Encouragement: The Essential Church

It looks like the world is finally beginning to move forward from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Churches are beginning to reopen.  Taoyuan City has released churches to reopen.  Taoyuan City was the only city in Taiwan that shut churches down.  In the US, The Door Church in Tucson has reopened, and my home church, the Door Church in Colton is reopening this week. 

I got very sick at the end of last year, I was in the hospital when the first Covid-19 patient in Taiwan came into that same hospital.  I had been out of church for a month at that point.  Then I spent sometime recuperating and missed church for another few months.  Then they stopped services in Taoyuan, and the church began to broadcast on Instagram.  The broadcast has been a blessing, hearing Pastor Reed (Pingzhen, Taiwan) preach the Gospel has been helpful. I haven’t been able to attend church with my church family since December.  I miss them all.

I’m telling you that because, in missing church I have experienced a bit of spiritual warfare.  Doctor’s keep giving me bad news.  I feel like I’m trapped in quarantine, even though people are not experiencing that here in Taiwan, I feel like I’ve been personally quarantined.  Every week seems like a battle. 

It really points out to me what a blessing it is to be in church with my friends and family.  I’ll tell you why.  During this time, I felt like I was stuck in the world.  I had a difficult time praying; it was hard to focus on worship over the internet.  Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together”.  We sometimes read that as a command, but what is the reason not to forsake assembling?  Look:

Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV)
^10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The reason to attend church is to be able to exhort or encourage each other.  Another way to say that is to say we need to gather to help each other.  It’s a huge encouragement for me to see other people engaged in worshiping God.  It is a great exhortation to see people remain faithful to be in the House of God, week after week after week.  Church is an essential activity!

We are constantly bombarded by the things of the world.  There are the spiritual assaults as well.  We face them alone, when we are unable to gather.  I don’t know about you but I’m not Jackie Chan, I can’t beat up fifteen or sixteen attackers by myself.  I need the strength of my comrades.

It’s bad enough to go through a week of missing church…But this quarantine and prohibition against attending church has been difficult for just about everyone I’ve with whom I’ve talked about this. 

Today, I want to post on being in the House of God!

Psalms 122:1-4 (NKJV)
^122:1 A song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." ² Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! ³ Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, ⁴ Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Why We Need Church

This psalm needs a little background.  Psalms 120, 121, and 122 are written by the same person.  In Psalm 120 the writer is under attack.  Someone is lying about him.  He’s being slandered!  There’s an attempt to destroy him through character assassination:

Psalms 120:1-2 (NKJV)
^120:1 A song of Ascents. In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. ² Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.

He has an enemy that wants to destroy him.  He’s a picture of you and I – We have an enemy that wants to destroy us.  He’s also a liar.  In fact, Jesus calls him “the father of lies”.  This is his method of destruction, lies and deceit.

The writer of this psalm is looking for comfort and justice.

Psalms 120:3-5 (NKJV)
^120:3 What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? ⁴ Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree! ⁵ Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

He’s asking of this attacker, “What is God going to do to you?  What judgment awaits you for this injustice?  Sharp arrows?  Burning coals?”

That word woe, means “a condition of great suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionaries).  He’s suffering because he is living in the world, not the city of Jerusalem.  He’s not living near the temple – The House of God!  He needs comfort but he’s far away from the House of God.  That’s me during my recuperation and the shutdown.  Sometimes, I feel far from God, because of all the assaults that have been working against me. 

Do you ever feel like Sunday or Wednesday services don’t come fast enough?  Do you ever feel like you can’t wait to be in church?  I do!  Woe, is me that I dwell in a state of lockdown. 

Psalm 121 is a recognition of whom God is in our lives. 

Psalms 121:2-7 (NKJV)
^121:2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. ³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵ The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. ⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

He’s telling us about God’s care for us.  He’s telling us what we can expect from the God who created us and loves us.  He also clearly recognizes his need to be near God at this time.  Psalm 120 is a description of what he’s going through.  Psalm 121 is a recognition that the solution to his suffering is God.  Psalm 122 is the writer bringing his sorrows and troubles before God in the temple.

So, now let’s look at Psalm 122 – The writer of the psalm has arrived in Jerusalem.  It’s a feast day – A celebration.  He’s been waiting to enter into the church.  He’s been waiting to be comforted.  He’s looking for encouragement and as the shofar is blown, and the temple is opened, he says this:

“I was glad when the said unto me, “Let us go into the House of the Lord.”

Finally, he hears the call to enter into the presence of God.  Finally, he can go into that place of comfort.  Finally, he can find the peace that comes from being in God’s presence.  This is the place where the peace of God dwells.

The lockdown makes it difficult to find God’s presence, but the real problem is that even Sundays can seem so far apart.  If you’re only going to church once a week, you’re like that man that’s dwelling away from the presence of God.  There are assaults on your life and salvation.  The devil isn’t going to leave you alone.  He’s always working to wear you down.  He’s always trying to separate you from Jesus.  He wants you feeling the heat of his attacks.

He uses people – He uses the world to work on you.  You’re bombarded by temptation.  You’re overloaded by the world.  You’re constantly attacked for your faith.  Sometimes, it’s subtle – Maybe no one is attacking you personally.  No one is telling you that you’re wrong or bad, but society is working against you.

Look at Taiwanese society.  How many Christian holidays do you think we have in Taiwan? Not a single one – There are no Christian holidays in Taiwan.  Is Christmas promoted as a celebration of Jesus’ birthday in Taiwan?  No, it’s Santa Claus’ day.

Then there is this:  In October, for three consecutive weeks, the Taoist temple nearest our church, had parades that passed by our church, with fireworks, loud music and firecrackers, during our evening service.  This wasn’t a coincidence; this was an assault from hell.  Our battle isn’t against people, though.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
^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.

