Psalm 18

Psalm 18:1-19, helps us recognize the strength of God to rescue and restore us, “I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because He was angry. Smoke rose from His nostrils; consuming fire came from His mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His covering, His canopy around Him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot His arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from Your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

Now pray this Psalm 18th in a very personal manner, “Greg Manuel loves you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is Pastor Greg Manuel’s rock, Greg Manuel’s fortress and Pastor Greg Manuel’s deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom Greg Manuel takes refuge. He is Pastor Greg Manuel’s shield and the horn of Greg Manuel’s salvation, Pastor Greg Manuel’s stronghold. Greg Manuel calls to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and Pastor Greg Manuel is saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled Greg Manuel; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed Pastor Greg Manuel. The cords of the grave coiled around Greg Manuel; the snares of death confronted Pastor Greg Manuel. In my distress Greg Manuel called to the LORD; Pastor Greg Manuel cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard Greg Manuel’s voice; Pastor Greg Manuel’s cry came before Him, into His ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because He was angry. Smoke rose from His nostrils; consuming fire came from His mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His covering, His canopy around Him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of His presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot His arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from Your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of Greg Manuel; He drew Pastor Greg Manuel out of deep waters. He rescued Greg Manuel from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for Pastor Greg Manuel. They confronted Pastor Greg Manuel in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought Greg Manuel out into a spacious place; He rescued Pastor Greg Manuel because He delighted in me.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 17

Psalm 17:1-15, is an awesome prayer of personal deliverance, “Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. May my vindication come from You; may Your eyes see what is right. Though You probe my heart and examine me at night, though You test me, You will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men—by the word of Your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call on You, O God, for You will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by Your sword. O LORD, by Your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those You cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And I—in righteousness I will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”

Praying the Word of God as your personal affirmation for life is a powerful way to apply the scriptures in a healing manner. Try Psalm 17, by inserting your name where you see mine: “Hear, O LORD, Greg Manuel’s righteous plea; listen to Pastor Greg Manuel’s cry. Give ear to Greg Manuel’s prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. May Pastor Greg Manuel’s vindication come from You; may Your eyes see what is right. Though You probe my heart and examine Greg Manuel at night, though You test Pastor Greg Manuel, You will find nothing; I have resolved that Greg Manuel’s mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men—by the word of Your lips Pastor Greg Manuel has kept myself from the ways of the violent. Greg Manuel’s steps have held to Your paths; Pastor Greg Manuel’s feet have not slipped. Greg Manuel calls on You, O God, for You will answer Pastor Greg Manuel; give ear to Greg Manuel and hear Pastor Greg Manuel’s prayer. Show the wonder of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep Greg Manuel as the apple of Your eye; hide Pastor Greg Manuel in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who assail me, from Greg Manuel’s mortal enemies who surround Pastor Greg Manuel. They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. They have tracked Greg Manuel down, they now surround Pastor Greg Manuel, with eyes alert, to throw Greg Manuel to the ground. They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue Pastor Greg Manuel from the wicked by Your sword. O LORD, by Your hand save Greg Manuel from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those You cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. And Pastor Greg Manuel—in righteousness I will see Your face; when Greg Manuel awakes, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 16

We have to stop offering sacrifice to the gods of this world! Where we live there are churches everywhere. But for every church, there are hundreds of altars. Places of worship built to offer our lives to the gods of this world. It’s strange that we spend two to four hours each week at our churches, but dozens of hours in the same weekly period at our altars! I am not even going into the many altars we worship at each week-we both know what they are and how much time we spend at them.

God is the only One worthy of our worship. Psalm 16:1-11 makes this so clear, “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. I said to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.’ As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

We have to make this personal. Put your name in this Psalm where you see mine as you say it aloud, “Keep Greg Manuel safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. I said to the LORD, ‘You are Pastor Greg Manuel’s Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’ As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. Greg Manuel will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. LORD, you have assigned Pastor Greg Manuel my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for Greg Manuel in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. Pastor Greg Manuel will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. Greg Manuel has set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, Greg Manuel will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon Pastor Greg Manuel to the grave, nor will You let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to Greg Manuel the path of life; You will fill Pastor Greg Manuel with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 15

The Message Bible records a phrase in Hebrews 12:27 that is very powerful. The phrase "one last shaking" means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. This was the writer’s way of conveying to the Hebrews that a shake-proof-life could be lived if it was built on Jesus Christ; not the man made trinkets of religion that so quickly surround him.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 commands us, “That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” The obvious reason we are commanded to “be not shaken” is because a spiritual turbulence is predicted through prophecy for these end-times we live in.

My Dad used to sing a song around the house when we were growing up that was a twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song written in 1954 by Jesse Stone. He sang the Elvis version to us, “Shake, Rattle and Roll”. Not to ruin a fun song for you or anything but, “shake, rattle and roll” is a good way to describe the enemy’s plan to destroy your life. Satan wants to shake your faith with tragedy, rattle your dreams with hopelessness, and roll you to the side of life’s highway where purpose simply passes you by!

Psalm 15:1-5, provides the formula for living a shake-proof life, “LORD, who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”

Make it real with me by inserting your name where you see mine, “Lord, Pastor Greg Manuel may dwell in Your sanctuary. Greg Manuel may live in Your holy hill. Help Pastor Greg Manuel Lord, to keep my walk blameless. Lord, help Greg Manuel to do what is righteous. God keep Pastor Greg Manuel from having slander in his tongue. Lord help Greg Manuel do his neighbor no wrong or cast slur on his fellowman. Oh God, use Pastor Greg Manuel to lend without interest and not be moved by money. In Your word Greg Manuel will trust and walk in these precepts. Pastor Greg Manuel will never be shaken.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 14

There are two distinctly different systems of life at work in the earth today; only two. All of our thoughts, opinions, likes or dislikes, attitudes, beliefs, associations, and relationships come from the acknowledgements we embrace from God or Satan. Even the fact that you may have read the preceding sentence with doubt of God or Satan’s existence is proof that it is so!

If you take one day in your life and force every thought or action to align its origin with God or Satan, what would the majority of your acknowledgements be? As Christians we wrap up all of our thoughts and actions up into a nice little package held together with this statement, “I believe in God!” I do not want to unwrap the illusion of your belief system, or tarnish the halo of your superior Christianity, but I though you should know; the Bible states that even the demons believe in God and it makes them tremble. (James 2:19)

What you and I truly believe is being applied to our lives throughout the daily existence we enjoy through acknowledgements. The dictionary defines acknowledge as the act of showing or expressing recognition or the realization of something. What we believe in we acknowledge through our choices and actions. There is a difference between God’s system of faith, and Satan’s system of fear. You and I acknowledge it through everything we do.

Psalm 14:1-7, identifies the difference between those who acknowledge God, and those who do not. Look at the words of David here, “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD ? There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”

Make this affirmation with me by inserting your name where you see mine: Greg Manuel is no fool! Pastor Greg Manuel knows who God is and refuses the corrupt and vile as his company of counsel. Greg Manuel seeks God and His understanding. Pastor Greg Manuel will do good and live free from the depression of dread. Greg Manuel is made righteous by the Blood of Christ and is an invited guest into the presence of God to see the mysteries of God and receive His revelation. Pastor Greg Manuel takes refuge in the Lord. Salvation is coming to Greg Manuel!

