To reinforce the pattern of God’s ability and faithfulness to His people
EX.10:2- And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and MY signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
Within the culture of Israel, God built a strong desire for communication. Of course in the Bible days there was no media forms, such as: radio, television, video games, ipods, mp3 players and the like. Theirs was just the simple passing on of stories based upon God's faithfulness to His people. And these stories provided the possibility of a belief system that has stood the test of time.
You and I are no different today. In fact, more than ever, we need this kind of communication passed between the generations. Through signs and wonders, God is interested in every generation being fully aware of His ability to save, heal and deliver His people from every snare of the enemy.
Have you noticed how many times throughout the scripture that you read, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"? Yet, have also noticed the lack of confidence believers seem to have in God today? What's wrong with the picture?
One of the purposes for signs and wonders is to secure our faith and cofidence in God's ability. Even though many of Israel's people grumbled about God, there was still the presence of the fear of God. We need a fresh release of signs and wonders today! More than ever, we need to pour out our hearts before God and cry out for Him to move in the earth. Believe me... when God begins to move... the hearts of men will move too! God is interested in displaying the power of His signs and wonders in the heavens above - and the earth too. Get ready for your confidence in God to get boosted, as the increase of signs and wonders head your way. Just don't forget to tell others where they come from.
10/23/07
Eight Purposes for Signs and Wonders
(part two)
To Turn the Hearts of Men
Surely, the most dynamic example of signs and wonders is found in the Old Testament, where, through Moses, God’s words were, ¨Let My people go!¨ God gave Moses the call and assignment to be a deliverer to the people of Israel. Of course, Pharaoh opposed God’s words and refused to do so.
The Bible records that God even hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to prepare Israel for their deliverance. In essence, the hardened heart of Pharaoh was a sign and a wonder: it was to turn his heart and let the people of God from hundreds of years of bondage and slavery.
As Moses announced and Egypt witnessed each sign and wonder, Pharaoh’s heart hardened more and more. But it wasn’t until the first born plague came that the king yielded to God’s words, ¨Let My people go.¨
Even today, God still desires to use signs and wonders to turn the hearts of men and women. We must step into that realm of the miraculous and allow God to use us in whatever capacity He desires in order to fulfill His purposes in the earth. There are too many in bondage and enslaved to sin. They need to hear the message of freedom, but the enemy of their souls does not want to let them go. You and I can respond to the cry of the people as Moses, stepping out of the shoes of our humanity and into the realm of the supernatural.
God is into the mode of revealing the secrets of men’s hearts. He is willing to even harden a few hearts in order to see people walk in freedom. You are a deliverer too! Begin to announce the freedom of those around you, saying, ¨Let God’s people go…in Jesus´ name.¨ I’ll see you around the victory’s circle!
To Turn the Hearts of Men
Surely, the most dynamic example of signs and wonders is found in the Old Testament, where, through Moses, God’s words were, ¨Let My people go!¨ God gave Moses the call and assignment to be a deliverer to the people of Israel. Of course, Pharaoh opposed God’s words and refused to do so.
The Bible records that God even hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to prepare Israel for their deliverance. In essence, the hardened heart of Pharaoh was a sign and a wonder: it was to turn his heart and let the people of God from hundreds of years of bondage and slavery.
As Moses announced and Egypt witnessed each sign and wonder, Pharaoh’s heart hardened more and more. But it wasn’t until the first born plague came that the king yielded to God’s words, ¨Let My people go.¨
Even today, God still desires to use signs and wonders to turn the hearts of men and women. We must step into that realm of the miraculous and allow God to use us in whatever capacity He desires in order to fulfill His purposes in the earth. There are too many in bondage and enslaved to sin. They need to hear the message of freedom, but the enemy of their souls does not want to let them go. You and I can respond to the cry of the people as Moses, stepping out of the shoes of our humanity and into the realm of the supernatural.