This scripture tells us that those battles are taking place in the heavenly realm.  Those spiritual hosts of wickedness are not opposed to using the world and its appetites and customs to try to separate you from Jesus.  It’s all designed to wear you down; to make you fatalistic about the things of God. It’s designed to make you feel like you don’t need to be at church: “You’re just going to hear a sermon; nothing is going to come of it!” 

I want you to know something, there is comfort in the presence and promises of God.  If you take responsibility to take the Word of God to heart, you will find comfort.  You will be encouraged.  You will be glad to enter the House of the Lord.

The Power of Attendance

It’s because of the assaults on us that it’s important for us to be at church regularly.  It’s not a rule that you be at every service; God isn’t going to send you to Hell for missing church, but it makes it a lot more difficult to resist the devil.  It makes it a lot more difficult to avoid temptation.  It’s just plain harder to avoid sin and sin WILL take you to Hell.  This is a spiritual battle that we’re engaged in.  The devil is using weapons against you every day, and if you’re going to be engaged in a battle it’s best to take all the weapons you can.  This is a battle for an eternal victory – You can’t afford to lose!  You must win!

Interestingly, the temple was a place where weapons were stored.

2 Kings 11:10 (NKJV)
^11:10 And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the Lord.

This is the place where you can find weapons with which to fight the enemy.  The writer of Psalm 120 was looking for comfort and peace.  He needed to be encouraged!  He was glad to enter the temple!  We don’t have a temple – We have a sanctuary.  A place of safety – That’s what sanctuary means – and we are exhorted to come into that place.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (NKJV)
^10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

We can approach God with the full assurance of our faith, that He will provide comfort and peace.

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Here is another aspect of our coming together in the sanctuary.  It’s an encouragement and blessing for others to see you in church.  You living for Jesus can inspire others to live for Jesus! (To stir up love and good works.) Coming to church not only equips you for battles, but it encourages others in the battles that they may be facing.

We’re all in this together.  We need each other – We can’t fight alone and win.  If we’re fighting on the same team, we need to be like-minded!

Romans 15:5-6 (NKJV)
^15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first verse tells us that God is the God of patience and comfort – and that He can cause us to be like Him – patient and comforting toward each other.  This is why we’re encouraged to pray for each other – to come to the altar and pray together.  It brings us closer to each other, so that we can glorify God in one voice.  We can be of one accord. 

Camaraderie isn’t an important tool in the military.  Fighting as comrades in arms for the same goals to defeat a common enemy.  This can be applied to our spiritual battles as well.

When We Are of One Accord

God moves in us when we are of one accord.  Look at what happens when we’re together:

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Holy Spirit (the Comforter) came upon them as they prayed together of one mind.

Acts 2:46-47 (NKJV)
^2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

As the people were gathering together and in fellowship the church grew!  People got saved!

Acts 5:12 (NKJV)
^5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

God worked miracles through the “hands of the apostles” as they were of one accord.  God can move through us as we pray and gather together.

In John chapter 20, when did Jesus show up?  This is after the crucifixion.  Jesus came to them as they were gathered together.  In Acts chapter 12. When was Peter miraculously released from prison? When they were all together praying for him.

This is why being able to attend church is an essential activity.  This is why it’s a joy and a blessing to come to church, because God can move in us and through us.  We can be used to spark a move of God!  We can be used to bring comfort to each other!  We can be encouraged, and find comfort and resolve when we’re together in the House of God!  That’s Why I was glad when they said unto me –

Come into the House of the Lord!

Mercy: I Desire it From All My Heart

The combination of a book that I finished recently, and some things I have experienced personally in the last few months, have caused me to reflect on the mercy of God.

The book, (10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, © 2006) is a true story of a man diagnosed with a particularly fast-working cancer.  He has a tumor the size of a golf ball that grows to be the size of basketball, in just a few days.  The doctor’s prognosis gives him just ten hours to live.  There’s no known cure for this type of cancer!

The shock of hearing that he probably wouldn’t survive the day, causes him to pray, and to immerse himself in Scripture. By a miracle, he survives the night and he begins to study healing scriptures, print them out and hang them all around his room.  He memorizes them and speaks them out loud to his atheist doctors.

The doctors want to start him on Chemotherapy, so he goes to a specialist, who examines him and sends a report back to his doctors that said simply N.E.D. – No Evidence of Disease,  The doctors convince him to start the chemo treatment anyway.

The book talks about how much damage that it did to his body; how sick he became; how near death he was.  He was in the hospital for six months, but he survived.

"In February 1988, one year from when I’d been admitted, I returned to the NIH for my six-month checkup. After examining me from head to toe, Dr. Rosenberg said, “Brian, there’s something that you need to know. We gave you seven drugs that were experimental and had never been researched or tested. Now that we’ve had time to test them both in the lab and in experimental use, we’ve learned some things. We now know that the drugs which made up the protocol we gave you don’t even treat Burkitt’s lymphoma. But that’s not all. The drugs themselves are so lethal that we’ve discontinued their use. The drugs killed everyone we gave them to…except you."

(10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 59)

Brian Wills is the only known survivor of that type of cancer.  What a powerful story about the mercy of God.

Today, I want to post on the mercy of God, and I want to look at one specific event in the Bible to illustrate my point:

Matthew 8:1-4 (Wuest)
And having come down from the mountain, great crowds followed with Him. And behold, a leper having come, fell upon his knees and touched the ground with his forehead in an expression of profound reverence before Him, saying, Master, in the event that you may be having a heartfelt desire, you are able to cleanse me. And having stretched out His hand He touched him saying, I am desiring it from all my heart. Be cleansed at once. And immediately his leprosy was cured by being cleansed away. And Jesus says to him, See to it, do not tell even one person, but be going away, show yourself at once as evidence to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses enjoined, as a testimony to them.

