens is good and we will not like everything that we face, but we should have the confidence in God, because of our relationship with Him, to know that 'at the end of the day' we will still come out on top. It is because we know that God can get good out of any situation that we are able to give Him thanks IN it, although we don't always give Him thanks FOR it.

So what does this mean to you It means that as you walk with God you will not always get what you expect and you may not always get what you want, but you can have confidence in Him enough to know that when it is all said and done, you will not be disappointed. You don't always understand things when you are going through them, but as you look back you are able to see how God worked in it.

So my message to you is not to wait until it is over to be excited! Get excited now! Expect the situation to work out for your good and give Him praise!

Father, I may not always like my circumstances. I may not even be able to thank You FOR my them, but I declare that I will thank You IN them. I know that when it is all said and done, the situations I face will work out for my good, so instead of waiting until I see it to say it, I praise You now! I am excited NOW! I am expectant NOW! I am joyful NOW! I have peace NOW! Instead of becoming bitter, I get better, because I learn to keep thanksgiving on my lips no matter what I face! In Jesus' name. Amen!

Finding Good in the Bad

Rom 8:28 NLT And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.


This morning we continue by continuing to discuss Paul: his life and his teachings. Yesterday we looked at the remarkably challenging things Paul faced in his lifetime. What Paul endured could have easily broken the average person's spirit. If he lived today and he faced all the things he faced, the common trend would be to recommend Paul to a therapist. However, Paul did not rely on a therapist, but rather on the greatest counselor - the Holy Spirit Himself. But even with the insight, wisdom, guidance, and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it is no question that Paul required a Warrior Spirit to handle all the adversity he endured and especially to remain upbeat and positive along the way. Not only did Paul allow God to encourage him as he lived his life, but he was a conduit of encouragement everywhere he went. In spite of the difficulties he faced Paul was determined to be a blessing to others and he was. Paul is the epitome of not allowing your 'external' to dictate your 'internal;' and of not allowing the enemy to steal your joy.

In Paul's letter to the believers in Rome he gives us some insight to what kept him going. we looked at the passage where he said: "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us" (8:37). The traditional King James Version reads: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." The phrase "more than conquerors" is often quoted, but many believers don't understand the context. Both the King James and New Living translations use the words "all these things." The obvious question is: what are the things Paul is referring to? The answer is found back in the 35th verse, where Paul said: "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?" The "all these things" are: trouble, calamity, persecution, hunger, destitution, danger, and threats of death. One translation says "IN" all these things, and the other translation says "DESPITE" all these things, but the message is basically the same.

As believers we may face challenges, but we can rest assured that God will equip, enable, and empower us to not only endure them, but to overcome them, by faith!

Paul set the stage for this conversation - about the challenges we may face as believers and the reality that even in spite of the challenges that we can have overwhelming victory in Christ - with the following statement:

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them" (v.28).

Now, don't misunderstand this to mean that God does all the bad things; we have an enemy that is more than proficient all coming up against us. No, while God may not literally cause the challenges to happen, He can definitely cause them to work together for our good. In other words, He can use what the enemy meant as bad things, and get good out of them.

So what does this mean to you? It means that God can find good, even in the worst situations, and help you to bring that good to the forefront of your focus so that you can have internal peace, a positive outlook, and great expectations for the future.
Father, I thank You for blessing me to develop a Warrior Spirit that is resilient, persistent, and unwaveringly positive. I know that You can see to it that all things - even challenging things - work together for my good and I trust that You will. Even when facing difficult situations and even when I am not sure what good can come out of it, I will look to You and I will be led of Your Spirit to find the good in the bad. I will not allow my external to dictate my internal. I live my life from the inside out and my inside is full of Joy and Peace, because it is filled by Your Spirit. I have a positive outlook and great expectations for the future! In Jesus' name.

Are You Convinced that He Loves You?

Are You Convinced that He Loves You?

