The God Factor

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John 21

1  After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2  There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4  But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5  Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6  And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7  Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8  And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9  As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10  Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11  Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12  Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13  Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

My Quiet Time Journal Entry for Wednesday, November 28, 2012: - 6am

There is a huge God Factor in what we do.

We are looking for those who don’t know what they are looking for – they are looking for us. Those who are ready and ripe, many of whom are completely unaware.

We are Angels on assignment.

Take away God from our formula and we are nothing but needles in a haystack. But add the God Factor and we are a miracle revealed; the Christ that people find; the Bread of Life to a starving soul; salvation to a lost world; Salt and light to a dying generation; we are hope fulfilled.  

Unashamed and without complaint we are wholly dependent on God and we are giving Him all we've got.

Make no mistake - God is mobilizing the Church for true mass evangelism in these last days and we are a part. We are designed by God to reach those who sit in darkness who have no other hope that someone will come to them and bring them Jesus.

We are entering great days of mass evangelism. God has prepared and positioned some for just such a time as this.

There has always been a mark on our hearts, a call woven into the fabric of the vision of our church - a call to the nations as fishers of men.

“My Church” History & Continuing Ministry for the year - 2012

·        A Mission’s Pastor as First Staff Member

·        A Church Planting Church

·        Project 237

·        Agua Resources

·        Church Online

·        My Online TV

·        KE Resources

·        Postcards From The Bible

·        COTR Food Bank

·        World Wide Television Programs

·        Widow/Orphan/Human Trafficking Relief

·        Daily Devotionals in 7 languages – print & online

·        RU 100% Sure

·        Foreign Bible Schools

·        COTR Health Services

·        Disaster Relief Efforts Worldwide (Philippines; Haiti; NYC; NO; etc)

·        Missions Ambassador Council

·        International Church Planting Efforts

·        Thailand/Cambodia/Laos Radio Station

·        Missionary Sending and Support History

·        Worldwide Pastors and Leadership Conferences

·        Life Shape Personal and Family Growth Series

·        2013 Life Shape Prayer and Discipleship – A Call to the Nations!

More than sending mere money to uninspected spiritual adventures, we impact the world with boots on the ground giving spiritually motivated humanitarian relief while enhancing and advancing the Gospel in every corner of the world, everyday. But this has all been but preparation …

God has prepared and positioned us, along with many others, for such a time as this. He has also been preparing a world by opening hearts to see the light, feel the spirit, and hear the word. We will bring it!

Mark 1:17  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

Again I say: There is a huge God Factor in all we do.

John 15:5  "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Nothing we do makes a difference without God.

Matthew 16:17  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

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?

15  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? …

20  But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God is mobilizing the Church for true mass evangelism in these last days and in that respect we have been equipped to call the nations to prayer and discipleship.

There is a huge God Factor in all we do – for without Him we can do nothing – but with Him and through Him we can do all things.

Psalms 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it …

We have not been laboring in vain over this past quarter century but rather God has been preparing and positioning us even when we did not realize.

Luke 10

2  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

All the Lord needs now is laborers. Will you pray with me for laborers? Laborers to be identified and come forth from all nations … we are prepared to mobilize and equip them to reap the harvest.

2013 Life Shape Prayer & Discipleship – A Call To The Nations

www.ifmypeoplewill.com

Invisible Things

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Colossians 1

13  He, (God), has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

14  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

God is invisible. In other words, God cannot be seen or known by any natural means of man. God told mankind in the Law of Moses to make no graven image of Him – but God never limited Himself to this law. In fact God the book of Genesis describes man as being originally created in the image of God. However, when Adam and Eve sinned they lost their first estate and became mere mortal human beings, no longer bearing that eternal light, life and love of God.

When God wanted to redeem mankind from sin and restore relationship He sent His only Son as the image of Himself. The invisible became visible, the unknown, known, God became man, God incarnate, Messiah, Lord, and Redeemer. John 1 says that Jesus came to show us the Father.

Once Jesus accomplished man’s redemption through His sinless sacrifice as the Passover Lamb of God, taking our place on Golgotha just as the Ram once took Isaac’s place on the altar of Mount Moriah, (the same spot), Jesus was buried, rose to life again on the third day and ultimately ascended to the Father where He sits today making intercession for each one of us.

As He once was before His incarnation, He now is again – invisible. The Holy Spirit, resident in the earth, present among us, along with the angels of God here this morning – all invisible. However, invisible does not mean non-existent. Just because we cannot now see all of the various creatures and creations of God continually present and moving around us does not mean they do not exist.

Suffice it to say that we are continually surrounded by both the visible and the invisible, encountering both angels and demons, affected by principalities and powers, both those who are friends and those who are enemies of God, the Church and every soul.

This past Wednesday evening we talked about the sound of the voice of this invisible God. After Adam and Eve sinned against and separated themselves from God, they heard the sound of His voice in the Garden in the cool of the day and hid themselves.

Today many people are still hiding themselves from the voice of this invisible God. Some hear the sound of God and know it is Him, yet they claim stubbornly deny His existence or that He has any claim on their life.

Hearing the invisible voice of God is not difficult. God made it easy … just look at the image of this invisible God, (I’m talking about Jesus), and listen to what He said. I don’t think people have a difficult time hearing the voice of the invisible God as much as they nonetheless discount that voice in favor of listening to the voice of the invisible devil.

