As believers in Jesus Christ, we are joint heirs with Him. This means that everything that is His also belongs to us, and every promise God gives in His Word is for us (Romans 8:17). But I've learned that it's one thing to claim God's promises by faith and another to actually experience them. The story of the Israelites in the wilderness is a good example for us regarding this principle. They were slaves in Egypt when God sent Moses to deliver them from Pharaoh and lead them to the Promised Land, He had for them.
We are kingdom citizens, and not of this world. We don't abide by this world's economy and the natural things that happen. Repeatedly, over the last four weeks, I've been hearing not to look at the circumstances of this world. We are not of this world. Get your eyes off the natural. It is so strong in my heart and spirit. I can't remember a time a word kept stirring inside me like this word. I've been hearing Him say there are multiple blessings in this season. They are already in the works and don't look at your natural surroundings.
My family won't eat healthy. This is an excuse that I understand, and yet I think it is one of the poorest excuses. When we are blaming our bad eating habits on our families, we place all the responsibility for what we've done to ourselves on them. That is not fair to them. Blaming our weight gain on our family's eating habits is just crazy. If we are the cooks, we have the control over what we serve. We can change how we feed our families. If our families won't eat healthy, it is our fault. Not theirs.
Did you hear about the boy who took off his favorite bow tie during the church service and put it in the offering plate? When his dad asked him why he had done such a thing, the youngster replied, "Don't you know? The pastor tells us to put our ties and offerings into the plate." Oh, to have the heart of a child! If the Lord needs it, we'll give it at once. We should be glad to offer the Lord whatever He needs, whenever He needs it, for the expansion of His kingdom. He delights in our gifts to Him, whether much or little.
We have just entered a new Hebrew month called Tishrei on the Jewish calendar. As we proceed on this month in the celebration of the fall feasts of the Lord, it is vital to know the holy days and what they mean. In this Hebrew month of Tishrei, Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets) was celebrated at sundown on Sept. 25. During this holy day, we rejoiced at the coronation of the King and acknowledged the 5,783 years since Adam and Eve were created. On this day we also stepped into the Ten Days of Awe and this will end on sundown on October 4th-5th during Yom Kipper, the Day of Atonement.
A pastor is not in charge of your ministry gift any more than an auto mechanic is! Now we seriously need both of them in our lives, or we may not get too far down the road we want to travel, but the gift is given by God, to be discovered, discerned, and then trained and employed! Many pastors are pastor-teachers, or are pastor-evangelists, etc., meaning they have a primary and then a secondary gifting. But the Anointed One and His anointing is the Giver and Employer of all the ministry gifts.
A friend of mine recently told me that a good friend of hers started withdrawing from her, even though they were close and had done ministry together. When she finally asked this friend why she had pulled away, the woman admitted that a "prophet" in her church had given her a dire warning that was supposedly from God. The prophet advised the woman to stay away from her friend because "she is trying to steal your spiritual mantle."
Today is Yom Kippur - it is considered one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. We are no longer under the Jewish law of Moses but, prophetically, the Lord speaks during this time of year. There is a lot happening right now and we are in a major times-and-seasons change. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. Daniel 2:21 NIV We are in a major shifting in the times and seasons. We are entering into a new era and preparing for a major move of God.
I once heard a testimony where the Holy Ghost was falling upon the people during worship. The preacher, R.W. Schambach, testified how the piano player got so filled with the Spirit that she fell off of the piano bench and the piano kept right on playing. No other explanation could be found except, "Jesus knows how to play a piano!" I believe we are entering into a time and place of worship and praise where we will experience some unusual anointings upon musical instruments that will be played, at times, with heavenly fingers - either through His people, and sometimes without them.
God speaks to the positives of what we are and what we can become, rather than emphasizing the negatives. For example, God does not speak to our sickness and disease; he speaks to our health. He does not speak to our poverty or lack; he speaks to our wealth and abundance. He does not speak to our failure or mistakes; he speaks to our success. He does not focus on the past; he speaks to the now and to the future.
Follow Up