(Rom 8:35 NLT) Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

So far we have discussed Shammah, David, Paul and the three Hebrew Boys. We have learned a great deal from each and I have been careful to highlight characteristics they possessed that we should emulate. What has been noticeably absent as we have studied their lives is the practice of questioning and complaining. At no point did we see Shammah throw up his hands and say, “God why have you allowed these Philistines to attack us?” Or David say, “Wait a minute God, you anointed me to be the next king of Israel, so why have I been on the run for years?” Or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego say, “God, why did you allow those accusations to be filed against us? We were living just fine before that happened.”

And then we have Paul. If anyone ever had what some would consider a “right” to complain you could definitely make the argument that it was Paul. Paul was subjected to the practice of 39 lashes with a cat of 9 tails (what Jesus endured) on five different occasions, three times he was beaten with rods, three times he was shipwrecked, one time he spent and entire night and day adrift in the open sea, and once he was even stoned. Not to mention the fact that he spent a good portion of his time in prison.

So what did he do while he was enduring all of this? Did he whine and complain? Did he point the finger at God? Did he blame God for all that he faced? No, he traveled, worked, preached, taught, mentored, ministered, and in the process somehow found the time to write half the New Testament. And if you read his writings you would be amazed to see that he said some of the most positive things while enduring some of the most negative circumstances.

Did Paul have a Warrior Spirit? Absolutely! And I believe it was because he was convinced of God’s unfailing love towards him. Make no mistake, the fact that you are facing a challenge does not mean that God does not love you anymore or that He has abandoned you. In our text Paul asks a question; he says, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?” Think about that for a moment. He then goes on to ask, “Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego where threatened with death did it mean that God no longer loved them? Did it mean that they had done something wrong and were somehow being punished for it? Did it mean that God had turned His back on them and forsaken them? Of course not! Paul considers all of this and goes on to say: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We will talk more about this tomorrow.

So what does this mean to you ? It means that God loves you and you would do well in settling the issue of His love in your heart. Over the last few days I have talked to people who were facing illness, injury, false accusations, and marital challenges. When faced with challenges many question God and say, “Father, where are you in all of this?” But if the enemy can get you to question God’s love, he can get you to doubt. You need a Warrior Spirit that says, “I am convinced that God loves me and that He will see me through this!”

Father, You are amazing and I love You with all my heart. Especially because You love me, even in spite of me. You looked past my faults, flaws, and failures and You still love me. Thank You for attempting to make a holy garment from me, flawed material. I am convinced You love me and I will not allow challenging circumstances to cause me to question Your love. You will never leave nor forsake me – I am convinced of that – and since You are with me, I know You will see me through any challenge! Let’s face today together Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Three Hebrew Boys (Part V)

Dan 3:25 NIV) He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

Today we continuing with the story of the Three Hebrew Boys. In the last message we left off the story with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Yes, even though they honored God with their righteous efforts in an unrighteous land, even though they took their stand of faith and refused to worship an idol, even though they spoke the language of faith when confronted by the king Nebuchadnezzar's threat, and even though they remained in faith when the king turned up the heat, at the end of the day they were still thrown in the fire. No, God did not deliver them FROM the fire, but He did deliver them IN it.

When king Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, fully expecting to see the boys dead and consumed by the fire, he was surprised to see them alive. Not only that, but they were no longer bound and were freely walking around in the fire; and they had company. There was a fourth man in the fire with them. The translation I chose says that the fourth man looked like "A son of the gods."

The traditional King James Versions says, "The fourth is like the Son of God." The King James Version is one of just a few translations that liken he fourth man to the Son of God. Because of this "Son of God" reference, many have claimed that the fourth man in the fire was Jesus Himself. However, there is no evidence that would lead us to believe that king Nebuchadnezzar knew anything about Jesus or his physical appearance. Furthermore, three verses later the king made it clear who he thought it was, he said: "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." It is obvious that king Nebuchadnezzar believed the fourth man in the fire was an angel and not Jesus, but this does not diminish the miracle in any way. The bottom line is that the angel was there because God Himself sent him to intervene on behalf of His servants who were in trouble. The angel ensured that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were unbound and unharmed in the midst of the fire. The fire was raging, but it did not harm them. And it is interesting to me that they did not immediately come out of the fire. They walked around in it (unbound and unharmed), as if to say, "You hit us with your best shot and we are still here... by the grace of God!"

