Creatong A Culture Of Honor That The Lord Can Bless ~ Part III
How has the enemy been able to steal the blessing that the Lord has purposed for us? He does so by sowing into our hearts an offense against the one the Lord has chosen to pour Christ's riches into our lives.
What a simple but effective tactic.
It worked in the Garden of Eden, and it still works today.
It is our God's intention to release the past blessings of the ages into this generation, but before He can do that we will have to remove the blockages that are keeping us from receiving from our spiritual fore-fathers.
We are being called to re-dig the wells of the previous men and women of God that brought world-wide transformation during their time on earth.
Once we restore the principle of honoring our spiritual fathers, the wells of living water will again flow in a limitless supply.
Yes, the Lord is calling for an army of well-diggers for 2014.
Men and Women who know of and value the life-giving waters that have been buried by the traditions and crisis of the past and are willing to pay the price of humility and hunger to remove every blockage.
Gen 26:18 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Some years ago I was led of the Lord to hold Gideon's 300 Training Conferences.
The Lord had spoken to my heart saying there are men and women whom I intend to use as I used Gideon.
Those who do not have large ministries and great names but are the unknown ones who are hungering for the power and miracles of the past but most especially for the character of Jesus Christ to return to His Church.
Gideon was a bitter, disappointed, and angry young man but would not give up threshing the harvest.
Sounds like so many that I know of today.
Listen to what Gideon said to the angel that had been sent to restore the anointing of the past to this young man.
Judg 6:13 13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
" NKJV How so much like us today.
The Lord sent His angel to proclaim that He is going to use Gideon for a mighty deliverance and Gideon does not see the miraculous that is right before his eyes.
He has been blinded by bitterness and disappointment.
He was about ready to reject the very instrument the Lord had sent to answer Gideon's prayers.
Can you see it? As long as we stay offended, bitter, and disappointed towards our leaders, we cannot recognize nor receive the instrument through whom the Lord desires to bring the answers to our prayers.
The enemy of our soul knows very well about the end-time revival the Lord is sending, and he is going to do everything he can to thwart, frustrate, spoil, and obstruct this coming wave of God's glory.
The Lord Jesus warned his disciples of how this would happen in the last days when he spoke these words: Matt 24:10 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Are you seeing it? This beloved man, Gideon, was focused on the past when the Lord was about to take him into his future.
Gideon was so focused on past rejections, past wounds, and past failures, that he could not see the miraculous answer that was standing before him.
The Angel! What Angel in human form are you and I not seeing? The Angel is speaking, but Gideon is not hearing.
His heart is wounded and he wants to wallow in his self-pity.
Judg 6:12-14 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" 13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
" 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.
Have I not sent you?" NKJV Why do you think the Angel does not answer or even acknowledge Gideon's complaining? After all, he is so passionate about the things of God.
Perhaps Gideon sees himself more spiritual than anyone else.
The truth is, he is God's choice.
The Lord sees his passion, but the junk he has down in his well is about to exempt him from the next thing God desires to do for His nation.
Yet the Lord does not speak to the rubbish that is in Gideon, no, he speaks to the "gold.
" If we look hard enough we can find junk in any man or woman of God.
If we speak about the junk, then junk is what we will receive.
If however, we choose the good part and speak to the gold that is in the leaders of our day, we will have a well springing up in us that cannot be stopped.
From what kind of well are we drinking, the well of past hurts and wounds or the well of healing, blessing, and refreshing water? Let's take a look at how easy it has been for Satan to block the purpose of God for our life.
All it takes is one word or thought that questions the motive and integrity of the one the Lord desires to use to bless us.
Imagine yourself in the Garden of Eden with me.
We are in the most perfect environment ever created.
Everything is beautiful, life could not be any better.
How can the enemy sow his diabolical wickedness into this environment? He does so in such a subtle, almost imperceptible way.
He gets Eve to question the goodness and motive of God.
Satan sowed just one word of criticism into Eve and it grew into the horror of being driven out of the Garden of Eden.
One word! One thought! One critical word is all it took! How many words and thoughts have we entertained about the one the Lord wants to use to be the avenue of blessing into our lives? How much trash and garbage have we allowed to be thrown down the well of God's purposes for us until we can no longer see the great blessing this person is? How many false accusations and insulations have we devoured? Neh 4:10 "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.
" Still I have an even greater truth.
As damaging as false accusations are that may be told to us about the well the Lord desires to bless and transform us with, the Lord says that even the truth about their lack of character and sometimes abusive behavior can and will be used by God to transform us.
Indeed this is a truth that is everywhere in scriptures.