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 13

One of the life’s painful processes is that of being misunderstood. The very word, “misunderstood” implies that somehow understanding was missed. Being misunderstood has little to do with failed instructions or communication failure. Misunderstanding is commonly the product of unspoken expectations and perceived purpose.

Have you been misunderstood lately? Have you felt that there was a misunderstanding between you and God? I know it seems silly to even think that one could have a misunderstanding with God. But look at that question in the context of unspoken expectations and perceived purpose. Isn’t this where we “misunderstand” God? The life processes we go through in our journey on this earth can be filled with spiritual misunderstandings if we expect God to be something other than His word declares, or we believe our purpose to be different from God’s will.

Maybe that’s how we develop our enemies. Maybe we identify those who don’t understand our misunderstandings, as enemies. It is out of the life processes we endure that our friends and enemies are labeled. Is it ever really fair to eternally label someone while they are in a temporary transition?

David reveals his pain of misunderstanding God in the 13th Psalm. The mental anguish of people deliberately attempting to inflict pain on our lives can be debilitating; even more so when you and I perceive personal attacks as the willful silence of God to withhold vindication from us.
Psalm 13:1-6 reflects the pain of not understanding the processes of David’s life. Listen to this heart cry, “How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”

Let’s make this Psalm personal. Insert your name where you see mine and pray this aloud, How long, O LORD ? Will you forget Pastor Greg Manuel forever? How long will you hide your face from Greg Manuel? How long must Pastor Greg Manuel wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over Greg Manuel? Look on Pastor Greg Manuel and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or Greg Manuel will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when Greg Manuel falls. But Pastor Greg Manuel trusts in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Greg Manuel will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 12

When society exalts what is vile above what is holy, the result is always the persecution of faith. For those who embrace faith, persecution is the loneliest path they can walk. The reason for the devastating loneliness of persecution is found in the irony that there seems to be no deliverance, it must be endured. He that endures to the end shall be saved. We know this right? Then what do we do with the empty despair that fills the space between the beginning and the end of personal persecution? The remedy may be found in the 12th Psalm.

Psalm 12:1-8, prescribes the remedy, “Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues; we our own lips- who is our master?’ ‘Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘ I will protect them from those who malign them.’ And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. O LORD, You will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

I’m not sure we can make this Psalm any more personal than it is, but I like to make this affirmation, “God is God, Greg Manuel is a man! When man speaks evil, God’s words are the ultimate truth for Greg Manuel. Let the wicked strut, God will speak the final word of truth over Greg Manuel.”

Blessings & peace be upon you today!

Psalm 11

There is no question that we serve the Mighty God! He created the world! God set the earth on its axis! The order of creation is God’s design and masterpiece. God is awesome and we thank Him constantly that we are victorious in this life by His divine purpose that He purposed in us through Christ Jesus! But what do you do when the King of Kings gives you a command that seems to contradict what you know about Him?

God is not bound to your understanding of Him. His ways are not out ways. His ways are higher than our ways, systems, markets, industries, or perceptions. God is not a man! God is not a human! God speaks to us with direction from His eternal perspective, not our limited human view. If you are struggling with obedience to something God has asked you to do that is contrary to what you perceive Him to be, look closely at the 11th Psalm.

Psalm 11:1-7, asks the question for us, “In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates. On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face.”

Make it personal with me, “In the LORD Greg Manuel takes refuge. How then can you say to Greg Manuel: ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates. On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 10

There are moments when you and I doubt that God really cares. Yes, I said it! Everyone has moments of doubt concerning God. It is human nature. In societies of faith we are reluctant to openly admit this for fear of voiding God’s greatness through our inability. Pretty silly when you read it isn’t it? If God is only real when my faith is strong He is more fantasy than fact. God is God, whether or not you and I believe it!

So often we are compelled through our human nature to measure God’s existence through the filter of comparison. If God does something for someone else that He doesn’t do for me is He still real? David dealt with this question when he inquired to God regarding the wicked.

Psalm 10:1-18, helps us confront with our doubt by asking, “Why, O LORD, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In His arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and Your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.’ His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.’ Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’? But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the Helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

If you make this Psalm personal, you will be forced to deal with the same imbedded doubt that I sometimes deal with. It’s worth every effort if you want to try. Insert your name where you see mine, “Why, O LORD, do You stand far off from Greg Manuel? Why do You hide Yourself in times of Greg Manuel’s trouble? In His arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and Your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.’ His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims. He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; He covers His face and never sees.’ Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’? But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the Helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from His land. You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 9

Some days you just have to give up the daily task of trying to understand the madness around you and turn your eyes to God and declare what you know about Him.

Psalm 9:1-20 makes this declaration, “I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You. For You have upheld my right and my cause; You have sat on Your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for jugement. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what He has done. For He who avenges blood remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare Your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in Your salvation. The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by His justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Selah. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah.”

Make this Psalm personal today, “Greg Manuel will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart; Greg Manuel will tell of all Your wonders. Greg Manuel will be glad and rejoice in You; Greg Manuel will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. Greg Manuel’s enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before You. For You have upheld Greg Manuel’s right and Greg Manuel’s cause; You have sat on Your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name for ever and ever. Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for jugement. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what He has done. For He who avenges blood remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare Your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in Your salvation. The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by His justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Selah. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah.”

Blessings and peace be upon you!

Psalm 8

Consideration is a universal language that can be understood by anyone, anywhere! All human beings fight for consideration. The battle to be considered ranges from a playground skirmish at preschool, to the modern marvels of strategic warfare guided by technology beyond belief. In a marriage, control is instituted to relinquish consideration. Between siblings, territories are declared in hopes of supporting consideration. Every human being alive wants to be considered.

Psalm 8:1-9, is a fresh breath of perspective for all of us in our daily struggles for consideration, “O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet; all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

I love making these words personal, “O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When Greg Manuel considers Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is Greg Manuel that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made Greg Manuel a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made Greg Manuel ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under Greg Manuel’s feet; all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

Blessings and peace be upon you!

Psalm 7

When you are accused of anything there is an immediate mechanism that kicks into place as a shield around you. Accusation brings the involuntary activation of justification. None of the logical parameters of fact are considered initially when personal accusations are unleashed. Justification demands an equal audience to the accusation.

The dictionary defines justifications as: a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends. In this life there can be only one place of justification for the Believer. If we are not justified by God, through faith, we are without hope. Reading Psalms has made this more clear to me than ever before.

Listen to David’s cry for God to be his judge in Psalm 7:1-7, “O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands-if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe- them let my enemies pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah. Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day. If He does not relent, He will sharpen His sword; He will bend and string His bow. He has prepared His deadly weapons; He makes ready His flaming arrows. He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit He has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down and on his own head. I will give thanks to the LORD because of His great righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.”

Make this personal with me. Insert your name where I am praying mine: “O LORD my God, Greg Manuel take refuge in You; save and deliver Greg Manuel from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue Greg Manuel. O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands-if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe- them let Greg Manuel’s enemies pursue and overtake him; let him trample Greg Manuel’s life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah. Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the rage of Greg Manuel’s enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Judge Greg Manuel, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. Greg Manuel’s shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day. If He does not relent, He will sharpen His sword; He will bend and string His bow. He has prepared His deadly weapons; He makes ready His flaming arrows. He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit He has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down and on his own head. I will give thanks to the LORD because of His great righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today.

