The Lord Is....June 2023

 

HUPERBALLO CHARIS

(pronounced hoop-er-bal'-lo khar'-ece)

SURPASSING GRACE

2 Corinthians 9:14

And as they pray on your behalf, they will have deep affection for you because of the Surpassing Grace of God in you.

1 Timothy 1:15

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

ANEKDIEGETOS DOREA

(pronounced an-ek-dee-ay'-gay-tos do-reh-ah')

INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Romans 5:15

But the free Gift [of God] is not like the trespass [because the Gift of Grace overwhelms the fall of man]. For if many died by one man’s trespass [Adam’s sin], much more [abundantly] did God’s grace and the Gift [that comes] by the Grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to [benefit] the many. 

ED

(pronounced ayd)

WITNESS

SAHED

(pronounced saw-hade')

ADVOCATE

Job 16:19

“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high."

KURIOS THERISMOS

(pronounced koo'-ree-os ther-is-mos')

THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

Luke 10:2

And He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask The Lord of The Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest."

1 Corinthians 3:7

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

John 15:1,2

“I am The True Vine, and My Father is The Keeper of the Vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful." 

A Crucified Life - - Is A Gatherer's Life

    2 Corinthians 8:15

As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

    This word 'gathered' is used 384 times in the Bible and has quite a few definitions. But in this context the definition is:

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4863

Gathered: to lead together, to collect, assemble; to come together, to receive with  hospitality

From the Greek word 'sunagó' (pronounced (soon-ag'-o). 

      Matthew 13:8

Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

    Matthew 9:37,38

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

    2 Thessalonians 3:1

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all are of the faith.

    It's not a question of how many people we reach when we share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. It's a question of obedience to the gospel ourselves. When we are faithful and fully committed to spreading the good news that God loves us and sent His Son to save us from the penalty of sin, then the Spirit will move on the hearts of the listeners. It's up to the hearer to respond to the Spirit.

    It's not about the quantity of souls gathered in by our actions, it's about our actions being done in love, sprinkling grace, mercy and compassion into our conversations. The fields that are ready to be harvested are the hearts of those people who are seeking a better Way, something, Someone they can believe and place their trust in.

    We know that 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus' and we encourage the people we meet in our lifetime, including the family we are born into and is born through us, to also lay claim to the promise of trusting in Christ. When they do, we are gathering a harvest that had been planted before ever we arrived on the scene. 

    Stop comparing your ministry to another's. Do what God has called you to do. Plant the seed of the Word of God when opportunities are given to do so. Water the seed you have planted with the tears of your prayers. Be prepared to harvest the seed others have planted, others have watered. 

    Preparation is preparedness. A crucified life has put aside that which is not profitable in the kingdom of God. What is not profitable in the kingdom of God? A couple of examples are:

~tainted faith (Matthew 5:13)

~lack of motivation to fully obey God's Word (Matthew 25:30)

    A crucified life follows the path of the crucified Savior, preaching the kingdom of God; the kingdom of Divine Love, Divine Forgiveness and Divine Grace. These tools are what is needed to gather in the harvest to which we are called. Let us be found faithful and not lacking in any way.

GATHERING THE HARVEST

Grave Clothes - Stephen McWhirter

Bringing In The Sheaves - Shiloh Worship

Shall We Gather At The River - Burl Ives

The Commission - CAIN

The Gospel - Ryan Stevenson

Come To The Table - Sidewalk Prophets

I Speak Jesus - Here Be Lions

One Gospel - CityAlight

Taste & See - Shane & Shane

Sinner Saved By Grace - Gaithers

 

    

    

Heart & Soul - - Hard Pressed

 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2346

Hard Pressed: afflicted, compressed, rub together

From the Greek word 'thlibó' (pronounced thlee'-bo): distressed, oppressively afflicted, made to feel confined (hemmed in) {between a rock and a hard place}. 

