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What Is It Time For

What Is It Time For?

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On occasions, Father speaks a word so powerful, that only over time do we see the depth of the significance of the truth He has revealed. This is one such message I feel compelled to share with you.

I want to talk about a gift of God that is often not stewarded well. The reason for this is because many do not see this gift as a gift from God. I am talking about God’s gift of time.

Psalms 90:12 (NIV) Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The most important thing is not to know how many days we have been alive, but rather, to live each day with a sense of divine commission and holy calling. This daily approach to life will release the Spirit of wisdom to lead us in accordance with Father’s will.

We need God’s view of time. It is more than the ticking of seconds on a clock or the turning of the pages of a calendar. Time itself is a supernatural creation of God.

Genesis 1:14-19 (NIV) And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark (distinguish) sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Yes, the creation of time is supernatural, but what makes it even more astounding is the reality that God created the ingredients needed to determine time – the sun and the moon – only on the fourth day! God had three days before He created the essentials to have the first day! Time itself is one of God’s greatest creations, and as such, it is an incredible gift to us.

God’s Gift Of Time

No one owns time but God. Everything that God gives us is to be stewarded by us, not owned by us. Therefore, statements like “my time” and “your time”, “spare time” and “free time” are not accurate statements. This is important to know because it is what will stir us to use God’s gift wisely.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Because time is a gift from God to be stewarded by us, and because there is time for everything that God authors, we need to know what it is time for moment by moment. Many people ask the question, “What time is it?” This is fine, but the more important question is, “What is it time for?”

The only One who can answer this accurately is God. He conceived us in His mind, breathed His Spirit into our bodies, and He wrote every day ordained for us in His Book before one of them came to pass. He has prepared some good works in advance for us to do.

But I have discovered something that compels me to be transparent with you. Sometimes we don’t ask God what He wants us to do in case He asks us to do something that we don’t want to do! Often our struggle is not that we are doing something wrong, but that we are doing something different than what God has authored for that particular moment.

Galatians 5:25 (NIV) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

God’s leading is not just about direction; it is also about timing. When we do things is important to God. We must guard against lagging behind God, but equally, we must be careful not to rush ahead of God. It is time to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.

Guarding Against Distractions

In order to use God’s gift of time wisely, we must guard against distractions. A distraction starts simply as doing something different than something else. While many distractions in and of themselves are harmless, in the life of a believer, they can become the very thing that removes (dis) the power of the Holy Spirit that has been provided for movement (traction) – distraction. When this occurs, we would do well to pause and ask Father, “What is it time for?” Realignment to kingdom purposes may be the very thing that is needed in these moments.

Many Christians are being distracted by good things. Martha showed us this when she became distracted by all that had to be done as a result of inviting Jesus into her home. Therefore, it’s not always about asking what is right or wrong, as much as it is about asking, “What now God?”

Here’s a few questions I want to leave you with today:

  • Is it time to serve God or to sit with God?
  • Is it time to speak or to be silent?
  • Is it time to go or to stay?

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV) Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Let’s be on time with what God has authored for each moment.

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Watch a YouTube Message from Steve – Stewarding God’s Time

Watch a YouTube message from David – A New Era

Related blogs – God’s Timing, Never Too Late

Convinced In Our Christianity

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I am convinced that the majority of people in our world are not anti-Jesus. Are some anti-church? Yes. But they are not necessarily anti-Jesus.

The gospel tells us that “the common people heard him gladly” (Mark 12:37). Why? The answer is simple: because Jesus loved people!  He healed people, fed people, forgave people, and had compassion on people.  He loved everyone, including those whom others considered unlovable. He had time for little children and talked to those that others would have normally ignored. What was there not to love about Jesus?  Everything He said, no matter how challenging, was worthy of listening to because who He was had such credibility with His audience.  Although there were religious leaders who despised what He said, the majority heard His message with eagerness.

Because He was the message, He was received as He delivered the message.

All of this, of course, was made possible because of the indwelling Holy Spirit who was, literally, God-in-man.

My point is that we are to have the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is yearning to love people through us as He did through Jesus.  As we acknowledge Him constantly and intentionally, allow Him to live His life through us, we will have a glow about us that will attract, not repel.  The true Church of Jesus is an intensely beautiful body of people who it is a delight to know and have connection with.

Friends, if we live out of intimacy with the Father and by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we will live life differently. We will be literally convincing in our Christianity.  Not out of striving to do so, but because we will feel different; the result will come from a transformed heart within. That inner glow will be seen in our countenance, our attitudes, our actions, and our lifestyle.  True representatives of Jesus are beautiful people!

The common people heard Him gladly because His life was so completely convincing.  He walked the talk.

My challenge is this: To what degree are we convincing? Christians are called to be men and women of strong conviction – “the convinced ones”.  We often preach about those convictions and even write books about them; but do we live them?

There is only one way that we can effectively live out the convictions of the Christian life, and that is by the empowering reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  As we get a new revelation of His reality and Person within us, and surrender entirely to His control and directorship, those convictions become flesh in us, and the beauty of His life will be seen.  The Holy Spirit knows how to represent Jesus well and, in becoming the message, our communication of the message, is received much more easily.

In short, we need a new reliance on the indwelling Holy Spirit. We need to live life as one utterly abandoned to the cause of accurately representing Jesus to our world.  Friends, we need to be convincing.  I will close with the same thoughts from Selwyn Hughes in his devotional ‘Every Day with Jesus’,

“The indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us a face-lift that makes us APPEAR redeemed, an inner assurance that makes us FEEL redeemed and reinforces every part of our personality so that we ACT redeemed.  It is the Spirit who makes the convinced convincing.”

My challenge to each of us is to live life in such a way that people will grow to love the Jesus we represent.

Isn’t it awesome that we have wonderful Holy Spirit, who empowers us to do exactly that!

Your friend,

David.

 

Read another related blog: Ambassadors For Christ by David McCracken.

Seeing In The Spirit Realm

Seeing In The Spirit Realm

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With today’s world fascinated with the themes of Harry Potter, the demonic, the spirit-world, and imaginary heroes, the Church is being challenged in the very area that should be their strongest domain: the unseen world.

As Christians, we are promised in scripture an authority in the ‘spirit-world’ that is indisputable and limited only to the degree that we are under the authority of the risen Christ. And yet, incredibly, the vast bulk of Christians have abdicated that authority and choose to stand back and bemoan the darkness that is allowed to rule in that vacuum.

