The Flag

The First American Flag made by Betsy Ross
The Flag


A Memorial Day sermon by Elam Johnson
Written by Donna Braman
I am so honored to be able to write this profound, discerning truth spoken today about Israel and this historical story told of America on this Memorial Day May, 29, 2011


How many know where the Star Spangled Banner, America's national anthem came from?
Today I'm going to share a story about that from the Revolutionary War. It is a patriotic song written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and was inspired by a story about the flag.


America is a wonderful place to be born in and live. We have the privilege of worshiping our Lord, which a lot a nations don't have today. I would like to quote Psalm 125:1, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever."  The Lord is with us and His Holy Angels are about us. Pray today for the Peace of Jerusalem. Never forget that command in Genesis 12:3,"I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

We are a part of all the families of the earth. We bless Israel as G-d commands us. Today, we back and support Israel. In 1948 the Jewish people became a nation in the land of Israel. President Truman was up for re-election that year. There was a lot of anti-semitism at that time and many didn't want to support Israel. But G-d put Harry Truman in that place for such a time as that. When the Israel flag went up President Truman said, "Israel, we are going to back you and stand beside you. We're going to take our flag and wrap it around your flag. We're going to support you financially and with prayer."

Harry Truman was re-elected. America became blessed once again and during the 5o's we were prosperous  and families were stable, and the church was thriving. Now, I'm giving my age away. But we lived during that time with little crime, people didn't have to lock their doors and lock down everything on their property. We had very little unemployment and we were a thriving nation. Because we were a blessed nation and I believe that was because we stood with Israel.

But slowly liberals came in and America began to be stripped away of its core values and character. When character goes, morals go in a nation. The one who comes to steal, kill and destroy came in America!  Today, we can't trust our government. Politics says you have to divide Jerusalem. We're messing with the wrong nation now. Many leaders have tried to come up with the division of Israel. Every time a president told Israel you got to give up land, a catastrophe happened on our soil.

The Arabs say give up land Israel and you'll have peace. But we know peace comes only from the Prince of Peace. Are all these disasters we are seeing today a mother nature fluke or G-d's wrath on the US? We don't tell G-d to divide His Land!  So is it a wonder why we have no confidence in our nation's leaders or state government?

Is G-d's wrath on us because we took prayer out of schools, allowed homosexuals in the pulpits of Christ's Church?  We've backed away from the US flag's meaning and as a result we have foreclosures on homes, jobs lacking and then we have preachers proclaiming things in G-d's word that's not true.

Our freedom in the US comes at a price, and we have forgotten that. But I have something to tell you today, I found out what that price was and saw it with my own eyes as I served two tours in Viet Nam. I saw men dying beside of me in the rice patty fields and in the swamps of that jungle.

We had a makeshift airstrip on a mountain in Viet Nam and you couldn't land a jet only a C130 plane. As I flew over that mountain we were getting fire all around us. I looked and saw another plane being destroyed. It was on fire from mortars. I didn't know at that moment that our plane was not going to be able to land. But suddenly the mortar fire was on us.  I was going to have to jump out of that plane. As the plane engine begin to slow, I jumped. When I hit that ground I looked up and I saw that I had no covering. looked about me and saw the body bags. I said, I can't stay here. I ran for a bunker made from the metal on the runway which had sand bags around it. I jumped in that hole.

Later I realized I had landed in a Mash Unit hospital area. I saw this Marine with surgeons all around him about to do surgery. His legs were blown off and one of his arms. I heard this soldier cry out, "Please don't let me die."

When you hear a soldier cry out for his life you know the price for freedom then. Can you hear that song now, "Oh say can you see...by the dawn's early light..."  That precious song was written by a man that witnessed the price of freedom also. Francis Scott Key was not a song writer, he was a lawyer. He was called to a ship of captives in the Revolution and they told him, we want you to go and see if the enemy will release these prisoners. Tell them we will give one soldier per soldier of theirs.  Francis Key went but with great sadness in his heart. He didn't know if he could do this bargaining.

To his great surprise the bargain was made. But no one went to tell the ship of soldiers who had been held captive that they were free.  Francis went himself to tell them, and it was an event that changed the course of his life.

He said, "At first I couldn't see anything. When my eyes finally focused, I saw a scene that would be forever etched in my mind."

Have you ever had a tragedy in your life? It always clicks back in your mind if something comes up and reminds you of it. That's how it is with most Viet Nam Veterans.

What Francis saw that day was boys in that ship chained to each other. They were sick and wounded, and they were laying in their own filth.  In the bottom of that ship he knew a lot of those young men would not make it out alive. He told them, "You're going to be free. You're going home."

Now in Viet Nam when we heard that, we called that 'going home plane' the freedom bird. That day on that air strip when I got to cover from jumping out of that plane it was like the bird from heaven coming down on that strip that day. I had made it, I was free from the enemy.

But there in that ship, there were no sounds of joy, not a word was said. Eveyone of those boys went quite. One of the men finally spoke up and said, "Are you trying to tell me, we're getting out?"

Then he said, "Will we be allowed to fight again?"

Francis looked at him astonished and said, "No, what's wrong with you, you've done enough already. The battle is over."

The young man said back to Francis, "You don't understand, our task is not done for this country yet."

Our battle for this country today is not over yet either. We have a real devil to fight in this country and in our lives, get the task done.

Francis was overcome by the spirit of these men. He went to the Admiral and said, "Please get those boys out of there."

The Admiral said, "It doesn't matter what happens to those boys because they won't have a country to go back to."

You see, soon this is what we will say in America again.

The Admiral takes Francis to one side of the ship and says, "What do you see?" And Francis says, Fort McHenry and the American flag."

The Admiral takes Francis to the other side of the ship and says, What do you see?" Francis says, "The ocean and a bunch a little dots on the horizon."

The Admiral tells him that is the British Royal Navy coming to blow Fort McHenry off the face of the earth if the flag doesn't come down. You see, their government has sent our government a message; You're going to bring that flag down or the stars and stripes will be blasted from this earth.

This is the same thing Iran is telling Israel, I'll wipe you off the face of the earth. Israel has another enemy coming at her today too, the Arab Confederation. Psalm 83:4 says, "They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." They will come against Israel and we will see this, and we need to support Israel, our blessings in this nation depend on it.

Ezekiel 37:10 says, Israel will be a nation of peace achieved via their military might. It is the "exceedingly great army" and the zeal of Zion foretold by Ezekiel which will be the instrumental tool utilized in the execution of the judgments against the surrounding Arab nations, and Israel will be restored her fortunes and all her land.

G-d says in Ezekiel 39:7-8 that, "So I G-d will make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let them (the Arab Federation) profane my holy name anymore. Then all the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the HOLY ONE of Israel, says the Lord G-d."

But the world says, just leave them be for they will die anyway. But America needs to get on the Lord's side because as you will see in the end of this story G-d uses his armies to accomplish His will in nations that love Him and do not profane His name.

The Admiral said, "Just leave those boys alone, they have soon have not a country."

You see, no country had ever been able to withstand the might of England. Fort McHenry, it looked like, was going to be destroyed. These boys in that ship started crying out, "don't let them take our flag down Mr. Key."

Francis Key went back at the top of the ship and just starts pointing at them. He set watch all night and suddenly in the early morning the cannons began to roar. Its called softening up the enemy. We had ability to call in air strikes in Viet Nam. You didn't raise your head up in a rice patty to see how it all went down.