Jesus’ Desire

Here we see a man who has, no doubt, suffered greatly.  Leprosy, in those days, was a horrible thing to suffer.  It was a death sentence.  Lepers were forbidden to be in contact with other people including their families – No Contact! (Kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) They saw their children raised from a distance.  Their families left food out for them, they would come after they had gone to bed to get and eat the food.  They couldn’t touch them – They couldn’t have a conversation, unless it was shouted from a distance.

This doesn’t even mention what the disease was doing to them, physically; it was debilitating.  There was, no doubt, great suffering.  It was even illegal for this man to even approach this close to Jesus.  He was desperate.

This is one of my favorite scriptures on healing, because of this:

"And having stretched out his hand He touched him saying, I am desiring it from all my heart."

There are two things here that show God’s mercy:

First – He touched him.  This is a man who hasn’t been touched in a long time.  Being touched is a basic human need – we all need the touch of another human being.  It was almost as if he had lost his humanity.  Jesus gave that humanity back to him with this one simple gesture.

The other thing that shows God’s mercy is what Jesus says, “I am desiring it from all my heart.”  He’s not a God who doesn’t care about us.  He’s not an angry or capricious God.  He’s a God who desires from all his heart that we be healed.  There’s a redemptive quality to His mercy.

Think about this – What is the origin of sickness and death?  Sin, rebellion and violation of God’s commands.  The Bible tells us that death is what we deserve from our sin and rebellion, but this scripture tells us that God, in the person of Jesus, desires that we be made whole once again. It tells us that it’s a deep desire – from all of His heart!  That’s mercy.  The punishment is removed!  The sin is forgiven!

There’s another event in the Bible that illustrates this:

Mark 2:2-5 (NKJV)
^2:2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

These men bring a paralyzed man to Jesus.  They’re looking for him to be healed.  The first thing Jesus does is forgive his sins.  This causes quite a stir among the Pharisees, but look at what happens next:

Mark 2:9-11 (NKJV)
^2:9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'? ¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Jesus Himself equates the forgiveness of sins with healing.  Healing is a product of atonement!

The Activator of Mercy

In our text, as the leper approaches Jesus, he makes the statement:

Matthew 8:2 (Wuest)

And behold, a leper having come, fell upon his knees and touched the ground with his forehead in an expression of profound reverence before Him, saying, Master, in the event that you may be having a heartfelt desire, you are able to cleanse me.

The first part of his statement is made in his actions.  He comes to Jesus and falls down before Him and worships Him.  He knows whom Jesus is!  You don’t worship a man!  You worship God!

The second part of the statement is in words, “If you’re willing you can cleanse me!” (Matthew 8:2 NKJV)  He knows that Jesus is able to heal him.  He’s not asking can you heal me, he’s basically saying, “I know that you can heal me, but are you willing to heal me?”  Both of those together are a statement of the faith of the leper.

We see this in the other event, as well.  The four friends of the paralyzed man are convinced that Jesus can heal their friend, if they can just get him to Jesus.  They climb to the top of the roof, carrying this bedridden man, break up the roof, and lower him down in front of Jesus.  You don’t go to that kind of trouble unless you’re convinced Jesus will help.  What does the Scripture say was Jesus’ reaction?

Mark 2:5 (NKJV)
^2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

When He saw their faith, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven!”  Faith is the activator of Mercy.  We see this in other healing events:

The Centurion’s Servant

A centurion has a servant who is sick.  Jesus offers to come and heal the man, but the centurion says, “you only need to say the word and he will be healed!”

Matthew 8:13 (NKJV)
^8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Matthew 9:20-22 (NKJV)
^9:20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. ²¹ For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." ²² But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

The Canaanite Woman

This woman, who is not a Jew, comes and cries out to Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter.  At first Jesus ignores her; He’s come for the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:25-28 (NKJV)
^15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" ²⁶ But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." ²⁷ And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

In each case Jesus’ mercy was activated by faith.  These are five examples.  

Do you remember that I said healing comes with the atonement?

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
^2:24 [Jesus] who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.

When Jesus died the blood that was shed through His stripes purchased our healing.  Look at the wording, “By whose stripes you were healed.”  It is already done.  The healing has already taken place, but now through faith we activate that in our lives.

Activate Healing in Your Life

I really believe that most of us have more faith in the natural than the supernatural.  We do all kinds of things on faith:  Drive our cars, fly in airplanes, even cross the street, but can we believe in Jesus for healing?  Let me illustrate with another event from the Bible:

Mark 9:17-19 (NKJV)
^9:17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." ¹⁹ He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

This man brings his epileptic son to the Apostles, but they can’t heal him.  Jesus says the problem is faith; they have none.  There’s no shortage of mercy on God’s part, the problem is with our faith.  We’re looking for God to move, but do we have the faith to believe that it can happen?  We want God’s mercy but we’re not quite sure.  Look at what happens after the child is brought to Jesus:

Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)
^9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

I believe that this man is like many of us, he believes but there is still unbelief!

It’s interesting, I can have the faith to pray for people to be healed, and I have seen people healed.  I can have faith for others, but I don’t always have faith enough for myself. 

Mercy is activated by faith.  That’s how we get saved.  That’s how our sin is removed, our faith activates the mercy of God.  That man’s prayer should also be our prayer, “Lord, I believe – Help my unbelief!”  If you need God’s mercy that prayer should also be your prayer!