God is into the mode of revealing the secrets of men’s hearts. He is willing to even harden a few hearts in order to see people walk in freedom. You are a deliverer too! Begin to announce the freedom of those around you, saying, ¨Let God’s people go…in Jesus´ name.¨ I’ll see you around the victory’s circle!
10/16/07
Eight Purposes for Signs and Wonders
(part one)
To illustrate God’s creative power:
GEN.1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
At creation, God declared through Moses that the lights (and everything else God created) in the heavens were signs to illustrate His creative power!
Jesus made it distinctly clear in Matthew16:4, “A wicked generation seeks after signs...” Like the blessings of God, signs and wonders are to follow us! Jesus also said, “These signs shall follow them that believe”. Our position, however, should never to magnify or make a circus act out of signs and wonders, neither should we discount them. We should, in fact, expect to see them everyday.
Signs and wonders illustrate God's creative power. The creative power of God's spoken word caused the earth to stand at attention: chaos vanished... order came. The water separated itself from the land and light from the darkness. All of this happened as signs and wonders on the earth and in the heavens.
God still uses signs and wonders to illustrate His creative power. Some may call an earthquake and a volcano “a natural disaster”, but truly, they are signs and wonders of God's existence and might. Yes, in some instances, volcanoes are a sign of judgment. But they can also be a beauty to behold.
“With the span of His hand”, the Bible says, “God measured out the waters.” Now, think about it for just a moment: if God can put on a display of signs and wonders of this magnitude at creation, the same hand of God used to measure out the waters is more than capable of handling your dilemma. “His hand is not too short”, God's Word says, “that He cannot save”.
Let faith arise in your heart today, as you meditate upon God's creative ability. He is an awesome God! I'm confident that He would be willing to do just about anything to illustrate how much He loves you. Don't sell out, believing less of God than Who He really is. He established the earth upon the floods, the Bible says. He can establish you, even if you are in the most turbulent of times.
To illustrate God’s creative power:
GEN.1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
At creation, God declared through Moses that the lights (and everything else God created) in the heavens were signs to illustrate His creative power!
Jesus made it distinctly clear in Matthew16:4, “A wicked generation seeks after signs...” Like the blessings of God, signs and wonders are to follow us! Jesus also said, “These signs shall follow them that believe”. Our position, however, should never to magnify or make a circus act out of signs and wonders, neither should we discount them. We should, in fact, expect to see them everyday.
Signs and wonders illustrate God's creative power. The creative power of God's spoken word caused the earth to stand at attention: chaos vanished... order came. The water separated itself from the land and light from the darkness. All of this happened as signs and wonders on the earth and in the heavens.
God still uses signs and wonders to illustrate His creative power. Some may call an earthquake and a volcano “a natural disaster”, but truly, they are signs and wonders of God's existence and might. Yes, in some instances, volcanoes are a sign of judgment. But they can also be a beauty to behold.
“With the span of His hand”, the Bible says, “God measured out the waters.” Now, think about it for just a moment: if God can put on a display of signs and wonders of this magnitude at creation, the same hand of God used to measure out the waters is more than capable of handling your dilemma. “His hand is not too short”, God's Word says, “that He cannot save”.
Let faith arise in your heart today, as you meditate upon God's creative ability. He is an awesome God! I'm confident that He would be willing to do just about anything to illustrate how much He loves you. Don't sell out, believing less of God than Who He really is. He established the earth upon the floods, the Bible says. He can establish you, even if you are in the most turbulent of times.
10/7/07
How Does A Nation Find Its Way Into Your Heart?
(part four)
We must ask the question: Am I in this for the long haul? Most assuredly, the answer will affect the way and to what depth you and I will pray? For some, the strategy for going to a nation is what I would call “wam-bam and thank you mam” or “blow-in, blow-up and blow-out”. But for these, their prayers may lack that one, defining element that would make the most difference.
Are you willing to lie on your face and for hours at a time with tearful intercessions, even before going to the nations? Can you allow a region or nation to swell so big in your chest that it feels like it will consume you?
