Aug 072011
Apr 142011
John 12: 20-26
20. Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
21. these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
22. Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.
23. And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
24. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
26. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
NASB
What is our priority in life?
What comes first in your life?
What is left undone so that we fulfill that purpose?
What personal desire is left void so that the most important purpose is complete?
Jesus states here: “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone…”
Wheat grain is useful. Wheat grain is the leading source of vegetable protein in human food. Wheat is used for fuel, flour for breads, contains vitamins and minerals, and used in a variety of other applications. So wheat is not bad; in fact it’s second to rice in consumption.
But if an entire wheat harvest is consumed… then it can only bring out the potential that the one harvest of wheat has to offer… which is extremely limited! If it remains alone… that’s all you have. This is not proper management of resources.
Let’s say it’s the beginning of spring and a farmer has barely survived the winter with his rations of crops. He has remaining 100 vegetable seeds; he’s hungry now. He could focus on the present and boil the seeds and eat them, but the seeds only serve todays need… what about tomorrow? What about the summer or fall? If the farmer is smart, though he’s hungry now, he can plant the seeds and bring out the potential of the seeds. Each seed has an entire plant inside of it… with more seeds; and more plants. He has 100 of them! That’s a lot of potential. However that potential will not come to fruition just because it’s possible; it takes a commitment to work and delaying the ‘now’ for the ‘later’.
Back to the wheat, Jesus said unless a grain of wheat dies it remains alone. Wheat is good, it’s a need, but it must die to bring forth abundance. We have a lot of “wheat” in our lives. There are some things… yeah you can maintain and build up and ultimately have but is it the best use of your time? Is Kingdom purpose lacking because of this other thing? I know you like that television show, but turn it off and read the King’s word and discover something He wants you to know for His purpose. I know you like to sleep on Sunday morning, but let that wheat die and assemble yourself with believers and contribute your gift to others.
You get $1,000 dollars. $100 dollars by Kingdom law is automatically God’s. But if you decide… “I could do a lot with this wheat… I’m going to get a new outfit.” You have just chose that the maintaining of the wheat, what is in your possession right now, is more important than the Kingdom. The consequence of this decision is that what you have now, is the only thing you’ll have because you’ve excluded yourself from the Kingdom, from its rights, benefits and responsibility by claiming independence. What a tragedy… to trade the entire government of heaven for $100 dollars. That wheat doesn’t look so good now, does it?
Let’s look at the rest of the verse… “but if it dies, it bears much fruit.“ When the wheat falls to the ground and gets into the soil and dies it’s multiplying itself many times! This is amazing! God put every fruit bearing tree with it’s seed in itself, so it can multiply into many more. Man cannot recreate such an idea! If they could there would be petroleum farms everywhere reproducing an infinite amount of oil to burn for centuries to come… but they can’t. If I could I would be burying $1 dollar bills around my yard and waiting for the crop to come up and bring in a harvest of plenty; but I can’t. Everything God makes, He gives it the ability and the commandment to multiply. He gives it the ability to fulfill its purpose by serving its gift to the world… even you!
Let’s continue to the next verse… “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”
You may love that wheat, it might be nice to have, to show off. But that wheat may be holding you back from a greater abundance. If you allow something to die, to lose priority, to go to 2nd or 3rd place in your life- it might be hard initially- but you will realize it wasn’t the sustainer of everything else in your life.
