When God moves the hedge Part III, “If you wait it out, he’ll work it out” Sermon 07/18/10

Posted on July 20, 2010 by growintheword

When God moves the hedge Part III

If you wait it out, he’ll work it out

Synopsis of Sermon 7/18/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Text:

Job 14:13-14 says 13O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

If there is anything that we have learned about Job’s situation, it is the fact that God is always working in the lives of his people. God is actively involved in the affairs of our lives. No matter how difficult the circumstances may be, you have to see the hand of God in it.

  1. What Job teaches us is that perseverance will pay off.
  2. Job also teaches that if you position yourself in God’s will and you wait this thing out, you will discover what job discovered. You will discover that God has already worked it out. So many people get ahead of God by being anxious, because they are nervous, or inpatient, but the bible says be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.

Job makes a request to God and then he takes a stand in God. Perhaps that is what God is saying to someone today who is big on the request side, but suffering on the stand side. You cannot ask God to do, if you refuse to be. Your convictions must be clear. Your stance must be sure. You resolve must be resounding. We are preaching this message today so you will know that in the midst of your situation, it is important to develop a God posture. You have to look like God wants you to look like and you got to believe God for what he wants you to believe him for. You got to tell folk that no matter what they say about your situation, God is still working this thing out. For somebody now, the question should never be if God is going to do it. You are not reading this because you wonder if God is going to do it. You have a history with God. You have seen God do too much over the years to even let doubt come out of your mouth. You know God is going to do it. The real question is how long are we willing to wait for God to manifest it into our life? I know it is rough, but wait it out. We know you are pushed to the edge, but wait it out. If you just wait this thing out, God will work it out.

In this lesson Job is really asking God for his Providential Security.

I.                  Providential Security

Job 14:13a says 13O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past …

  1. In other words, Job knows God has the ability to do what he can’t do. He literally asks God to hide him in the grave. This is not a physical grave. It is a secret place (the grave as the scripture says) until the wrath be past. It is a powerful revelation of getting into the right position.
    1. Position-The grave represents a place of isolation and insulation where we can get impartation and revelation of our situation knowing that ultimately we are going to get elevation. This is important, because when people walk about you, some people to think that you are not there. This is because their opinions will do you more harm than they will good. Remember Job had friends that were syndical of him. His own wife said curse God and die. All of his friends sat around Job for 7 days and 7 nights. They looked at Job up and down trying to see what his next move was going to be. Because of this we need for God to put us in a secret place where we can be exempt of other people, because there are people that become experts at our situation when their own lives are more jacked up than ours. How can they help us, if they can’t get their own lives together?
    2. Protection. It is about providential security. What we are saying here is “Lord while you are hiding me, please move on my behalf. “ Psalm 91:1 says 1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. – We want the Lord to keep us secret until this wrath has past.
    3. Development – Whatever has to happen, please let it happen in this secret place. You can work your mess out while you’re in secret and the whole world will never know. We need to thank God for the secret place.
    4. Delay– There is a reason things aren’t happening, it is about our destiny. In delay, we learn that God has kept stuff from happening to us.
    5. Destiny-You didn’t just pop up over night. You were in the secret place. God was working on us and covering us while we were in secret. Give God glory because he helped you while you were in secret.

II.               Provide me a set time

Job 14:13b says that thou wouldest appoint me a set time…

  1. None of us want to go through without term limits. We don’t mind going through trials as long as it has term limits. It is hard to go through without time limits on the dilemma that we are going through. We don’t want our trials to have tenure. Trouble don’t last always. You got to get real with God and stop playing with him.
  2. Job says give me a set time and remember me. It is ok to be real with God. Job says when this thing is over; he wanted God to remember him. He wanted to be covered for a season. There is power in prayer. We have not, because we ask not. Matthew 7:7 says 7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
  3. When you pray remember this:
  1. Ask the father in Jesus name and believe you receive when you pray. – The moment you go on your face to pray, believe that it is already done.
  2. Control your thought life in agreement with what you believe you will receive. – Don’t let imaginations run through your mind and make you have doubt.
  3. Avoid confrontation with those who are not in agreement with what you believe you will receive.
  4. Think and see yourself with the promise of God already manifested.