So what does this mean to you ? Let's seek to glean a few golden nuggets:

1. Being a child of God does not automatically exonerate you from storms (or fires in this case).

2. Even if you are facing a storm, God can make a way when there seems to be no way!

3. It's not over until God says it's over. God can send an angel, or even show up Himself, and turn any hopeless situation around.

4. God can bless you so mightily, right in the middle of the storm, that you actually enjoy yourself while the storm is raging all around you. You can be so at peace that you are not even in a hurry to get out of the situation.

5. If the enemy knew any better he would leave you alone. The more he messes with you, the greater your testimony and the more God gets the glory from your life.

Father, I thank You for showing up and showing-out in my life. Time and time again You have been there for me when I needed You the most. You have been the fourth man in my fire and I sincerely thank You for it and I will never cease to praise Your name. You have done so much for me that I am behind in my worship. And I thank You for continually wanting to do more in, with, through, and for me. I call upon You in the day of trouble and You answer me, deliver me, and manifest Your glory in my life. No matter what the enemy brings my way, there is nothing He can do that You cannot undo or bless me even while I am enduring it. I am fully persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able me from Your love, which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord! I declare this in Jesus' name. Amen

The Three Hebrew Boys

The Three Hebrew Boys (Part IV)

(Dan 3:25 NIV) He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

We saw how king Nebuchadnezzar turned up the pressure on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by ordering the fire to be cranked up 7X hotter. The Hebrew Boys had done all the right things. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had honored their heavenly Father, they were promoted to leadership positions even though their nation was under captivity (they were supposed to be slaves), they refused to worship an idol god, they held their ground in the face of the king’s ultimatum, and they refused to crack under the pressure. There is no question in my mind that these boys had a Warrior Spirit. Their steel resolve was remarkable. They had crossed the faith-line and were now totally dependant on God. If God did not do it, it simply would not get done. Have you ever been there? I know I am there right now.

Imagine them going up the ramp to the furnace. The fire was blazing so strong that the flames consumed one of the men taking them there. I can only imagine what was going through their minds. If it were me I probably would be thinking things like: “OK God, I did my part, I am waiting on You to do yours. You can step in any minute here… Hey God, right now would be a good time for You to show out.” As I got closer and closer to the fire I would be looking and waiting and waiting and looking for God to do something, anything! But it did not happen as we would think. The Hebrew boys had done nothing wrong. Actually, they had done everything right, and they were still in a bind (literally) and facing death.

So guess what happened? Nebuchadnezzar’s men took the boys all the way to the mouth of the furnace and sure enough, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire while they were still bound. Wow! If it were us we would think, “Man! God never showed up. It never happened. They spoke up in faith. They took God public. They held their ground. They said all the right things. But at the end of the day, they were still thrown into the fiery furnace. What a sad commentary.”

But wait, the story is not over. Yes, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace bound, but someway, somehow, they were not dead. The fire must have burned up the ties that had them bound, but it was not consuming them. Furthermore, instead of being all alone in the midst of the fire, there was someone there WITH them. King Nebuchadnezzar saw it and he was amazed. He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Awesome! These guys were walking around in the midst of the fire and they had the blessed comfort of heavenly company. I will talk more about this “Fourth Man” in the fire next week. We will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you? Let’s seek to glean a few golden nuggets:

1. Sometimes you can do all the right things and you still wind up facing strong opposition.

2. Sometimes God will deliver you FROM it, but there are also sometimes He delivers You IN it!

3. God can use the very thing the enemy meant to destroy you for your good (e.g. the fire was meant to kill them, but it was used to loose them).

4. Sometimes it doesn’t happen the way you expect it to happen, but never lose heart, God is still there! If you are still breathing, then there is still hope!