Psalm 6

There are times when as a parent you know your child should be corrected or disciplined. But you also recognize that there are times when there has been so much correction that the child’s tolerance to understand it has reached a threshold that deems the discipline ineffective. Sometimes a hug or a kiss, or a random activity of interaction, will better serve to reinforce the authority and responsibility we have as parents. This is true at times even when disobedience is monumental.

You and I have been there with God ourselves. We knew we could have handled situations differently. We have the knowledge of a particular outcome, and the luxury of hindsight to provide our own canopies of shame. This is the mood I sense in Psalm 6:1-10.

See if you identify with these words: “O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love. No one remembers You when he is dead. Who praises You from the grave? I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”

By now you know the drill. Make it personal: “O LORD, do not rebuke Greg Manuel in Your anger or discipline Greg Manuel in Your wrath. Be merciful to Greg Manuel, LORD, for Greg Manuel is faint; O LORD, heal Greg Manuel, for my bones are in agony. Greg Manuel’s soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver Greg Manuel; save Greg Manuel because of Your unfailing love. No one remembers You when he is dead. Who praises You from the grave? Greg Manuel is worn out from groaning; all night long Greg Manuel floods his bed with weeping and drenches his couch with tears. Greg Manuel’s eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from Greg Manuel, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard Greg Manuel’s cry for mercy; the LORD accepts Greg Manuel’s prayer. All Greg Manuel’s enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 5

There are times when loudness will not convey your heart. Shouting is most often associated with aggression. I believe there are times when our worship must be aggressive. Situations of desperation or declaration demand at times the forceful, assertive, even insistent involvement of our physical being to engage worship at a level that is purposed to our moment. But sometimes, to reach the hidden chambers of our guarded issues, we need to speak softly to the place of our greatest confidence.

Psalm 5:1-12, is a worship selection that David wrought exclusively for flutes. The music of flutes is by nature soft and soothing. This Psalm was meant to be sung in the quiet voice of an intimate friend speaking softly to his most trusted source of strength.

Read these words from Psalm 5, with that in mind: “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray. In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight Your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against You. But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.

Now say them softly in the most personal manner by inserting your name: “Give ear to Greg Manuel’s words, O LORD, consider Greg Manuel’s sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You Greg Manuel prays. In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; in the morning Greg Manuel lays my requests before You and wait in expectation. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. But Greg Manuel, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will Greg Manuel bow down toward Your holy temple. Lead Greg Manuel, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight Your way before Greg Manuel. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against You. But let Greg Manuel who takes refuge in You be glad; let Greg Manuel ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over Greg Manuel that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.

Blessings & peace be upon you today!

Psalm 4

Deliverance is the result of application. Deliverance is not a dispensed portion from a vending mechanism that drops a momentary reward for the correct combination of inserted objects. Deliverance is the appropriation of the Cross of Christ and is already complete in its fullness. When you apply the Cross, deliverance is the result. One of the most amazing ways we can apply deliverance is through our worship.

Psalm 4:1-8 is a song of deliverance to come through worship. Listen to this heart’s cry: “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah. Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to Him. In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

Here is the way I pray this Psalm out loud for personal deliverance: “Answer Greg Manuel when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give Greg Manuel relief from his distress; be merciful to Greg Manuel and hear his prayer. How long, O men, will you turn Greg Manuel’s glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah. Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when Greg Manuel calls to Him. In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of Your face shine upon Greg Manuel, O LORD. You have filled Greg Manuel’s heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Greg Manuel will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make Greg Manuel dwell in safety.

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 3

I want you to look at the third Psalm today with me and find strength for the times of your life when those close to you betray you. False accusations, lies, and hurtful actions by strangers bear a safety zone of distance that becomes an insulator from the pain. But the malicious measures of people who have shared the intimacies of your heart inflict a poison that debilitates your emotions in a unique brand of paralysis.

In Psalm 3:1-8, David’s pouring out of his heart when those close to him, his own family members, are trying to destroy him. Listen to his words: “O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him." Selah. But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from His holy hill. Selah. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.”

Something that helps me so much is when I make the Psalms personal to me. Insert your own name as I have done and pray this aloud: “O LORD, how many are Greg Manuel’s foes! How many rise up against Greg Manuel! Many are saying of Greg Manuel, God will not deliver him." Selah. But you are a shield around Greg Manuel, O LORD; you bestow glory on Greg Manuel and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers Greg Manuel from His holy hill. Selah. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains Greg Manuel. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against Greg Manuel on every side. Arise, O LORD! Deliver Greg Manuel, O my God! Strike all Greg Manuel’s enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance for Greg Manuel. May your blessing be on your people.”

Blessings and peace be upon you today!

Psalm 2

Let’s continue today in the Psalms. Read with me Psalm 2:1-12, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’ I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten you. Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

Now let’s make it personal. I will put my name in for my personal application and you insert yours in the same places, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’ I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Greg Manuel, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten you. Ask of Me, and I will give you, Greg Manuel, the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed is Greg Manuel who has put his trust in Him.”

Make this Psalm your personal affirmation today.

Psalm 1

The Bible give us clear direction and instruction for our lives. I love to read Psalm 1:1-6,

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Now let’s make it personal. I will put my name in for my personal application and you insert yours in the same places, “Greg Manuel is a blessed man because he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But Greg Manuel’s delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Greg Manuel is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever Greg Manuel does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Make this your personal affirmation today.

The Heart of Worship

The heart is an amazing mechanism. It is the central core of what makes our bodies function. The heart is defined as a muscle that pumps the blood through a serious of various sized veins and arteries allowing it to service the entire body. There are internal organs you can function without. But, nothing in your body can survive without blood, and blood cannot flow without being pumped through a distribution system that is powered by a heart.

When it became necessary for my Father to undergo heart surgery several years ago it was amazing to me what was involved in replacing a valve, and bypassing several arteries that were no longer functional. The doctors were extremely kind in trying to explain the process in simple terms that we could understand. I think the one thing that remains more clear to me than anything else the doctors said was this, “This is a very serious, possibly fatal task. Anytime you open the heart, best case scenario, you are risking everything.” There was no question in our minds as to the seriousness of the operation. Because his heart would have to be completely stopped there was no guarantee that the doctors could actually get a sustained heart rhythm started again. The risks were enormous but without it my Father had a 100% prognosis of eminent death. Some decisions become so desperate that the risks are outweighed by the fact that there are no other options.

In a spiritual sense, as we seek to understand the structure and functions of the Body of Christ, I believe the central mechanism, or the heart, is in fact worship. Worship is the single action that sustains on a continual basis all other endeavors of the Christian walk and life. The first commandment given to Moses in Exodus 20 determines the priority of worship, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Worship is the heart of our spiritual quest to know and understand God. The term idolatry exists solely as the all-encompassing alternative to worshipping anything other than God!

At the risk of being stereotyped and labeled I want to open the heart of worship. Some decisions become so desperate that the risks are outweighed by the fact that there are no other options. I believe worship is that important and stands alone in a list of what must be engaged for our spiritual life. There is something vitally wrong with Christianity and to correct it we need spiritual open-heart surgery.