III.           There is a certain period, a set time…

  1. This is a revelation of chronos-our time. From this we get the word chronography which deals with watch time or the calendar time. We operate in the restrictions of this time. We live by our blackberry and by our calendar. This time is based on all kinds of limitations
  2. Kairos– This is God’s time. God does not dwell in time, but eternity. He can interrupt our time (chronos) anytime he gets ready. On chronos time, we can sleep on it. Kairos desires a radical response. Something has to quicken in your spirit for this to work. God can at any moment, take a kairos moment and interrupt our chronos moment.
  3. Job asks God for a set time. Remember Job says man born of a woman is a few days of trouble. Job recognizes that our life is in chronos time (referring to few days of trouble). God allows these calamities to come in an interrupt our schedule.
  4. Job was in prayer and a prosperous man. Job would be a planner in today’s times. He would have had a retirement plan in place and would have already decided who he was going to allocate his property to after he died. Like this, we have 2, 5, and 7yr plans, and then God sends a calamity to interrupt our plans and it delays us. Ex –We have a set time to retire, the time has come, yet we are still working. You got to understand about God’s kairos time. God will interrupt our chronos time not to set us back, but to set us up with a kairos moment. The good thing is, God will step back in when we get back on track from the interruption and fast track our time.
  5. Even though circumstances look bad, God has it. You won’t always be as broke as you are or as sick as you are. No matter how it looks on your clock, God will step in and do something radical. Grandma says he might not come when you want him, but he is always on time.

IV.            Patient in his sovereignty

Job 14:14 says 14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

  1. If a person has been sick as you, can they be well again? If a person’s credit is bad as yours, can they get back on track? If a person has been wounded, can they ever trust again? Some of you are in your after life now. We are living our best life right now. You have died so to speak and have been brought back. Some of us can be witnesses that you can come back.
  2. There is a collision between chronos and kairos time. When Job says all of my appointed time, he is referring to it as the collision between the two times (kairos and chronos). Ex- You can leave at 7 o’clock to arrive on time for an 8’oclock appointment. This is chronos. You get there and 8 o’clock and they say sit down. See your appointment is 8, but they tell you to sit down. Your time is not guaranteed. You are just in position. You begin to notice that there are several people there that have an 8 o’clock appointment as well. You got to find comfort in something. You have to know that:
  1. The doctor is there. The doctor is in the building.
  2. You have to find comfort in the fact that there are people coming from there who have already seen the doctor.
  3. There are people still going to see him. You have to wait until your change come. Stay in position, because eventually he will call your name and eventually your situation will change. If you get up and leave, you might miss what the doctor has for you. Therefore; we have to submit to the doctor’s time. Wait until your change comes. It is hard to wait for some of us.
  1. When you wait, there has to be no doubt that your situation is coming to pass as long as you are in position. Keep in your mind, a change is going to come. Ex-Bishop tells a story that he was travelling few yrs back. He was trying to take a getaway. He states he packed nothing but his shirt, shorts and flip flops. He didn’t even take any books. He says that he ended up getting a connecting flight. He tells us that he leaves Nashville and is good for the time being. When he gets to the ATL airport he finds out that his connecting flight has been delayed. Bishop is waiting, but he was cool, because he knows where he is going. He could already see himself sitting under the palm trees. Then they get on the intercom and say the flight is being delayed. 30 mins later they get on the intercom again and say Bishop’s flight is further delayed and they didn’t know how long. The staff told them they wanted them to stay in the gate area so they would be able to hear further announcements and updates on the delay as they came in. Bishop says he is watching this go down. The people in airport are on chronos time and they have stuff to do like vacations and family reunions. Eventually everyone started getting in line to go a wear the gate agent out. Everyone had something to say. They had to vent, but who could he vent to? All the people at this gate were waiting for the same thing. People began to get angry and Bishop was wearing the gate agent out, then Bishop started feeling sorry for her. After all, it wasn’t her fault. She just made the announcement. When it became Bishops turn he told her what a good job she was doing. Out of conviction, he just went and sat back down. Finally when the plane came in and they were getting ready to board, Bishop heard his name called. The gate agent called Bishop back up to the desk. The agent says that it had been a rough day and she just wanted to give Bishop a ticket. Bishop told her that he already had a ticket. The gate agent said she just wanted to upgrade him to 1st class, because he was so nice while he waited. Bishop said the Spirit of the Lord started speaking to him. He was frustrated before. Like some of us, we are frustrated because we have already left one place, but we not where we need to be. Bishop states while he was sitting there frustrated, he was convicted. The Holy Spirit said to Bishop, “What did she say?” Bishop explains, “Flight delay!” The Holy Spirit says, “Did you hear what you just said?” Bishop says, “Yes, flight delay”. The Holy Spirit then said, “But she didn’t say the flight was cancelled!” A delay is not a denial. The Holy Spirit said this ain’t anything but a layover. If you put your lip in and give the Lord a praise, you might get an upgrade when it is time to get where you going. You not where you used to be and you are close to where you about to go, but if you praise him on the layover ! Just give God praise on the layover. He might not come when you want him to, but he is always on time. Don’t know how long you been waiting, but don’t get tired of waiting. If God made you a promise, it is going to come to pass.
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Fullness of the Holy Spirit III