Dominion: Praise Breaks Chains - Part 3

Last week, I posted on the power of our words; that speaking out in faith can influence your life and circumstances.  Words can even cause a change in those circumstances.  Speaking brings dominion.  Today, I want to continue in this same series, Deliverance to Dominion, with part 3.  Another aspect to dominion is praise!  Praise breaks, chains!

Acts 16:23-26 (NKJV)
^16:23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

Creating an Atmosphere Where God can Move

Praise is a powerful weapon in our stockpile of weapons, that are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds.  A stronghold is an attitude, habit, or belief that holds you in bondage to sin.  It’s a chain that binds you and keeps you from fully entering into your calling and your destiny.  It can be sin, disease, finances unbelief – whatever it is, it can stop God from moving in your life.   Praise allows you to develop an atmosphere where God can move.  Our text is an example of Paul and Silas using praise to activate a move of God in their circumstances.

What has happened is that Paul has had a vision.  He saw a man from Macedonia calling out to him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”  So, Paul is engaged in the calling of God.  He concludes that the Lord had called them, “to preach the Gospel to them.” (Acts 16:9-10) The devil attempted to disrupt this by sending a young woman with a spirit of divination.  (She was a fortune teller.) Paul rebuked the spirit and ordered it to come out, which it did, and which caused a problem with her masters.  Paul and Silas were arrested and put into prison.

As they sat in prison, they begin to sing and praise God.  The chains with which they were bound were broken.  The stocks that held them were sprung open, and they are released from their bonds.  The doors to the stronghold were opened!

They have created an atmosphere where God can move.  If we want to see God move in our circumstances.  If we want to see a miracle occur in our lives then we must create an atmosphere in our homes where God can move!  Whatever atmosphere you create will determine what will happen in your life.  You can create an atmosphere where God can move, or you can create an atmosphere where the enemy reigns.  If you allow your home to be filled with negativity, discord and oppression, it will be difficult to stand in the faith.

We have to learn to counteract those things when start to be seen in our homes.  It’s so easy to complain and gripe!  But those are not “God things.”  Those things don’t create an atmosphere of faith.  There’s no optimism and expectation of God’s moving there.  There’s only unbelief.  If you create an atmosphere for God to move, He will come!

Psalms 91:1 (NKJV)
^91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

This is the beginning of Palm 91 – It’s the beginning of a promise, but have you noticed that every one of God’s promises starts with a condition?  Psalm 91 starts with a condition but ends in a promise:

Psalms 91:14-16 (NKJV)
^91:14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. ¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

If we dwell in the secret place of the Almighty; we can expect deliverance.  We can expect answers to our prayers.  We can expect a long life, and we can expect salvation.  So, what is that secret place where God dwells?  It’s that place in your heart that you have turned over to God! 

Have you opened your heart to God?  Let me ask that this way:

What are your priorities in life?  What do you fill your free time with?  Do you have a disciplined prayer life?  Do you read your Bible regularly?  Are you focused on “God things,” or are you still giving most of your time and energy to the world?

Last week, I mentioned a cancer patient, I want to show you how he created an atmosphere for God to move in his hospital room:

“Instead of watching television, we spent time reading Scripture.  We listened to the Bible on audiotape around the clock, and we asked the nurses to come in at night and turn the tapes over.  In other words, we turned the hospital room into a sanctuary for God to dwell in.  We kept the atmosphere charged with praise.” 

Source:  10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, Page 137

God Inhabits the Praise of His People

Psalms 22:3 (NKJV)
^22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Another way to say that is that He lives in or inhabits our praise!  Praise brings God’s presence on the scene.  This is why we praise God in the beginning of our church services.  It’s why song service is the first thing we do; to bring God’s presence to our services.

When Paul and Silas were in prison, they decided to sing praises – They changed the atmosphere and God was able to move in those circumstances.  Praise causes chains to break and walls to fall – It paralyzes the enemy!

Psalms 8:2 (NKJV)
^8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

What this scripture is saying is that praising God releases His power to stop the enemies of His people.  Our enemy is the enemy who steals, kills and destroys.  Praising God activates Him in our favor!

In 2 Chronicles 20: - Judah is under attack.  The enemy that had come against them was so powerful that the Bible says that, “Jehoshaphat (the king) feared!”  He called the people together to fast and praise!  Look at this:

2 Chronicles 20:21 (NKJV)
^20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever."

We are appointed to praise God.  Those appointed to praise went out before the army.  They praised God and His holiness, that was their only part in all of this.  Look what happened as they praised:

2 Chronicles 20:22 (NKJV)
^20:22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

Judah’s army never lifted a weapon against the enemies.  They did nothing but stand and praise God, and God moved to destroy their enemy.  Look at the Scripture: “Now the people began to sing and praise.  The Lord set ambushes against the [enemies].”It was the praise that set the move of God in motion.

Are there attacks on you and your family?  Is Satan trying to wear you down and cause you to doubt God?  Is he trying to make you fear like Jehoshaphat?  What’s your reaction to problems and attacks in your life?  Is it to pull away from God, or to praise God?  Which one brings you closer to God?  Which one does God inhabit?

Praise is a powerful weapon!  It can be used to destroy the chains that Satan uses to keep you in a stronghold of sin and doubt.  Praise is like a nuclear bomb – It causes the enemy to flee!  There’s no nuclear fallout so you can use it every morning!

The Joy of the Lord

Praise is a manifestation of the Joy of our salvation.  If the devil can steal that from you , he can destroy your walk with God!

You’re probably going to think what I’m about to say is weird, because when things are getting bad you may not feel joy, but you can begin to have joy, even in the bad times, by remembering that God moves through your praise. 