These cannons from the British ships went on all night. The flag was still standing when Francis looked that early morning. He knew G-d's hand was on America.  About 4:00 a.m. everything went silent. The English troops had used all their powder in their scare tactic and our flag was still standing.  Francis made his way to the Fort. Everything was a splintered tooth pick. He dropped to his feet and something tore his heart out.

That flag had been hit and it came down but a soldier had ran out and stood it back up. Another soldier ran and put the flag back up and at the end a pile of soldiers' bodies were holding the flag up.

You know Jesus came down and gave us liberty and freedom and left us the Christian flag. He set men free. Satan has never made a lock that Jesus can't unlock. I thank G-d for the blessings I have today to worship freely my Lord Jesus Christ. Won't you pick up His flag today and follow Him and let your banner be the bible? Satan will try to take your mind from your freedom and try to make you think you have lost it, but Jesus died to give you that freedom and with his death He took the keys of death from Satan and when we give honor to His name and glorify Him He will uphold Israel and the USA.

If you see a veteran today, thank them for serving, they are not thanked or honored enough. Jesus came down from heaven to give us freedom thank Him today! The greatest battle we have facing us is to keep Satan from occupying the USA.

Take up your cross daily and Serve Him, and it will cost you to follow Him, but your reward is with Him.



  

Defeating Old Enemies

We are about to enter into a fasting period for 21 days and when we are done we're going to have a miracle service because G-d is going to deliver the enemy into our hand.  It's all about dominion and G-d's people have become aware that they can defeat the devil.  They can activate the word and favor of G-d.  When you give, and when you fast, and when you pray, He will reward you openly. Get ready to break the back of the devil off your life and off your children's lives.

I'm seeing that spirit of freedom grip a lot of people. Economist don't know what to do. Parents don't know what to do to save their children from darkness and strongholds. We've got enemies that have popped up in what we thought was a seemingly perfect life. You got to sling the word at him and put some armor on and keep giving, praying and tithing. Wars have always brought the glory of G-d and it will in this time of trouble in the world we are seeing today.

Satan knows where your faith is too. Did you know that G-d said, if you tithe He will rebuke your enemies?  The devil knows G-d will put His foot on him and rebuke him for you if you honor the seed principle of tithing and giving. If the devil can get you to compromise this principle he knows he can defeat you.

We have an unseen enemy. You have to have something mighty enough to cast down his imaginations and high thoughts.  You got to come into obedience and seek Him first, live righteous, and He will give all things unto you.  This is the year for many of you to defeat old enemies.  When we fast we become sensitive to  spiritual things.

Isaiah 58:6 says, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke."  We're going to defeat those strongholds, oppressive spirits, infirmities and we're tired of the devil attacking our children, our finances, our marriages and jobs.

G-d said, I have chosen this fast to do three things,  to lift the bonds, yokes and burdens, and to set the oppressed free. Sometimes your enemy can be finances, sickness, or fear.  You will come to a place in G-d when you'll have to trust Him.  The enemy could be a marriage, and just when you think you've won, he rears his other head up. It could be a stronghold on your child or on you.

The greatest enemy sometimes is our own flesh.  We feed it and take care of it and pamper it. That's when it becomes our worst enemy because left unchecked the flesh will send you to a living hell.  It could be some kind of addiction, drugs or alcohol.  When the devil has control that's when you need to fast for these yokes to be lifted.

All of G-d's prophets had to fight the devil but they were victorious and you will have to make up your mind to take possession. G-d destroyed the Ammelikites for His people. He tells Saul to kill them all and not leave any of them alive, not even their sheep or cattle.  Saul goes out to the battle field but is not obedient. He spares one Ammlekite his life.

Samuel trembles in fear when he hears this because G-d had said not to spare a single one.  Samuel knew there would be trouble on every one because of what Saul did.  That enemy that was left alive was after his destiny. You've got an enemy that wants to destroy G-d's people and when I see a people about to be destroyed we better obey the clarion call.

These were the same Ammelikites that took David's gold, wives, children and livestock because Saul had left them alive.  So, the enemy that you did not conquer will come back later and take you again. And if you don't conquer it, your children will have to.

We have Christians still smoking and doing all kinds of bad habits and never rising up to defeat it.  The time to defeat your enemy is when you're strong not when you are weak.  G-d has a plan to revive you.  Fasting can release the blessings onto our lives.  You got to make up your mind to destroy old curses.

Look at Hosea 4:6, it says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being a priest for me; Because you have forgotten the law of your G-d, I also will forget your children."

Oh my, oh my, do you see this, He said, I will forget your children!  G-d is a generational G-d and He will bring a curse upon your children for your disobedience and sin. Not only will you have to walk in obedience to save your children, you will have to repent for the sins of the father that can go 3 and 4 generations. This is why we see so many strongholds, sexual deviance, addictions, and mental disorders in families. This is the result of rebellion against G-d.

Light will perish in the dark with disobedience.  When there is no knowledge or vision the people perish.  It is the mother of destruction.  Lack of knowledge is the ruin to any person or people.  The best gift a preacher can give you is the truth of the word.  Most pastors will tell you they didn't want to be a preacher but they were called.

Matthew Harvey sums it up in his writing when he says, "both the people and priests rejected His knowledge and G-d said because of it I'm going to reject you. The priests weren't teaching because they hated the word and had no heart for it. They fought G-d's laws and principles.  Nor did they want to pass it on to their children or the people's children."

Sounds like a lot of our churches today doesn't it? Some of us are like these priests, we have a knowledge of the word but are being disobedient to it.  If you don't walk in the light, then you're walking in disobedience.  You have knowledge but you choose to rebel and treat G-d's laws casually.

When you tithe, G-d requires 10% and you ignore it.  You will never, never defeat the devil and your children will face the same enemy when you rob G-d. Hosea 4:1 tells us what happens to us, generation after generation, for sin and disobedience.

You see, we are priests before our Lord and we are causing G-d to forget our children.  G-d has given us the bible and we don't teach it in the schools anymore, and the church people just want a good sermon. But at some point you got to get some obedience in you. I see people sit in church week after week with sullen faces and lifeless. Get some praise in you for Him. You've been saved by the blood and snatched up from the darkness, get a heart for Him. Be a doer of the word.

James 1:22-23 says,"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does." A doer of the word is blessed,  what a simple message.

I really want G-d to bless you, to bless the church and to bless your children. Blessings drive the devil back into the corridors of hell.  G-d not only wants to influence your children but He wants the church to take dominion. You can't just live it yourself and ignore others. You got to teach it to others.  We're a body and when one is hurting then you should hurt too. G-d, let us get a heart for the members of the body.

If you want your prayers answered, obey G-d.  Do you want G-d to forget you and your children?  You may be saying, well that's old bible. Well, G-d changes not.  That's the only way to get your blessings. It's the only way to get goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life.

I have knowledge. It didn't all come when I began studying to become a minister. I began getting it when I was little in that little country church from the preacher, from my Sunday School teacher, and from my granddaddy. They all taught it to me.

Don't let alcohol, drugs, addictive pills, obsession with porn and sex destroy you. And don't let what your parents did destroy you.  If you let these things defeat you then your children will have to battle them.  G-d is a generational G-d, and the devil is a generational enemy. Don't make your children or grandchildren do your work.