Posted on July 17, 2010 by growintheword

 

Fullness of the Holy Spirit  III

Synopsis of Bible study 7/14/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

As we have been saying, the fullness of the Holy Spirit Deals with less of us and more of Him. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and because of this, we need to understand how to give him full reign over our life.

In John 14:7 it says 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. – The world doesn’t see him, nor does it know him. In the scripture, Jesus is really talking about the Spirit of God’s presence. When Jesus leaves, he leaves the Holy Spirit (God’s presence) with us.

I.                   Sealed

The moment you got saved, the Holy Spirit came in and sealed the deal. –Ephesians 1:13-14 says 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory

What does it mean to be sealed? We are talking about ownership. It is a seal of ownership. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

  1. A seal-We are talking about a seal of protection. The Holy Spirit backs up our salvation. Lots of the attacks that we experience are spiritual. Ex- It’s like we got saved with a white shirt on, and then a bull’s-eye was put on it. Many can testify that their attacks intensified on them after getting saved. This was because of the seal. We belong to God now and Satan don’t like it.
  2. An anointing- 1 John 2:20; 27 says 20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.; 27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. – The anointing according to this scripture is the power and presence on your life. People don’t see you. Instead they see the God in you. Ex – Jesus said in Luke 4:18: 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, – In other words, Jesus said he had been anointed to come do all that he did. Jesus took the attention off of him and put it on God. When you are anointed, you want the glory to go to God rather than you. You minimize so that God will maximize. People look at you and what you do and say that only the anointing could enable you to do what you do.

In Ezekiel 47, water is used as a symbol of the anointing. Ex-“From your bellies will flow rivers of living water…” is one phrase mentioned in the bible that is an example of this.

There is a lesson in Ezekiel 47:1-5 relating to the anointing:

