Sunday, January 31, 2010

FAITH

I have been asked by a dear sister in Christ if I could write on the subject of faith. I have been chewing on the subject for some time, pondering things and seeking the Lord. I cannot begin this writing without quoting the faith verse, Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is simple, yet difficult, to say the least. Faith can also be known as hope. Faith is something you believe to be true, but do not see in the natural. You see it with your spiritual eyes and you believe it to be true, and you stand on this truth no matter what it looks like around you. Faith is believing for a better tomorrow. Faith is believing in God’s word even if you are not seeing it happen in your life. When we are saved we believe Jesus died for our sins and He has marked us with His promise, the Holy Spirit, who comes and lives inside of us. This is faith. We believe on God’s Word and know it to be true. Faith is to believe that God is with us always. You don’t see Him but you know He is there, because His Word says so. We, who are children of God, walk by faith, not by sight. We have a greater hope. We see past our here and now and see into our future.

Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for. What are you hoping for? Faith is evidence of things not seen. You must see the thing in your mind’s eye, having faith that it will become real, before it does become real. You don’t need faith to see something that already is. You need faith to see something that is to be. Faith is believing that something is that is not yet! See the thing in your mind and in your heart and have an unwavering faith that it will come to pass.
Such faith does not occur instantly. God gives us faith in measure. As we build our faith one step at a time and as we increase our knowledge of God and his Word, we will grow stronger and our faith will increase. Faith is built up by going through trials and tribulations. Either you have faith or you live in fear of the unknown. We walk by faith, not by sight! We may have to walk through hell but the Lord will be with us. As we do, we walk in anointing and power from the Lord. Read Hebrews 11 in full. It is called the Faith chapter and gives us a picture of men and women of God who had faith without ever seeing the final result.

In addition to the written word, there is the rhema word – the spoken/prophetic word. Jesus is always speaking to us. He speaks through everything if we allow Him. Slow down and listen. You can hear Jesus speaking and you will hear all creation crying out. Meditate on the Lord and his Word; seek Him and you will find Him. Allow Him to guide you in all truth. Pastors and preachers are wonderful tools of God, but they are not here to be God for you. They are here to help you walk closer to the Lord and to help you hear God for yourselves. Do not get so connected to a set man that you lose sight of the Lord and what He has for you. He created you for a purpose! You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. It is time for you to arise and take your rightful place in the kingdom of God. He has set you apart for such a time as this. Are you ready to fulfill the calling that is upon your life.

Have faith!

Vision from the Lord

I was being brought in to be flogged for my faith and my spirit leaped within for joy that the Lord counted me worthy to partake in His suffering. As I was being led by the soldiers, I knew I could have fought back but I could feel the Holy Spirit say, “This must be for my glory to be seen on earth. This is so I can show my glory and confound the wise. You must suffer much for me, for my name sake. But it is not unto death. Trust me,” says the Lord. “Fear not, for I am with thee!”

Then I was standing in front of the store where I work, and I started walking and then running and I jumped up and was flying. I was excited and I said, “It has started.” As I was flying around, I could see everything that was taking place. I came down and landed in the center turn lane in the road and, as I did, I knew that the drivers were going to try to run over me. They did. They started to swerve from both lanes and tried to crush me between the cars. I saw them and as I jumped up I started spinning like a tornado and the cars swirled around and crashed together. Then I was standing on the side of the road and watched as a storm was blowing through and lives were being lost but I was not harmed and the Lord spoke and said, “This must happen. Many will be lost but this must take place to wake those I have called. Fear not for I am with thee!”

Then I was standing before the Lord and as He turned I could see his eyes and they were burning with flames. As I stared into them, they turned to a crystal blue of purity. It was an all-consuming fire. Then the Lord took a dagger and drove it into my chest and pierced my heart. He said, “This is to harden your heart so you can watch the suffering that will take place on earth.” He left the dagger in my chest. “Fear not, for I am with thee!”

Then I looked up and the sky was clear and the clouds started to roll in but the clouds were bright red. Then I looked again and there were flames rolling down from the clouds like a burning inferno. “Fear not, for I am with thee!”