And then there is the issue of ‘quality of life’ which, for the true disciple of Jesus, is not about physical condition but about spiritual, mental, and emotional freedom that empowers us to represent Christ to this world. This, too, is an issue decided in the spirit realm.

Pause and ask yourself this question: “What would it look like to live in such a way that the physical, the tangible, and the things which are seen are no longer restrictions to experiencing the power of Father’s presence and experiencing the authority of His person?”

I believe that this is governed by what we see. Jesus only carried indescribable authority because of what He SAW His Father do. His miracles were because of what He SAW! So, what does it really mean to see in the spirit realm? Can you and I actually SEE what our Father is doing and then carry it out with boldness in this world of the tangible?

It all starts with understanding WHO God is and WHAT the nature of His world really looks like.

God Is Spirit

John 4:24 tells us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The word for ‘Spirit’ here is the Greek word ‘pneuma’ which means ‘a breath of air’, ‘that which is not tangible.’ What does that mean?

If you were to breathe out right now in a warm environment, what would you see? Nothing! Of course not. Even though our breath is real, it is not often tangible. But when the environment changes, such as on a cold frosty morning, we see a mist as we breathe out. The moisture in our breath (which was previously unnoticed) has been made discernible. The environment causes the unseen to become seen, the invisible to become visible.

In the same way, Father’s intention is that we would be so intimately close to His heart in the realm of the spirit, that we see Him with the inner eye of revelation and insight. Not to necessarily see in physical form with our human eyes (He is Spirit) but that the tangible manifestation of His presence, in our inner eye, would become a spiritual reality. For example, Isaiah “saw” the Lord on the throne, as a King high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1). He saw the intangible as if it were tangible because, in that moment, that was the element of God’s nature that God wanted Isaiah to get a renewed revelation about.

It is also true that at times God will choose to allow humanity to see a tangible demonstration in their physical world of that world that is His reality. The spirit world, which is the world of God’s reality, has no tangible form. But it can manifest in a human form or tangible substance in order to communicate God’s intention.

There are many examples in scripture of the presence of God becoming tangible:

  • For Moses and the Israelites, God’s presence appeared as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21)
  • Angels, who have no tangible form in the spirit world, appeared to Abraham, Gideon, Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and others.
  • At the baptism of Jesus, Holy Spirit, the breath of God, omnipresent, appeared “in bodily form as a dove” a highly intentional representation of God’s communication. (Luke 3:22)

The Invisible Becoming Visible

In order to achieve God’s intention, the invisible can become visible. This is so that the human heart is able to receive the communication intended from the Father’s heart. There is always a highly intentional message as the purpose of the tangible manifestation of God’s presence. It is never to entertain or give His people ‘goose-bumps’!

On the day of Pentecost, Holy Spirit appeared over each person’s head as “a tongue of fire” before filling them with His supernatural power (Acts 2:1-3). The original text makes it clear that they were shaped as actual tongues but that the substance they appeared to be made of was fire. Holy Spirit positioned Himself upon the disciples’ heads in such a manner because they would then associate that automatically with being anointed. (They were most aware that the anointing oil or the anointing hands of the prophet was always laid upon the head.)

The fact that He manifested as fire was to remind them of the time that He manifested to Moses and Israel as a pillar of fire. The fire was a declaration of His presence and His power. The tongue was an explanation to them, that the supernatural phenomena they were about to experience of speaking in the languages of other nations, was the result of His anointing them with His power to do so.

Jesus was transfigured on the mountain before Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1-3). Then Moses and Elijah materialised. These two no longer had physical bodies, and were now part of an unseen world, yet for the purpose of God’s intention, they manifested in human form! And they appeared in such a way that the disciples, who hadn’t a clue what they would have originally looked like, instantly recognised them.

Awesome! But there is always a Kingdom purpose. His manifestations are not for entertainment.

The purpose of this was so the disciples could see that Jesus was building His new Kingdom on the foundation of the law and the prophets. The Old Testament and New Testament were in perfect harmony. He was building the future with a redemption that did not disannul His Old Testament Covenant but, rather, fulfilled it.

In 2 Kings 6:8-17, we read that Elisha has been a trouble to the King of Syria, and a great army of horses and chariots and men has been sent against the city of Dothan where Elisha is. Elisha’s servant only sees the human situation and is intimidated by the suggestion of overwhelming odds. Yet Elisha says, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha cried out for the servant’s eyes to be opened. And when this prayer was answered, the servant saw what Elisha already saw – a spiritual army of horses and chariots, surrounding Elisha. What Elisha saw in the spiritual was the source of his courage and boldness, his peace and certainty, in the midst of seeming disaster.

The Kingdom Purpose 

Father desires that each of us would see with greater clarity into the spirit realm in moments when He wishes to reveal His purpose to us. That we would see a spiritual reality, a spirit world, coexistent with the reality of our natural sight, but dependent on the illumination of the Holy Spirit to become apparent.

As Father purposes to initiate on the Earth, He first accomplishes that task in the spirit-world, knowing that is the realm in which it must be first established prior to physical manifestation and outworking on the Earth. He then chooses an adopted son or daughter to “see” Him achieving that purpose (by way of Holy Spirit revelation to their hearts) so that they can achieve it in this tangible world in obedience to that which He has shown them. He doesn’t want us think of this as ‘spooky’, but rather completely normal for one that has truly been born of His Spirit and, therefore, invited to see through His eyes.

Our boldness and faith in the face of challenges doesn’t come from our disposition; it comes from what we are seeing in the spirit realm. We need eyes to see what already exists in the realm of the spirit but is invisible to the natural eye. How that is revealed to us will be, most often, unique and different from someone else’s experience. Father, knowing our uniqueness, wants to show us that world in a manner that will communicate meaningfully to us, as an individual, in our humanity.

As our love for our Father intensifies and our surrender becomes unconditional, we will find such Divine encounters more and more becoming our reality. As we do, our confidence and authority and the miracles that flow from that authority, will increasingly represent Jesus to this desperately needy world.

It starts with a fervent cry, “Open our eyes, Lord, so that we may see what YOU see!”

Restoring The Flow

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The Lord wants to bring a word of comfort and restoration today. He is restoring the flow of the oil of the Spirit.