  • Verse 1Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. -Water was coming from under the house.
  • Verse 2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. – Verse 2 talks about Ezekiel being led towards the east gate. We have to note that the Hebrew people believed East was where Jerusalem was which was the way they faced when praying. The right side represents power. So this verse is saying Ezekiel was let towards Jerusalem and water representing anointing came out on the right side.
  • Verse 3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.-Verse 3 talks about a man measured how far Ezekiel could go out into the water.
  • Verse 4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. – In verse 4, the water was ankle deep.
  • Verse 5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over – Ezekiel was knee deep, then he was waste deep in verse 5. Then it became a river that he could not pass over. All he could do at this point is swim or tread in it.
    • Ankle Deep – There are people that desire to move in the presence of God (or the anointing represented by the water mentioned above) every day. They get at ankle deep and are cool. This is just enough for them. They just want enough to say they are anointed. This leaves too much of you exposed.
    • Knee Deep – There are others that are knee deep into the anointing. Here they are pretty good, but there is still too much of you showing.
    • Waste Deep – Then there is waste deep. This is tricky, because you think you are there. You think you are all the way in it. At waste deep we still want to kick it. If you want to really get the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you have to let go of yourself. It is about less of us and more of him. We have to go out into the deep and we have to go swimming. It can’t be just about what we want to do. We want to get to a place where it over whelms us. It is all about him!
  1. Gives me a pledge. Ephesians 1:14 says 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. – At the act of salvation, the Holy Spirit guaranteed that we would inherit something and possess it to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
    1. When you accepted the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, confessed it with your mouth, something was released in the heaven and it was sealed with by the Holy Ghost. Why did we accept Jesus Christ? Because the wages of sin is death and gift of God is eternal life, what then are we trying to possess? The answer is eternal life. We got saved to try and go to heaven. When this thing is over, we got two choices. They are smoking or non-smoking. We want non-smoking.
    2. Question: Do you know for sure that you are saved? Do you believe that you are going to heaven for sure? Do you believe that you have done some stuff that could put going to heaven in jeopardy?
    3. Here is the issue: We got to wrestle with the fact that if we do things that put our salvation in jeopardy, what happens to our inheritance. For instance can we still smoke crack and go to heaven? Can we shack up and still go to heaven?
    4. Sin – Sin is to miss the mark. This means you don’t necessarily intend on missing the mark. Because you have the Holy Spirit, when you sin, conviction makes you feel horrible.
    5. Iniquity – Iniquity is sin that has graduated to a lifestyle. Iniquity is I like it, no one can tell me it is wrong, but this is me. We try to dilute the word to soften the blow, but the truth is it has become a lifestyle. Sin is in what you do, but iniquity is in what you become. Ex- We might have had a whorish moment, but we are not a whore. I might have had a drink, but we are not an alcoholic.
    6. What do you do? Ex- Bishop explains that his father is Joseph Walker Jr. He said that his father would never un-son him no matter what he did. DNA makes Bishop the son of Joseph Walker no matter what. What his father could do however, is disinherit him. Joseph Walker could say to Bishop, “You are my son, but you are going to forfeit what I wanted you to have.” Just like this, when we got saved, the DNA or the process of being saved says we are God’s child. The things that we do will not cause us not to be his son, but we can however forfeit what God intended for us to have (eternal life). The bible even says some people will say they cast out demons in Jesus name, but Jesus will say, “Depart from me ye workers of iniquity.” Notice: Jesus says worker of iniquity, not sinners.
    7. The question remains, if you slip up (sin), will you go to hell? The answer is, probably not, but if you are shacking up or doing something that has went past sinning and has become part of who you are, then statistically we wouldn’t play those odds. Nobody is perfect, but there is something we must understand. When Jesus left, he left the Holy Spirit to help us overcome iniquity. When we continue to live in iniquity, then we discredit the power of God. Great is he that lives within us than he who is in the world. We have to go deeper into the water or into the anointing. If you are struggling with something, it is time to go swimming! We all got some work to do. If would be honest.
    8. God is an enabler.  John 16:26 says 26At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:. 1 John 2:1 says 1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: – Sin has to create for us a momentary amnesia. Sin has to make us forget for a moment what we know. This is why you have to put your tapes up and your crosses up before you do anything sinful. We don’t want to be reminded of what we know. When you sin Satan wants you to be in the moment where you don’t remember what you know. The Holy Spirit reminds you of that word. How many times have you had that happen in your life? The Holy Spirit brings back to remembrance what we know.
    9. What the sprit does is convicts and reveals Jesus Christ to men. John 16:8-11 says 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
    10. He restrains sin in the world. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 says 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
    11. He regenerates to new life. Regenerates means to start again. Ex- We got saved at early age, got wild, and then had a new birth experienced. Titus 3:5 says 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
    12. He baptizes into Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
    13. He empowers and reproduces the character of Jesus Christ in those who submit to him by faith. Galatians 4:19 says 19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
    14. He promotes spiritual maturity. Galatians 3:1-3 says 1O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
    15. He teaches: gives understanding in the word. John 14:26 says26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
    16. He applies truth to our experience. Romans 8:16 says 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
    17. He gives capacity for burdens and direction for witnessing. Acts 1:8 says 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