God will deliver us!  He delivered Jonah from the fish.  He delivered Meshach, Shadrack and Abednego from the fiery furnace.  He delivered the entire nations of Israel out of slavery…and He will deliver us, too.

Psalms 91:14 (NKJV) ^91:14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

Maybe He’s helped you in the past.  Know that He will help you, again!

God will answer us!  God clearly promises that when we call on Him, He will answer us!

Psalms 91:15 (NKJV)
^91:15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

God will be with us!  One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, “which is translated God with us.”  He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  He is always there – always near us.  He dwells inside you.  Psalm 91:15 – I will be with him in trouble.

These are promises – God is faithful to keep promises.  Remember from last week, “I will watch over my words to perform them.” (Jeremiah 1:12) That’s a vow to keep promises.  So, even when things go wrong, we can change the atmosphere in our homes and activate a move of God by simply, the act of Praising God!

Dominion: Words Can Move Mountains - Part 2

Dominion is the ability to overcome and defeat the devil, and his plans for you!  This week’s post is basically part 2 of last week’s post. So, today, I want to post about one place that dominion can be found in our lives:  The words that we speak!  What we say and how we say it can affect what happens in our lives.  Let’s start with our text:

Mark 11:22-23 (NKJV)
^11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Agree with God

Even a cursory look at Genesis, chapter 1 will show you the power that words contain.  The entire universe was spoken into existence!  Eight times in Genesis, the Bible says, “And God said…”  You might say, “Well, that’s God, of course His words have power!”  Today, I want to show you that your words, spoken in faith, have power, as well.

There are two ways to look at everything you face – every circumstance – every problem – every sickness!  Many times, we tend to take ownership of the problem.  “I have Muscular Dystrophy,” as if I own it – I possess it – “It’s my MD.”  There’s a different way to think of it and speak it! If you speak the issues, the symptoms, the disease as belonging to you, you become, what I call “problem conscious.”  You’re thinking about those things; you’re reinforcing them.  Your thought processes are focused on the suffering.  Speak always what you want the end result to be.  In that way you become “God conscious.”

There is the story of the leper that came to Jesus for healing, in Matthew chapter 8: “If you having a desire you can cleanse me.”  Jesus replied, “I am desiring it from all my heart.” (Matt 8:2-3 Weust) God’s desire to bring healing, comes from all His heart.  So, we need to speak as if He’s going to do just that!  We need to come into agreement with God.

God told Abraham that he would be the father of nations; that his descendants would number as the sands on the seashore.  Abraham at that time was almost one hundred years old, and his wife Sarah was barren.

Romans 4:19-21 (NKJV)
^4:19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

He believed God; He came into agreement with God.  All that God needs to move in your life is your agreement.  God will not override your will.  So often we say things like, “I believe God for His promises,” but what do the other words we speak say?  “I’m so deep in debt!”  “I can’t solve this problem!”  “Maybe this is God’s will!”  It’s not His will!  Jesus came to give abundant life.  It’s the devil that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Think about this – Every miracle in the Bible involved words.  Jesus healed with words – He rebuked storms with words.  If we want to come into agreement with God, we need to speak faith-filled words – OUT LOUD - and we need to believe the words we speak!

Abraham was fully convinced that God would perform (notice that I said would, not could), would perform what He said.  Speak of it as if you know that it’ll happen!

Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP)
^1:12 Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.

God will perform His word – He’s watching over it so that He can perform it.  God is fully capable and willing to move in our lives.  Usually, we are the roadblock to miracles in our lives.  It’s us that speak words of doubt and unbelief.  It’s us that think our circumstances are unsolvable.  When we can’t see a way for them to be solved, then we’re not in agreement with God.

We forget that God isn’t bound by the limitations that we’re bound by.  The Bible says, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible!”  Do you really believe that?  We have an intellectual belief in that, but are you like Abraham?  Are you fully convinced that God can perform His word?  Do you live and speak as if you’re fully convinced?  Because that’s where the miracles are.  That’s how the mountains move – Living and speaking as if it will be so!  

The Power of Your Words

“Years ago, a famous basketball player had a heart attack and died at thirty-nine years old.  His collapse on a basketball court during a pickup game was a shock to most people!  What most of them didn’t know was that, for years, he’d repeatedly said, “I’ll never live to be forty years old.”  That young man was the prophet of his own life.”

Source:  10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 99

You are the prophet of your life!  Here’s a young man, he made a claim that he would never live to be forty years old.  He said that over and over, and as if it was a prophecy, it came true in his life.  I want to contrast that story with this one:

“As I lay there on what my doctors called my death bed, I began to say with my mouth, ‘I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!’  I spoke that way to the tumor that measured nine inches across my abdomen.  I woke up one morning and the tumor was gone!”

Source: 10 Hours to Live, Brian Wills, Whitaker House, page 101

Here’s a young man who spoke the exact opposite of the words of the other man.  He spoke words of healing.  He spoke words of promise.  He spoke faith-filled words – He was in agreement with God!

What both of these stories have in common is that these men’s lives were affected by words that they spoke.  You can’t convince me that words don’t have power.  When the words that we speak line up with God’s words, then God “watches over His words to perform them.”

I’m not talking about the words of your thoughts, I’m talking about the words you speak – out loud!  I pray out loud, so I can hear my words spoken.  Why you ask?  Because faith comes by hearing.  If you want to have faith that God will move in your circumstances, the hear the words of faith spoken out loud. 

When I pray for people, I don’t just put my hand on their heads and pray silently.  Do you know why?  I want them to hear the words that I’m praying, so that they can believe them.  Then they can apply them to their lives..