Psalms 34:18 (NIV) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

It seems almost daily that I am hearing about more people going through challenges in every possible area. Whether or not difficulties are increasing, I’m not sure – but the past few years have certainly been extremely tough for many.

Let’s get real. There are times as believers when we feel on fire, full of passion and life, and energised about God’s kingdom and His purposes. Then there are other seasons when we feel dry, discouraged or hurting. That abundant life can seem unattainable, and our joy can get squashed.

The wonderful news is that the same mighty God who rules with great power and justice also tenderly gathers up His family when they need care. I was recently drawn to this scripture in Isaiah:

Isaiah 42:3a (NIV) A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.

This scripture gives us an image of a smouldering wick – an oil lamp in which only an ember or slight glow remains. The verse speaks of one whose zeal might be waning, yet it highlights the tenderness of Jesus, the Good Shepherd caring for His flock. Jesus does not cast aside those who are bruised or struggling. Our Father speaks to us as His loved children, those he cares for deeply.

The Lord gives us insight into His intention in the spiritual realm through what we can understand in the natural or physical realm. If we look at a candle, we tend to see the wick as the part that is burning. But in fact, it is the candle wax that provides the fuel. This is the same principle as an oil lamp. The wick is soaked in the oil, and as the oil draws up the wick, the oil burns at the end of the wick.

In an oil lamp, the wick can burn out too fast – because the wick itself is being used as fuel, rather than the oil. And if a wick is too long or too short, the flame will smoulder or go out. A poorly trimmed wick will result in a flame which is dim or smoky. A wick must be close to the oil and well soaked in order to burn. And of course, an oil lamp needs to regularly have the oil topped up.

The Lord is gently leading you today to lighten the load and to remain close to the source. God doesn’t need us trying to add more fuel in the natural. We don’t need to strive or do things by natural efforts – we need the Spirit of God to pour out fresh oil. Father wants to lead us to rivers of living water, that we would receive life for ourselves, and that we would overflow with that living water to others. He is restoring the flow.

Revelation 7:17 (NIV) For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

John 7:38 (NIV) Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

If you are feeling bruised or broken, the Lord’s desire is to refresh you and strengthen you. For those of you who feel like your spiritual passion has been waning or your flame is smouldering, the Lord’s desire is to breathe new life into you. He has the power to restore the flow of oil and to rekindle your flame.

The Spirit of God is hovering over you, and His desire is to comfort you. The Lord is present to restore hope for your disappointments and hurts. The Father is here to remove guilt – for those who have been far away, as well as those who have been soaking in the oil yet wondering why you don’t feel connected to the Lord. The Spirit is present to breathe life and fresh oil into your reservoir.

When that wick is smouldering, there are two ways that ember can come back to flame. Firstly, some gentle blowing can bring that ember back to life. Take time to allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to refresh you and minister to you today. His breath gives life. Secondly, another source of flame can also help spark and nurture the fire. God created us for relationship, and there is a beautiful strengthening that occurs when another believer comes alongside us to encourage us, pray with us, and comfort us.

If you are feeling thirsty or dry, then the Lord has fresh rivers of living water for you. If you are feeling like you have been trying to constantly add more fuel, then Father invites you to soak in His presence and receive some fresh oil. And if you need someone to stand with you, then reach out for prayer and encouragement. The Holy Spirit is ready and waiting to restore the flow.

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Memorial Stones

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Father gave me this word to bring to you:

‘Celebrate memories that will empower your future!’

Memories can either empower you or disempower you. They can either build your faith or destroy your faith. And the memories we carry into our future are the fruit of choice. That’s why it is vital to tomorrow’s success that we choose wisely which memories we starve and which memories we feed.

In Israel, God had his people erect memorial altars. These altars were to remind them, in days of challenge and overwhelming odds, that the God who had supernaturally intervened yesterday was still the God who could supernaturally intervene today and tomorrow. The same God who brought down the walls of Jericho.

Joshua 6:20

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

This is one of the greatest miracles in the Bible! It’s a miracle that led to the Israelites going on to possess the land of promise. But it was so illogical, so unreasonable that it required such enormous trust, not only in God, but in that Joshua had heard from God!

Joshua 4:1-3

And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'”

Joshua 4:6-7

That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

The context of these memorial stones was a celebration of God’s divine intervention. A miraculous day which birthed a new era for God’s people finally possessing the land of promise. When the Israelites faith began to waver at Jericho, at the impossibility that God asked them to do, all they had to do was look at those memorial stones and know that ‘our God parted the river Jordan at flood time… these walls are coming down!’

Later, in their future conquests, when confronted by the united armies of five kings, all they had to do was look at those memorial stones – ‘Our God parted the river Jordan at flood time… these five Kings are going down!’

My friends, make today a memorial!

A memorial is for two purposes:

  1. A celebration of the past: gratitude and thanksgiving.
  2. A faith-building for the future: that infusion of courage when vitally needed!

The stones speak to us of memories.

Each one was taken from “the place where the priest’s feet stood firm”. In blind obedience to the word of the Lord, through Joshua, those priests stepped into a raging torrent of water at flood time… carrying the ark! Imagine the guys up front. It was an act of incredible courage. And it led to an amazing miracle. That’s what those stones of memory brought back into focus for decades and generations to come – they served a God of the miraculous!

Which brings us to today, a memorial.

When you look back on years of Father’s faithfulness and grace, for many there has been occasions when awesome, supernatural things have happened. But there have also been times when in the midst of impossibility, it required a standing firm. Times when everything around you screamed “IMPOSSIBLE!” This is a time to remember Ephesians 6:13: “having done all, to stand!”

Thank God for the mountains, but they are only made possible by the valleys.

Thank God for the victories, but they are only made possible by the battle.

Thank God for the miracles, but they are only made possible by the challenge.

In those times when nothing makes sense – stand firm. Those times when the loudness of the opposition seems to drown out that inner voice of peace. Those seasons when the breakthrough seems to linger, and linger, and linger. Those days when you must smile and minister to others despite desperately needing someone to minister to you… “having done all, to stand!”

In the middle of Jordan, stand firm and see the miracle of God!

We should all be celebrating the miracles of His grace that have triumphed to bring us to this day – those incredible memorial stones. As an individual, as a family, as a business, as a ministry, we should develop a culture of gratitude and worship, constantly acknowledging our Father’s amazing interventions. If we do not celebrate yesterday, we will not anticipate tomorrow!