We are in war, get suited up and on the battle ground.  Don't go on the battle ground without being suited up and without your weapons.  It's not a game, it's real war and I see some try to come onto the battle field not fully armored up.  They have no prayer life, no praise on their lips, and no tithe to bring to the storehouse of G-d.

Write His laws in your heart and live them, and teach them to your children and they will have power over the devil.  The reason you're not winning your battle is because you keep vacillating. You got to get prayed up and praised up. It takes anointing to win a spiritual battle.  G-d wants to promote you and your children but He can't until you defeat these old enemies.

How does G-d promote you?  What does he do?  When you got a sword you are just fighting for you. After a while the battle intensifies. David went for lions and then for the giants in the valley at Rephraim.  David had to fight the battles for others. And you can break the power of the devil off your children and future generations.

When G-d promotes you, He goes enemy shopping.  When you've defeated one, then He will give you a bigger one, and so on until you reach your destiny.  He don't match you to your enemy, He matches you to your destiny like He did David.

So you better start waking up with a praise and song in your mouth. I love that song, "He woke me up this morning..."  See, Saul wanted David to put his heavy armor on but David had his own armor.  We run to the church when the enemy comes at us, but get battle ready and start fighting for your destiny and children's destiny.

What gave us victory in the past will do it today, prayer, fasting, tithing, faith and commitment.  When the enemy tells you you can't defeat him just keep slinging the word of G-d at him and the giants David killed, you will kill too.

This is what we're going to do this year, we're fasting, praying and we're praising and we're reporting to duty. He's called you to duty too.  Get suited up!  The devil's in your destiny and he's got to be defeated. I already know what the devil can do, cause I've been so close to him I could smell his breath, and if you think the devil puts fear in you with his lies, just wait and see what power G-d is going to show you. Get ready Saints to march, and trample the devil and defeat those old enemies.

7 Steps To Dominion

Make 2011 a year of Dominion In Your Life, Church And Family

The scriptures that I'm going to give you today reveal that we are in a complicated war and the battle is with the devil. Ephesians 6:12 tells us,"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

There is a spirit realm right above our heads, and until you can get some discernment of the spiritual realm you will never gain dominion.  The devil is the prince of the air, and he operates in the dark and we need to recognize who we are fighting. You will need to know the weakness and power of your enemy in order to gain dominion over him.

The key to these principles are knowing who you are and then letting the devil know who you are. Decide that this year you are not going to be like a lot of Christians that come up against attacks and all they can do is plead with the Lord to make it all better. You have weapons and YOU are going to have use them. But first, you must know just what Jesus Christ's power is and what He accomplished for you already and take dominion of the power He has given the church. Here are the principles broken outlined for you:

1.  Recognize Your Source Of Dominion


Paul prayed a prayer in Ephesians where he asked for us to have wisdom and discernment because he knew we had to know this to have victory and dominion.  We have to understand the exceeding, great power we have through Jesus Christ. Jesus took the dominion from Satan and turned and gave the keys to the church. Now keys are made to lock and unlock things, so you have the power to bind and to loose situations in your life.

Let's take a look at the power given to Christ in Ephesians 1:19-23, "may you have the spirit of understanding and your eyes be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.  And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

You can see from this scripture that the power and source of your dominion comes directly from heaven. It comes through Jesus Christ. You make Lord of your life and learn these principles and you'll get dominion. It does not come through human ability but a spiritual power. We are a people of dominion.  As you study the word of G-d you'll see where Paul gives us these principles.

2.  Learn The Effective Use Of Your Weapons


Just as the conflict is spiritual so our weapons are spiritual also.  We have prayer and we have the sword of the spirit.  We need for our prayer to be fervent and you'll never have effective, fervent prayer until you tap into the Holy Spirit for He anoints you to pray.  He gives you that quickening spirit and words come to you to pray, and sometimes all you can do is just groan from your spirit and guess what, He prays for you then.

Faith is a mighty weapon too and the power of calling on His name is mighty. When you can get this in your spirit you will be able to make demons shutter when you begin to pray the prayer of command in Jesus' name. 2 Corinthians 10:3 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in G-d for pulling down strongholds, and casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of G-d."

You have an enemy and he's trying to stop you from getting your inheritance. Cast the devils high thoughts down.  Everyone that is going to walk in dominion must know the WORD.  It should come out of your mouth when you're attacked by the devil.  Jesus has a two edged sword on His tongue, and He used that when dealing with devils.  The word of G-d must be hidden in your heart so that when an attack comes you can use that double edged sword. It will cause exploits from you. Get to know His word.

People that walk in dominion are people of the word and prayer. Prayer is the most talked about subject but the least done in the church.  It baffles me that people in church won't pray.  They want a good sermon only. But prayer moves the hand of G-d. It amazes me how little preachers pray. How few call the people in unity to pray at the altar, or call for prayer intercession night. If you go to a church with prayer you are blessed because where there is no prayer there is no spiritual power. If you've got a praying pastor or praying people in your church you better cling to their coat tail.

You don't have to come to church to try to out pray everyone, you can come and just groan when you're burdened and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.  Prayer is the power that accomplishes things when nothing else will.  Faith gives you dominion and a person with faith walks with G-d.

Where do you get faith? Romans 10:17 tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of G-d." The word cannot build faith in you until you learn to abide in it. Jesus tells us this in John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

3.  Recognize Your Relationship To The Body Of Christ


The Body of Christ is a divine relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ's body is a living, moving entity. Stay close to the church.  Colossians 1:18 says, "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."

Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. Follow His commands and pay your tithe and the devil will never prevail. G-d said to prove Him on this. It will cause blessings to flow because you're a part of His body.  Do you need healing or a miracle, then get the body to praying for you.  The people should be worshiping him through prayer and praise, they should be pulling praise out of the preacher. Are you a dead church or are you a church alive in Him.

Look at Ephesians 2:5, "even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." He has raised us up together and we sit in heavenly places! Jesus shows you your position in Him here. We are in Him and He is in us.  We are also seated together.  We are to reign as priests and kings before His throne.  We're in the world but not of this world.

Stay with me now, cause I'm going to show you your position in faith and prayer here.  Look at Hebrews 7:24, "But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.  Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to G-d through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Jesus is seated on the throne and He intercesses (prays) for us.

You have a partnership with Christ that intercedes. Romans 8:34 says, "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of G-d, who also makes intercession for us."  Christ, the exalted Lord is praying, the Holy Spirit is praying.

Romans 8:26-27 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses, For we do not know what we pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of G-d."

The Holy Spirit is praying, Jesus is praying, and we are to pray.  Don't quit and don't faint.  Christ is wanting for the church to join Him in prayer.  The church has more programs and is more organized than ever before with the greatest preachers on sermons, but we have missed the thing that brings the power. My G-d, bring some people up in the church that will pray!

The average Christian prays 4 minutes a day and it goes something like this, Lord, thank you for this food...
You can change the world with prayer, you can change your church and family with prayer. All things are possible for those who believe.  Paul was afraid the church wouldn't understand this. In Ephesians 1:17-18 he says, "That the G-d of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

Paul overwhelms us when he says we are seated with Christ. Ephesians 2:5 says, "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by His grace) and raised us up together to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

We are raised in the newness of light and this is the mystery the church needs to grasp.  G-d ordained that the church should pray. That's dominion!