Saul, Eli, and the brothers of Joseph are but a few of them.
The Lord uses the failures of those over us in the Lord to expose the goodness or the wickedness in our hearts.
Saul persecuted young David, threw spears at him, gathered an army to kill him, and killed the priests that helped David.
He drove David from the comfort of his home into a cold isolated cave and yet God would not allow David to speak one negative word about Saul.
Neither would he allow one negative thought in David's heart or mind.
Nor would he allow David to act cold or stand-offish.
Quite the opposite.
David chose to focus only on the good things about Saul and having done so received the eternal covenant of His God.
Even when David failed and sinned, God would not reject him from his purposes.
Yet we like to say we are justified to treat leaders who fail us with coldness and contempt.
No, no, no - You have fallen for the trap.
You have taken the bait.
You have been poisoned and now are poisoning others.
No wonder your life is on hold.
No wonder the Lord will not use us.
We are poison! I guess it cannot be said any clearer than that.
What do we find David saying about the leader God chose to put over him? 2 Sam 1:11-12, 14-16 11 Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
14 So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died.
16 So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.
'" 2 Sam 1:17-23 17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher: 19 "The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath,Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon - Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 "O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings.
For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23 "Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, NKJV If we can learn to honor the leadership that the Lord appoints over us, even if they have great failure, nothing will ever stop the Lord's flow of goodness into our lives.
If we can get this principle down, the Lord will entrust us with the authority over principalities and powers.
What do you do with a seemingly harmless word of gossip or critic of one in authority? Well most of us just accept it as fact, and another brick in the wall that impedes the flow of blessing is laid.
Sometimes we have enough integrity to search out the truth, and then after finding out a matter is true we are even more deeply offended.
Satan's tactic has worked.
The double-portion has been thwarted.
Our destiny not only put on hold but in some cases gone backwards.
I remember the Lord speaking to my heart and saying if you accept these thoughts your ministry will be set back 15 years.
We may think that someone else has hindered my future or my destiny, but the sad truth is every time we entertain an offense against someone in authority, we have been deceived! What can we do to defend our hearts and minds? We must learn to hate words spoken against leadership the way God does.
God will not allow it in heaven, and we cannot allow it here on earth.
Not one word.
Not one thought.
Not one emotion.
What then can be done when leaders are wrong?
What a simple but effective tactic.
It worked in the Garden of Eden, and it still works today.
It is our God's intention to release the past blessings of the ages into this generation, but before He can do that we will have to remove the blockages that are keeping us from receiving from our spiritual fore-fathers.
We are being called to re-dig the wells of the previous men and women of God that brought world-wide transformation during their time on earth.
Once we restore the principle of honoring our spiritual fathers, the wells of living water will again flow in a limitless supply.
Yes, the Lord is calling for an army of well-diggers for 2014.
Men and Women who know of and value the life-giving waters that have been buried by the traditions and crisis of the past and are willing to pay the price of humility and hunger to remove every blockage.
Gen 26:18 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Some years ago I was led of the Lord to hold Gideon's 300 Training Conferences.
The Lord had spoken to my heart saying there are men and women whom I intend to use as I used Gideon.
Those who do not have large ministries and great names but are the unknown ones who are hungering for the power and miracles of the past but most especially for the character of Jesus Christ to return to His Church.
Gideon was a bitter, disappointed, and angry young man but would not give up threshing the harvest.
Sounds like so many that I know of today.
Listen to what Gideon said to the angel that had been sent to restore the anointing of the past to this young man.
Judg 6:13 13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
" NKJV How so much like us today.
The Lord sent His angel to proclaim that He is going to use Gideon for a mighty deliverance and Gideon does not see the miraculous that is right before his eyes.
He has been blinded by bitterness and disappointment.
He was about ready to reject the very instrument the Lord had sent to answer Gideon's prayers.
Can you see it? As long as we stay offended, bitter, and disappointed towards our leaders, we cannot recognize nor receive the instrument through whom the Lord desires to bring the answers to our prayers.
The enemy of our soul knows very well about the end-time revival the Lord is sending, and he is going to do everything he can to thwart, frustrate, spoil, and obstruct this coming wave of God's glory.
The Lord Jesus warned his disciples of how this would happen in the last days when he spoke these words: Matt 24:10 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Are you seeing it? This beloved man, Gideon, was focused on the past when the Lord was about to take him into his future.
Gideon was so focused on past rejections, past wounds, and past failures, that he could not see the miraculous answer that was standing before him.
The Angel! What Angel in human form are you and I not seeing? The Angel is speaking, but Gideon is not hearing.