I like this next part “…and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” Now most religious people will say “You have to hate your life on earth in order to go to heaven.” This is completely incorrect and well… religious thinking. The word “world” here is translated from the Greek word “kosmos“. The “world” is not earth. Kosmos is not earth. Kosmos is the government body that is in place, the authority to which others are under subjection to, for constituting their affairs. So let’s break this down…
This world, kosmos, says its priorities are land, a big house, an expensive car, a tailored outfit and a big bank account. But God’s world, kosmos, says your priority is the Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33)
ATTENTION! Notice I did not say that it’s wrong to have land, a big house, an expensive car, a tailored outfit or a big bank account… it just cannot be your priority. In fact Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6:33 that it should not be. Jesus was not even leaving it to us to decide what our priority list should be… he clearly states (paraphrase) “Your number one priority, the most important thing in your life should be, do not put anything ahead of, this should not come second to, you must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
That’s pretty straight forward, yes? We spend our time preoccupied with the wheat… Trying to get wheat, trying to gain more wheat, trying to add to the wheat we have, trying to maintain our current stock of wheat, trying to secure available wheat… And God is saying ‘Why are they working so hard for wheat? I know they need wheat- just seek my Kingdom first!’ Why? Read on… “…and all these things shall be added unto you.” We’ve got it backwards. We’re so busy trying to maintain scraps… if we’ll die to what this world, kosmos, says is important and has as a priority- “…will keep it to life eternal.” WOW! This is stating we’ll have it AND the other! In His kingdom is no lack, just quit trying to maintain “the wheat” in your life, use that time focusing on the Kingdom first and then all that other stuff it chases you!
Jesus loved life on earth. He loved it so much that in the garden He prayed “…if it’s possible for this cup to pass from Me then let it pass.” But first the Kingdom, His purpose. Jesus, God in the flesh, was doing what was a desire of His heart since Eden… fellowshipping with Man. However, Jesus knew that it would be temporary if He didn’t fulfill His purpose and pave the way for Man to be reconciled with the Kingdom of Heaven. So He, being the wheat, laid down His own desire, His own will and died… so that fruit could bear, His Children could be reconciled to life eternal with Him. Do you see this? I pray your eyes and heart be opened to this revelation. Wheat is good- Jesus desired to stay with the disciples, desired to live. But to maintain this wheat, He would only have them a little while and then they would be gone… then He would remain alone… just like the wheat that didn’t die. But He chose against the immediate gratification, the temporary desire and died, beared much fruit and re-birthed a citizenry blessed of His Father to inherit the Kingdom of God! (Matthew 25:34) The desire He had still will be and IS… but will now be eternal… forever- without end… because He allowed the wheat to die.
Is there something in your life that has been put ahead of the Kingdom? You might not have put it there on purpose… but just because we say the Kingdom is first doesn’t make it first. We must examine our lives, our actions, our attitudes and our motives and line them up with the Kingdom FIRST. Let the wheat fall and the Kingdom be exalted.
-For The Kingdom
Kingdom Faith
Articles, Embassy Epistles
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Jan 142011
I am in the middle of reading Myles Munroe’s book “Rediscovering Faith“. It is an awesome read!
God started speaking to my heart not in the middle of the book, not on chapter 2, not on the first chapter nor the introduction… but during the preface of this book. One line stuck out to me and it was “Much of what we call faith today is simply convenient expectation!”
Let that sink in for a second…
One of the important things in prayer is having faith… but in what?
It’s important to have active belief by expecting what we prayed for… but on what basis did we ask? Here is where the fine line is of “kingdom faith” and “convenient expectation”.
Convenient Expectation
So you find yourself sick… well, who wants to be sick? It’s easy to pray to be healed and say “I believe I’m going to be healed, I’m expecting it because I prayed.”
It’s convenient to expect healing because the alternative is less desiring.
In a similar situation, it’s convenient to expect for money to come in when you are broke… right?
See convenient expectations are easy to believe for because it’s the best outcome to a circumstance. No one wants to say “I believe I’m going to stay sick” or “I believe I’m going to be broke every time a bill is due”. Convenient expectation believes based on what the person is willing to accept.