II.               Let’s distinguish between sin and iniquity.

III.            12 things to meditate on

10.  He gives capacity for ministry. 1 Corinthians 1:12-14 says 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

11.  .He gives power to our prayer life. – Powering your prayer life is what this is about. Many have been in services where you have heard people talked in tongues. We will differentiate between the gift of tongues and heavenly languages.

  1. Tongues came as spiritual gift given at Pentecost. It was a language spoken and in a setting such as church where a person could stand up and address the church in another language on behalf of the Lord. Afterwards someone would stand up and interpret what was said. It is supposed to edify God. In another example of this same tongue, a Pastor my say something in the gift of tongue and immediately after he interprets it. This is someone who has both the gift to speak it and interpret it.
  2.  Heavenly language-Paul Morton wrote a book called, “When Kings Fall.” He had a mental breakdown. He allowed his mind to get over the sprit. God allowed him to have a breakdown to get his life back in order. He talks about the devil took him in his mind to a place and the Holy Spirit had him in a classroom. When they would ask him questions, he would try and answer. The Holy Spirit was trying to get him to shut up, because the Holy Spirit was complaining that he was always talking and not listening. The devil was trying to taunt him the whole time the Holy Spirit was teaching him. The devil was hearing him praying in the moment and was trying to take him out. Bishop Morton finally realized that he needed to take his prayer to another level. It was a heavenly language. The devil was not able to understand and could not intercept it. In that place the devil left him alone because he could no longer intercept it. Every time he got tired, he prayed in the Spirit to be pulled back up. Some of you have done this in your prayer life. You got to a place that was desperate and this heavenly language flowed out of your life and it scared you to death. Because you are under this teaching, there will come a moment where you will be in a place with so much warfare, you will have to submit to place in prayer that you have never been. It will be the Holy Ghost praying for you. Don’t go home and think tonight will be the night that it happens. Just know that now that you have been subject to this teaching, it will happen. We miss a lot of things. When Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, all we hear the writers say is when Jesus said let this bitter cup pass from him. Jesus had to be saying more in his prayer for blood to come as sweat from his head. While Jesus was praying, he went to another place. There was a correlation between this time of prayer and his worship.

12.  He promotes meaningful worship. John 4:24 says 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. – Worship is a place of so much vulnerability. Men don’t want to worship, because of the vulnerability of it. Even the lifting of our hands in a service, most men are hesitant to do. What if someone comes and put a gun in your back? It will break you down to that point you don’t even care about raising your hand. Until you realize a power greater than your own that you will go into worship. This is when you are willing to leave the ankle deep. Lifting up your hands is surrendering. When you come to place that you can lay prostrate on the ground, you get out of yourself and position and say whatever ain’t right, take it out of me. You don’t worry about who sees you. At that moment, you are at a point where you will let out of you belly what you can’t do in the flesh. What if everyone around you could get to that place? We only have a portion of the church worshiping like this. The devil picks and chooses. When the devil sees you are sealed, he knows he doesn’t have a chance.

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When God Moves the Hedge Pt 1, “Questions the enemy wants to know” Sermon 07/04/10

Posted on July 12, 2010 by growintheword

When God Moves the Hedge Pt 1

Questions the enemy wants to know

Sermon 07/04/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

As a believer, your will be tested. Because of your relationship with God, he is pleased. At same time, you don’t just receive heavenly attention. You receive demoniac attention too. Your presence is a threat to the devil. Everywhere you go, you bring goodness and love. This was the problem with Job. People saw God was resident in his life. Job had a reputation for doing what God asked him to do. Why was Job faithful? The enemy began to question Job’s faithfulness too.