I’m reminded of the life story of William Carey, now called “The Father of Modern Missions”. He knew at an early age that he was called to go to the nations, but he was not released to go until much later. I believe it was at least ten years before God gave the “green light” to go to India. But during those years, there was one thing that consumed Mr. Carey. It wasn’t “the call” that tormented him (some of us have experienced this in the process of getting there). It wasn’t the feeling of being placed on the “proverbial shelf” while in preparation (and some of us have experienced this too).
For William Carey, one of the most celebrated missionaries throughout the history of the Church, the one, consuming factor was prayer and intercession. He partnered with Jesus. William did not see those ten years as a waste of time. No. He used them wisely to pray for the nations.
Mr. Carey was a cobbler’s helper. He collected scraps of left-over leather and wove a leather globe. He then picked up a fountain pen, dipped it into an ink well, and then commenced to draw the continents and nations upon this leather globe. It is said that, by the time he set sail from England to India, Young William’s leather globe was so tear-stained the continents and nations were beyond recognition. The globe was black with his tears.
Dear brother or sister please let this challenge be as God’s hand to lift you out of any self-indulgence. Hear God’s heart, as it beats for you and the nations! God has already proclaimed, “The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our God.” He wants to use you and me to bring in the families of the nations to worship Him. Close your eyes but for a moment, and begin to see them coming in. They’re coming: one-by-one, two-by-two, ten at a time, hundreds and more to come. Within the myriad of those coming into the Kingdom of God there is a clear representation of every tribe, tongue and nation.
Intercession for a nation can be compared to a pioneering work, where one takes out his or her machete and whacks a trail for others to follow. This is often the case, when one is called to go to a nation. Much work can be accomplished upon our knees, which become the forerunning factor in our ministries.
Remember, John the Baptist helped prepare the way before the Christ. Fulfilling scripture, he helped: make straight the paths, bring down mountains, and bring up valleys.
You and I can be participants in such a ministry through intercession. But it’s the dirty work. It’s the work of the unsung hero. It is to be compared with belonging to a pack of the nameless and faceless, whose goal is the see Jesus lifted high - totally exalted - among the nations.
Remember these things as you go. You are the “GO” in the Gospel. GO for it!
We must ask the question: Am I in this for the long haul? Most assuredly, the answer will affect the way and to what depth you and I will pray? For some, the strategy for going to a nation is what I would call “wam-bam and thank you mam” or “blow-in, blow-up and blow-out”. But for these, their prayers may lack that one, defining element that would make the most difference.
Are you willing to lie on your face and for hours at a time with tearful intercessions, even before going to the nations? Can you allow a region or nation to swell so big in your chest that it feels like it will consume you?
I’m reminded of the life story of William Carey, now called “The Father of Modern Missions”. He knew at an early age that he was called to go to the nations, but he was not released to go until much later. I believe it was at least ten years before God gave the “green light” to go to India. But during those years, there was one thing that consumed Mr. Carey. It wasn’t “the call” that tormented him (some of us have experienced this in the process of getting there). It wasn’t the feeling of being placed on the “proverbial shelf” while in preparation (and some of us have experienced this too).
For William Carey, one of the most celebrated missionaries throughout the history of the Church, the one, consuming factor was prayer and intercession. He partnered with Jesus. William did not see those ten years as a waste of time. No. He used them wisely to pray for the nations.
Mr. Carey was a cobbler’s helper. He collected scraps of left-over leather and wove a leather globe. He then picked up a fountain pen, dipped it into an ink well, and then commenced to draw the continents and nations upon this leather globe. It is said that, by the time he set sail from England to India, Young William’s leather globe was so tear-stained the continents and nations were beyond recognition. The globe was black with his tears.
Dear brother or sister please let this challenge be as God’s hand to lift you out of any self-indulgence. Hear God’s heart, as it beats for you and the nations! God has already proclaimed, “The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our God.” He wants to use you and me to bring in the families of the nations to worship Him. Close your eyes but for a moment, and begin to see them coming in. They’re coming: one-by-one, two-by-two, ten at a time, hundreds and more to come. Within the myriad of those coming into the Kingdom of God there is a clear representation of every tribe, tongue and nation.