Father, living by faith is often awesome and amazing; and it is always exciting. I don’t know what You are going to do today, but I trust it will be good. I will honor You daily with my thoughts, words, and actions and I truly believe that You will bless me to experience Your best. I know I will face opposition and even strong challenges from time to time, but when my faith is tested it will be proven as strong, because I refuse to quit. Even if things don’t happen the way I would like them to, I truly believe that they will work out for me in the end. Even in the midst of the fire, I am still trusting You, because I know You love me so much that You are right in the fire WITH me! I am never helpless, therefore I am never hopeless! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Three Hebrew Boys (Part III)

(Dan 3:19 CEV) Nebuchadnezzar's face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.

This morning we continuing with the story of the Three Hebrew Boys. Yesterday we saw how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded to Nebuchadnezzar's ultimatum. Instead of buckling under the pressure of the situation and the threat of the death penalty, they simply said: "Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves. The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. But even if he doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up."

You know this infuriated the king to no end. Our text tells us that the king's face literally twisted with anger towards the Hebrew boys. The enemy hates it when we resist the fear of his attacks; especially when our resistance is rooted in the faith that we have in our God.

The next thing king Nebuchadnezzar did is what I want to focus in on this morning. The king ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. Just so we are clear, the furnace would have killed any human on the first setting. The fire was already raging. But the king took the fire from level one to level eight for two reasons:

1. Because he lost his cool: King Nebuchadnezzar really liked these guys. If he did not have a personal relationship with them I don't believe he would have ever given them a second chance to bow before the statue. I am convinced that he did not want to have the boys killed and he wanted to give them every opportunity to do the right thing (in his eyes) and bow. However, when they defied him to his face he lost his temper and got reckless. He turned the fire up so high that one of his soldiers was killed while attempting to put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire. The enemy has a short fuse and he hates it when we are not moved by his threats. If you really want to get the enemy stirred up, just continue to operate in Joy and Peace, even if the face of his best attacks. If he hits you with his best shot and you continue to face very day with a spring in your step, a song in your heart, and a smile on your face, he won't know what to do!

2. . To put additional pressure on the boys: One of the common tactics of the enemy is to turn up the pressure on us to see if we are going to succumb to it. I really believe that if the boys had succumb to the fear of the fire, especially after it was cranked up to level eight, that the king would have never had them thrown in. When you are standing in faith for something and you are waiting on God for it to come to pass, the enemy will do all he can to get you to relax the hold of your faith, even if it means cranking up the pressure. Too many believers expect life to be a cake-walk and when things get hard they simply give up on their faith, they lower their expectations, and they say things like: "Well, I guess that was not God's will for me." No, just because it is hard it does not automatically mean it is not God's will. There are many examples in scripture and in life where God did great things through men, but only because the men (and women) were willing to endure all sorts of opposition.

So what does this mean to you? Let's seek to glean a few golden nuggets:

1. Even if the enemy turns up the pressure on you, you must refuse to succumb and cave in!

2. Facing challenges does not an automatic indication that you are outside of God's will.

3. To do great thing for God you will have to face strong opposition.

4. If you remain in faith, fear will have no power over you.

5. You drive the enemy crazy when you remain calm in the midst of a storm!

Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for developing a Warrior Spirit in me. I know I face a real enemy who will come at me with real attacks, but I also serve a real God that can show up in my life in real ways! My confidence is in You Father and I will remain confident, even when up against tremendous pressure to cave in. I won't allow my external to dictate my internal. I will maintain Joy and Peace in believing, no matter what the enemy sends my way! Like Jesus, I can sleep in the midst of a storm, because I refuse to allow fear to overcome me! In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Three Hebrew Boys

(Dan 3:15 CEV) “Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me."