4.  Identify Your Enemy


How can you win a battle if you don't know who you are fighting?  The devil is subtle.  With our thought processes we go, where did G-d come from?  There is nothing greater than getting your prayers answered. Spend time in prayer and get some answered prayers and you will know where G-d comes from then.

Have enough faith that you start saying, I will not be denied.  Be like Elijah, don't give up. If you don't have enough faith in your prayer life yet, go find you some Elijah prayer warriors that know how to pray it through. Don't give up. G-d will connect your situation with a prayer warrior. He will put them in front of you and the one's who are tuned in to the spirit will know they need to pray for you and your situation. Your prayer is what determines whether or not you will prevail. We need to learn to pray as a nation. We need to learn to pray for family and one another in the body of Christ.

I have two family members I hadn't talk to in a while and recently communication was opened up and they expressed desperate prayer needs for children in the family. I was not even aware of these needs. These needs require intercessory prayer. The Holy Spirit brought this before me because He knows I am about to embark upon a 40 day fast and prayer for others. I'll not let the devil win for I will take a mighty stand and beat this giant that is coming against my family.

You'll never have victory if you don't learn to identify your enemy.  It's not your husband, nor your employer, nor people in your church, but it is the devil that you are dealing with not people. John 10:10 says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Christ wants us to have dominion.  In this verse your enemy is identified and your benefactor.  Battles are not natural, they are spiritual. We want to try to battle them by world principles but the devil will laugh in your face and keep you in fear and a turmoil. Take your weapons out and show him who you are. You see, the spiritual laws are more powerful than natural laws.  Jesus spoke (the sword of the spirit) to the storm and it ceased.

Your enemy is the enemy to G-d.  That's why the battle is not yours in the natural, but it is G-d's.  Know the weakness of your enemy. David killed a giant because he understood Goliath's weakness, that he served wooden gods and he cursed David's G-d, which meant death to the giant. So David already knew that because of that G-d would deliver the enemy into his hand. David killed off an evil seed by knowing who he was in G-d.

The devil IS limited.  The devil was completely defeated by Jesus.  Any believer can resist the devil and he has to leave.  James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to G-d. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Draw nigh to G-d and He will draw nigh to you.  Get the Holy Ghost and get suited up and let your tongue go to praying some of these scriptures and I promise you that the devil will be no match for this dominion.

We must remind the devil that he is defeated, that Jesus already won the battle, and that truth and knowledge of His word gives you the victory. Colossians 2:15 says, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Jesus dragged Satan through the corridors of hell and every demon in hell saw it, and they will see His power in you too if you exert it.  Jesus triumphed over Satan and gave the power to the church. Well, glory!

Demons fear and tremble before spiritual power.  Someone who walks in dominion takes authority over the devil and sits in the rest of Christ. Speak to the devil and let him know who you are. Luke 10:19 says, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your name is written in heaven." (by which you have this power)

The Greek word Exusia means power and  the Greek word for Dumas means power over everything. G-d is omnipotence.You have the Dumas of G-d and the power to use His name.

6.  Stay Battle Ready


Stay in the blood, the devil tries to get us away from our covenant.  He knows your weaknesses and he'll come at you through them. Fortify your weakness with the word of G-d. G-d will turn that weakness around and make it your strength in Him.  Don't ever let your guard down.  You're devil proof so hold on to your weapons and never lay them down.

Satan will put a booby trap before you.  If Satan convicts you, you can't cast out the devil then.  If the devil can put anger in you you'll not heal the sick.  If he gets you confused, you'll not pray and see manifestations. The devil wants you to stay confused and not battle ready. So watch for these subtle moves the devil does and you will begin to recognize your enemy and his plans.

Never take your eyes off Jesus.  Don't look at man, they will disappoint you. Your family will hurt you and friends too, so stay focused on Christ. Pray! After this manner pray ye, Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Go before the Lord with reference and thankfulness and with a praise on you lips.

7.  Rejoice In The Victory


Learn how to use the weapon of praise. Punish the devil with your praise.  G-d inhabits the praises of His people.  Make the devil listen to your praise. You can't think a praise and punish the devil but if you'll use your voice and speak praise, the devil will have to listen.  Try praising the Lord in the midst of a hard place and see how quickly you come out of it. Start pressing the devil and punish him, instead of allowing him to press you. Flip it on him, show him some real power.

We're not losers church, we are what G-d says we are. We have what G-d says we have.  We have all the promises and the armor and the praise, and it is all to bring glory to Him. Get some scripture in you and learn G-d's will.

The Holy Ghost wants us to preach and to pray, not by our might but by His Spirit. G-d is searching the heart who is praying, and who is praising Him.  He is looking to see who is sold out for Him.

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

And A Child Is Born Unto Us

Have you found that special gift yet?  Whatever the gift may be, I'm going to tell you today of the greatest gift that ever was. What is your gift wrapped in? Perhaps a beautiful Christmas paper of the best quality and design! Or maybe just newspaper or brown paper bag!  Whatever your gift may be wrapped in it is not the paper that it comes in but the love behind the gift.

The greatest gift ever that I'm talking about came wrapped in rags and His name was Emmanuel, G-d with us.  You would think that He would have been wrapped in a robe and born in a King's Palace. But there was not even room for Him in the Inn.

Luke 2:7 says, "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn."

Love is the most important gift of all. Love is what the Father gave us. "For G-d so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and He that believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Mary laid Him in the manger.  Powerful influential men came and bowed before him and worshiped him with gifts of gold, myrth and Frankincense. I can't sing very well but I try always to make a joyful sound to Him. Sometimes, I just burst out singing that old hymnal, "He came to me when I couldn't go to Him but He came to ME!" Aren't you glad that He came to you and to all of us?"

The best and most wonderful of G-d. G-d walked through 42 generations before He sent His Son to us. That ought to make somebody shout a praise.  G-d found Mary and she conceived a Son, and His name was called Emmanuel, wonderful, counselor.

The birth of Jesus is powerful.  The prophet Isaiah tells us that we must make it personal. He came and lifted burdens, people bound in chains were freed. People that were slaves to sin and possessed no hope from within became full of joy with hope again. Jesus picked me up from a dark pit and gave me life and light. His sweet love came to me and He came to make it personal to me.

In my darkest hour He came to me! It's simply the greatest gift, that He came to us.  "A child is born." That speaks to us to His humanity. No one ever came to us that understood us like Jesus.  Jesus was betrayed and disappointed.  He was acquainted with grief and sorrow.

Unto us a Son is given. The Son that taketh away the sins of the world. Jesus was there all along. He spoke the creation into being. He created the moon and the stars. 1 John 3:2 says,"Beloved, now we are children of G-d; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is."

We shall see Him as He is! This is what happens when He comes into your spirit. It is through G-d's Son we have been redeemed.  There's no other name by which we can be saved.  G-d gave His Son to the whole world. The preaching of the word is powerful to those who are perishing.  Jesus ascended up to His Father, a redemption  that He set with His own blood.

He breaks shackles from the gutter to the most gutter. We are nothing without Him.  Isaiah 7:14 says, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High, without Him you will be brought low to the lowest depths of the Pit."

If we had chosen how our Savior would come, we probably would have chosen a silk and linen robe.  But G-d wrapped Him in swaddling clothes. (Most likely worn Jewish cloths) He's the greatest story ever told and yet was born in a stable.  You can sit in your church and hear this story over and over and if you ignore it, which some will, you will continue to sink deeper and deeper into the depth of the pit. Jesus is the only way to the light and to the Father.