We are given the surgical tools we need in Hebrews 4:12. ” the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Let’s allow the word of God to cut away and by-pass everything that is congesting our spiritual heart.
Psalms 27:4 gives us the primary heart of worship, “One thing have I desired of the Lord…that I may dwell in the House of the Lord…to behold His beauty. This is the heart of worship.

Who Is Jesus To You?

This week we are in our Breakthrough Fasting & Prayer. Our ministry engages in seven days of consecration each month beginning on the first Sunday of the month. One of the areas of revelation God is speaking to us about this week is on the subject of His identity. Matthew 16:13-19, records the dialogue Jesus has with His Disciples on the topic. He asks two questions. The first is, “Who do men say that I am?” Jesus wanted to hear from His Disciples what the common perception of Him was, by the people they had seen and ministered to. Jesus’ question is really, “What are people saying about me?” The answer was a variety of past influences that people were identifying Jesus with. How much of our perception of Jesus is based on our past influences?

Look now at the second question Jesus asked in Matthew 16, “Who do you say that I am?” The revelation of the Holy Spirit to us this week is found in this question, “Who is Jesus to you right now?” How are you recognizing God in your life? God proclaims in Exodus 3:6, “…I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…”! He was collectively their God, but He was known of each of them in individual terms, in many different ways. I can say that while I understand what those who have gone before me say about God, and how awesome their experiences are, it cannot compare to the mighty way He has revealed Himself to me!

You and I have an incredible opportunity to experience a revelation of Jesus Christ like we have never seen Him before. This is a good day for us to start over with a fresh slate of faith! Make a new commitment to consecrate ourselves to God through fasting and prayer. There is something about Him that He wants to show that we cannot see without separating ourselves for a season and giving Him our undivided attention. The depths of God are never opened casually. Psalm 42:7, reveals this mystery, “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts…”!

A supernatural invitation into the deep things of God can only be issued from a deep place of intentional consecration. What is it worth to us to know the mysteries of Jesus? Jesus said we can know these mysteries in Mark 4:11, “…unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables…” When you and I and unplugged from the secular humanism that permeates our lives we will hear that invitation. Ephesians 1:9 gives us the promise that God has, “made known unto us the mystery of his will…” You and I are being offered the opportunity to experience God in the same fashion as the first Church. This invitation is referenced in Colossians 1:26 as, “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.”

I realize how radical it must seem to commit a concentrated effort on a monthly basis of fasting and prayer for seven days. I can assure you this did not come flippantly, or of my own desires. Before this year began in January, I had not made a priority out of fasting. The occasional one or three day fast, a couple of times each year was plenty for me. But early in the Spring of last year I began to hear a call from the Spirit to receive revelation by radical faith. That call was answered and followed by radical life changes that demanded a total abandonment of everything that did not have an explicit ministry purpose.

Today, I can tell you that I have seen the “Fields of Plenty” just over the horizon of the swirling, muddy, torrential waters of this passage God has called me to make. I have witnessed the attack and defeat of multiple demonic assaults. What I am asking you to do now is too make this crossing with me. I can’t lead you where I am not willing to go. I am asking you to embrace Hebrews 4:11 as we, “labor therefore to enter into that rest…” There is a remnant people who are answering the call of the deep. Join that remnant people today!
You may view the two daily services at www.communitylifefellowship.org. Morning Manna is broadcast at 6:30 AM, CST. The Evening Sacrifice is broadcast live at 7:00 PM, CST.

Fields Of Plenty

I want to share a dream I believe God gave me this past week. It was revelation to me-maybe it will help you. In the dream I was at a river crossing. The water was very muddy and dark; you could not see below the surface. I was entering the water to cross over to the other side where Fields of Plenty were waiting. An overwhelming sense of fear was upon me as I entered the water; I sensed something was there but could not see anything. I remember in my hand was a walking stick approximately five to six feet long. Once I was fully engaged in the river crossing up to my waist, out of the water raised a crocodile looking creature, lunging to attack me. Without thought I put the rod in the center of the creature’s back and held it firmly on the bottom of the river bed.

It was amazing that as the rod touched the back of the crocodile creature that the muddy water turned clear and I could see that it was held without movement of the river’s bottom. Thinking about it now as I right it seems strange that the creature was not thrashing and turning, trying to continue its attack. The rod had completely paralyzed the crocodile. I sensed the creature go limp after some time and it appeared the crocodile was dead. As I removed the rod from the creatures back it floated lifelessly away; carried by the current of the river and I continued my crossing to the fields of plenty.

When I had crossed over half way I remember the feeling joy and expectancy for what was waiting on the other side, then suddenly fear once again captivated me. Hearing the slightest of water movement behind me I turned to see the crocodile ferociously thrusting out of the water, mouth open, coming from behind to destroy me. Instinctively, I raised the rod to strike the creature in the back again. As I was turning to strike the crocodile, a voice within me spoke and said, “Place the rod on crown of his head”! With a supernatural force I cannot explain, I plunged the rod into the crown of the creatures head. What happened next still baffles me as I write these words even now. When the rod touched the crown of the creatures head, the crocodile exploded from its belly underneath and the eruption continued from the middle to both ends of the crocodile until the entire outer skin was completely flat. It was if the creature had been professional skinned and prepared for display. I awoke from the dream at this time and told no one about it until I received the revelation I am about to share with you.

Here is what I believe it means to me, and maybe you. For some time now we have been in a water crossing to harvest fields of plenty. The scripture makes the parallel many times between water and the Spirit. (John 4:13-14; John 7:38; Isaiah 44:3-4) The water crossing I saw was a spiritual passage of trust and obedience. This is what our prayer and fasting has been since the first of this year. The muddy water refers to our inability to see where our feet are being placed. We are being led by the Spirit and we must trust that process. (Joshua 1:9)

I believe the creature that I saw in my dream to be a demonic entity the scripture refers to as Leviathan. (Job 3:8; Job 41:1; Psalms 74:14; Psalms 104:26; Isaiah 27:1) In the context of a crocodile, this demon lurks in the darkness of the spiritual underworld for the specific purpose of attacking those in passage to fields of plenty. When the attack is from an unseen force whose entrance is heralded by fear, its explicit purpose is to destroy you at the point of entering your promised land of harvest filled with fields of plenty!

The rod, similar to a walking stick in my hand, was symbolic of the anointing to perform miracles as in the fashion of Aaron’s Rod that budded. (Numbers 17) The miraculous budding of Aaron’s rod was in response to God’s request for every tribe of Israel to place a single rod, twelve rods in total in the tabernacle for a sign against the murmurings of the rebellious. Aaron’s rod budded, blossomed, and produced a crop of almonds! We have the promise of harvest in our hands. The rod was more than just a symbol. God commanded Moses to place it in the Ark of the Covenant as a sacred reminder that what God has promised needs no natural understanding to be performed and completed. Revelation requires no reason.

The first time the rod was placed on the demonic spirit it immobilized the attack. No demon can withstand the miraculous power of God! But the demon was only temporarily suspended from the attack and played dead to get released from the pressure of the miraculous. In this passage we have been too quick to accept the suspension of demonic attack without pressing for total abandon of the enemy’s assignment. We perceived our deliverance to be complete when it was only partial. Our pride caused us to rejoice prematurely! This passage we are in will not be complete until we are standing on the Holy Ground of a supernatural outpouring! We cannot accept anything less than a total revival of the early Church’s example of the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost!