Before we close out this series I am going to take you through several Biblical stories where the Warrior Spirit was on display. We start off in Daniel chapter three where we learn of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These three young men were actually Israelite salves who had been promoted to leaders under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar. But Nebuchadnezzar, in an act of overzealous pride, ordered a gold statue to be built that was 90ft. tall and 9ft. wide. The king commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom for the dedication of the statue. After all were present an official stood up and announced the fact that music would soon start playing. Once the music started, everyone present was to bow down and worship the statue.

Anyone who refused to bow down would be immediately thrown into a flaming furnace.

This posed a major challenge for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. While they were experiencing success in Babylon, they knew that it was only because of the favor of the Lord was upon them. As good Jews they knew good and well that worshipping an idol was strictly forbidden. So they had a decision to make. They could either please their God and displease the king or they could please the king and displease their God. What a dilemma! Especially when things were seemingly going well for them. So what were they to do? Violating Nebuchadnezzar’s command was punishable by death.

These three guys had a Warrior Spirit. They would rather face the death penalty than to go against their God. When the music played they refused to bow. Sure enough, there were some Babylonians who were jealously watching the Hebrew boys, looking for an opportunity to accuse them. These men approached the king and said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. Sir, you have appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious and confronted the three boys. He said, “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.” We will continue this story tomorrow.

So what does this mean to you ? Let’s seek to glean a few golden nuggets:

1. You can expect your share of ‘haters’ when the Father blesses you with supernatural success – these guys were prosperous slaves!

2. Even when given several chances, refuse to compromise your faith – they stood strong.

3. The enemy’s poison can’t stop your purpose – they made it out on top in the end.

4. Don’t allow anyone to dishonor your faith or your God – Nebuchadnezzar said that no god could save them from him, basically placing himself over their God.

5. Face every attack head on – being a Christian does not mean that you need to be a wimp. When you have the Warrior Spirit you can operate with Holy Boldness!

Father, I thank You for helping me to develop a Warrior Spirit. I operate in faith in every area of my life. I seek to maximize every opportunity and I am not apologetic about the success you bless me to experience. I know Godly success will attract ‘haters,’ but I am not concerned about their attacks. My confidence is in You and in Your protection. Even if they attack my faith, I will never back down. I refuse to compromise what I believe in. I am a child of the Most High God and I know that My God is able to handle every situation that comes my way this day and every day. I In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Holding On (Part III)

(Heb 10:35,36 AMP) Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

We have been looking at this passage for a few days now, with the overall emphasis on learning the importance of “Holding On.” Far too many believers in the Body of Christ give up while they are waiting on God; in the space between “I believe, Amen” and “There it is.”

In Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia he said, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (6:9). The enemy is a master at peppering us with thoughts of fear, doubt, and unbelief. He loves to put the pressure on us, especially while we are waiting on God. He believes – and rightly so, because many believers have succumb to his pressure – that if he turns the heat up that we will grow weary and release the grip on our faith, extinguish the fire in our hope, and just give up.

That’s why Paul tells us not to grow weary. There is a proper time for the harvest and if we don’t give up we will reach it. That’s where the “Warrior Spirit” comes in. We need a ‘bulldog tenacity’ when it comes to our faith, because things are not always going to be easy and they will not always come overnight. But if we simply refuse to quit we will hang in there for the long haul. This takes us back to our passage. Let’s continue to walk through it:

For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God:

This is very important. The Greek word used for patience boils down to consistency. You and I need ‘the force of consistency’ operating in our lives. The writer of Hebrews does not say that this is simply a good idea. No, he says that we “have need of steadfast patience and endurance.” If the Bible says we need something, then we need it. So why do we need it? It writer continues: “So that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God.” It should be clear by now that you need faith to live a life that is pleasing to God, but here we learn that we also need patience to fully accomplish the will of God in our lives.

Earlier in this letter the Hebrew writer said:

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (6:12).

Faith and Patience and I call them “The Power Twins.” We clearly need both. We need the faith that believes that God will do what He said He will do and the patience (consistency) to remain steadfast, unmovable, and unshakable in our hope until He does.

And thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised: Don’t you want to see the manifestation of the things that God has dealt with you about for your own life? I believe we all do. When we break through the bondage of religion (empty ritual and routine) and we get into a true and intimate relationship with the Father, through His Son Jesus the Christ, we are able to commune with Him daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is through this relationship that He speaks to us, revels Himself to us, and leads us in the way that we should go. But even this blissful intimacy does not exonerate us from challenges. Even when we are fully persuaded that God said He would do a certain thing for, in, and through us, the enemy will do all he can to get us to fling away our confidence (faith). If the enemy is successful then we will not be. If we fling away our confidence we will not experience God’s best and it will not be God’s fault. Therefore we must remain patient, consistent, and incessantly confident if we are going to “receive and carry away” the promises of God!

Father, I declare, with my own lips, that I have a Warrior Spirit and that it enables me to operate in fearless confidence for the long haul. Faith and patience are both at work in my life. I refuse to quit, to lose heart, to grow weary, or to lose the hold I have on my faith. I am with You Father from now until the day You call me home to glory. Every day I live here in the earth will be a faith-filled day. I stay the course and I remain steady, no matter what opposition the enemy brings my way. My consistency enables me to receive and carry away Your promises. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Holding On (Part II)

(Heb 10:35,36 AMP) Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

Yesterday I discussed the importance of “Holding On” to your confidence. As believers we are clearly called to live by faith. Living by faith is all about confidence. Once you lose your confidence it is only a matter of time before you slip into fear, doubt, and unbelief. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at this passage in Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews gave us what many consider to be the standard definition of faith (11:1) and an entire chapter is dedicated to highlighting some of the heroes of the faith (chapter 11). Some actually refer to Hebrews chapter 11 as the “Hall of Faith.” The passage we are looking at this morning is actually part of the ‘lead up’ to chapter 11.

Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence: If you have been reading my emails a while you know that the definition I use for faith is: an expression of your confidence in God and in His Word. I have also stated that fear can similarly be defined as: an expression of your confidence in satan and his word.

Our text teaches us that we should walk in “fearless confidence.” Our confidence in God and in His Word should be so strong that we give no space to fear. Fear is an incapacitating force that can cripple even the strongest person. As believers we must resist fear at all costs. To good news is that we don’t necessarily have to focus on resisting fear, just as long as we focus on remaining ‘in-faith.’ See, you cannot be in-fear and in-faith at the same time. Just like fear cancels out your faith, faith cancels out your fear. If we remain in-faith daily, then fear will have no power over us. The more we learn to see every situation through the lens of faith and to train our minds to think “faith” and not “fear,” the more natural living by faith will become.

This should definitely be our goal, because we have learned that we cannot please God without faith (Heb 11:6).

This portion of the text tells us not to fling away our fearless confidence. This tells us that we have the ability to remain in-faith and we also have the ability to loose our grip on it and to embrace fear, doubt and/or unbelief. While we have a choice, the choice should be clear – we are to keep a close grip on our faith and never let it go, even in the face of strong opposition. That is why we need the “Warrior Spirit;” to hold on to our faith with bulldog tenacity.

For it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward: The Hebrew writer also taught us that God rewards those who “Diligently seek Him” (11:6). In other words, the Father rewards those who are persistent. God is not looking or short bursts of confidence (faith). For example, when Peter walked on water he did so because he had complete confidence. Jesus told him to “come” and he went. However, Peter quickly shifted his attention from Jesus to wind and the waves, doubt crept in, he lost the grip of his faith, and he fell in the water. What do you think Jesus’ response was?

You would think Jesus would say, “Wow Peter, that was awesome! You walked on water.” No, Jesus said, “You of little faith” (Mat 14:31). The word “little” there is not a reference to type, but rather to duration. Peter did an amazing thing, but he only did it for a short time. Don't misunderstand me Peter was an awesome man of God and did amazing things however he only walk on water for a shot time a matter of minutes. The Father is looking for people who will maintain their faith for the long haul; for those who believe God and remain unshakable in their resolve to see the manifestation of His promises in their lives. Make no mistake, it is rewarding to live a life of faith! We will stop here for today.