In Luke 2:11 the prophet said His name shall be called wonderful counselor.  His name is Jesus. We couldn't go to where He was but He came to us. He is man's advocate and intercessor. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, "For there is one G-d and one Mediator between G-d and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

Jesus identified Himself with us and He loved us so much that he condescended from His throne and said, I'll come in your midst so I can see your condition.  When we get to heaven we will see a man and 100 % G-d as well.  Jesus is the negotiator that bridges the gap between us and G-d.  He is touched by our infirmities.  He is our lawyer. He has never lost a case and never will.

If you will kneel at the cross, go in the secret place of prayer, He will come to you!  He is our High Priest and He sprinkles our words with incense, and as they go up to the throne they become sweet incense to G-d's nostrils.  He is the mighty G-d that spoke, let there be light.  He hung the world on nothing but His spoken word. He flung the stars with His fingers.  He's the mighty G-d that is my anchor and speaks to the wind and they blow over the oceans with a roar.

Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  If the problems have mounted up and you can't seem to find a way, come to Jesus in the secret place of prayer. He's the everlasting Father. Revelation 1:8 says,"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." The Palmist said He is from everlasting to everlasting.

Jesus will never vacate His throne.  He created all things.  In Him was life and that light shined into the darkness and the darkness could not comprehend it.  Your heart should leap for joy and bubble up with a message like this.  He will bring down your walls and snatch you out. He will break every shackle in your life and set you free.

Not only is He the wonderful counselor and Almighty G-d but He's the Prince of Peace.  In a world that is full of discord and pain, He stands alone as the Prince of Peace. John 4:27 says,"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of G-d; and everyone who loves is born of G-d and knows G-d."

Jesus can conquer your fear. He's our mighty conqueror.  Thanks be unto G-d that causes us to always conquer.  Our faith is awakened by G-d. Our High Priest sits on the throne in His Majesty. All these names we call Him are beautiful but what is the name that causes all men to bow? There is no other name above it, He shall save and His name is Jesus.  He can save you and give you joy unspeakable. The greatest gift and story of all.  Summed up, He is John 3:16 and He came to us!

I pray this season that Jesus will be very personal to you.  He died to save us all.  He came to me when I was bound and possessed with no hope from within, and He drew me to His side and now I sweetly abide in Him. Do you know Him?  Have you received Him as your PERSONAL Savior?  For as many as receives Him He gives the power to be Sons of G-d.

7 Steps To Kill Your Giants

Practice killing some Lions Before Facing A Giant

How do you kill your giants?  There are certain things you must do if you're going to be successful at killing giants. I'm talking about addictions, sexual obsessions, fear, a health crisis, the devil coming at your children, and your friends turning on you. All  these things that plague Christians at some time or another.

We're going to look more closely at King David in this teaching because there is a tremendous amount of knowledge and discernment from his life that teaches us the principles of slaying giants. If you ever are going to be a giant killer you'll have to put all your trust in the Lord.

The number seven is significant to perfection and we see groupings of 7 throughout the bible. The 7 churches, the  7 candle sticks, the 7 spirits of G-d, and we see Nahum being told to dip 7 seven times in the river. We see the 7th day rest, and G-d creating the earth in 7 days, and we see Joshua marching around Jericho 7 times. So taking 7 steps in accomplishing things is an order G-d set up for us. So I use a lot of  7 steps in teaching the how to's from G-d's word. There is going to be times in your life when a trial, test or oppression comes to you and you will search G-d's word for the answer. These are some powerful truths that is being handed to you by someone Else's experiences in working G-d's word in their life situation.

Let's look at 1 Samuel 17:41-51, "So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.  And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good looking.  So the Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"  And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the G-d of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.  And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a G-d of Israel. "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."

"So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him.  But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.  And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled."

David was not anything to come up against this foe.  He was a small guy in stature but David didn't get his strength from his own physical power, yet he was a mighty warrior.  The biggest mistake the giant made was cursing David's G-d. Goliath called upon his god. His god was called Dagon. Well David knew that if you cursed G-d it meant death to you and because of this he knew G-d would deliver the giant into his hand.

There are giants in this land today as well.  David killed his giant and if you'll use these steps you can kill your giants too.  The devil will laugh in your face if you keep things in your life that the spirit has spoken to you about getting rid of.  That Philistine laughed at the wrong man when he laughed at David because David was an anointed man.

Let's take a look at the 7 principles that caused David to have victory over his giant.

1.  He was Faithful in all his Labor 


David was faithful in his work in the field with the sheep. I'm sure he went about his work while singing and praising the Lord.  David just didn't sing, he sang with his soul how great his G-d is. When you're tending to the sheep work as unto the Lord and be faithful. There are some preachers who won't even go visit people in the hospital.  You'll have to be faithful when he's placed a responsibility on you.

People want to get to the top in the Kingdom before they've been faithful in their labor. You won't kill any giants until you've been faithful in your labor. You'll have to faithful in holiness, purity, service and love as well.
Nobody was watching over David to see if he was faithful, he was faithful on his own.

2. He was Responsive to G-d and to Spiritual Growth


There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth, you'll have to grow before you can kill giants.  When G-d tells you to put something down, then do it.  When he says walk, then walk through the door. G-d does not reward abilities and intellect. You will have to show thyself approved.

Respond to G-d. You can shout and sing all you want but real power comes through prayer and facing the devil and casting him down in your life and in others lives. These are powerful dynamics and truths I'm telling you and that you will take a life time to dig for. Because Christians who have walked through trials and tests and faced giants by digging into G-d's word and applying it to there situations have a discernment that you need. I have sat up under one of the most gifted preachers of the mind gifts, and Pastor Nelson speaks of his own experiences and how he got victory by using biblical principles.

When you got a giant to face, don't fall apart, don't let the devil win, go to G-d's word and stay in it until you find the answer that applies to your situation, then pray with perseverance until the answer comes. If these truths came natural or easy then all the church would be walking in victory. But G-d says the only way you will grow spiritual is with me. Rightly divide the truth of the word. Refuse to be stagnant. Refuse to be in a dead church. I'm gonna keep on praying and fasting for growth in the Body of Christ.

Let's take a step back to 1 Samuel 16:12-13, "So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking.  And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one." The Spirit of G-d can move in your church and anoint the least of all of you. For he is not looking at your skills, abilities or knowledge, he's looking at the heart and how faithful you are to Him. David was the least of his family and was an outcast. He had a distressed life and had trained 600 nobodies and turned them into a mighty army.

Champions produce champions. G-d's call on every Pastor is to raise up some mighty men of G-d. Pray for G-d to send you some who love Him and not lovers of themselves.  David knew what it meant to be down, and he knew what it meant to raise others up.

When David was anointed he didn't rise up and say, Oh G-d I'm too young for this pick one of my brothers. He was responsive to G-d. Don't sit stagnant in the church! Don't stay ignorant.  G-d expects us to study His word until we know the truth and walk in it.

If you're going to get real treasure then look at experience with a walk with Christ and fires they have walked through with victory.  You respond to the word by what it's saying to you in the midst of tests and trials. David didn't just go out there and kill his giant out of blue one day. He took steps that prepared him for that.