Which brings me to tomorrow! The reason the Israelites crossed that Jordan was to possess the land that God had promised them. And I want to declare over you, that you stand poised to possess the land of promise. A place that, for generations to come, there will be the witness and demonstration that Jesus is alive and that He has a heart for your community and a heart for the world.

Joshua had to encourage himself for the battle by remembering those memorial stones. In the same way, you need to record and remind yourselves of the miracles of yesterday, so that your faith might soar to new heights as you embrace the challenges of faith, tomorrow!

It honours our Father when we experience the mountains and valleys, war and peace, and yet keep our integrity intact. Oh, how that causes the angels to sing and the demons to cringe. Above all, it represents Jesus to this world, and it positions you in the spirit world to carry the authority of Christ into the days and years to come.

With much love,

David.

What Do You See

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we just leapt from one glorious mountain top to the next? Birds singing, sun shining, flower blossoms and the sweet smell of summer… Then you wake up!

The valley is real, the clouds are real, the birds sometimes just squawk, and you start to question the seemingly perpetual winter. So, how do you handle that? How did Paul honour God in the prison?

For me there are many keys, but today I wish to share one of them:

  • What fills your sight, fills your heart.
  • What fills your heart, determines your future!

The truth is that restrictions & darkness are God’s opportunities! So, the real question is not your circumstances, but what do you see? Are you looking through the eyes of your humanity or are you looking through eyes anointed by the eye-salve of heaven, the Holy Spirit? What do you see? What is it that fills your sight, your perception, your worldview, your focus, and your vision? It is what you see with your natural eye that will seek to intimidate you; but it is what you see with your spiritual eyes, anointed by the Holy Spirit, that will empower you!

You might say, “But David, we live in the midst of restriction and contradiction – that’s reality!” My friends, restriction and contradiction have never been able to restrain a God that can open prison doors and bring Lazarus out of the tomb. Restrictions and darkness are His opportunities!

My friends, it was in the darkness of Gethsemane and the cross that Jesus brought redemption to mankind. Why? Because of what He saw! His eyes were not fixed on the agony of the Cross, although He was acutely aware of it. His eyes were focused on the atonement of mankind.

Heb 12:2 (NKJV) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

JESUS triumphed! Why? Because of what filled His sight. Jesus triumphed because of what He chose to focus on. He was not focused upon the rough sawn timbers nor the spikes in His hands, but He was focused on the hope set before Him. It was because of what He saw! Jesus never surrendered his spiritual authority for a single moment. The cross did not take His spirit, He offered it up when HE was good and ready!

The darkness of Satan’s intention has always provided our Father an opportunity to work miraculously for His own purpose. Right now, in the midst of your circumstances and the unrelenting barrage of news on your TV, what is it that you choose to focus on? Yes, that’s right! What we focus on is a choice! Satan may have his objective because he so hates mankind, but I assure you, GOD has HIS objective. Not only for the planet, but for you, for your family, and for your life! This is not a moment to be intimidated, this is a moment of potential destiny for you – if you can but see it!

My friends, the Bible is full of men and women who refused to be intimidated by their circumstances, and their courage was because of what they saw, that which they chose to focus upon.

DANIEL refused to obey a royal decree and continued to pray to God. It was in the darkness of the lion’s denthat Daniel was used to change the heart of a king and turn a nation to God. Why? Because of what he saw! His courage was because of that which filled his sight. He saw the supernatural capacity of his God to protect him and prevail over every opposition.

MOSES was confronted by the red sea in front and the Egyptian army behind, but he was not intimidated. Consequently, he walked in the authority of his God. An authority that could not be shaken!

JOSHUA was confronted by the impregnable fortress of Jericho, an impossible task, but he was not intimidated. Consequently, he walked in the authority of his God. An authority that could not be shaken!

DEBORAH had to accept the role in Israel of prophetess, judge, and warrior leader in a time of great oppression and evil against God’s people, but she was not intimidated. Consequently, she walked in the authority of her God, an authority that could not be shaken. She shattered the forces of hell and evil!

PAUL faced many persecutions. It was in the darkness of the storm and shipwreck that Paul brought redemption to Malta. Why? Because of what filled his sight! Not the rocks and the waves, but the unrelenting pursuit and intervention of God to keep him on assignment. Paul knew that God had a purpose for him, and that is what he chose to focus upon. Consequently, he walked in the authority of his God. An authority that could not be shaken!

JOHN WESLEY in the mid 1700’s, rode on horseback through sleet and ice in an English winter. He was violently opposed by churches and society at large, often isolated, abandoned by many members of his family, and without support of any kind. And yet he brought revival to England and the world. Why? Because he was not intimidated! The circumstances did not fill his sight, the greatness of his God and his commission filled his sight. That’s what he chose to focus on. Consequently, he walked in the authority of his God. An authority that could not be shaken!

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Because of the risen Christ, you and I now possess a spiritual authority that cannot be shaken. But we also must understand (see Hebrews chapter 12) that shaking and severe testing of that authority will come! The cross and the tomb were a reality.

Will the storms come? Yes! Will the shaking of opposition and circumstances come to us all? Yes. But we must settle the issue once and for all. We do not walk subject to human frailty and vulnerability, rather we walk under the divine command of a King who is absolute in His power. In the spirit world, right now, there is no dispute about the absolute power and ruling dominion of Jesus as absolute king.

Some of you right now, reading my words, need to identify those areas that have undermined your faith, shaken your convictions, or intimidated your decisions, or qualified your future expectations. You need to reach out and receive His divine grace, a fresh infilling of His divine power, a moment of truth and revelation, a re-alignment of thinking so that your anticipations come in line with His prophetic intention for your life, your vocation, and your calling. It can only come by the Holy Spirit.

Join with me and declare that you will embrace and obey everything that Father gives you to initiate! He wants to give you bold, faith-filled initiatives!!

“I walk under the divine command of Jesus, King of Kings!

And HIS authority, which now becomes MY authority, cannot be shaken!

I embrace decisions of faith!

I embrace future expectations of the miraculous!

I will not be intimidated!”

Love and God Bless,

David.

Watch a one-minute video from David: ‘What Do You See’.