His heart is wounded and he wants to wallow in his self-pity.
Judg 6:12-14 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" 13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
" 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.
Have I not sent you?" NKJV Why do you think the Angel does not answer or even acknowledge Gideon's complaining? After all, he is so passionate about the things of God.
Perhaps Gideon sees himself more spiritual than anyone else.
The truth is, he is God's choice.
The Lord sees his passion, but the junk he has down in his well is about to exempt him from the next thing God desires to do for His nation.
Yet the Lord does not speak to the rubbish that is in Gideon, no, he speaks to the "gold.
" If we look hard enough we can find junk in any man or woman of God.
If we speak about the junk, then junk is what we will receive.
If however, we choose the good part and speak to the gold that is in the leaders of our day, we will have a well springing up in us that cannot be stopped.
From what kind of well are we drinking, the well of past hurts and wounds or the well of healing, blessing, and refreshing water? Let's take a look at how easy it has been for Satan to block the purpose of God for our life.
All it takes is one word or thought that questions the motive and integrity of the one the Lord desires to use to bless us.
Imagine yourself in the Garden of Eden with me.
We are in the most perfect environment ever created.
Everything is beautiful, life could not be any better.
How can the enemy sow his diabolical wickedness into this environment? He does so in such a subtle, almost imperceptible way.
He gets Eve to question the goodness and motive of God.
Satan sowed just one word of criticism into Eve and it grew into the horror of being driven out of the Garden of Eden.
One word! One thought! One critical word is all it took! How many words and thoughts have we entertained about the one the Lord wants to use to be the avenue of blessing into our lives? How much trash and garbage have we allowed to be thrown down the well of God's purposes for us until we can no longer see the great blessing this person is? How many false accusations and insulations have we devoured? Neh 4:10 "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.
" Still I have an even greater truth.
As damaging as false accusations are that may be told to us about the well the Lord desires to bless and transform us with, the Lord says that even the truth about their lack of character and sometimes abusive behavior can and will be used by God to transform us.
Indeed this is a truth that is everywhere in scriptures.
Saul, Eli, and the brothers of Joseph are but a few of them.
The Lord uses the failures of those over us in the Lord to expose the goodness or the wickedness in our hearts.
Saul persecuted young David, threw spears at him, gathered an army to kill him, and killed the priests that helped David.
He drove David from the comfort of his home into a cold isolated cave and yet God would not allow David to speak one negative word about Saul.
Neither would he allow one negative thought in David's heart or mind.
Nor would he allow David to act cold or stand-offish.
Quite the opposite.
David chose to focus only on the good things about Saul and having done so received the eternal covenant of His God.
Even when David failed and sinned, God would not reject him from his purposes.
Yet we like to say we are justified to treat leaders who fail us with coldness and contempt.
No, no, no - You have fallen for the trap.
You have taken the bait.
You have been poisoned and now are poisoning others.
No wonder your life is on hold.
No wonder the Lord will not use us.
We are poison! I guess it cannot be said any clearer than that.
What do we find David saying about the leader God chose to put over him? 2 Sam 1:11-12, 14-16 11 Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.
12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
14 So David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?" 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died.
16 So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.
'" 2 Sam 1:17-23 17 Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, 18 and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher: 19 "The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath,Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon - Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
21 "O mountains of Gilboa, Let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Nor fields of offerings.
For the shield of the mighty is cast away there! The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan did not turn back, And the sword of Saul did not return empty.
23 "Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, NKJV If we can learn to honor the leadership that the Lord appoints over us, even if they have great failure, nothing will ever stop the Lord's flow of goodness into our lives.
If we can get this principle down, the Lord will entrust us with the authority over principalities and powers.
What do you do with a seemingly harmless word of gossip or critic of one in authority? Well most of us just accept it as fact, and another brick in the wall that impedes the flow of blessing is laid.
Sometimes we have enough integrity to search out the truth, and then after finding out a matter is true we are even more deeply offended.
Satan's tactic has worked.
The double-portion has been thwarted.
Our destiny not only put on hold but in some cases gone backwards.
I remember the Lord speaking to my heart and saying if you accept these thoughts your ministry will be set back 15 years.
We may think that someone else has hindered my future or my destiny, but the sad truth is every time we entertain an offense against someone in authority, we have been deceived! What can we do to defend our hearts and minds? We must learn to hate words spoken against leadership the way God does.
God will not allow it in heaven, and we cannot allow it here on earth.
Not one word.
Not one thought.
Not one emotion.
What then can be done when leaders are wrong?
Source...