Job 1:6 says 6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.-What is most interesting is that people often speculate over who the sons of God were. One group says they were products of fallen angels and many other scholars say they were son’s of Seth (Genesis 6:4 says 4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.). Regardless, God was fed up with mankind and they say God was fed up with this intermingling of the angels.

In the next scripture, we see that Job was minding his own business and a cosmic discussion was taking place over Job’s head about himself. In Job 1:7-8: 7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? – “Have you considered Job?” said God. Later scripture says that Satan replied that he had been watching Job and says every plot he used had been blocked by the hedge God had around him. Notice that even the devil knows there is hedge around your life. The devil says if God would remove the hedge from around Job, he would curse God to his face. The main thing we need to notice from this scripture is that God literally offers Job as a sacrifice. What will happen if God moves the hedge from around you? Some of you right now are involved in this same situation. You serve God and you say you trust him, but can you still serve him and trust him with your hedge removed?

I. Is your relationship legitimate?

  1. If God pulled the rug out from under you, would you still trust him? This thing is real.
  2. Question: Is your relationship legitimate? What you do publically, do you do privately? Job 1:1-5 says 1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. – This scripture tells how loyal Job was. Everyone knew about Job, but the enemy wanted to test his legitimacy. Your legitimacy has nothing to do with your public actions. It has to do with your private actions. In private, can you withstand a major life change? Can you stand in the midst of it? Can you take more than an average person? You have been working with God too long not to be able to stand. No matter the circumstances, you will trust God.
  3. What we recognize.
    1. You are not exempt from suffering. Many will try to convince you that the storm that you encounter has something to do with something you done. We must know that you don’t have to be doing anything wrong for trouble to find us. Just like when Paul was on that ship, a storm just came. This incident reminds us that in this life, we will have trouble.
    2. You must remain spiritual. We have to do what we are called to do. Realize that our weapons are not carnal.
    3. Know that you are a survivor. To be a survivor means we can outlive what is trying to outlive us. We have to know who we are. We have to recognize we are here no matter what we have been through, because we are survivors.
    4. We must remain steadfast. This means that we will be faithful even when the bottom falls out. Is your faith legitimate?

II. Can God put his reputation on the line (with you)?

  1. If God’s reputation was based on how you respond in your crisis, what would be the end result? We have got to be willing to expect and respect the will of God. God might not do what we want him to do.
  2. We must:
    1. Acknowledge his sovereignty – God offered up Job up to Satan without asking his permission. God will never ask you for your permissions to be tested, because he knows that we would say no. He knows we would say things like, “Why me? I got a neighbor down the street that doesn’t even go to church!”
    2. Know that God is a good shepherd. God knew Job’s potential, before he knew it himself. If you are in valley of shadow of death, God will be there with you.
    3. Understand his security. Job 1:12: 12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon him put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. – God says that Satan could not touch Job’s body. God rations out the trial. On the surface, it will appear that the devil is in charge. When this goes down, the devil will think he is in charge. The devil couldn’t go after Job without permission from God. If Satan had to have permission, then his territory must be limited. Ex- Bishop tells of a story of there being a vicious dog next to his home when he first started preaching. He states that they didn’t have a fence and when he came in from preaching, the dog would run him. He said one time he could not even run. All he could do is just stand there and pray and when he looked up, the dog was just standing there barking at him. He began to flex a little; because he thought the dog stopping had something to do with what he had done. Bishop found out later that the neighbor had an invisible electric fence. The dog stopping didn’t have anything to do with Bishop. It was because of the fence the dog stopped. In like manner, it is not because of you that you were not destroyed. It is because God has a fence around you. God allowed this to happen so you can be a witness. Job was the poster child for hanging tough.
    4. Know how to handle loss? People that don’t come to church don’t know how to be like Job is. If you lost everything, would you lose your mind? Realize like Job, this thing is bigger than us. We have to recognize God put his reputation on the line so others will know this is how to handle a storm. You got to make up in your mind that no matter what we go through, our one assignment is to make God look good. If God allows us to look good after all we went through, then we should be glad to make God look good.
    5. Is this real? Do you serve God only because he hooked you up? Can God say about you, “This is the person who is going to represent me?”