Do Not Be Intimidated

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My dear friends, what an incredible hour we live in! It is no exaggeration to say that the Church is now the last ray of hope for a planet that hell has decided to take over and control. And yet, when I listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit, I hear him thundering out the battle cry of God, “Do not be intimidated!”

I want to declare right at the beginning that at no time am I referring to people, politicians, or movements of any kind. I speak about a spiritual warfare!

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) 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.

But in order to control this planet, Satan and his hordes must first intimidate its people into a conformity and submission to his own agenda. Satan cannot rule the minds of those he does not first intimidate! But the blood-bought, Holy Spirit empowered Church of royal sons and daughters now raises its voice to loudly declare, “We will not be intimidated!”

We speak it into the cosmos, we speak it into the heavens, we speak it into the unseen spirit-realm! “We will not be intimidated!” Why? Because Jesus has made us a promise:

John 14:27 (NKJV) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The dictionary tells us that ‘peace’ is “freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, intimidation or obsession; to be in a state of tranquillity; serenity, of mind.”

Take note of ‘freedom of the mind’. My friends, there is a spirit let loose in our planet right now that seeks to imprison the minds of God’s people. It seeks to rob us of our peace, our faith, our initiative, and our boldness of spirit.

You have to see what is behind it: Satan fears you! He fears the initiatives of faith and conquest that God is giving His people to possess in their vocations, their places of influence, their cities, and their nations. He fears the initiative of God in YOU!

And so, he has let loose the spirit of intimidation. Which he must first establish in order to impose a spirit of manipulation and control. Your spirit, your heart, cannot be manipulated and controlled unless you have first been intimidated. But Jesus has powerfully declared that we are not subject to that spirit.

John 8:36 (NKJV) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Spiritual freedom is part of our inheritance as a believer.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

The spirit of darkness speaks intimidation to you. But Jesus declares freedom to your spirit, to your heart, and to your mind! Tragically, many Christians today are being subtly affected in both the decisions that they are currently making and the vision that they are embracing for their future… the faith initiatives of tomorrow! Satan’s goal is to shut down your faith initiatives, your spirit of conquest, and the taking of new territory. But he must not succeed!

Let me give you some words that help identify that the spirit of intimidation is at work.

“However!” “But!” “If?” “Maybe?” The introduction of a question, “Has God really said?”

These four words try to qualify that which God has clearly told us to do.

The message I have been given to declare to you today, as a Prophet, is twofold:

  1. Do not be intimidated – in either your present decisions or your future vision.
  2. Realise that any shaking that God does allow, if correctly responded to, will always result in a greater spiritual authority, for the believer, for that church, than previously ever experienced.

Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV) Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

It is important to understand what this is saying. The Greek word for ‘kingdom’ is the word ‘basiliea’. Literally this means ‘the authority to rule over’. We need to be reminded of the incredible spiritual authority Jesus gave all those who are fully submitted to His own authority.

My friends, the kingdom of God has always, and will always, operate on a very simple principle: “The authority you are under determines the authority you carry”. Every demon of hell knows that!

  • Circumstances do not determine your spiritual authority! (your ‘kingdom’)
  • The opinions of others do not determine your spiritual authority!
  • The prevailing opposition against biblical truth does not determine your spiritual authority!

The kingdom of God CANNOT be shaken. Regularity of meetings for Christian activities may be shaken, perceptions of how we do church in any given season maybe shaken… but the kingdom of God (the authority of Jesus to rule over) can never be shaken!

And if we so choose to walk in daily submission to the lordship of Christ, we also carry an indestructible, undeniable authority that the vast bulk of Christians totally under-estimate.

The degree to which we carry that authority and exercise it effective is now, and will always be, determined by the degree to which we are fully submitted to the lordship of Christ and the truth of His unqualified Word. It is only as our decisions are an obedient extension of Father’s own will and purpose, that His authority is granted to us to execute that task!

But that kingdom authority itself cannot be shaken. We need to be reminded of this today!

The kingdom authority of God that we carry, is eternal, omnipresent, global, and it has existed from before the beginning of time and will continue beyond time as we know it. It emanates from the throne of heaven and fills our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It cannot be shaken! It’s the authority of God, it’s the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that we carry!

My friends, under the authority of the King, arm yourselves with His written Word and stand tall in the authority He has given you.

 

Watch a four-minute video where David shares about An Indestructible Authority.

 

Ambassadors For Christ

Ambassadors For Christ

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This world desperately needs to see Jesus as He really is. And this is where you and I come in! To be ambassadors of Christ. An ambassador speaks of a representative who will reflect the official position of whoever (or whatever) they are representing.

At David McCracken Ministries, we have a passion to see the Church Triumphant accurately and powerfully representing the Lord Jesus Christ in every nation.

As His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) we are the ones that God has chosen to declare His Son to this world. As His Church, we are not called to demonstrate a religion nor an organisation, we are called to be a supernatural people, living a supernatural life, declaring a supernatural Christ. We are called to declare a Message that declares His absolute authority over sin, sickness and every Satanic oppression.

In Matthew 24:14 we are given our Commission to take this Gospel of The Kingdom into ‘all nations’.

The objective is not just to make converts. It is to bring a ‘witness’ of Christ to that nation. That means raising up a body of believers that are true ‘Ambassadors’ of the King. It means we represent Him in everyday living, in our families, in our vocation, in our recreation, in our corporate gatherings, in our involvement in society. Our calling is to live like The Christ, talk like The Christ, act like The Christ. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ who are empowered, significant, and relevant.

For such a community to be established in ‘all nations’ (literally in every language group), the whole Body of Christ must be involved. An ‘all nations’ commission demands an ‘all saints’ policy of involvement. Why? Because, as Ambassadors, His agenda must become our agenda; His heartbeat must become our heartbeat; His passion must become our passion. And His passion is for ‘all nations’ to see Him accurately and fully represented.

Friends, if we are all His Ambassadors, then we will share His vision, His heartbeat and His passion. His vision is that in every language group on the Earth, there shall come the living witness of an all-conquering, miracle-working, compassionate, redemptive Christ that has all authority to set them free and give them a new life.

True humility is seen in our worship, our adoration, and obedience to the Supreme King of our heart and in our accurate representation of who He is, and in carrying out of His will on the Earth as it is in Heaven. Let’s honour Him by fulfilling the royal commission He placed upon us: to be His ambassadors who exercise His spiritual authority to ensure His will is done on the earth as it is in heaven!