3.  He was a Comfort to Others


King Saul was being vexed by G-d and He allowed a spirit to come upon Saul because of his heart and spirit.  David was a man of courage and war.  People know that about you because of what they've seen you do. David was a prudent man and a spirit with life and light, and all could see that the Lord was with him.

1 Samuel 16:23 says, "And so it was, whenever the spirit of G-d was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him."

When you can lift a person up, encourage them, comfort them when they are hurting, touch them with anointing then you are a person that can bless others. You have become blessed to be a blessing to others. If you're selfish and this is where all your focus is, then you will never be a giant killer.  It will cost you to serve with your time, even might take your money or your job when G-d tells you to. Whatever demands G-d puts on you is so you can bless others so He can bless you.

David was a comforter but he was much younger than most others. David could find a man all the way down and go play his music and lift them up. If you're going to be great in the Kingdom then you'll have to be a blessing to others.  Get all the negative stuff out of you because your joy is what gives you victory.

4.  He was NOT AFRAID


Fear can destroy you.  Fear has to go from your heart. Fear destroys families, and your self esteem. You're always afraid of what MIGHT happen. The devil loves to get you in this state.  Don't worry about what another person is saying or what they have received.  So don't worry about your job and getting blessed. Don't let fear intimidate you.  G-d has not given us a spirit of fear but of joy and a sound mind.

You can get so busy in life that you don't even remember going past the Zip Mart or a certain red light on the way to work and fear grips you. You go, did I remember to turn the coffee pot off or feed the dog?  Man's heart will fail them in the end days because of fear. David was not afraid of anything.

Look at 1 Samuel 17: 34-35, "But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it."

Are you ready to chase lions? Well, don't try to for giants until you can chase lions. When the devil sends his hindering spirits to your door, kick the door in and tell them to come on in cause you got G-d's word for them. When you're mature enough in G-d's word and walk in some victory with the lions then you can kill some giants.  Don't try to believe G-d for a 3 tier cake if you've never had a 1 tier cake victory. You believe in G-d according to the level of your faith, and faith takes walking in it for it to grow.

Learn to rub the devil's nose in your battles because the battle is G-d's anyway. Remind him that he's not fighting you but your G-d. This is why he hates it when you speak G-d's word back to him like Jesus did on the mount during his fast and encounter with Satan.

You can't kill strongholds of lust, alcohol and drugs and spirits of infirmities until you kill some lions first.  You go try killing some devils like these and and they'll turn on you and tear you to pieces. David first took the lamb out of the lion's mouth before he went up against the giants. David's confidence was not in his human strength but in G-d's. The devil is no match for Jesus' blood.  I've had people say, oh I'm afraid to pray over them they've got spirits on them.

A demon is no match for Jehovah so know who you are in Him and what your power is through Him before you face a giant.  1 Samuel 17:37 says, "Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine, And Saul said to David, "Go and the Lord be with you."

You see King David had taken steps in the power of G-d.  It's better to be obedient than to sacrifice. If you could get that in your spirit you'll be a giant killer.

5.  He Challenged the Challenger


1 Samuel 17:42, for he disdained David for he was only a youth,ruddy and good looking and small. It angered that giant that such a small youth would be brave enough to challenge him. It angered the the giant to have to kill a baby face instead of some physically strong warrior. But don't let those baby faces fool you for some of them are anointed and empowered by G-d.

1 Samuel 17:43-44 says, So the Philistine said to David, "Am I  a dog, that you come to me with sticks?  And the Philistine cursed David by his gods." David challenged the challenger. David knew the giant had messed up by defiling G-d's name. So look at your enemy, are they defiling G-d and cursing Him in their life with words and worldly gods?  Know who your enemy is. If you're obedient to G-d then you are a formidable warrior.

6.  He Killed His Giant


People will tell you that you can't get up.  Tell the devil, whether you live you live unto the Lord, and whether you die you die unto the Lord. 1 Samuel 17:48, "When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet
David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine."

You see David wasn't afraid of Goliath's army, they were a bunch of lions, and he had already killed a few of them, and when the giant fell, all the little lions ran cause you see when you kill the giant the smaller hindering spirits run because you are more powerful than them.

I love the spirit of David, he's a praiser, a warrior, a man after G-d's own heart.  Look at David, he's got that sling shot, and I can just see him now taking a running start toward that giant.  Can you face and run toward your devil today, or are you shrinking back and saying, I can't beat this mess?

1 Samuel 17:51, "Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his SWORD and drew it out of it's sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. " You can cut the devil's head off today with the Sword of the Spirit. Then watch all those little devil leave you.

G-d said to the Israelites after they saw the Egyptian army swallowed up in the sea, You will never see this enemy again.

7.  He kept a Humble Heart


You've got to stay humble. 1 Samuel 18:14, "And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. After victory it's easy to walk tall, but you better stay humble. He didn't run out and say, Oh I'm a giant killer but he said, the battle was the Lord's.

Stay humble before the Lord. Where were you when Jesus found you?  Never forget where G-d has brought you from.  He gave you victory in your dark pit and he'll give you victory one step at a time.  1 Samuel 18:16, "All of Israel loved David because he went out and came in before them."  He never tried to be taller than the people.

Don't get arrogant when you've accomplished a few victories with the lions. David would have become an outcast to the people if he had become arrogant.

Connected But Not Committed

               The Sheep That Follow Jesus

If you are connected but not committed then you need revival.  We need a spiritual awakening that will affect the sinner and the people in the church. Every generation needs movements of God. You have to decide just how close you're going to be with Jesus.

I think commitment has always been a problem with God's people.  Even the Israelites had a problem with commitment.  Our culture permits a lack of commitment even in marriage.  That's why we see a lack of commitment and that's why people don't get involved with the local church.  Our society promotes this lack of commitment and it has spilled over into the church, but this is not biblical.

Look at Luke 9:57-61, Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Jesus wants us to follow Him!  When Simon Peter was in the garden with Jesus he was ready to cut a man's head off.  When you're close to Jesus you won't compromise.  Peter began to follow Jesus from a far off. It's possible to follow the Lord but not be committed to Him.  If you ever start following him from a far off, it's just a matter of time before you'll be fighting for victory in your life again.  If you're going to keep the victory there are certain things you'll have to get victory over.

1.  The Impulsive Disciple

They get excited about the fishes and loaves and the miracles.  They have seen miracles with people who have been bound and then freed.  But Jesus said, the fox have holes and the birds have a nest but the Son of Man has no where to lay His head. Jesus says, don't let your enthusiasm make you think there will be no cost to following me because of the enthusiasm and being high on miracles.

The impulsive disciples fall away, most of your walk will be facing your issues and calling upon God.  Jesus showed the way to salvation in John 10:9, "I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

Throughout our lives we will go through many doors, but finding the doors to life is key.  There will be open doors and there will be closed doors in the journey.  You can enter into the church door or the bar doors. Jesus wants us to not count the cost when following Him. There are some tough things to go through to win the prize of following Him, but there is ultimately victory in following Him. We'll have to be anchored to the bedrock of His Word.

The impulsive disciple forgot to count the cost of following Christ and you will face some tough issues following Christ.

2. The Reluctant Disciple

This disciple has some reservations. He delays following Christ. Luke 9:59.  He doesn't want to completely break from the past.  This type of disciple wants to hold on to their little habits and sins. They want to hold on to their secret sin and things that are damaging to them and damaging to the cause of Christ.