The second attack by the demonic force came from the murky shadows of the past-from behind. When we rejoice because demons are subject to us we lose sight of the eternal purpose of our crossing. (Luke 10:20) Pride is the deception of believing a stunned demon is a defeated foe. In the dream I was instructed to, “Place the rod on crown of his head”! The only way we can effectively overcome the enemy who is attacking us is to strike the head; the center of its evil purpose. (John 10:10) The stronghold is in the mind! We must strike the thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) that are coming from the demons sent to attack us. In the dream, once the rod touched the head of the crocodile, the entire creature was turned into a display of God’s ability to finish our passage! (2 Timothy 1:12) This second attack is an attempt to use your pride in securing the stronghold of your thoughts.

There are more people falling prey to this second attack right now than at any other time I can recall in my ministry. People receive a spiritual victory that appears to be complete only to allow pride to set them up for the deception of trusting their abilities instead of acknowledging God. (Proverbs 3:5-6) There is a second attack coming to stop your passage. It is a battle for your thoughts and the stronghold of your mind. Mental fatigue regarding things of the Spirit is a symptom of this second attack. You must strike the head of this demon with a stringent embracing of the supernatural. The rod in your hand is the presence of the miracles God has already done through you. That testimony is your weapon to crush this second attack and cross over into the fields of plenty. This dream was so real to me. I believe there will be more revelation coming out of this experience in the coming days.

New Testament Church Marketing Plan

I have been involved with Christians for most of my life. My entrance to the Christian world was the experiences I received from visits to the Baptist church with my Uncle and the Pentecostal church with my Aunt. The decision to be Baptist or Pentecostal was really a simple process. Here is how it was played out; if we went to the Baptist church our Uncle would take us out to lunch; if we went to the Pentecostal church they gave cool gifts for coming to the service (on Easter Sunday they gave live baby chicks-no hunger could top that). My religious experience was solely based on how hungry I was when I woke up on Sunday morning. Really, after all these years nothing has changed. My experiences with God are still driven by my hunger for Him.

After thirty-six years of Christianity you would think that one would have seen it all, but I am still amazed at the methods employed to lead people to Christ. Evangelism is certainly a Christian buzz word we use when we refer to attracting new people to our church. What is evangelism? In the simplest terms it is the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every church has their brand of evangelism based on the affinity they share for an introduction to Christ. But let me ask you this, “What was the original pattern that was used when the church began in the Book of Acts?” What was the marketing plan used by those who actually heard Jesus say himself, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel”?

We use every method available to make the Gospel accessible to the world. Direct mail, websites, print advertising, streaming video over the Internet, and on the rarest of occasions we might even actually speak to someone face to face. The Book of Acts chronicles the beginning of the church, and the infectious spread of its reach into their world. Without radio, television, or the Internet, one hundred and twenty people grew to three thousand in one day. Let me introduce you to the Book of Acts Marketing Plan: The Power and Demonstration of The Holy Ghost! After all these years and quantum leaps in technology it still remains the most effective form of evangelism the church has ever experienced.

Recently I viewed a service of the Lakeland outpouring in Florida and was amazed at the simplicity of the entire process. Worship was the entrance into the presence of God, followed by instruction to apply that presence to your individual life, completed by sending it out to someone else. The service I viewed was attended by over twelve thousand from many nations-the overwhelming majority there because they had received as first-hand account of the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost. Of course religion was denouncing the process just like they did in Acts. But make no mistake; the results of the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost are always the same-lives are changed forever!

There is no substitute for the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost! From the Book of Acts the entire world came to know Jesus Christ through the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost. You and I today are walking with Christ as a result on that initial marketing plan. It is time for Christians to return to the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost! Just like those who were waiting in the upper room, we must tarry with prayer and fasting until the fire falls from Heaven. For all of our modern methods there is still nothing more powerful that a first-hand experience by someone who has been under the influence of the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost!

How long do you and I intend to pretend that our apathy to the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost is sustainable? We must abandon all hope of a status quo existence of Christian clichés, powerless presentations of sermons and teachings, and the boredom of bearing no spiritual burden of fasting and prayer! We cannot connect to the original church of Acts without entering the doorway of the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost. We must have the treasure of Heaven, the Holy Spirit, in these earthen vessels that we are. That empty yearning for something deeper than the cycle of riding a spiritual roller coaster is a divine desire impregnated within you for the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost!

Without mass media; absent of light speed technology; void of the ease of modern communication; the church of Acts turned their world upside down with the single greatest marketing plan the universe has ever experienced. It was the Power and Demonstration of the Holy Ghost. It was, and continues to be, the best hope of a lost humanity in a temporary world held together by grace, where the imminent dawn of eternity can be physically felt by all!

There are many wonderful events I can recall from the childhood I spent in the rural areas of my early development. Actually, we lived so far back in the woods we did not experience the sunrise until noon! Anyway, what I was trying to share with you was the country school phenomenon known as the “Science Fair.” I know you have probably heard of Science Fairs before, but I am quite sure those were worlds away from the dark and sinister, completely humorous event we called, “The Science Fair.”

You could count of the usual six-dozen, Baking Soda and Sprite spewing Volcanoes, and of course the stillborn collection of farm animals exhibited in one-gallon glass containers filled with formaldehyde. And who could forget the twenty-one stages of an unborn chicken, from the egg to the chick, displayed in actual form through the visual enhancement of a Gerber Baby Food Jar! See what I mean! Our Science Fair was a little different. What I remember the most about it, beyond the wild array of subjects and objects was this; you were graded and awarded on presentation, not on quality of content!

How is your presentation coming? You know, that whole - Worship as a lifestyle - thing? Let me help you understand something about the way your worship is graded. You will be awarded on presentation, not quality of content!

Romans 12:1, gives us the requirement, “Present you bodies a living sacrifice, holy and accept able to God, which is your reasonable service.” I want you to know that you have been given a 100%, failsafe, proven beyond all doubt, formula for success when it comes to your presentation of worship to God. All He is asking for is who you are! The only way you can fail to receive the “First Prize” in your worship to God is to withhold who you are from Him.

Look at this incredible scene with me from John 4. In the heat of the day, around noon, Jesus sits alone by a well. A woman comes to the well and Jesus first statement to her was a request, “Give me a drink.” We learn later in the text that she is an outcast breed, coming to the well ay an odd time to avoid social confrontation, because she is a five-time divorcee, and is currently in a relationship that has no requirements attached to it. Now hear Jesus opening request, “Give me a drink.” Jesus is not interested in what she is. He is not concerned with what she has done. There is no qualifier to determine the level of her worthiness. Jesus wants who she is! He is asking her to make a presentation to Him of who she is!

You can hear her shock, “Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus reply is simple, “I really want to give you drink of everlasting life.” The woman observes, “You have nothing to draw the water with.” Jesus looks at her and makes it clear, “You are the vessel I will use and what I give you will be a well of living water, springing up from within.”

What God wants in a Presentation of Worship is you, as you are, where you are!

Graduation Gifts

I only have one child left in High School so my requirements to that institution are diminishing. Except, at this time of year when Graduation Ceremonies take place. As a Pastor I am still a bit old fashioned in that I like to watch the High School Graduates in our church walk across the stage and receive their Diploma. I think maybe I get a little humor at their expense when I hear their name called to make their grand exit from High School by allowing myself this one thought, “You have no idea what you are in for!”