Receiving a miracle is an active thing.  It’s more than just thinking that God will heal us.  I had a friend that always told me, “I know God is going to deliver me from smoking,” but he just kept on smoking.  He never stopped.  He’d been saved for twenty-five years, and thinking that for twenty-five years.  It never happened.  He didn’t speak like it was something that God was doing.  He didn’t live and act like it was something God was doing.  It was always something God was going to do; never what God was doing!  So, he sat there and smoked and waited – He died of Lung Cancer.

Why didn’t God deliver him?  I think its because he never really thought it was possible.  I wonder what would have happened if he put down the cigarettes and said, “God deliver-ED me from smoking!”  Faith filled words of agreement with God.  My thought is that he would have been delivered.

What problems are you facing in life?  What words are you speaking?  Are you agreeing with God or wallowing in unbelief?  Are you like the basketball player, prophesying your death or like the cancer patient, fully convinced that God will heal?  Are you waiting around for a miracle?  Waiting for God to move in your circumstances, or living like God already did it, and declaring what God has done?

These are important questions that speak to actions of faith.  We can all say, “Yeah, yeah, I know God can do miracles,”  but do you live and speak like God can do a miracle in YOUR life?

The world tries to convince us that these things are fake, or weird.  The world has its own system, but the world’s system is “death oriented”.  It doesn’t take into account a personal, concerned and loving God that can and will change circumstances.  The world’s system is focused on “science” and medicine, or mankind’s intellect.  There’s no room for a supernatural move of God, but that’s where miracles are found…in the supernatural.

Words Move Mountains

I want to close with this:

Matthew 18:18 (NKJV)
^18:18 Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

What that means is:

Matthew 18:18 (NLT)
^18:18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.

This goes back to speaking.  Think about what the cancer patient spoke.

“I call my body healed.  I call my body whole.  I declare that my body functions according to the way God created it to function, and I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name!”  

I forbid any malfunction in Jesus’ name.  What you permit on earth will be permitted in Heaven. What you forbid on earth will be forbidden in Heaven.  If you don’t speak and forbid those things then you’re permitting them.  The young basketball player permitted an early death.  My friend permitted an early death.

Think about that cancer patient. even though the doctors were all convinced that he was going to die – even though the psychologists were warning him to make funeral arrangements while he still, “had time.”  They told him he couldn’t be healed.  They told him it was hopeless.  They told him death was inevitable, but he didn’t believe their report.  He believed the word of God and told them:

Psalms 118:17 (NLT)
^118:17 I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

Whose report will you believe?

Editor’s note:  If you are sick, please go to the doctor and take advantage of their education and training.  I’m not anti-doctor, but also know that you can influence a supernatural move of God in your life by speaking words of faith, and living like God has already moved.  In my life, I listen to my doctors and also proclaim God’s word over myself.

Dominion: Planning for Victory - Part 1

Editor's note:  After a long illness and hospital stay, I'm ready to begin to write this blog again.  I have committed to myself to write something everyday!  That doesn't mean that there'll be a new post everyday.  I have a number of projects that I'm working on, so I will work on one of those every day.  I will say that for the most part I'll be posting once a week.  Thanks for your patience and hanging in there as I recovered.  Following is this week's post:  Planning for Victory

There is an old story of two farmers in the middle of a drought.  They begin to pray for rain.  One farmer sits and waits for God to move, the other farmer prepares his fields for rain!

I believe the second farmer understands something about our part in seeing a miracle.  We all want and need God to move in our circumstances.  We all have times in our lives where we need a move of God to change our circumstances.  So, what do we do?  Do we sit and wait on God or do we prepare for those things to take place?

Jeremiah 29:10-11 (NKJV)
^29:10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Here’s how the Message translation puts it:

Jeremiah 29:10-11 (MSG)
^29:10 This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. ¹¹ I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

The Power of Faith

The first thing we need to understand is what faith looks like!  All of us that are Christians say, “I have faith in Jesus!”  Faith in Jesus is the definition of Christian!  We’re not Christians if we don’t have faith in Jesus.  The question is do you really live out your faith?  

Faith is expectation.  The farmer who goes out and prepares for the rain is the farmer who has faith.  He expects God to move in response to his prayers so he acts as if the prayer has already been answered.  Faith isn’t about believing; faith is about acting!  

Faith is making plans for the future.  You have faith that today won’t be the last day of your life.  How do I know that?  Because we all make plans for the future. 

"When I graduate, I’m going to… " 

"When the baby is born, we’ll name him/her… " 

"On my vacation, I’m going to…"

I’m pretty sure that most people aren’t saying, “I don’t have plans, because I may die tonight!”  No one is saying, “We’ll just see if tomorrow comes and do whatever!”  Before any of my leadership ever decided that I would be coming to Taiwan, I had already begun to visualize what would be necessary to get here, and what I wanted to do once I got here!  I was pushing myself into my purpose.

As you begin to push yourself into your purpose, the power of God will come upon you and enable you to do what God has called you to do.

I want to look at Noah for a moment:

Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV)
^11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

We all know the story of Noah and the flood.  The world had devolved into wickedness.  People were doing all sorts of evil things.  God got fed up with people and decided to judge the world with a flood.

How many of you reading this have heard from God?  Did you hear a big, loud voice calling you, or did it seem as if a thought came to you?  When you heard that still, small voice did you say, “Oh, God is calling to me.” 

So, God spoke to Moses in that same way that he speaks to us.  He has called Moses through that still, small voice to build an ark.  Let me tell you something, when this happened it had never rained before.  No one had had any experience with floods, but Moses began, by faith to build an ark and saved his family.  Moses took action on God’s plan and God helped him to build an ark.  He’d never built a boat before, but it worked out, because God enabled him to do that!