By Rodney Sager

3:00 am on January 23, 2010

Sunday, January 24, 2010

THE SPRIT IN YOU

I was chatting with a dear friend last night. It was a great discussion. I love talking about church and what the Lord is doing in the earth. Sadly, though, I hear over and over again about people who have been hurt and are being hurt and taken advantage of by the church. So this morning during my watch, I felt compelled by the Lord to write about our conversations.
It seems we have made it full circle. As in times past, the church -- the religious organizations -- are putting yokes upon people that they themselves cannot carry. They point out sin and say if you are children of God you cannot do those things. They say if you do those things you are not truly saved. Nowhere in the Word of God does it say that you are saved by your works. It does say that if you call on the name of “JESUS,” you will be saved. The word also says no man can come to the Father unless the Holy Spirit draws him. I see people trying to negotiate salvation with the unsaved in the same manner that a salesman uses to close the deal. No one wins in those situations. I am not saying not to witness but I am saying people need to have discernment. The Lord says to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. Speak the Word of truth, the rhema word -- the spoken word of the Lord -- and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
My friend asked if I had a favorite pastor? I do not have a favorite pastor. I do not look to man. Man will fail you. The Lord will not. Too many times people put their trust in a set (head) man and when he falls -- and at some point everyone falls -- those who have set a man or woman up as their god will be scattered. No man is perfect. Focus on the Lord and Him alone. I look to the Lord. I understand the gifting of God is upon man and He works through man. He chooses the vessel, not us. I receive what the Lord has for me from everyone with whom I come in contact. As ministers, we allow God to flow through us to touch and minister to His children. We are here to help people hear the voice of God and to walk with the Lord, not to be God for others. We are to help people take one more step closer to the Lord and to walk in the freedom for which He died on the cross.
I am marked by Him to give good news to the poor. He has sent me to make well those who are broken-hearted; to say that the prisoners will be let go, that the blind will see, and to make the wounded free from their chains.
Too often people are so worried about what God is doing in others lives that they miss what God wants to do in theirs. They are so busy in other peoples’ affairs that they miss out on what God is doing or wants to do in and through them. If you correct your walk with the Lord and press into Him and live right according to the Spirit’s leading in you and stay continually connected to the Lord through the means He has for you, you will bear fruit.
I hear people all the time trying to do some good work. Before I will help a cause, I first ask the Lord if the motive is pure and if He wants me to support it. If you ask Him, he will reveal the answer to you in due time. Just because it is a good thing does not mean it is something in which you should get involved. If it is not of the Lord and He is not leading you to help, don’t. This is one of the hardest things to comprehend because we want to help. Remember that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, which the Lord has commanded them not to do.
Satan is always trying to get our minds off what it truly of the Lord. Take Haiti for example. The government jumped all over it to get our attention off what they are doing. It never fails -- Americans want to help everyone so much we would rather help someone else before we help ourselves. So we are always wounded. If you really want to help Haiti, pray and seek the Lord for His will in Haiti.
I am a member of internet social networks. Everyone is always posting about supporting this cause and that cause. They also post “conditional” statuses such as “if you are a Christian,” “if you know someone who,” etc. We must remember that anytime we see the word “if,” it is conditional. Conditions are manipulative and manipulation is witchcraft in the eyes of the Lord.
The Lord also reminded me that as long as the Spirit is in a person, it does not matter whether a Bible is in a classroom or the Ten Commandments are written on the wall of a building because the Lord has already written His Word on that person’s heart. The Lord told me that we need to quit getting caught up in all the works of the devil that lead us astray on rabbit chases after things that don’t matter. He said, “If parents would teach their children about me at home they will take me to school, because I will be in them. Oh, yeah they don’t even know me and they want the schools to teach their children something that is their response ability to do.” Then He said, “By the way. I WILL TEACH THEM MYSELF IF NO ONE WILL GO FOR ME! I WILL COME TO THEM FACE TO FACE. MY WILL WILL BE DONE ON EARTH FOR I AM WHO I AM. I WILL DO WHAT IS PLEASING IN MY SIGHT,” says the Lord. “WATCH AND SEE THAT I AM GOOD.”
So we need to quit concentrating on the things of this world and put our attention on the One who is and who is to come. Press into the Lord and see that He is good. Do not depend on another for your personal walk. You cannot blame someone else when you are standing before the Lord and say, “But Lord, I didn’t follow you because someone made me mad, or hurt me, or offended me, or they hurt my poor little feelings. So I didn’t follow you.” It’s time to be accountable for your actions. Take a stand!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Blessings of 2009

I am sitting here reflecting on 2009 and I am amazed in one aspect -- it was the worst ever year from a worldly mind set. But I am reminded that though I live in the world, I am not of the world. I am in amazement at what the Lord has done and who He has brought into my life. The Lord brought so many people into my life who were in need of a touch from Him. It is funny because if I was not watching and being led by the Spirit I would have missed it. I am reminded of a dream in which I was doing my usual thing and the Spirit came upon me and moved me in the Spirit and I was flying around. I was light as a feather and soaring like an eagle. As I came down, this man approached me and said, "I know who you are." He took my hands in his hands and as he did it was like they were under a glass and his hands looked leprous. When our hands touched, the spots came on mine and then both our hands were cleansed and he said, "You have a wonderful gift and you are missing a great opportunity to minister to all those who are around you. Open your eyes and look." This shook me to the core. I felt he was telling me I was missing the opportunities the Lord was putting before me. So every time I get to speak with and encourage others, I do. I try to take every opportunity I can to encourage others. I don't care where or who they are. I have to be true to the calling the Lord has put before me and to minister to the people the Lord has put on my heart.

I have been so blessed by all of you who have contacted me for prayer and words of advice. It blesses me when I am contacted and asked to help. I will take everything before the Lord. Do not be ashamed of where you have been or where you are now. I was talking to a beautiful young lady today. It is a blessing to see what the Lord is bringing her out of. She has no idea what a blessing she will be to the kingdom of the Lord. The Lord has a great purpose for her. He has predestined her for greatness. She has been living in such torment and I feel the Lord is breaking all the chains of depression and guilt for what she had become. How exciting.

As I talked with all of these people, the thing I hear over and over is each of them has said the Lord was tugging on them and trying to draw them to Him and they have resisted. As I talk with them, I am reminded of how I was when I was lost. I always knew there was more. I searched for God in church after church and could not find Him. One of my friends told me she would go to church and they would talk about love and all this good stuff but none of the people in the church lived it. She even said there were some churches she just wanted to leave because she could tell something was wrong. I laughed because I also have been in that same atmosphere. That is another reason I feel the Lord is using the internet to reach those who are hurting. I have been contacted by people from all over the world. What a blessing the internet has been. I never would have dreamt of reaching so many souls. One thought that keeps coming to mind is that you never know how you can change someone's life with the words you speak. You can change the course of someone's life with just a smile, word or even an acknowledgement. Preach always; speak words if necessary.