But again, on what basis? This is the key…
Kingdom Faith
Convenient expectation is expecting to be healed because it’s better than the alternative; Kingdom faith is expecting to be healed because…
Exodus 15:26(b)
“…for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
KJV
I’m healed because…
Luke 11:2(b)
“…Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”
KJV
I’m healed because…
Psalm 103:3
“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”
KJV
I’m healed because…
Psalm 147:3
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
KJV
Convenient expectation is expecting for money to come in because it’s better than the alternative; Kingdom faith is expecting money to come in because…
Deuteronomy 28:13
“And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:”
KJV
My need will be supplied because…
Psalm 37:25(b)
“…yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
KJV
Money will come in if I’ve managed what He’s given because…
Matthew 25:23(b)
“…thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things…”
KJV
I cannot be out of resources because my Source says…
Philippians 4:19
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
KJV
The government of Heaven has my back because…
2 Corinthians 5:20(a)
“…Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…”
KJV
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GLORIOUS KINGDOM WHICH MOTH AND RUST CANNOT CORRUPT BECAUSE IT’S NOT OF THIS WORLD! HIS KINGDOM IS FOREVER AND FOREVER AND IT’S NOW AND FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE ON HIS NAME!
Whooo! Do you see the fine line?
Convenient expectation is better than the alternative… but Kingdom Faith stands on the Word of God and is the basis for the expectation because His word is the evidence for the unseen. Expect healing, expect financial breakthroughs- but with the evidence of God’s Word and not just because of convenience.
-For the Kingdom
Not Kingdom
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Nov 012010
A pastor of a mega church has come out and said “Being gay is not a choice.” He claims his wife has known about this secret for a long time and he is now breaking it to his kids and church.
http://freakoutnation.com/2010/10/30/megachurch-pastor-comes-out-being-gay-is-not-a-choice/
You can go to the above link to see the pastors personal views on this.
Me personally? I have no opinion on the matter because my opinion doesn’t matter. I represent the kingdom of God and if I will to remain in His kingdom, I will only reflect His values and His laws. To go against His word is to go against the word of the King. So let’s see what the king has to say about this…
Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
KJV
Leviticus 20:13
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
KJV
Romans 1
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
KJV
Jude 1:7
7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
KJV
I must be obedient to God’s word and to His commandments. The kingdom of Heaven is a country with a government. Jesus is the King of that government, and the decree of a king is law. So I must adhere to His laws. See in religion you can vote and allow someone to be ordained a gay bishop… but not in the kingdom of God. You can commit adultery and be in a religion, but not in the kingdom of God. Citizens of the kingdom of God must hold to God’s word and not the compromise of man. I know this is becoming unpopular today but we’re going to have to make a choice of whom we serve. There isn’t any “wishy-washiness” in the kingdom of God.
Unfortunately there are many denominations covered under the umbrella term of “Christianity”, but there is only one “Kingdom of God”.
Let me make one more thing clear- it is horrid to label degrees of sin. There isn’t any degree- the bible says if you commit one of these you have committed them all. So if you tell… what we like to call a “white lie”, you have disobeyed God’s word. If you commit a homosexual act, you have disobeyed God’s word. If you take something that is not yours, you have disobeyed God’s word. Disobeying God’s word is an act of unrighteousness, which means to be unaligned with the kingdom, to not be in right standing, to not be in right positioning. You cut off interaction between you and the home government, Heaven. You distance yourself from the King and ultimately sever your relationship with the King and the influence of the kingdom of God in your life… no matter what commandment or law you break.
If you continue to only listen to your pastor’s point of view on any subject in the bible you will only reflect your pastor’s point of view. We must all read, study and meditate on God’s word until we understand His precepts and then can reflect the culture of the kingdom of Heaven in our own lives because… after all… culture is natural. You must know God’s word for yourself and have a relationship with God yourself. No one is a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven by association- only by divine emancipation- by acknowledging Jesus as your Lord, Adon, Adonai, your Owner. And if He is our Lord, our Owner… then we’ll do what the King says.
Let us pray for this pastor, his congregation and our nation.