Father, I thank You for renewing a Warrior Spirit in me. I declare openly, with my own lips, that I have fearless confidence in You and in Your Word. I operate in that fearless confidence today and everyday. I will not allow anything or anyone to cause me to fling my fearless confidence away. Operating in fearless confidence carries a great and glorious compensation of reward in my life. I benefit greatly form the consistency that comes from my unshakable resolve. I live by faith daily. I stay the course for the long haul. I have STAYING POWER and my unwillingness to release the hold of my confidence keeps me from the perils of fear! Fear has no power over me! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Holding On!

Holding On!

(Heb 10:35,36 AMP) Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

In the last message we focused in on the fact that Shammah did the resisting and the fighting, but the ultimate victory was attributed to God. The point I made was that it was not all Shammah and it was not all God – it was both. I run across many people (believers and unbelievers) who either blame everything on God (not taking accountability for their actions) or put everything on themselves (as if God has nothing to do with their lives). I believe the truth is in neither extreme. God definitely wants to work in our lives, but He will not do it in spite of us.

For example, God clearly did NOT want Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit, but He also did not knock the fruit out of his hands. As much as our heavenly Father loves us and as much as He goes to far-reaching efforts to speak to us and warn us (through His Spirit, His Word, others, circumstances, and etc.), if we stubbornly insist on doing the wrong thing, we will get the wrong results.

Many of us get to the point where we make mistakes simply because we lose heart and we fling away our confidence. Even Abraham – who is considered the Father of Faith – lost his confidence and he made a critical mistake. After waiting for years for his promised son and after many failed attempts at procreation with his wife Sarah, Abraham and Sarah decided to come up with a PLAN B. It is understandable because while we are waiting on God for something to happen it seems like the pressure mounts daily.

With each passing day, if you are not careful, you can definitely lose your confidence and throw in the towel. Abraham and Sarah did and the world is still dealing with the consequences of their decision. The rift between Muslims and Jews started with Sarah and Hagar and it was a result of Abraham and Sarah’s PLAN B.

Believe me, I understand how difficult walking by faith and especially waiting on God can be. I am waiting right now. I am in a situation right now that I have no control over. I am waiting on God to do something and as the days go by the pressure to cave in and quit mounts. But I am extremely thankful for this “Warrior Spirit” .

I have taught about faith for years and I seek to live by faith daily. This series has rekindled a fire within my members I longed to feel. You and I, like Shammah, must be fully committed. It is obvious that Shammah was willing to die. Shammah was committed, no matter the cost and in the end the Father worked with him to bring about a great victory. Shammah did not give up, even though the odds were insurmountable and [humanly speaking] the outcome seemed bleak.

Shammah held his ground, which is exactly what I am going to do and what I ask you to do. I guess you can call me the “No Quit Person,” because it seems like that message of never quitting, never throwing in the towel, and continuing to stand (no matter the opposition), is a message that comes through in many of my messages.

I will stop here for today and tomorrow we will take a closer look at this passage (Heb 10:35,36), where we will learn the importance of not flinging away our fearless confidence.

So what does this mean to you ? A few quick things:
1. If you lose your confidence you will drift into fear, doubt, and unbelief.

2. If you get into fear, doubt, and unbelief you will not be able to stand very long.

3. Once you can no longer stand, you will make fear-filled (not faith-filled) decisions.

4. Fear-filled decisions will not produce results that are pleasing to God; therefore they will not be pleasing to you either.

Father, I thank You for stirring up the faith that is within me. I declare, by faith, that You lead, guide, and direct me daily. I am confident that You will do what You said You will do in my life and I also have the faith to stick with “it” until the end. I walk with You daily and as You lead me to situations that require Your intervention and my patience, I declare that I will wait on You; maintaining my confidence while I do. I refuse to fling away my fearless confidence, because I know it brings with it a great reward! I am holding on and I WILL NOT QUIT! In Jesus’ name. Amen!