This year I was privileged to enjoy that thought six times in the various ceremonies we attended. But there was one that left an indelible impression on me. One particular ceremony allowed me to witness the Love of God in a tangible manner.

One of the young Graduates in our church was adopted at birth by a loving family that has served God with their lives. The child was raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and given a life of security and advancement. Recently the young teen expressed a desire to meet her “birth” Mother. Her parents allowed the process to unfold at its own pace.

When my wife and I arrived to sit with the family at the Graduation Ceremony we were introduced to the Graduate’s “birth” Mother. I thought how incredible it was for the parents to extend this invitation to a woman they had met through paperwork only, eighteen years ago. We extended the proper greetings and then took our seat. I was moved by the compassion this family was living out before me.

As the ceremony progressed, the “birth” Mother was overcome with emotion and was visibly shaken. It was then I saw the Love of God. The parents moved from their seats to put their arms around the “birth” Mother and sit with her the rest of the ceremony. As they consoled her with their love I could sense the presence of God smiling in adoration of the scene, and the hearts of the Godly parents whose only motivation was the same on that day as it was eighteen years ago; thankfulness and gratitude for the gift of life and love they had experienced in the child they were given.

The night went on with dinner and festivities but as I write these words today I am still moved by the gifts we each hold, that we never give. Who could you reach out to in love today? Who could you extend the gift of forgiveness to right now with a simple phone call? Which relative could receive a letter of apology from you today and be set free from years of anguish? We all have gifts to give, why not release them today?

The events of the coming week would be a whirlwind of activity and emotion. There must a been a foreboding sense of the impending dread that was carrying the group around Jesus as they left the city of Jericho to begin the sixty mile walk to Jerusalem. In His parables and teachings, Jesus had tried to convey to the group the nature of His purpose on the earth. Over the past three years Jesus had constantly painted the landscape of the Disciples’ minds with the clear and distinct calling he was here to fulfill. When Jesus openly tells His followers, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” the directive is candidly proclaimed. He is here to die, so the world may live in Him.

Blind Bartemaeus cries out to Jesus as He walks out of Jericho for the last time. Jesus opens the eyes of the blind man. Destiny is pushing Jesus to Jerusalem, yet He stops to heal the blind. How significant is it that Bartemaeus will be able to see the proceedings over the next week? Is this act of divine intervention a sign that points us to pay close attention to what is about to take place?

Jesus arrives at Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem, and spends an evening at the home of Lazarus where Mary anoints Him with expensive oil in preparation for His death. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem; The Last Supper; Washing the Disciples feet; Judas the Betrayer identified; The Arrest in Gethsemane; Jesus’ Trial before the High Priest; Peter’s Denial; Pilate’s Court; and finally, The Crucifixion.

Throughout all of the tragedy and triumph recorded in the final week of Jesus’ earthly life, there is one figure that is always present and receives more than one scriptural reference. Her name is Mary. We find her in John 20:1; making her way to the last place she could accompany Jesus, the tomb. The scripture makes the distinction, “while it was still dark!” What possesses a person to visit the graveyard while it is still dark? There are times in our lives when personal faith will not permit us to wait any longer without conclusive evidence. Even if the timing is not right, in spite of the natural barriers and preconceived notions of acceptable methods, faith pushes you into extraordinary actions. Even if it means going to the place of death in the cloak of night! It is possible that the unyielding presence of your determined spirit that will not sit quietly within you any longer is the supernatural expectation of what God has already done that you are not aware of!

One thing is lucid; what Mary was about to experience will clearly define the difference between listening to what Jesus had said, and living out in real time the words He had given them. Let me bring it right to where we are on this Easter Sunday. Jesus had outlined the details of His death, burial, and resurrection; the events we would come to know as Easter. The reality is this; until Mary had witnessed “Easter” for herself, until she had seen “Easter” with her own eyes, the revelation could not have been complete.

Mary is not prepared for what she finds at the last location of her faith. Her reaction reveals her expectations. Mary fully anticipated finding everything as she left it three days earlier. When she gets through the darkness to the tomb she saw the stone that sealed the tomb was gone. Her immediate response was to run to Peter and John and let them know the depth of the travesty. Listen to her words, “they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid Him.” Let me ask you the question I would ask Mary, “Who is they?” Why do we always have some unnamed, unidentified force that becomes the scapegoat for the areas of God that we cannot explain? “They” is always known to us personally, but always referred to in a broader, ambiguous term when we share our calamities with others. There are some things about God that you will never learn in a group setting. Easter will never be real to you until it becomes a personal experience that you embrace in a singular fashion. You may walk with Jesus all the way from Jericho to Jerusalem. You may hear Him describe all that He is and will be. You may witness in person the crucifixion of Jesus and accompany his broken body all the way to the burial. But until you press through the darkness of your personal doubt, to the finality of completely trusting God with what you cannot reconcile, you have not really seen Jesus. Mary has a hunger for Jesus that is born of her deliverance from who she was, and the person she was made through her relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Peter and John join the scene they instantly run to the tomb and survey the setting. They notice the linen grave clothes that wrapped the body of Jesus, and the handkerchief that covered His head neatly folded. John 20:8 states that when John saw this setting he believed. Consider that Mary’s desperate attempt to solicit help in locating Jesus actually became the catalyst that birthed John’s personal conversion to the revelation of the resurrection. Peter and John, satisfied with what they had found, and it’s effect on them, turned and went back to their own homes. They had seen enough. They were satisfied. They were resolved with the experience.
But Mary could not leave. She is still standing at the tomb after the other disciples are gone. As she cries the scriptures states, “she stooped down and looked into the tomb.” How many times have you remained after everyone else has gone home with his or her spiritual experience? Did you think you were crazy when everyone else went home happy, and you still were hungry for more of God? Has your broken heart driven you to your knees with the weight of being unfulfilled? When Mary fell to her knees she saw something inside the empty tomb. There were two angels sitting at each end of the tomb. Mary is seeing directly into the supernatural realm. Peter did not see the angels! John, even with his conversion did not see the angels. Both of these men had returned to their homes satisfied with the experiences they had received.

Look into the area of your despair. What you thought was just an empty tomb of tragedy is the arena God has chosen to invite you to the supernatural. I know Jesus is not in the tomb, Mary! But the tomb is not empty. There are two supernatural witnesses waiting to reveal the heart of God to you.

What transpires next is the bridge between believing and knowing. The angels ask Mary a question that seems harsh and uncaring from a natural standpoint. They want to know why she is crying. From her perspective it is blatantly obvious, “they have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” But from the angels vantage point the question was justified. Mary saw the tragedy, the angels saw the triumph!

There must have been something in Mary’s spirit that was stirred by the setting of what she was witnessing. Have you ever sensed something significant was happening around you? Do you know how it feels when you think someone is behind you, or following you? Mary turns from the angels question and is face to face with Jesus. It is possible that the restless feeling you are experiencing could be the presence of something supernatural. Turn around and look. Turn from what you have been focused on, and embrace what you are sensing.