I’ve witnessed the power of God to heal people, as soon as they took steps toward their purposes and began to do what God had called them to do.  Don’t leave this step of faith out.  Make plans.  Set Goals for your future.  Let God enable you.  Let God equip you for victory!

Think about what you would do if those circumstances were miraculously changed.  What would you do if your finances got better?  What would you do if you were healed from some debilitating disease?  What plans would you make if you thought you had a chance?  Think about it, take a paper and write it down.  Hang it on the refrigerator and begin to make plans as if God had already done it.

Faith is living like you know that God will move.  God moves in the unseen.  Even though you don’t see any evidence of God moving doesn’t mean He isn’t.  Are you planning for your future as if God is already answering your prayers?  Are you living as if you know God will move?

Make God’s Will Your Will

When I was a young man, I had a very different plan for my life.  I was depressed at age 25, because I wasn’t already a millionaire.  I didn’t have the success that I thought I deserved.  My career wasn’t working out as quickly as I had envisioned it would. I hated myself at age 30, because I wasn’t married.  All of that misery and depression was destroying my life.  Look at this scripture:

Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)
^16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

You can’t do one without the other.  I tried making plans for my life but I left out the will of God.  I didn’t even go to God and ask, “What’s your plan?”  Of course, I wasn’t saved at the that time.  I didn’t know to do that, but I know now, that God’s will is essential to seeing my plans come to fruition.

When I finally laid down my dream, my plans and took up God’s will and plan for my life, I was transformed!  That’s when my life changed.  That was the key to the loss of misery and suffering.  I wasn’t trying to force my plan on God.  I began cooperating with His plan and then I found out that God’s plan – God’s dream – was more satisfying that anything I could have imagined.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)
^2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

Are you open to God’s plan for your life?  Are you willing to surrender your dream – to dream God’s dream for you?  Do you know the easiest way for your plans to happen?  Listen to God, hear His plan and make his plan your plan!  Let God direct your steps to breakthrough and victory!

In the Old Testament, there is the story of Jacob as he is about to meet Esau, the one he ripped off and who had threatened to kill him.  He’s afraid.  He knows Esau’s plan and Esau is coming with 400 men.  Jacob’s plan was to take his family home to his father’s house, but it looks to him like that’s all over now!

Then a man comes to him and wrestles with him throughout the night – That man is the Angel of the Lord, which is an Old Testament name for Jesus.  All night long they wrestle until finally God throws Jacob’s hip out of joint.

Finally, Jacob surrenders and God is able to move.  Jacob’s name is changed to Israel, and he begins to live God’s plan for his life.  The promise of the Promised Land is completed through Jacob.  Look at Ephesians 2:10:

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)
^2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

That scripture tells us that God had a plan for your life, before you were even born!  God has prepared something for you.  Something good that’s beyond your imagination.  Maybe, it’s time to cooperate with God’s plan and move to victory!

God Honors Faith

Here’s the promise:

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
^1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

This verse tells us that what God has started in us He will finish, but you need to know this one thing:  God doesn’t just have a plan for your life – You are the plan!  Noah was God’s plan for continuing the human race.  Moses was God’s plan for delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt.  Esther was God’s plan for rescuing the Jews from Haman.  Jesus was the pan for our deliverance from sin, and you are God’s plan for his purpose through you.  By cooperating with God you will see victory!

Finally, God promises that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, then the things we need will be added to us.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
^6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God wants to change your circumstances!  God wants to do a work in your life! Most of all God wants you!

So, how do we live out our faith?  We get ready for God to move in our lives.   We pray and call upon God to move in our lives but we forget to prepare for a move of God.  That’s really what faith is, living our lives like we know that God is already moving!  Prepare your field – THE RAIN IS COMING!

Watch Out For Snakes!

In life we encounter temptation and we struggle with sin.  It’s because we have a sinful nature.  We inherited it from Adam and Eve.  There will always be a battle with those things.  Today I want to post a message on temptation and sin.

Acts 28:1-6 (NKJV)
^28:1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. ² And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. ³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴ So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live." ⁵ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

There are Snakes Lying in Wait

This takes place when Paul was being taken to Rome.  The ship was a cargo ship and it had to stop in Crete to do business.  The weather had become difficult but the captain decided to go anyway and a storm came up.

This is in Chapter 27.  It was a two-week trial that ended with the ship breaking apart off the island of Malta.  In great danger and struggle, they made it safely to the island, but they were shipwrecked there.

The real cause of the shipwreck was a lapse in discernment.  The reason that it happened was that the captain failed to discern the weather.  He didn’t take into account the consequences of that decision to go even though it was late in the season.

This is often a problem for us.  We have other priorities.  We make decisions without considering their effect on us.  It may make sense from a business standpoint.  It may seem like a good decision, but we really need to examine the consequences.  It may have a chilling effect on the Holy Spirit, it may short-circuit something that God is doing, or it may result in the temptation of sin.  That’s the real point of this blog post.  I want to look at this event in Paul’s life in a more symbolic way.

Events and circumstances in one part of our lives may affect other aspects of our lives.  They may cause us to think in a different way.  They may cause us to view things differently.  They may even open a door that the devil can exploit, as an entryway into our lives.  Sometimes those circumstances are a setup for a future assault.  We need to be able to attempt to understand potential consequences to our decisions, “If I do this, what are the possible outcomes?”  This captain didn’t do that and they found themselves shipwrecked on the island of Malta for the winter. 