WE DO NOT LOSE HEART

    Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

    Luke 18:1-7 tells us the parable of the persistent widow who kept pestering a judge to act on her behalf, which he finally did. It is a strong reminder of our need to pray to our God, our Father in heaven, who hears our prayers and acts on our behalf, as well. We do not stop praying: we do not stop interceding for others, nor do we stop praying for ourselves. Like the song goes, It's Me, It's Me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer. 

PLANTING FOR A HARVEST

    Galatians 6:9

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

    1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

    That harvest the believer reaps is their reward for all their hard work in the kingdom of God. The harvest of souls saved, delivered, filled and working side by side with all of us: the here and now believer, the righteous believers in the Old Testament and in the early church in the New Testament Scriptures, the believer who is believing even now while we are in this moment, and the believers who will believe.

    That harvest is the building up of the saints of God, His holy people, His church. I am in the harvest. Someone prayed for me. I should've died when I was living in sin. Had I died then, my soul would have gone to hell. I am so thankful that someone loved me enough to pray me into the kingdom of God.     

    Never give up. Never stop praying. Never stop interceding. Hold your ground and don't back down. Regardless of who comes against us, even the ones we are praying for, we will remain rooted and grounded in the Word and hold onto the promise of God that our households would be saved as long as we believe. 

    Some Christians here in America are being persecuted, but not all; not yet, anyway. Some Christians here are mocked for their faith. Some are physically attacked, but all of us are under a spiritual attack. 

    It is that attack that we come against. We fight/pray for our families: we want them with us in heaven. We pray for our friends: heaven wouldn't be the same without oru friends there rejoicing with us. We pray for the strangers, the foreigners in our land, that they, too, would know the salvation of the Lord and shout for joy. 

    We pray for our enemies: we pray the blessings of God upon all of them. We do not seek their demise, nor do we pray against them: we pray for their deliverance, that their hearts would turn to God and that God would turn their lives upside down. 

    We pray for the persecuted saints all over the world. As it was in the early days of the growth of the young church, so it is even now. They who come against the saints of God are the enemies we are praying for. For it is not people we war against with our prayers; it is darkness in high places, invisible to the naked eye but seen by the eyes of God (Ephesians 6:12).

    We pray for our missionaries, the people we have sent to other countries around the world to share the gospel of salvation. We pray that their needs would be met  and their desires accomplished in their ministries.

HARDPRESSED

    You ever make your own juice in a juicer? The machine squeezes the best parts of the fruits and vegetables into a pitcher at one end, while, at the same time, removing the seeds and pulp at the other end. Without the squeezing there would be no wonderful juice to drink. 

    It is the same for us. The mature believer knows that it is in the crushing, in the pressing, that we are made new again and again. The hard times, the difficult days, bring us closer to God. We are His New Wine and we are poured out before Him. 

    We accept it for we have surrendered our to His will. We have submitted to His calling for us, preferring to be the clay that gets molded and not the clay that gets tossed out into the rubbish heap. He Didn't Throw The Clay Away. We are His vessels of honor, His new wine, His moldings and fashionings. From glory to glory we advance against the kingdom of darkness, pressing on to reach the kingdom of glory where our King reigns on high. 

THE LORD IS WITH YOU

    Psalm 37:24

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

    1 John 4:4

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

    Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

STEADFAST

SCRIPTURE WARFARE SONGS

   

    

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- Dedication

 Galatians 6:9

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

The Dedicated Spiritual Warrior does not give up but crosses the finish line to gain their laurel.

Well-doing is the business of being a Christian, being Christ-like with all people. It is living a Christ-centered lifestyle. Well-doing is sharing the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, whether having a conversation {for example, Acts 8:29-38}, as a teacher, up in the pulpit preaching, evangelizing (going from place to place sharing Christ) or on the internet, like this blog, for instance. 

1 Corinthians 1:18, 23

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

But we preach Christ crucified, [a message which is] to Jews a stumbling block [that provokes their opposition], and to Gentiles foolishness [just utter nonsense].