-For the Kingdom
Purpose of Prayer – Lesson 2
Kingdom Awakening, Video
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Sep 062010
Continuing with the study on the purpose of prayer, we dive into scripture that will bring understanding to God’s purpose for mankind for communication through prayer. This lesson will help you to begin understanding, why should we pray?
The Lord’s Prayer 06
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Jul 222010
Luke 11:2
…Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
KJV
Luke 11:2
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
NKJV (Emphasis Added)
Oh this is my favorite part! We want the kingdom of heaven to come and His will to be done- where? On Earth- how? Just as it is in heaven! Look at this powerful statement in the bible! We’ve read this, we’ve prayed this prayer- but we didn’t understand what we were saying most of the time. We thought it was just a nice simple prayer we would quote- but this is a HUGE petition. Remember the disciples had asked Jesus to teach them how to pray and so, Jesus made sure to teach them this.
There is a reason God put us on earth. There is a reason He made you and then made you a body and then put you in the body and breathed life into you. The bible says all things came out of God (John 1), so if He wanted you to stay in heaven he would not have put you in a body on the earth. God put you here for a reason, and gave you dominion over the earth for a reason. (Genesis 1:26) He wanted earth to become just like heaven. He wanted earth to be impacted with the culture of heaven. Lord, let your kingdom come on earth, let your will be done on earth, just like it is in heaven let it be so in the earth!
That was God’s original desire. He gave man dominion over the earth and He walked and talked with man- but then man (Adam) disobeyed and rebelled against God and declared independence from heaven. So we became a corrupt and self destructive kingdom. But God’s plan didn’t change. Look at this!
1 Samuel 8
4. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5. And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
They still didn’t get it! God had not changed His purpose, but the people still rebelled against God’s plan. Look what God says.
1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
They chose to learn the hard way. Look at the people’s comparison of why they wanted a ‘man’ king to judge and rule over them… “like all the nations“.
My God, we have not drifted far from this mentality today. We try to compare what we think we need with what we see others have… even though what they have isn’t working. Am I talking to anybody out there? Man rejects God for His own destructive independence. I pray it not be named among you from this day forward.
We need His kingdom to come- to earth! What does religion teach? “Let us leave earth and go to the kingdom of heaven.” Is that what you believe? Now, does that line up with how Jesus taught how to pray? Let Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done- on earth just as it is in heaven. So God wants us to pray heaven down to earth. He wants earth to become just like heaven.
In the Caribbean there is an island called Hispaniola. Christopher Columbus landed on Hispaniola on his voyage between 1492 and 1493. Columbus took possession of the land and named it “La Isla Española” which means “The Spanish Lady”. The name was later shortened and re translated as “Hispaniola”. Spain’s interest in the island was not priority and became increasingly under attack by pirates. As the colonies of Spain were ordered to draw in closer to the area known as Santo Domingo this gave way to pirates making establishments on the island. In 1665 the French colonization on the west side of the island was recognized. Spain ceded the land to the French and the west side became known as modern day “Haiti” while the east side of the island became known as modern day “Dominican Republic”. For comparisons sake, Hispaniola is roughly a tenth of the size of the state of Texas in the U.S. …only a tenth. Yet it is split into two countries.
Why is this significant to the Lord’s Prayer? The history and current state of this island shows you the impact of a government on a place. Regardless of its size- because it was colonized by two different kingdoms- they are completely different in every way. When I was there in January of 2010, we went into Haiti about two weeks after the earthquake, into Port-au-Prince. We stopped at one point to confirm directions to the place we were dropping off the food. A boy come up to us and started talking to our friend and interpreter, Junior. Junior was born and had lived in Dominican his whole life. I asked him what the guy said and he said he can’t tell- he’s speaking Creole. One small island, a tenth the size of Texas, yet they are worlds apart from each other. Two different languages, two different cultures, two different ways of life. Because of the impact of culture from the French and from Spain almost 400 years ago, these two countries are totally different from each other today. If the king of Spain had not made the colonies settle close to Santo Domingo, but secure the whole island- they would all be speaking Spanish today. But because of this incident in history, two different kingdoms affected the culture of the island differently… and it can still be seen today.