In such a Cause we are all called to serve. This is the call of God on our lives!

Let this be the year you discover your own personal role in seeing His Vision for ‘all nations’ become a reality.

 

Beyond Understanding

Beyond Understanding

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As human beings, we are naturally curious. We like to know things and understand them. But is our ability to understand everything essential for spiritual growth and the development of spiritual gifts? No. In fact, a sign of spiritual maturity is an acceptance that there will always be things that are beyond our understanding.

Job 36:26 (NIV) How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.

A willingness to not understand is a sign of humility.

God knows everything, we do not. It’s good to remember that Gods ways and His thoughts are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). It’s also good to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought (Romans 12:3). Humility is more necessary for spiritual growth than understanding is.

Humility is equally required in our spiritual gifts. Even when Father reveals something to us, we only get a part of the picture or story.

1 Corinthians 13:9 (NIV) For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

A willingness to not understand is a sign of trust. 

Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Completely understanding something often eliminates the need for having to trust in someone. God wants us to trust in Him completely, yet too often our greater trust can be in our ability to understand something.

When it comes to receiving a prophetic word from God for someone, we don’t always understand what it means. This can be a scary step of faith, because if we had a little more understanding, we could be a bit more confident. But the truth is, these are the very times when our trust in God is to be greater than our trust in our understanding.

If there is an item of technology that you completely understand and you know from experience it works, your confidence is in the item. However, if you don’t understand an item and you don’t know if it works, your trust in it is connected to who tells you about it. If you trust the person, you can trust the item.

When God speaks, we can trust Him completely. If we don’t understand what He says, we can still trust in Him because He is always trustworthy.

A willingness to not understand keeps us from distraction.

Many people have spent many hours trying to understand something. While understanding in and of itself is not a wrong pursuit, the problem is when the time given and the thing pursued is taking you away from time with Father and what He wants to show you.

When the disciples asked Jesus about the times and seasons, He redirected them to His present commission to be His witnesses (Acts 1:6-8). If the disciples had stayed focused on what they wanted to understand, they would have been off track with what Jesus was initiating.

It’s important to note that the disciples weren’t asking a question about something grievous to God. The question itself and the desire to understand the times and seasons was not wrong, but it was not Jesus’ focus at that moment. Their ability to move beyond understanding did not distract them from the powerful day of Pentecost and the birth of the early Church.

A willingness to not understand is an invitation into deeper intimacy.

Ephesians 1:17 (NIV) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

When it comes to knowing God and walking with God, there will always be an element of mystery. There is both the reality that God is infinitely larger than our natural minds can ever comprehend, and the invitation to search for Him more intimately.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Finding God on deeper levels is not connected to natural understanding but to divine wisdom and revelation. This is about finding God in our heart and our spirit, not just in our minds. It is knowing Him as Abba Father. There is something beautiful about knowing someone, and because of what you know, your desire to know and love them further grows stronger over time.

A willingness to not understand is an invitation into deeper peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We often bring our requests to God because we do not understand something. Our way of doing things would be for God to give us the understanding to our requests and that peace would be the result of understanding. But this is so often not God’s way and it is for a very good reason.

If understanding is the ultimate goal of our prayers and it is the guaranteed outcome, our peace is attached to our understanding. But when we are growing deeper in intimacy with the One who loves us unconditionally and completely, our peace is found in Him and it is experienced even deeper in the absence of understanding.

Beyond Understanding

Job 37:5 (NIV) God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

We should desire to know God better and to understand His ways more. But this understanding is a spiritual revelation from the Holy Spirit, not an accumulation of facts from studying books or from life experience.

So as we lean into God more and desire what is on His heart for us and for others through us, we are called to be faith-filled people who have a confidence in God and a willingness to live beyond our understanding.

End Times

A Word About The End Times

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People love to speculate on the End Times. I have heard many opinions from different people. Some have fought for the truth of their convictions, while others hazard a guess at what might possibly be. Many predicted dates for the End Times that have since come and gone… and we are still waiting.

Does God have anything definitive to say about the End Times? Is there a prophetic word of encouragement for us all today?

While having my own devotional time with God recently, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to go to a certain scripture reference that I did not know by heart. In obedience, I turned to it and the following is where He led me. I believe it is God’s perspective for us about the End Times.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 NIV Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

God’s word to you for the End Times is “Live ready!” God is not going to make the date of Jesus return clear to any person. It is a mystery and it will remain a mystery. Our responsibility is not to work out when, but to live ready now.

When Jesus says “Come” are you ready to go? Here are three things the Holy Spirit spoke to me. Each point is relevant for every person that wants to be ready when Jesus triumphantly returns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

  1. Live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 is often quoted when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit, and it is a very powerful verse. What is not often stated is the preceding verses which give the context to which Jesus spoke. Let’s take a look together.

Acts 1:6-8 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The disciples of Jesus wanted insight into the Father’s timeline of when certain things would happen. Jesus response is to be our focus today. In effect He said, “Don’t focus on trying to work out when my Father will do what He said He would do. Rather, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and through Him, be my witnesses all around the world.”

The instruction hasn’t changed. We are all called to live full of the Holy Spirit and to be witnesses of who Jesus is. The Father will do what He said He will do and He will do it in His time, but this is not to be our focus.

  1. Live with your bags packed.

When we go away to another place where we are going to stay for a while, we pack a bag. In it we take what we need for where we are going. We don’t pack things that we need in our present location. We pack what we need for our intended destination.

This life is not our final destination. Yes, God provides for our needs here on the earth, but they are physical things that we cannot take with us. They are important in this moment, but they are not the most important.

The things of the Spirit and the things of the Kingdom are most important. Doing the will of our Father now is what we are to pack into our bags for our ultimate destination. Living for the glory of God now is an item worth packing for eternity. Passionately loving God and selflessly serving people will also travel well – we should most definitely pack these!

Here’s what the Bible says:

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Is your focus on accumulating what you want for here and now, or is it on having what you need for all eternity?

  1. Live with your affairs in order.

We are called to live right with God. We are also called to live right with people. One of the things that empower both of these principles is our commitment to keep short accounts. 1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to ‘keep no record of wrongs’. When it comes to relationships, don’t put off until tomorrow what you should do today.

Ephesians 4:26-27 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.