Face to face with Jesus, Mary hears the same question the angels had asked her. Mary responds in the same manner as before. Then Jesus speaks one word to her. He calls her name, “Mary!” When Jesus speaks her name, suddenly everything is clear. She knows it is Jesus. She now understands the process of the prior week. Mary sees Easter for the first time herself. I think it is interesting that the key word, or divine phrase that is used to bring Mary into the supernatural revelation of Jesus Christ is her own name. When God speaks your name will you be able to accept it as divine? Are you so intent on hearing something else as your personal sign from God that He has already called you name over and over and yet because it was just your name, you didn’t recognize it as divine?

Today! Right now! This moment! Listen for the sound of your name being spoken by the Holy Spirit. Until you’ve seen Easter for yourself, it is nothing more to you that an annual reminder of your personal loss and tragedy. Look into what you think is just emptiness, there is a supernatural invitation waiting for your to embrace.

After the scripture gives us the account of the three battles these Mighty Men have fought, 2 Samuel 23:13 reveals the uniting of their individual victories “And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.” The three battles were not the breakthrough. Those encounters were merely qualifiers for the breakthrough. The Hebrew word Rephaim means “giant”. Such was the dedication of these mighty men that they were prepared to risk their lives in the Valley of Giants to fulfill the desire of their King. That level of loyalty is not casually achieved. The breakthrough you are destined for is not your normal church variety experience. You were disqualified from that long ago. No, this breakthrough is about the desire of your King and the spiritual impartation of sacrificial worship.

Matthew 18:19 promises, “…if two or three agree as touching any one thing…” When these three Mighty Men bring their individual victories together they produce a spiritual force of unity that stirs the longing of David for a drink from the well of Bethlehem. God is moving with passion and power to draw from a source of divine strength and refreshing. When you and I come together to satisfy God’s desires there is no greater gift of worship to our King! Our pasts become our bond that holds us together for our King’s purpose. We know where He found us. We know the agony of abandonment. We cannot forget the first night we spent in the cave. Hebrews 10:32-33 speaks of our transformation in this journey, “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, while you were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, while you became companions of them that were so used.”

2 Samuel 23:14-15 details the place where the Mighty Men found David, “And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” the word “hold” in this text comes from the Hebrew word meaning “trap or prey”. David was caught in a trap. Breakthrough always comes out of being caught in a trap. If you had other options you would not need a breakthrough.

Isn’t amazing that when you are trapped, back against the wall, with no way out, that your prayers are for fellowship and not deliverance? David does not ask for Angelic intervention. He just wants a drink from the well by the gate in Bethlehem. Why is his request so specific? Why not just water from any stream or well? Because the well (source of refreshing) by the gate (fellowship gathering place) in Bethlehem (House of Bread) holds the memory of better days with the fellowship of the people he is called to. There is no water like that found in the House of Bread; drank with those you love! David remembered the times he had spent in that meeting place and longed for that fellowship again. Your King is thirsty to fellowship with humanity in the original pattern He created in the Garden of Eden. You have been separated, called, and qualified to fulfill the desire of your King! This is why you are here now. What you have been through would have destroyed most people. But you are a Mighty Man of God! This is why you were sustained when others died. You have the indomitable spirit of a man who has valued the vision God has given him against all odds and preserved it! You have the stubborn resolve of a man who has lost the ability to quit! And, you have the invincible will of a man who knows the generation provision he is responsible for securing!

Twenty miles deep into enemy territory, 2 Samuel 23:16 reveals, “And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.” I know what you are thinking? After all that-he poured it out! What was the point? Look closer, beyond the involuntary memory of offense. David poured it out unto the Lord as a worship offering. That act reveals the heart of your King. Any fool could have simply drunk the water. What David did was to secure the rescue and victory of every man with him by offering worship unto God with a gift that was priceless. The breakthrough was complete. The risk was worth the reward. The three battles on the road to breakthrough were complete. Now the breakthrough was finished and the result was worship warfare that led to the victory of David over his enemies.

Now you know why. Now you can see the entire picture. Your heart will want to make everyone see that you finally get it. You won’t have time for that. There is another battle ahead and you are a Mighty Man. This is what you were born for. Touch the ground where the water was poured. Feel the dampness, then rise up and walk away. Your work is done here. Sleep well for tomorrow another battle begins. Breakthrough is your lifestyle, you were created for it!

The third and final battle on your journey to personal breakthrough is, The Battle of The Harvest. In this journey of personal triumph you have already determined your dreams are worth any price you must pay to fulfill them. You have also traded your ability to quit, to become a weapon in God’s hand. Both of these involved a result whose only affect was upon you. This third and final battle on the road to breakthrough will not be about you at all. John 15:13 gives us context to understand this battle, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

This third Mighty Man we find in 2 Samuel 23:11-12 reveals what we must face, “And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.” Shammah means “Astonishment”. He is a distant grandson of Esau. Shammah also means “ruin, or desolation”. Shammah is the spiritual picture is of a man who was a wreck in his natural self. Of course, that is why he is numbered with the Mighty Men in the first place. Shammah represents those of us who are always amazed that this whole “faith” thing actually works.

BIBLE HISTORY TELLS US THIS AREA WHERE WE FIND SHAMMAH WAS AN ENTIRE PLAIN OF HARVEST THAT SUPPORTED ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION. IT WAS THE GENERATIONAL PROVISION FOR EVERYONE!

This battle is about your willingness to stand up for the generational provision of those dependent upon your calling, anointing and positioning. You must become the man of Ezekiel 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” The entire landscape will has become dependent upon you next decision. You have been strategically positioned in this setting for a battle in which the reward of victory has more weight than just an evening celebration for a day of victory. What you will do next carries generational weight. Your children will be affected by the actions you take now. Their children will suffer the consequence of fear or enjoy the prosperity of provision; depending upon your fortitude and tenacity in this moment. My friend the Philistines are upon us. The enemy has come to claim the harvest of your toil. Satan has been waiting to for you to plow the field; sow the seed; remove the weeds and tares; keep out the devourers; generate the fruit. Why is it that the greatest battle is always over the harvest? If the harvest doesn’t matter, why does Satan want it so badly? John 4:35 shows us the importance of this harvest, “Do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

There is an organized effort under way to steal the heritage and provision of your children. 2 Samuel 23 reveals, “And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils…” Your enemy, the Devil, has a militant structure arrayed in a show of force. The entire parade of horrible is to seduce you with fear. I can hear everyone telling you, “It’s just beans! It’s only a pea patch. It’s not worth dying over. Let the enemy have it!” But those people do not know what you have already defeated to stand here in the bean field! They can’t comprehend the personal price you have paid to be trusted with a generation blessing of provision. Tomorrow’s lack for your children, is today’s decision to let the enemy have your harvest. You have done the work. You have prayed the prayers. It was your desire that has made this region flourish. Your commitment to your position of authority and purpose has made this ground produce a bumper crop of blessing. Let me ask you again, “If it’s just beans, why is there an entire military division stationed here against you?” This third battle to your breakthrough is to answer the question, “Can you be trusted with the generational passage of God’s provision?”