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1573 & 3286

Faint: to be negatively influenced with the outcome of experiencing inner weariness (ref. Isaiah 40:31); to become extremely exhausted, to become extremely weary (ref. Galatians 6:9)

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

2 Corinthians 4:1

Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Hebrews 12:3

Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Well-doing requires a continual stream of divine power into our lives through our prayer life in Christ. It's the only way we will not grow weary, not be faint, not lose heart and not give up. A Dedicated Spiritual Warrior does not quit just because the work is too hard.

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.

2 Corinthians 4:16, 17

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

Romans 7:22

For in my inner being I delight in God's law.

Ephesians 3:16

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. 

The Dedicated Spiritual Warrior Is A Happy Harvester

Psalm 126:5

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.

Proverbs 11:8

The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

The Dedicated Spiritual Warrior Is Called To Suffer

Mark 8:34, 35

Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it." 

Matthew 10:22

You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

1 Peter 2:20-23

(20) How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

(21) For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

(22) “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

(23) When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

1 Peter 3:17

For it is better, if the will of God be so, that you suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

The Dedicated Spiritual Warrior Enjoys The Harvest

2 Timothy 4:7, 8

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me in that day; but not only to me, but also to all those loving His appearing.

2 Timothy 1:12

For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. 

The King Is Coming. Are you ready to meet Him. Have you been a Dedicated Spiritual Warrior? There's still time to get ready. 

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for calling me to be Your Spiritual Warrior. Thank You for calling me to suffer for Your name's sake. Thank You, Lord, for being my God, my song, my joy, my life, my King. Thank You, for being my Strength when I feel weak in spirit, for filling my heart with peace, and my thoughts with Your Wisdom. 

May my hands ever be busy doing Your work. May my feet go where You send me. For in what I do and wherein I go, I know that You are with me, for in Your Word You have promised to never leave me, never forsake me, as long as go with You. 

Open my eyes that I may see You more clearly. As I draw nearer to You, You pull me close in Your embrace. I am loved by You. Reveal Yourself in dreams and visions, as Your Word states in The Book of Joel, to those who know You not that they may recognize their need for a Savior and claim You as their Lord and King. 

Fill us now, Lord, with Your power and Your might that Your purpose would be accomplished in us and through us.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

More Fruitful Life

The longer the root of Commitment, 

the greater the Sacrifice of Self-will,

the stronger and more Fruitful the Life.

Matthew 13:19-23

19 When any one heareth theword of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended . 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit , and bringeth forth , some an hundredfold , some sixty , some thirty.

When we want to study God's Word to fully understand it and be able to apply it to our lives, we need to first: hold it in our hands, close our eyes and ask God to show us what He wants us to hear and understand as we read our Bible. Otherwise, we will get nothing out of it. 

It is not enough to be able to read the Bible all the way through in one year. It is not sufficient to read different translations to try to understand our Bible. Those translations are man-made and inefficient. Only God can reveal Himself in His Word. That is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Spirit here: to reveal God to us. If God were to meet us face to face, many would die in their sins, as sin cannot be in God's presence and live. We need the Holy Spirit.

Oh, Lord, as I begin this study, reveal in me and through me, what You want us to understand today. Make plain Your wisdom in these verses. Amen.

Farming is fast becoming a lost art. Many of us live in cities and towns, instead of on a few acres, which is required for your basic farmer. This parable which Jesus teaches is about a sower, a farmer; and the seeds he plants. Not all of his seeds land in the field.

v19. Seed by the wayside. We can sit in church and listen to the sermon being preached. But if we don't hear the Word being spoken, then the message we are listening to gets thrown away. Many times we are unable to hear the Word given because the devil distracts us: what will I have for lunch after church? I hope the dog/cat doesn't make a mess before I get home. My kids better be good in Sunday School. That hat she is wearing doesn't become her at all. Why are his clothes wrinkled? Don't I smell lovely?  And such foolishness along these lines prevent the Word from getting into our hearts. 

