From The Pastor's Pen... - 2/20/12 - Pursue, Overtake, and Without Fail Recover All

"And David inquired of the Lord saying, Shall I pursue after this troup? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, pursue for thou shalt overtake them and without fail recover all (1 Samuel 30:8 AKJ).

In the above verse from 1 Samuel 30, we find a type of the true believer's conditional victory over Satan during the Church Age. However, our New Covenant example, Messiah Jesus, exemplified an even greater victory during the course of His earthly ministry than David could have dreamed of. And that greater victory is available to every born-again believer today, as joint heirs with Christ Jesus (Romans 8: 16-17) though the conditions for obtaining that greater victory, now include, an ever present, inclusive relationship, with all three members of the Godhead...Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

That said, why, you might ask, or wonder, do many Christians today fail to reach that level of victory that the scriptures clearly promise? Jesus' answer to a similar question from His disciples was that, it was due to unbelief (read Matthew 17:14-20). But, of course, that's only part of the equation. Once we've settled the question of faith in God's promises, and His unlimited ability to act on our behalf, we must learn to follow the example of David, Jesus, and other men of faith throughout Biblical history, and inquire of, and consult the Lord first, in our dilemmas. Because, you see, our total victory will never rest upon our ability or ingenuity. but rather on God, who, being aware of our plight beforehand, has the solution already prepared that, as a direct result, His glory might be magnified to all.

In our day and time, all serious followers of Jesus the Anointed Son will, like all of God's people who've gone before, encounter a multitude of seemingly worst case scenarios while waging warfare on both the natural and supernatural battlefields. Yet, whenever we find ourselves faced with the prospect of overwhelming odds against us, our first act of defense should be to seek the Lord for the type of specific answers, and perfect direction, which only He can offer. So whether our difficulties and circumstances are of a physical, financial, or spiritual nature, we can be fully confident that when we seek Him first, all victory is possible to we who believe, for we know that His Word is His will.

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him,that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (1 John 5:14-15 AKJ).

From The Pastor's Pen... 2/6/12 - Operational Faith-Filled Petition

“And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22 AKJ).

In this pivotal verse from the 21st chapter of Matthew is a vital Kingdom principle regarding the simplicity of the operation of faith-filled petition. And although that simple teaching by Messiah Jesus is far from complicated, it is often misconstrued, twisted, or even ignored, by preachers in the institutional church of our time…the reason being the invasion of a pervasive culture of worldly modernism, resulting in shallow teaching, the rejection of scriptural truth, and ultimately, unbelief. For these reasons every serious believer who truly seeks the type of victory promised and exemplified in Apostolic doctrine must search out the truth for themselves.

You see, as believers we have an inheritance obtained by the blood sacrifice of Jesus the Anointed, and a written covenant, which guarantees it (see Romans 8:14-17). As a consequence of that truth, we need to be aware of the fact that we are the targets of the satanic powers of darkness. And in order to overcome and defeat their attacks, we each need to learn not merely who we are in Christ Jesus, but also the power and authority actively available to us through His name.

Firstly, the true believer is part of a redeemed and privileged remnant with spiritual weapons, including, but by no means limited to, total confidence in petition before God. In light of that fact alone, we need to stop living like disenfranchised losers!

Secondly, we need to recognize that Romans 8:14-17 clarifies that our inheritance makes us joint-heirs with Messiah Jesus. And that position puts us in possession of all His power and ability to defeat every threat from the supernatural realm. Further, our inheritance is not, as some teach, a collection of “ pie-in-the-sky” promises reserved for some arbitrary future in heaven. To the contrary, every spiritual power and weapon available to Jesus during and after His earthly ministry is available to us right now, as well. But, the only thing that prevents us from exercising that authority from on high is unbelief.

Simply put, if you’re a believer who wants the type of total victory that the scriptures promise, stop listening to the doubting Thomas’s and nay-sayers, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, consult the Scriptures alone for answers. Additionally, in our quest for absolute truth, our sharpest critics will often be the so called experts, even well meaning pastors who often refuse to simply defer to the Scriptures, in favor of the doctrines of men. However, in the face of opposition, remember that Jesus, the final authority emphatically taught that “All things what so ever ye shall ask…believing, ye shall receive.”