This should not seem strange. If we believe in a God we cannot see, angels we cannot naturally detect, a Savior who took upon flesh and bore the image of the Father, it is no stretch to also accept that there is a devil who is also invisible, demons who move throughout the earth and voices of evil which attempt to control and shape the affairs of man.

We often discuss the Word and how to hear the voice of God – however today I want to help you discover, so you can discount,

The 3 voices of the all too often, invisible devil …

1.  The voice of the Subtle Serpent

Genesis 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, ’You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’ ?"

·        That “Sneaky Snake” – cunning, crafty, tricky – the smooth tongue of one who flatters, entices and draws away by subtle well placed words

·        Undetected by the natural ear because of the spiritual nature of the voice … (Not everything spiritual is God!)

·        Prays on the needy, the alone, those following at a distance … hoping to sow seeds of deception which grow long after the voice has quieted.

·        A craft to make complicated that which is simple

2 Corinthians 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

·        What simplicity … Just obey the Word of God – what God said

·        We must beware who speaks in our ear with subtle intentions

·        Especially if it leads to perpetrating deception

·        Or creates division

·        God’s Word is spoken for all to hear, the serpent sows seeds in secret

·        Beware of sneaky snakes who counsel you in private to deceive or divide … it’s always a trick … and guess who loses???

2.  The voice of the Roaring Lion

1 Peter 5

8 ¶  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

·        Direct persecution is often and always present from this roaring lion. Often in many places but always in some place.

·        Unafraid, loud, boastful, and condemning – the voice of the roaring lion is accusatory, inflammatory, indignant, self righteous, blasphemous, unholy, unthankful, ungodly and full of pride.

·        The voice of the roaring lion was heard by the Roman Empire under Nero, Hitler during WWII and has once again raised its voice to fill the mouths of the leaders of many countries of our day, sadly to say it’s finding some measure of sympathy even in our own beloved America as some in power discuss how to quiet the Church or relegate the Word of God to hate speech.

·        The roaring lion may appear to be a direct assault by a formidable force but we are told by the Apostle Peter:

1 Peter 5

9  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

·        And resist we shall –

·        Un-intimidated and Un-able to be silenced

·        The kind, loving, forgiving, merciful and true Word of God will continue to be preached from Churches, on street corners, in houses, factories, schools and online throughout the world until Jesus comes.

·        Just like a tree planted by the waters, “We shall not be moved!”

3.  The voice of the Angel of Light

2 Corinthians 11

13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

14  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

·        This is most often the deception perpetrated under the name of religion or “God told me … God is leading me … God wants me …”

·        From one world religions, to cults, crusades to church splits – so much harm has been done in the name of God which the True and Living God never had a hand in.

·        These claims often evade and escape the scrutiny of the whole counsel of God’s Word and usually serve some singular or selfish purpose.

·        It is not that good cannot come from, for where sin abounds, grace does much more abound, however this is due to God’s goodness and love for His people in every circumstance and under all kinds of leadership … According to the Apostle Paul we are not always to assume gain, even divine intervention, as the will of God.

·        Not everyone is always what they appear to the naked eye …

2 Corinthians 11

15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

·        For so did satan do to Jesus in acting as an agent even of the Word of God to aid in some way the fulfillment of scripture

·        Even those who in Paul’s time, as in every generation since, profess and proclaim connection to and direction from God without once answering a challenge from the Holy Word.

·        This is one reason why the world looks upon the church throughout history and counts those times men moved under the banner of the cross, whether in the crusades, the inquisition or some other self righteous cause, and wonders how we can call ourselves after Christ.

·        Where is the standard?

This morning it is my hope to raise our awareness of one aspect of our faith – that aspect which concerns what some might call, The Invisible World of the Spirit.

Daniel was visited by the angel Gabriel who revealed a spiritual struggle ongoing in the heavens. An evil spiritual being was exerting territorial influence over the leaders of the most powerful empire of that day.  

If we admit the reality of the influence of invisible beings, as the scriptures prove, the solution becomes comparatively easy. We must realize that we are in a spiritual battle against the invisible and evil forces of darkness.

Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Luke 10:19  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

I am telling you that we have an invisible spiritual problem facing each one of us as an individual, you and your families, our communities, the US, the nations of the world and the Church locally and throughout the earth. We cannot remedy these spiritual problems by natural means. We don’t need and can’t depend on:

·        More money

·        Greater experience

·        Deeper knowledge

·        Man’s wisdom

·        Better planning

·        Increased physical responsibility

The natural man receives not the things of the spirit for they are spiritually discerned … our answer can only be found in the invisible God and in the invisible things of God. We must learn to recognize and strengthen ourselves to cling to the Word of God above the voices of evil without respect as to whether they come:

·        Subtly; Roaring; or as an Angel of Light

What can we do? What must we do?

2 Corinthians 10

3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

6  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Where do we begin? Prayer and Discipleship – and it must begin with us.

It can begin for you today, but it will definitely begin for us all on Wednesday evening, January 2, 2013, at 7:14pm with Life Shape Prayer and Discipleship – A Call to the Nations – “If My People Will …”

                        ifmypeoplewill.com