Our text takes place on the island of Malta.  Paul is collecting firewood, in the rain and cold, in the aftermath of the shipwreck.  This is the consequence of the captain’s decision.  This is the open door that the devil can exploit.  As he throws the wood onto the fire a poisonous snake attaches itself to Paul’s hand.

In the bible a snake represents temptation.  The first time we see a serpent in the Bible, he’s tempting Eve. 

It’s our decisions that open us up to temptation.  Paul never should have been on that island, but because of a decision that was made Paul ended up in a place where the devil could lay a temptation on him.

This is why we have standards in our church.  This is why we don’t like the young men to be alone with a young woman after 10:30 pm.  Being in the wrong place opens you up to temptation.  If the captain hadn’t tried to sail when it was too late in the year they wouldn’t have wrecked the ship.  Paul would never have been on the island.  The snake would never have attached itself to him.

This is just a picture for us, though.  We are the captains of our own lives.  We make our decisions.  We have to have the discernment to see what potential consequences that decision may hold. 

If movies have worldly themes, should I go see them?  There may be a snake in there!

If people are drinking at parties, should I attend?  There may be a snake in there!

Should I be hugging, kissing and cuddling with my girlfriend?  There may be a snake in there – and that snake is waiting for the right moment to attach itself to you. 

Most of us think, “I can handle this stuff – I won’t be tempted, I haven’t wanted to drink in a long time!”

“I don’t need to look at porn anymore!”

“We’re just friends – it’s just harmless flirting, we’re not doing anything.”  It’s a snake and it’s trying to attach itself to you!

On Malta the snakes were vipers.  They were poisonous.  The people here watched to see if Paul was going to die. The temptation is a poisonous snake; it can kill you!

Finally, that snake attached itself to Paul.  It didn’t just give him a bite.  It attached itself; it held on.  Temptation isn’t always easy to get away from.  Do you know Christians who struggle with the same things year after year?  I know a man who has allowed himself to sin with pornography three times now.  Each time he thought he was over it.  Each time he thought it was gone, but it was attached.  You have to make an effort to throw it off.  It best, just to not put yourself in that place where temptation lives.  Make the right decisions.

The People Were Watching

The second thing I want to examine is the reaction of the people.  The native people were watching to see what would happen to Paul.

Acts 28:4-6 (NKJV)
^28:4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live." ⁵ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

Do you realize that because you’re saved people are curious?  People are watching you to see if you’re different from them.  They want to see if there’s a difference between serving God and what they’re doing.  If you’re looking for something to revolutionize your life then you want to know of change is possible.

People often think that they’re stuck in their lifestyle.  I thought, “I’ll always be a drunk.”  This is a common thing.  Have you ever heard this?  “I’ve always been like that!  It’s just how I am.”  There’s no hope of change in those statements.  They’re saying, “My experience is that I haven’t ever been able to change.”  Then you come along and say, “God changed me!”  They want to see if it’s true because that’s what they want.  They want to change, too! 

So, when the snake of temptation attaches itself to you, they want to see how you handle it!  The chances are they have seen those temptations before.  In our text, the native people knew the snakes were deadly. They’d experienced the bite of those snakes before.  They thought Paul saws a dead man; “No one could overcome the poison of the snakes.”

Sinners understand temptation.  They’ve been tempted before.  Usually, if there’s no overarching desire to do the right thing; if you don’t see it as something that will ruin your life or destroy your ability to make heaven your home, you’ll just let it happen.  Sinners gonna sin, right?

As Christians, we understand the danger of sin.  We know what the wages of sin is.  We know that sin is the poison that brings death. We can’t allow the snakes to put poison into our systems.  We have to be able to deal with temptation.

The people were watching Paul.  They saw the bite.  They made a judgment that he wouldn’t survive it.  They expected him to die, but Paul just shook off the snake.  He shook it off and went on – he survived with no ill effects.

Can you shake off temptation? Can you overcome the poison of sin?  Paul just shook it off and they thought he was a god.  They looked at Paul’s overcoming of the snake and saw him as a god.  People are watching you, they see the temptation and they think, “He’s not going to be able to escape.  It’s just a matter of time before he swells up and dies.” If you just shake it off, put it away; destroy it with Holy Ghost fire, then the people see the power of God.  That’s really what they saw on Malta, they just thought that the power came from Paul.  They thought Paul was a god, but the power came from God!  people will know that God has power when you are able to shake off the temptation that’s trying to attach itself to you.

Your Testimony Can Win People!

In the Book of Exodus, Moses s called to meet with God.  God calls him to the burning bush and commands him.

Exodus 4:2-4 (NKJV)
^4:2 So the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod." ³ And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it. ⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),

Moses sees the snake and turns to flee, but God tells him to pick it up.  When he does it becomes the Rod of God in Moses’ hand.  Moses saw the snake, it was the face of temptation and Moses’ first thought was to flee from it.  When you’re tempted, what do you do?  Do you say, “I can handle it – I won’t sin!”? Are you like Moses and say, “It’s temptation – I have to go!”?

In the Book of Genesis, Joseph is in the home of Potiphar.  Potiphar’s wife says, “Hi handsome! Hubba, Hubba!”  Look at what happens:

Genesis 39:11-12 (NKJV)
^39:11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, ¹² that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

He ran right out of his coat to get away – From that snake!  He fled the temptation. That should be our reaction as well.

First – We need to make decisions that will help us avoid temptation!

Second – We need to shake off the temptation and not let it attach itself to us.

Third – We need to flee temptation whenever possible or let God help us do the right thing.

People will see that and be moved.  Everyone has aspects of their lives and personalities that they know need to change, but that they feel powerless to change.  When they see God move in our lives over the long term; when they can see that the change is real – they will want what you have!  Your testimony can reach people.