They want the blessing but they want Him on their terms. That's the devil still holding you because he don't want you to be completely committed.  This is what Jesus is dealing with with these people.  They want to stay connected to the church but they won't sell out and completely commit to the church.

Our society has a Jesus to fit everybody's individual needs. We have a white, red, and black Jesus.  We have a Jesus for homosexuals.  But Jesus is a Holy Jesus. He didn't come to save people in their sin but from their sin.  The devil does not bless anything that comes to steal, kill and destroy.  

Jesus wants you to take up His cross and follow Him.  He wants total commitment.  Jesus is telling the people, you don't want to take care of your past failures, your past sins and pick up your cross and follow Me.  We hear Jesus but the reluctant disciple won't listen because he won't fully surrender.  Jesus said, Give me first place and I'll add everything that you need.

3.  The Bargaining Disciple

The bargaining disciple says, if you'll just let me do this or you'll do that, I'll do this for you.  I bargained with Jesus and it took 20 more years to get right with the Lord too. Never compromise the Lord's word on what it takes to follow Him.  You don't just need to be committed to the church but committed to the Lord as well.  This type of disciple wants to delay and compromise.  He's not ready to obey the Lord.

The disciples left everything in their life and dropped everything they were doing and followed Jesus.  Did they understand what it would cost them?  Of course not.  But they knew they had a revelation about Jesus.  That He was the living Son of God.  The person that is committed is willing to leave it all. Some people won't leave their sin. How can God use you in sin?

What if He asked you to leave your job?  You see, there's going to be a cost when Jesus changes your life and you become fully committed to Him.  But whatever you give up, God's plan will be a much better plan.  He says, I know the plans I have for you and I know your thoughts, and I want to give you goodness to an expected end.

It's a dangerous thing to backslide.  You cannot serve two masters, or walk on two roads at the same time. You have to make a choice, and make a commitment in life.  There is a broad road to the world, and it's easy to find the bars and honky tonks and sin. The narrow road is a lot different, you'll not be popular on that road.

That's the dangerous part of not being committed.  The broad road leads on to other sin.  The narrow road is where you take up your cross.  The road you take will determine your destination.  Christ put in a huge bid for your soul.  Will you go to hell because you couldn't make up your mind?  The road less traveled is the one toward Jesus. Did you take the road less traveled or did you follow Christ?

4.  The Decisive Disciple

Jesus is coming for a passionate Bride.  There are some in the church who won't make it.  Jesus is saying He don't just want to be your savior but your all.  Certainly He wants to save the lost but He wants to be Your Lord. 

Look at Matthew 24:44, "Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Is Christ the center of your world?  Is He your song?  The percentage of Christians backslide and have to come back for lack of commitment.  The outer perimeter with Christ is dangerous. When you find yourself on the outer perimeter, the devil will get all of you eventually.

The devil can't defeat you if you'll stay close to Jesus.  With Jesus you'll walk through your storms.  The devil is a strategist.  If he can cut you off from your closeness to Jesus he will get you. Stay committed to Christ and His church.  We're in a dangerous hour, where Jesus said many will leave and give time to strange doctrine in this last hour.

Jesus said draw nigh to me and I'll draw nigh to you.  Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. What would it take for you to deny or betray him?  Let us all examine ourselves.  Let us make our elections sure.

Have Faith When Against All Odds

How God Brings Death To The Promise Before Resurrecting It

One of the most exciting experiences any person can have is to pray and get an answer.  It's so wonderful as a Christian to look back and remember the times that you have prayed and against all odds see God answer your prayer.

Many people become discouraged when they don't get their prayers answered.  If you're going to grow in the Lord and get answered prayer you'll have to keep your faith.  If you want to win the battles of life against all odds you'll want to maintain a fresh faith.

Faith is always now. Abraham learned this lesson and against all odds he received his promise, and his miracle from God. Against all odds Abraham still believed in hope that his promise would come. He was the father of many nations because of his faith.

Romans 4:18 says "Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, so shall your descendants be."

So even when you're against all odds, have faith in the promise.  I want you to listen very carefully because I'm going to show you a biblical principle that will help you win the battles of life. Many of you have reached the place of deferred hope.  The bible says in Proverbs 13:12,

There are some of you that God has given a specific promise but the answer has been delayed and delayed, and delayed.  You have become discouraged and have reached the place where you are almost ready to give up.  God wants to speak to those of you who see no sign or evidence of your breakthrough. If this sounds like you then I have been sent to encourage you today.

If you will hear what the spirit is saying it will change your life radically.  The principle is that when God begins to fulfill his promise and He is ready to bring it to past he first puts a sentence of death on that promise.  When God does that and there is no means or ways of getting it then He is getting you into a position where you can learn to totally trust in Him for it.

Until you understand this principle of God you will live in turmoil for the rest of your life. You cannot understand the ways of God until you understand this divine principle.  God will allow it to appear that your promise is absolutely dead. After He makes it look dead He will then resurrect the promise and fulfill it.

First, let us consider Abraham. God made Abraham a great promise. Let's go to Genesis 12:2, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing."

Now that's a great promise right there.  God tells Abraham that he's going to have a son. God says, your name shall be great.  This sounds like a wonderful promise because we know his seed has not dried up for he fathered Ishmael.  Abraham's body still has life producing forces.

It's wonderful when God makes us a promise. We walk around saying, glory hallelujah, God has made me a promise. You know every day, every month, every year Abraham and Sarah looked for that exciting promise to come to fruition.

Abraham was waiting for his wife to come in and say, guess what sweet heart, I'm pregnant.  But it didn't happen.  A year goes by, then two, then ten years.  Finally, it comes to the place where Abraham is talking to God and says, well God you had better hurry up before it's too late, Lord, I'm an old man.  Lord, where is the promise?

What does God do? He rolls death in. He puts death on the promise.  When Abraham is a 100 years old and his wife Sarah is 90 God comes back and says, Abraham, you're going to have a son.  Abraham was probably thinking, Oh Lord it's too late.

It's just human nature to think that it's not possible. But Abraham recovers in his faith.  But God still rolled death in on the promise. Not only is the promise dead but all human possibility of making it happen has died. For the human mind, God has waited too long and it's all over.

But God is never late.  He might not come when you want Him to but He'll be there on time. He's an on time God.  So against all odds, have faith. Abraham had faith like no other. His faith was so strong that God imputed it unto him as righteousness. He was saved under the old covenant, not by keeping any laws but by faith.

God said because you have so much faith in me I'm going to consider you a righteous man.  God called him the father of faith. Abraham's faith pleased God and without faith you cannot please God.  He that cometh to God must believe that He is a rewarder, even against all odds, to those that diligently seek Him.

God fulfills His promise and He gave Abraham the son of promise.  Abraham named Him Isaac, which means laughter.  Maybe it would do some of you good to just get some joy and start counting your blessings and stop looking at everybody else.  Get your eyes on Jesus. Say, I don't understand what I'm going through but God has a purpose in it.  He has brought me thus far and He will not fail me.  I believe God and it shall be unto me just as God has told me. It's not over until God says it's over.

Secondly, let's consider Joseph and the great promise God gave to him. Genesis 37:5, "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more."



In Joseph's dreams God showed him that his sheaves would be higher than all his brethren. The brothers would bow down to him, and that the sun and moon would bow to him. The brothers hated Joseph because of these dreams. Don't let anybody take your dreams.  God is the dream giver.  If you'll serve Him and love Him with all your heart, He'll bring you out and fulfill the promise to you.