We have today. In fact, the only guarantee we have is right now. Therefore, the focus of the One who holds the times in His hands and who knows the beginning and the end is for us to live ready now. Jesus is coming again – of that we have no doubt. When? Well, this is what Jesus said:

Matthew 24:36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Let God do what He said He will do, and let us do what He has called us to do. It’s time to live ready for the return of the King!

One Handful or Two

One Handful or Two

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God asked me one day, “What do you have in your hand?” Not literally in my hand, but what was I juggling in my life? And when I answered the question honestly, I realised that it was not just one handful that I was carrying, but actually I had both hands full. And my hands were full to overflowing. I was so busy doing things for God that I had been distracted from chasing after God himself.

I have found myself at times chasing many things. And they may have been good things – related to family, ministry, or church life. But as a bit of an over-achiever, I can easily find myself with too much on my plate. I say yes out of enthusiasm to help others, which can result in feeling worn out or depleted.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

When I was younger, my Dad used to have a bit of fun when offering us certain foods – such as a slice of cake or slice of cheese. He would ask whether we wanted a one-handed slice or a two-handed slice. Of course, if my friends were around, they would always ask for a two-handed slice – it sounded like it was going to be so much bigger and so much better! But in fact, a two-handed slice was so thin and fragile that it needed to be held with both hands. It would crumble at a moment’s notice. The one-handed slice was the one you really wanted – it was thick and stable and easily held in one hand.

When both our hands are so full of stuff in our lives, it is like that two-handed slice. Life seems like it will be so much better when we have two hands full – but in fact, too much and our lives feel thin and as if things would easily crumble. We end up chasing after the wrong things, and it takes all of our energy to ensure that things don’t fall apart. But we don’t want to drop the ball or let people down, so we keep straining to juggle our many responsibilities. As a result, our life feels unstable and uncertain.

When I chase after many things that are not in God’s plan, I lose my tranquillity. I forfeit that inner state of being calm and settled. I end up toiling and working so hard I lose my joy. And if we are honest, amidst the many good things in our lives, we can end up a slave to what seem to be good things. But too many seemingly good things are not always right if they are not in God’s plan.

Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Jesus teaches us not to worry about tomorrow, and to seek Him first. God’s ways are always higher than our ways. If we stick to one handful of the things in life, we have the other hand free – to hold God’s hand. To allow Him to lead and guide us. To ensure that we have the margin and space in our day to hear His voice and be led by the Holy Spirit. With one hand full, our lives are stable and secure in Him. And with just one hand full, we also have the other hand free to help others along the way as He directs.

So, allow Father to speak into what you have in your hands. Don’t get caught up in meaningless toil – live your life with one handful, not two.

Philippians 1:6 (TLB) And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.

The Anointed One

The Anointed One

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Jesus Christ is the anointed one. He is the Messiah, our deliverer, our Saviour, and our King.

Matthew 1:1 in the NKJV states, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” When we look at the name Christ, it mainly points to two words and they are ‘Messiah’ and ‘anointed’ (Strong’s g5547).

In the Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘Messiah’ is defined as ‘the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible’. It goes further than this and names Jesus; ‘Jesus regarded by Christians as the Messiah of the Hebrew prophecies and the Saviour of humankind’.

This is true – Jesus is the Deliverer and the Saviour – but this is not predominantly what the word ‘Messiah’ means in the Bible.

The word ‘Messiah’ only appears twice in scripture (Daniel 9:25-26), and it means ‘anointed’ (Strong’s h4899). The word ‘anointed’ appears many times in scripture, and it is the primary meaning of the name ‘Christ’. Why is this so important?

The following verses are what Jesus said about Himself when He quoted Isaiah 61:1-2:

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

The word ‘anoint’ here, when referring to Jesus, means ‘through the idea of contact; to smear or rub with oil, i.e. by implication, to consecrate to an office or religious service’ (Strong’s g5548). This is powerful!

It also means ‘consecrating Jesus to the Messianic office, and furnishing Him with the necessary powers for its administration’ (Strong’s g5548). Wow! Jesus was sent from His Father to be the ‘Messiah’ (everything contained in the name ‘Jesus’) He was empowered to do everything He did because He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38)

Jesus is anointed with power and spiritual authority. He is The Anointed One!

We Shall Reign

We Shall Reign

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Although entering the Promised land was a wonderful, long-awaited day for Israel, there was one snag; the giants were still there! Why?

Was there a reason God did not destroy these giants after seeing His people wandering in the desert for forty years? Why risk yet another generation being turned back by their intimidation and size? Surely God knew of the battles that would have to be fought, the constant challenges to faith that His people would be presented with. The sword and the spear seemed to be such a contrast to a “land flowing with milk and honey” as promised.

This is where we must understand God’s objective, for it is the same today with all of us. From the very beginning of time, God has always had the power to destroy the devil and his hordes. There has never been a time when the Lord and His angels could not have hurled every demon into the lake of fire and left them there. Our God is sovereign, and His authority is absolute.

Why then has He tolerated this sin-infested world and the demons that so ravage it?

The answer is found in knowing God’s ultimate intention for those of humanity that have chosen to serve Him as undisputed Lord. If we are ever to be the overcomers that we all desire to be, that will not be because the Lord has removed the potential of conflict from our path. It is quite the opposite. It is the very process of being confronted and having to decide to exercise our God-given authority in prayer that develops that spiritual dominion within us.

Consider the clear declaration of these scriptures:

Revelations 5:10  And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.
Revelations 20:6  …and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
2 Timothy 2:12  If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.

The capacity to reign, the spiritual authority to rule, is not a gift; it is a developed spiritual muscle. It is only as we exercise it that it matures. If we see this clearly, we realise why it was so necessary for those giants to be left alive, awaiting God’s people. Let me declare it simply and plainly: Our adversaries exist to be conquered by you and I! They are our fuel for growth.

It also tells us why Jesus did not remove all evil from the Earth at the time of His triumph at Calvary. There is no dispute that Our King utterly annihilated Satan’s legal rights to rule and express evil on the Earth.

Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

It is in the next statement in Matthew 28:19 that says it all: “Go ye therefore”! In other words, Jesus is saying, “I paid the price to purchase all dominion and rule, but you must now enforce that and see it acknowledged on a daily basis by the enemies of the kingdom.” The legal document that guarantees us our potential victory over the flesh and the devil is the declared Word of God. It alone is the truth.