Look at this world… economies collapse, people are hurting, people are in poverty, people are lacking resources… we need the kingdom of heaven to impact the earth. We need heaven’s culture, God’s ways, to become our culture… our ways. In Haiti they still drink wine and eat cheese as a social norm because the French did. They speak French and Creole because the French did. In Dominican Republic they speak Spanish because Spain did. When a place is colonized by a kingdom, it takes on the nature, characteristics, and culture of that kingdom. The earth needs to be filled with God’s nature. As it is in heaven, let it be in the earth.
There is no sickness in heaven, let it be in the earth-
There is no disease in heaven, let it be in the earth-
There is no lack in heaven, let it be in the earth-
There is no poverty in heaven, let it be in the earth… just as it is in heaven.
When we understand this concept of prayer and what these words mean- we then understand the impact our prayers have on the earth, because we actually pray heaven down to earth, colonizing the earth, his citizens infiltrating the earth until earth becomes just like heaven. That’s why God said “whatever we bind on earth, now heaven can bind- and whatever we loose on earth, now heaven can loose.” We’ve been put here as representatives, ambassadors of heaven, impacting the earth with the culture, purpose, intent and ways of the king. This is why we are “in the world but not of the world” (John 17:16-18). We’re from another place, placed here to colonize the earth. Pray heaven down! Pray His kingdom come, His will be done- on earth just as it is in heaven.
“New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.”
The Lord’s Prayer 05
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Jul 212010
Luke 11:2
…Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.
KJV
We’re wanting His kingdom- not man’s kingdom- but His kingdom. To what?… to come! We need it! Our kingdom’s have failed, our kingdom’s become corrupt without His influence. Without the influence of heaven’s government we self destruct.
Not only His kingdom, but His will. We want what He wants. This is another area we get off in sometimes and miss the mark. We don’t know His word and so we can’t pray effectively according to His word and we wonder why we don’t see results.
1 John 5:14
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
NASB
See, we’re praying “Lord give me some money. I need some things. Give me a new job.” But we don’t have God’s word in order to back us up. We have to know HIS word and ask Him according to His will. The good thing about God though is that when He speaks it becomes law and God cannot go against His own word. So all you have to do is read and understand His word and then ask Him according to His will.
[Ineffective Prayer] “Lord, bring me some money.”
[Effective Prayer] “Lord, you see our financial situation, but you always take care of us. You said in Your word Lord- that we are to be lenders and not borrowers and that we’re to be above only!”
What’s the difference in these two prayers? The second puts pressure on God because it reminds Him of His word and His promise. To some who still have religious roots they’re trying to get rid of this will sound slightly shocking… “pressure…. on God?”
God said in His word “prove me”. He is waiting for His people to realize who they are- that they are His children, and He is their Father- and a good Father always takes care of His children. Those that truly call Him Lord, do what He says. Look again at Jesus prayer- “thy will be done”. It’s not your will- it’s His will- so we need to find out what His will is and line up with it and ask according to His will. Search the scriptures and remind God of His word.
Have you ever read in the bible many times where God says “I remembered my covenant with my people“? Does God forget? Of course not- someone is praying and asking Him according to His will! God hears us when we ask according to His will. (1 John 5:14) There is a scripture for every prayer you can possibly pray- we just have to know His word and His promises and then say “Lord, this is what you said- not me.” God wants us to trust His word so much that we live and die by it and expect His word in our life to be fulfilled because He said it. We have to understand His word is law and His promises are rights!
The first amendment in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. says this
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This is a right! We have freedom of religion and the freedom to exercise it. If we were unsure about being able to exercise our freedom- and had to ask permission to do so, and even then our request might be denied- we would not put faith in this statement. But because it’s a right we fight for it because it’s the right of every citizen of the United States to have freedom of religion and to exercise it. We don’t even question it- it belongs to us.