Sometimes you got to be corrected, and God will send you a Jeremiah.  Preachers have to give the word of God and sometimes they're hated for it. All prophecies concerning you may not be what you want to hear. So they hated Joseph for his dreams. Joseph's promise was literally fulfilled before their eyes.  They came to him in Egypt and bowed before him.

Before the brothers got to Egypt and bowed before Joseph God killed the promise before Joseph.  Joseph was sold as a slave. Then he went to prison and was forgotten.  He was all alone in a foreign land.  It feels so terrible to be all alone.  Have you ever been there?  If you haven't just hold on because you'll reach that place some day.  You better makes some friends.  You better be prayed up and know the word of God.

Joseph had been forgotten. During this time he had given up all hope of seeing his family again.  Later, the Pharaoh gives him an Egyptian wife and he has children.  But the vision was dead, gone and there seemed to be no hope.  Finally, Joseph just lays the promise aside.  Until one day the Egyptians came to Joseph and they tell him, some Hebrew men are here and they've come to purchase some grain.

Joseph goes and sees them and realizes they are his brothers.  They are kneeling down before him. Suddenly, a light goes on and Joseph remembers the promise.  He realizes God had sent him to Egypt to save his people. This was the plan all along by God but first God sentenced the promise to death.

Then one day the unexpected happened, and God fulfilled the promise.  If you'll just keep God's commandments, be pleasing to Him, there is not enough devils in hell to stop your breakthrough.  There's not enough demons to stop you, so hold on and give Him some praise and prayer.  Give Him some thanks and some hallelujahs.

No matter what you see in the natural, remember the eyes of the Lord are running to and frow throughout the whole earth to see whose hearts are perfect for Him.  Grow up in God where you can realize that God is working everything to your good. All things work together for our good for those who are called according to His purpose.

Thirdly, let's look at the incredible promise God made to David.  King Saul had backslidden.  He had lost his anointing.  Oh God, don't ever let me go to that place.  You should pray that too.  Samuel was told to go to Jerusalem and anoint David as King of Israel.  Samuel took a horn of oil and poured it over David's head. Then he prophesied over him. The bible tells us that the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.  What an incredible promise to a young man at the age of 16, that he would become the King of all Israel.

What did God do to that promise?  He sentenced it to death.  Every way that could have made it possible died.  We find David hiding in caves.  We see Saul chasing him and hunting him like a wild animal. David has to flee for his life.  When we see David at Ziglag, the Amelikites has razed the entire area.  They burned everything down, took David's wife, gold and his family.

David's empire is gone in one day. All of his men are ready to stone him.  This was the man of God that God had chosen and anointed.  His 600 mighty men were ready to stone him.  These men don't know what's going on but David, he gets alone and he talks to God.  He asks God, shall I pursue?  God tells him to pursue and that he would overtake them all.

Pursue your dream.  Keep walking in it.  If you'll keep your faith in God the promise shall show up in your life.  If you had asked David at Ziglag, what about the promise David?  David would have said, Do I look like a King?  I can't even handle this bunch of rebels. How in the world could I handle a Kingdom?  My palace and home is burned down.  I worked for it all my life and its all gone.

But did God fail with the promise?  No he didn't but first God rolled in death to the promise.  He made it appear like it was dead.  God makes things appear dead so that He can be even more glorified when the promise happens.

This is a principle of God found throughout the word of God.  Until you come to understand this one principle of God you will live in turmoil an anxiety for the rest of your life.  God gives you a promise then He sentences it to death.  Out of death God always brings resurrection.

I can't tell you how many promises God has given me and right before it could materialize death rolled in.  But it was after this death that God resurrected the promise after much prayer.  This is what redemption means, to be brought out of death.  We were put into a slave market and the devil put in a high bid for our souls.  Jesus stepped into that slave market and He purchased each and everyone of us.  With His own precious blood.

When he did this we had to die to sin.  We had to die to self.  We had to die to the world.  So we could be raised in the newness of life in Christ.  He wants us to be a mirror reflection of our Lord and Savior.  Until you understand this principle of God you will never be what God has called you to be in His Kingdom.

God gives the promise, then he rolls death in on it and it looks absolutely impossible humanly speaking.  God resurrects the promise.  There's a miracle in the making for you against all odds. God works like this all the time.  He brings joy and sorrow.  He brings peace out of conflict.  He brings beauty out of ashes.  He brings health out of disease.  He brings liberty out of captivity.  He brings life out of death.

This is the way we get to know God. You don't get to know God by living on the mountain top.  You learn who God is when you have to go through some valleys.  There is where you see that God is in control.  No one will ever be exempt from suffering.  Paul wasn't, the early church wasn't.

Lets look at Philippians 3:10, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

That I may know Him! Is that the cry from your heart?  If it is then its going to cost you something.  You'll be misunderstood.  You'll go to help people and they'll turn on you just like they did Joseph.  You'll have to realize something, you're not going to be popular with man.  but I'd rather please God than man.  I'm on a mission for God.  Well glory.  We got a work to do for this church age.

Oh God, that I may know you and the power of your resurrection.  None of us want the fellowship of his suffering to be conformed unto His death. But it is only out of death that resurrection comes.  God does this on purpose.  The struggles of life are not always the works of the devil.  Get over it.  God takes us to places where He can grow us.  Sometimes God takes us all the way down so we can learn to trust Him.

Look at Galatians 2:20,"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

God sentences the old man to death so we can walk in the newness of Him.  God, in His mysterious ways gets us to the place where we will completely trust Him.  God doesn't want us to trust in human resources.  God doesn't want you to trust in the flesh.  He wants you to cast yourself completely upon Him.

Isaiah 46:9, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is no other like me declaring the end from the beginning."

God gives us storms to weather.  Then He gives us a promise.  And the reason He rolls death in on it
is to give us an anchor to hold us. He knows you're going to go through storms.  He knows you're going to be tested.  He knows that you're going to face rejection.  He knows that you're going to be misunderstood.  He knows your best friends and family will turn and walk away from you.  So God gives us a promise.  He knows your pain.  The promise acts as a faith anchor to hold us.

Now I want to ask you a question.  Have you ever received a special promise from the Lord? Something that the Lord has spoken to you specifically.  I'm talking about a desire of your heart. Something that the Lord has spoken to you specifically.  I'm talking about a desire of your heart.  I'm talking about something you didn't manufacture.  But something through God's compassion and desire dropped into your heart.

The bible says to delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  Through the storms you've found the secret place and been abiding in Him.  You've been communing with Him, crying out to him.  God has heard your cry.  He placed a desire in you, a promise.  Does it look like its dead and hopeless?  If that's the case then God is in the process of fulfilling your promise. God never suffers the righteous to be removed.

Death rolled in on the promise and cruel men took Jesus and nailed Him to the cross.  At Calvary, it looked like all hope was gone.  The disciples were scattered as sheep without a Shepherd.  Jesus Christ, the son of God died.  But He didn't stay that way.  God always brings life out of death.  Three days later on resurrection morning He rose up once again.  He raised His head and said, I am He that liveth. I was dead but now I am alive forever more.

Out of sorrow god brings joy. Out of death God brings life.  Against all odds God brings life. There's a miracle in the making for you.  Things may seem so dark that you can't see the way, but I'm here to tell you to hold on, because your answer is on the way.