Our past failures and the accusations of the enemy can be highly persuasive, and they are often very convincing lies. But the tragedy is that everything that is human in us reaches out to accept their logic and the apparent reasonableness of their suggestions.

At times it can be a major challenge to believe in God’s integrity and that of His Word, turn your back on all that persuasive human reasoning, and declare: “we are more than conquerors through Christ!”  (Romans 8:37) and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens [empowers] me.”  (Philippians 4:12-14)

Does it take faith? Absolutely. But He has already placed that faith within you. It is by your decision that you must draw upon that faith and determine to live by it. It is as you cry out to Him in prayer and claim the power of His Word that faith is released. Such an overcoming life is not for a few elite superstars but for everyday followers of Jesus like you and me.

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!

Stillness and Silence

Stillness and Silence

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Sometimes when the pressure of decision is very real, there is a place that I like to go.  It’s a place in which stillness and silence reigns, where the beauty of God’s handiwork is seen so clearly.  It’s so easy to love a place like that for so many reasons: the quietness, the beauty, the serenity of nature’s touch.  But most of all, for me, it is a place where I find my Father’s heart.

Psalm 23:2 is such a well-known scripture – He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

His silence is still golden. In an age where the pressure of decision seems to be an ever-present adversary, we need to know a place where we can find our solitude.  A place uncluttered by the affairs of man and the tension of the time clock ticking our moments away. A place where we can hear God clearly.

In my quest for such a place over the years, I have often found some beautiful and wonderful spots.  Places that still linger and minister to my mind.  But not always so.  There are times when such a place, is not to be found.  For reasons many and varied, our search for solitude remains an unfruitful one.  For too many this moment becomes a time of crisis.

It is in such moments that the reality of the Holy Spirit is such a comfort.  I have discovered that we can find a place of haven, wherever we are.  It’s not a place of trees, and soft waters in the natural, but rather a place where our minds are at peace and our hearts are ministered to by His love.  The Bible says that the love the Lord Jesus Christ can give is a love “beyond all understanding”.  He speaks of a peace which is above all ability to reason or comprehend.  It’s a peace which knows no limits and has no barriers.  It’s a peace not borne out of the efforts of man, but has upon it the sweet touch of the Divine. A place of stillness and silence where the loving heart of the Father ministers to us by the Holy Spirit.

When people question me concerning the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ, there are things I can refer to.  The miracles, the healings, the transformed lives, the sheer joy in our services from people who have previously only known despair.  But perhaps one of the greatest evidences of all is that ever present peace which is greater than my understanding.

The peace of which I’ve written, is a peace freely available.  But will never be found in the strife and struggle of physical or intellectual endeavour, for it is spiritual in nature. By coming to the Lord Jesus who is its Source and Supply we can receive in a moment that which may be the quest of a lifetime.

My prayer is that you will find your haven of stillness and silence soon, for I know how much I value mine.

 

 

Trust and Let Go

Trust and Let Go

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It is winter and the cold, crisp mornings awaken the senses and chase the fog from one’s brain.  As I yet again gaze out of my office window, my eyes take in the conifer still lush and green, and the deciduous tree whose nakedness is so stark in contrast.  There is one tree in particular that I have been looking at each morning, awaiting an event that seems determined not to occur.  It has lost its leaves completely except for six small reminders that stubbornly refuse to release the Autumn in which they flourished.

My first thoughts are those of admiration as I think of their ability to hang on and persevere. What is it that gives them that capacity to cling to the branch when no others can? It has been many days now that they have defied the elements of this season’s harsher days.

But this morning another thought came as I looked to find them still there: as amazing as their resilience is, is it not misguided? Is it not also true that whilst they occupy that one small spot on that tree, that nothing new can grow in their place?  In their magnificent endurance they are unwittingly postponing the coming of Spring.

For now, that is acceptable—for the time appointed for Spring has not yet arrived. But it will come. My friends, seasons are so important.  There is the season of perseverance, to cling to the loyalty of that which has been; and there is the season to recognise God’s awakening to a future promise. When that moment arrives, the act of greater courage is not perseverance or endurance but the trust that allows you to relinquish. Because there is a time for everything—including for uprooting and letting go. (Ecc 3:1-2)

Finally letting go of that which was once filled with promise but now lies dead and cold is often heart-rending and traumatic.  But it is vital to make way on the branch for the coming of the new buds of Spring.

In the simplicity of trust and an unreasonable faith in the Father’s love, open those hands and let go.  For a fleeting moment you may feel a wind of insecurity caused by a vulnerability of the unknown, but it will pass. In its place you will find a new awareness as the Holy Spirit whispers fresh thoughts of new days of promise.

Spring is on its way a little while from now, and the Gardener of our souls beckons us to make way for it with an open heart made ready by the relinquishing of the Autumn now gone. Trust in your Abba Father as you draw near to Him.

You can dare to trust and let go for He is worthy of that trust. Read more about making hard decisions in your life.

A dove representing the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Power

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We live in a time when too many Christians accept such a small part of what God intends for our new life in Christ. We also live in a time when so many (myself included far too often) try hard to be good, rather than be filled to overflowing with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:11-12 says, I (John the Baptist) indeed baptise you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

This scripture can be a little confusing, yet because it is one of the first mentions of what Jesus will do, I feel it is important to look to see what God is saying. As I pause and listen, I see two things: Firstly, all that God wants to accomplish in our lives is through the power of the Holy Spirit, not through our best efforts. Secondly, God wants to do a thorough and truly transforming work in us, not just a slight improvement.

The work of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit is a thorough clean out work. We need a deeper revelation of this in our lives. But we also need a deeper revelation of why Jesus wants to thoroughly clean out the chaff of our lives.

Freedom is the reason Jesus is an all-or-nothing Saviour. He has no desire to simply improve our present reality and our spiritual condition. Sure, we might measure our lives compared to some other people and think we are not too bad. But compared to a holy, righteous and perfect God, well, we all miss the mark terribly.

And this is why Jesus came! He came to remove restrictions, to remove barriers and to remove obstacles! He came to pay the price, tear down the veil, disarm the devil and usher us boldly into God’s throne of grace! He came to live as a man, sinless, reliant on the Holy Spirit, in communion with His Father and as a tangible example of this new life He was purchasing for us!

All of this is done by the power of the Holy Spirit.