My question to you then is… why do we not understand the rights our God has given us in His word? Now God’s rights are unwavering, His promises never fail, What He has said He will perform! No one can have God’s rights changed in court- there is no amending His word because you don’t agree with it anymore. As a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven you need to believe in His words and trust them- and know they are for you- for your benefit and pray according to your rights- which is His will!
I’m not supposed to be in debt, because God says in His word we’re not to be borrowers!
My status in life is not where God would have me to be because the bible says I am supposed to be above only!
I’m not supposed to be destitute because the bible says I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken!
This poverty is a curse and is not supposed to be so in God’s kingdom because He said He would have me to prosper, even as my soul prospers!
It doesn’t look like I have any choices on which way to go, but I know my God said in His word He shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory!
Get in His word, understand His word, understand His promises- your rights in His kingdom. He said them for a reason! If you don’t grab a hold of the promises God has had for you- you will be like the prodigal sons brother. He was always in the house, never left, but didn’t use what his father had for him in his kingdom. So when the prodigal son returned- the other son who stayed said “Father, I never left. Why have you not given me a robe? Why didn’t you kill the fatted calf for me? Where is my ring?” His father said “Son, you have always been with me.” What he is saying is – you had access to these things all along but never used them, never asked for them- so ‘shut-up!’ my son who was lost is home and we’re going to celebrate! Look at God’s word- let His kingdom be effective in your life!
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)
The Lord’s Prayer 03
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Jul 162010
Luke 11
2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven…
KJV
It’s important to remember where the Father is- in heaven. Not on earth, but in heaven. Why was this important enough for Jesus to clarify in this prayer? Because right now what you need you don’t have. Everything you need, use, want, or desire is a resource of some kind. A resource can run out- you need to know the Source… and the Source is in heaven. What you need right now, you don’t have, so you need to tap into a Source that is from another place.
Remember God put us in the earth and He is in heaven. So earth is the outpost, but our home government is in heaven, which is where all of our needs are supplied from.
Philippians 4
19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Remember He’s the King of glory. So call upon Him today- your Source, your Sustainer- Who’s in heaven.
Can you see heaven right now? Go outside and look up… can you see it? Scientist have used telescopes to peer at galaxies billions of light years away but have yet to see the edge of space, which is reportedly expanding at almost the speed of light, much less heaven!
2 Corinthians 4
18) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
KJV
Hebrews 11
3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
KJV
WOW! Everything that was ever made came out of the invisible. Everything in the universe that can be identified from matter, antimatter, dark matter, dark energy and everything that has not even been discovered yet was made by the invisible God, Who is in heaven, which is not seen. So if everything came from the not seen, we need to know where that is… and that is in heaven. All of our answers, all of our needs come from the Father which art in heaven.
The bible says God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). So if we are made in His image, be like your Father- in your prayers, in your words- don’t look at the situation and draw conclusion- look at the situation and draw from God! Begin to call those things which are not as though they were! Activate your belief system, your faith! SPEAK IT INTO EXISTENCE! From the invisible to the visible, from “Our Father which art in heaven!“
The Lord’s Prayer 02
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Jul 152010
Luke 11
2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven…
KJV
So here is where Jesus began to teach the disciples how to pray. He says Our Father.
This is a corporate prayer. He’s not just my Father, or your Father- He’s our Father. Sometimes we get so caught up with prayer being about me, me, me- that we forget we are praying to the government of Heaven. We are sending up a petition from a member of the body of Christ. This word, “our”, builds unity into our prayer.
Acts 20
35) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36) And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
KJV
Our brothers and sisters sometimes are weak and our prayers help to lift them.
Romans 15
1) We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
KJV
Ought means- you should do this, I expect you to do this, you better do this.