v20-21. Seed into stony places. The Word of God is heard but not taken to heart. The person hearing it is joyful to receive it, but does not take the time to take care of the Word. He/She takes on the appearance of Christianity but is not truly Christian. When troubles come along, that person is offended and may, in all likelihood, lash out or seek revenge. The Word of God never reached the heart, only the ears.

v22. Seed among the thorns. The Word of God is heard but not applied. Here, too, the Word of God never reaches the heart. God's Word was heard by the ears. But the eyes prevented it from reaching its destination. We get caught up in the cares of this world: life-bills to pay, living to earn, kids to feed, mortgage to pay. We get hooked on riches: gotta buy this and gotta buy that, keeping up with the Joneses, "if i were rich". And so, the Word of God, which we have heard, is choked and unfruitful in our lives.

The farmer tosses one handful of seed at a time. Some here, some there. It is where the seed lands that determines its growth. The field is not just an open grass land. It has been prepared for the seed. The land is tilled, dug up and plowed under, creating an open ground to receive the seed. It is fertilized, usually with manure, to give the seed strength to grow. And after the field is seeded, the farmer tends it to keep it growing: water when needed, pulling out weeds, preventing animals from eating it up. 

v23. Seed into the good ground. The Word of God is heard and understood. Because it has fallen on fertile ground. The heart of this person is ready to receive the Word into it. And the seed flourishes, the Word takes root and begins to stretch out inside this person. Soon, the Word of God, the seed into good ground, reaches out beyond the heart into the mouth where the Word of God is shared with another person. And another. And another. And that person shares the Word, the seed, with even more people. And so, the seed is fruitful. 

We may never know until we reach heaven just how many people we have impacted by our faithfulness in hearing, receiving, reading and understanding the Word of God for ourselves. Until then, I pray God gives you the desire to be Seed Into Good Ground. 

Deliverance Is Now

DELIVERANCE IS NOW

The WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and HOW

What does a PW do?

* We pray for the deliverance of others who are still lost in their sins= Acts 12:5

*We preach deliverance to everyone= Acts 10:42, 43

Who is a PW?

*A PW is born of water and of the Spirit=John 3:5

*A PW saves with compassion and fear through faith=Jude 20-23

*A PW believes without seeing (immediate results)=Hebrews 11:1

*A PW knows that 'faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God=Romans 10:17

How is a PW recognized?

*Every nation that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted by Him=Acts 10:35

*Through His Name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins=Acts 10:43

*Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved=Acts 16:31

When does the PW pray?

*Always.....

~ We are the temple of God-1 Corinthians 3:16

~God's house is a house of prayer-Luke 19:46

*In the night

~Luke 6:12

~Psalm 88:1

*In the day

~Acts 1:14

~Luke 2:37

PURPOSE:

WHEN is DELIVERANCE?

*Joel 3:14 .... multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision

*Matthew 9:37 .... The harvest is plenteous

*Mark 13:10 .... the Gospel must first be published among all the nations

*Luke 12:40 .... be ready

*John 4:34-38 .... fields are white unto harvest; one sows, one reaps

*Acts 2:39 .... to you and to your children, to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call

*Romans 13:11 .... Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed

*1 Corinthians 4:20 .... kingdom of God is in power

*2 Corinthians 6:2 .... now is the day of salvation

*Galatians 3:27 .... if baptized in Christ, we have put on Christ

*Ephesians 1:5 .... predestinated us unto adoption by Jesus Christ (all of us not just some of us)

*Philippians 1:29 .... not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake

*Colossians 1:28 .... warning every man (and woman and child)

*2 Thessalonians 2:13b .... chosen to salvation through sanctification

*1 Timothy 2:4 .... all men to be saved

*2 Timothy 2:19b .... the Lord knows them that are His

*Revelation 22:17 .... whosoever will, come