Intercession for a nation can be compared to a pioneering work, where one takes out his or her machete and whacks a trail for others to follow. This is often the case, when one is called to go to a nation. Much work can be accomplished upon our knees, which become the forerunning factor in our ministries.
Remember, John the Baptist helped prepare the way before the Christ. Fulfilling scripture, he helped: make straight the paths, bring down mountains, and bring up valleys.
You and I can be participants in such a ministry through intercession. But it’s the dirty work. It’s the work of the unsung hero. It is to be compared with belonging to a pack of the nameless and faceless, whose goal is the see Jesus lifted high - totally exalted - among the nations.
Remember these things as you go. You are the “GO” in the Gospel. GO for it!
10/2/07
How Does A Nation Get Into Your Heart?
(Part three)
“…the veil was done away with in Christ.”
“…the veil was done away with in Christ.”
II Corinthians 3:15
“But the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not…”
II Corinthians 4:4
“And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the Vail that is spread over all nations.”
Isaiah 26:6
In Isaiah 25: 6, 7, the prophet spoke of two things in particular God wishes to destroy, when He thinks about a people, a nation: one- the Vail (a die cast or mold made); two- the Veil upon their hearts. These two particulars present the two angles from which a nation is viewed: God’s and ours. Mankind has a view, but, of course, God has the better of the two.
The first Vail is not the usual spelling, but its use best describes the way a nation is characterized – referring to the die that has been cast. It is compared to boiling hot, liquid metal poured into a mold that takes on its shape.
When one thinks of Iraq these days, many immediately think of terrorists. That is a sad reality, because that characterization is not really them as a people group; it’s the demonic stronghold they live under because of the gods they serve. Similarly, certain nations are known for their tempers; others for their drinking; some for their womanizing; still others for their pride.
As you seek to take a mission's trip, there is much importance to knowing the dominant sin patterns of the region you are going into. It will be important to know how to build yourself up and guard your heart from the like. Jesus said, “Pray…that you enter not into temptation.” The victory first comes in prayer. Then, you will be a personal witness of seeing it come to pass right before your physical eyes.
While it is a bit unfair to use these stereotypical characterizations, as some would call it, again, they are the result of demonic strongholds in these nations. The enemy has a foothold there. But I declare unto - Jesus will have His way. He will destroy the Vail in the lives of those who turn to Him, and they will begin to take on His nature instead.
This Vail is man’s angle, and the vantage point from which we typically see people. It is life as we see it, but from God comes another perspective. Just like when Jesus died upon the Calvary’s cross, another Veil was torn from the top to the bottom. Man could not fix his own sin and evil characterizations such as described here. So, God ripped apart the veil from His vantage point, not ours.
The second Veil is upon the minds and hearts of entire people groups. This Veil is the thing that keeps people from seeing Jesus Christ as the Messiah – the Savior of the world.
George and Virginia Barney have been missionaries to Spanish-speaking countries for over thirty-five (35) years. They were members of the church I pastored in the Mid-South. On one particular Sunday morning, Virginia shared a vision from the Lord that revolutionized my thought processes concerning “how” God interprets the Veil on the eyes of nations. This seasoned veteran missionary’s vision was:
I saw the nations of the earth from God’s perspective. It was as if the nations were covered with one very large piece of material. One odd detail stood out to me more than anything else: the covering or material over some nations was dense and darkness abounded; still over other nations, the covering was almost sheer and light was able to penetrate further.
This Veil exists today. Jesus is just as stirred today as He was the day Isaiah spoke, “I will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the Vail that is spread over all nations.” Even though His heart is just as stirred today, since His ascension He has functioned from a different position. Now, He is seated on the right hand of God – ever living to make intercession for you and me…and, of course, the nations of the world. From these heavenly places, he now leans over and whispers to you and me, “Will you partner with me in these intercessions?” [Part 4 comes next week]
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