Look at how much is in this one word- ‘Our’. When we begin prayer like this it’s no longer just me, I am praying as a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven and I am praying a corporate prayer that includes all of us, which builds all of us and strengthens all of us.
Next, remember who you are praying to. The Father. This is so many things in one word. The word Father in the Hebrew is ABBA which also means source and sustainer. He is Source, Sustainer, Government, ABBA! Why is this important? It’s important because we are recognizing who He is to us at the start of our prayer. We don’t make Him Father God, He’s Father God no matter what- so it’s important that we acknowledge Him as Our Father. That’s all we can do- acknowledge Him. So when we begin our prayers we’re recognizing Him and saying “Our Source, our Sustainer, our Father”.
Please don’t miss this… A source is this.
Source: anything or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained.
Dictionary.com
When you call Him Father- you are recognizing Him as where everything that you need comes from. You are stating that everything that has been obtained, will be obtained, or can be obtained, can only come from Him.
When you call Him Father you are declaring Him your Sustainer- that means what keeps you and maintains you is Him alone! Praise God! That is a powerful statement!
I have to add this in here right now…
John 4
23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
This use of spirit is very important. It is not capitalized so it’s not talking about the Holy Spirit, which is always capitalized. This word is lowercase and refers to “attitude and awareness”. You cannot worship God or pray effectively if your mind is not on what you’re doing. Your attitude has to be towards the thing, aware of what you are saying and who you are saying it to in order to do something in spirit.
So when you are calling on Him, Our Father, BE AWARE of what you are saying. When you understand these truths of these two short words, praying aware with an attitude of understanding- you’re calling upon the government of Heaven, Source and Sustainer of all things, in a corporate prayer from the body.
This is going to add so much to your prayer life- because we can only do something effectively, when we have understanding.
[Just as a side note: I am not teaching, to be so restrictive, that it's wrong to say "My Father". It's just important for us to understand that we pray for others and that Jesus was showing it's not just about us. What good is it, if I'm blessed and my friends and neighbors aren't. Sure, they can pray- but we lift up the weak in faith in our prayers. We're supposed to pray for one another. It's not just about your blessing, your needs, your wants- it's about the kingdom. It's not about one citizen having all the wealth and all the health, it's about His kingdom having wealth and being in good health. When we look at a country in the world and we see a few in power and living well, but most of the country is in poverty and sickness- there is something wrong. But when the entire nation thrives- wow how awesome. "What is it with those people, they are all in good health, all have their needs met, they all have joy, they all are blessed."]
That’s Kingdom!
It’s The Law
Articles, Embassy Epistles
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Jun 252010
I was disturbed about what my wife called and told me this morning. A local Christian radio station had a commercial air that was talking about getting out of debt- which is a great thing! But what disturbed me was the commercial said (paraphrase) “If you have to pay less tithes to do so, do it, just have someone keep you accountable.”
What has happened to God’s people where they believe they can break law and be blessed? They want the benefits of the kingdom but don’t want to do what the Lord says.
Romans 7:1
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Malachi 3
8 ) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Is that not clear? Here is what has happened- people have lost the concept of tithes. They give tithes of what they have to spare and offering as a reward for a good service. This is an incorrect concept and will always lead to error.
Let me ask you a question: Does our US Government have to please you, give you something, offer you something, or trick you into paying your taxes? Why? Because it’s the law to pay taxes. You just do it. It is so necessary to pay your taxes that the IRS is not bankrupt-able.
Everything you have belongs to God- so when we pay our tithes we are saying “Everything I have is Yours, and just to show You, I am giving You back 10% as a demonstration that I know You own it.”
The taxes we pay the government are for maintaining the infrastructure of our country. It’s meat for the storehouse. If you don’t pay them- you’re putting yourself under a curse- how can that help you? And we’re not blessed by tithing- because that is His anyways- we’re blessed by our giving.
Tithes = Kingdom Taxes
Offering = Kingdom Investment