Why does a spouse put twenty years into a marriage and then run away when their harvest is being fought? What makes a Pastor plant seeds, pull weeds, water the field with his own tears, and then flee adversity at the point of harvest? This picture is seen in 2 Samuel 23, “…and the people fled from the Philistines. But he (Shammah) stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines…” This is the moment of your destiny. You were called to do one thing-Stand up to the enemy! Esther realized it when she said, “For such a time as this I have come to the Kingdom.” Notice where Shammah positions himself, “…in the midst of the ground…” He goes to the middle of the field. You have to get off the sidelines this time! You must find the middle of the ground and get there now! You must make the enemy come to the heart of the matter in this third battle on your personal journey to breakthrough! No more skirmishes on the outer edges of commitment! Get deep enough in this field so that you can’t get out when the enemy comes in like a flood! What you will find is, “The Lord will raise up a standard against him!”

There is one final fertilization for this field of beans that was going to settle the generational passage of God’s provision once and for all. This ground was going to have one final watering from the blood of the enemy to break the generational robbery of provision that had been transpiring at every seasonal harvest. As you stand your ground in this harvest season, the blood of your enemies will run down the rows of this harvest field to break the spirit of poverty and lack off of the descendents God has placed in your charge. It is not just beans; it is the prosperity of generation to come who will glorify God and sing of His provision from generation to generation.

You will receive a fulfillment from the victory of this third and final battle that will have no equal in your life. For now you have reached a place where your personal needs have become subconsciously unnecessary. You have crossed from the self-serving life you lives into a selfless sacrifice of personal will for the good of those God has entrusted to you. You have finally come to understand the weight of the generation blessing you have been chosen to bestow. Now you will understand Proverbs 17:6, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” You have conqueror the Philistines. More importantly, you have defeated you own pride and arrogance to serve the greater good of generations to come.
The three battles to breakthrough; The Battle of Dreams; The Battle of Covenant; and The Battle of Harvest, all have to do gaining the strength and faith to fulfill the desire of our King! YOU HAVE FOUGHT THE THREE BATTLES TO BREAKTHROUGH! NOW IT IS TIME FOR BREAKTHROUGH!

The second battle on your journey to breakthrough is The Battle of Covenant. 2 Samuel 23:9-10 continues the saga of the Mighty Men, “And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.” Eleazar in the Hebrew text meant “God has helped.” His lineage was in the genealogy of the first priest Aaron, and Abinadab’s son who cared for the Ark of the Covenant. He was also related to the priest who rebuilt and dedicated the restored walls of Jerusalem in time of Ezra. Eleazar was a son of Dodo, who was an Ahohite. The Hebrew word ‘Dodo’ means ‘loving’ and ‘Ahohite’ comes from a Hebrew word meaning ‘brotherhood’. The spiritual picture is of a man who loved his brothers. This second battle on your road to breakthrough will be a deliverance from disconnection! You have a long history of being among those who handle the sacred presence of God.

You can trace your spiritual roots among those found in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Every oracle God exalts will know the heights of Heaven’s hand, and depths of despair’s death grip. This is the mechanism God uses to forge the connection of covenant ministry. Out of the paradox posed by the inconsistency of flawed humans heralding the divine we embrace Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” You are not the message-just the messenger! 1 Corinthians 1:21 places you as a Court Jester in the Kingdom of Heaven, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” It is no wonder we are taught that humor is the mask of pain.

This second battle will force you to break the isolation you shroud the fear of rejection inside of. You must stand with the man God has connected you with. It was never your choice. You were forced, kicking and screaming through a maze of indiscernible events that alienated you from the associations you selected, into a cave of misfits whose only common bond was a man named David who had been selected by God. Now, here you stand, in the heat of a battle you did not start. Now, here you are, standing beside a taunting fugitive who is openly defying the present system of secular thought to declare Jehovah is God. This battle on your journey to breakthrough is about your deliverance from disconnection. You do not get to choose you spiritual connections in this earth. God through his providence uses pain and despair as the glue to bind hearts and wills together for His purpose in the earth.

Eleazar had the pedigree to openly dispute his current assignment. He could sketch his family tree as a mighty oak of God’s preferred selection. His people were the anointed handlers of God presence and the protocols that protected it! What in the world was he doing here? Haven’t you asked yourself that a thousand times? How did I get here? You couldn’t recreate the process if you tried. You are living the axiom, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” You are here because you are a Mighty Man. You didn’t find the cave, the cave found you. Your steps were ordered by God. Your walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death was an ordered mission. Isaiah 55:9 gives us God’s explanation in His own words, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Trust the process. Most people will run, or disconnect when the battle engages. But you have been called to stand with your spiritual connection in the face of adversity.

All of this had to be going through Eleazar’s mind on the battlefield that day when David screamed insults at the Philistines until they attacked. The scripture makes this distinction in reference to the timing of this event, “and the men of Israel were gone away.” It was at this point that Eleazar, “arose.” This is your season to rise up! It is no secret that you were initially connected to this setting by the divinely imposed limitation of the options before you, until you had no other choice. But now you are given a second personal battle on the road to your breakthrough, The Battle of Covenant. Your choice to stay this time will be solely up to you. This decision will be compounded by the fact that everyone else has decided this battle is not worth the risk. The Men of Israel have voted to leave David. Those men are still breaking the covenant of connection when the stigma of being with David becomes more than bargained for. I find that those who have been forgiven the most are among the most self-righteous. And, among the first to disconnect because they have no trust in themselves or others.

If you are ever going to conqueror the demon of disconnection you must arise to stand in the heat of a battle, beside a man God has connected you with, with a reckless abandon to the cause of the King! Eleazar, “arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword.” Two words stand out in this text; weary and clave. Tired and stuck. Exhausted and inexplicably joined. Have you ever been too tired to continue, but too stuck to let go? Why couldn’t you just leave like everybody else has? It’s easy! Just walk away. No one will think worse of you. It is totally understandable. This fight is unfair anyway! You didn’t start the conflict. All of these legitimate reasons can’t erase the nagging memory of your past failures. The emptiness you have experienced from the times you have quit in the past. Somehow this time, as long as David is fighting, you have to continue. Forgive me if my motion seems mechanized. Please try to overlook the visible weariness I am exhibiting. But this time I am past quitting. I won’t run. Call me crazy, but after all I have been through, I would rather die fighting than to live running! Yes I am weary, but I will not quit!

Have you ever wondered how he knew the sword was stuck to his hand? There is only one fool proof manner in which to test the release theory-you have to try to let it go! The word “clave” in this scripture literally means to become joined to, as a part of. I think it is utterly fascinating that he word “cave” is found in “clave” but that’s another sermon. There is a unique transformation that takes place when you settle the issue of disconnection and refused to be severed from covenant. You discover that which you held onto, has now begun to hold onto you. Letting go is no longer an option. What you had embraced has now embraced you so strongly that there is no longer you and it. You have become one with the covenant. This is the moment when you have fought and won the second battle on the journey to breakthrough. How can you know this? There is no more quit in you. The option of letting the sword go has been replaced with a mental awareness that you are now the sword. You have become the weapon in God’s hand. You are not using God, He is using you!

When the battle is over, only David and Eleazar are standing in a sea of dead, defeated enemies. A spiritual transformation has taken place somewhere in the heat of the battle. Eleazar has been delivered from disconnection. He no longer thinks of quitting as an alternative to covenant. He has faced his own demons of isolation and disconnection. He has stared into the face of weariness and found a supernatural strength. He now understands, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Eleazar has won the second battle on the road to breakthrough, and so have you! Quitting is no longer in you spiritual DNA. You are now the weapon in God’s hand.