III. How do you handle loss?

  1. It is one thing to never have it. You can’t miss what you never had. Some people did not know a recession ever happened. They have been in a recession all their life. When you had, and then you lose, that is a whole other mindset. (When you get a chance read Job 1:13-19). In the Old Testament days, agriculture was commerce. This was revenue. It was equivalent to our stocks, bonds, and savings accounts. Job had several sheep, land, and livestock. He was the Bill Gates of the day. When the news comes of Job losing everything, it is like somebody coming today and saying a person’s investments has fallen. Job lost his houses and every one of his children. Watch how Job teaches us to handle this. Job 1:20: 20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, – Job got up and said something has got to happen! Job arose, and rent his mantle!

Job 1:21: 21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. -Job says it is alright to be angry. God gives us permission to cry and be angry. No matter how anointed you are, you will be angry, but you have to put a term limit on your tears. You got to cry and move from it. You have to come to a place where weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Job says he is angry, but he is not going to stay there. He moves to worship. Worship is not what God does for us, but who God is to us. Though we might get bad report, he is still JEHOVAH-ROHI: We will raise our hands and say we will still give him glory for who he is. Revelations comes through worship. When you worship, you get a revelation. While Job is worshiping, he gets a revelation. Look at verse 21 again. God had a right to give it to him and has the right to take it away. You want to give God to glory when he gives you the house, but can you give him the glory when he takes it away. Job says naked he came into the world and naked he will come out. Job recognizes the word of God and knows that every question the enemy raises the word can answer.

  1. Our revelation is found when we worship God in our pain. When we get the word, it will answer every question the enemy can ask. Ex – When you get a bad report from the doctors? By his stripes we are healed. When we get laid off, we will tithe ourselves back on top. No good thing will he withhold form them that walk upright. When people leave us, he will take us up. When we have enemies, the word says fret not ourselves of evil doers. Worship though your pain and get the revelation that will answer all of your enemy’s questions.
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Fullness of the Holy Spirit III, “How do we respond to the Holy Spirit” Bible Study 06/30/10

Posted on July 2, 2010 by growintheword

Fullness of the Holy Spirit III

How do we respond to the Holy Spirit?

Synopsis of Bible Study 6/30/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

There is a process that they teach in seminary called systematic theology. Using this process, you study the word systematically in order to get a better understanding of it. This is the approach we will use today.

4 things about the Spirit of God

  1. He can be obeyed. Acts 16:6-7 says 6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 7After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. – Timothy, Paul, and Silas are moving in their assignment. They moved through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the Province of Asia. Notice the Holy Spirit is preventing them from speaking in a certain place. What we see here is even though there may be an assignment on your life, one of the things that the Spirit of God does is give you a specific time to move in that assignment. Many of us have a zeal for our assignment, but how many people will admit that they have gotten ahead of God on their assignment? There has to be sensitivity to when the Spirit of God leads us. Sometimes he will say not now. In some places, the spirit will tell you to keep your mouth closed.
  2. Spirit of God can be lied to. We think we are supposed to do something and we claim we did it under the anointing, but we lied. Ex– You actually see people doing this in church. They act like they are writing something on the envelope and they act like they are putting something in the envelope, but actually there is nothing inside. Acts 5:1-5 says 1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. – They had come up with a system of pooling things together so that everyone’s needs would be met. The goal was to bring their stuff to apostle’s feet and allow them to distribute it to the members. Verse 2 says that Ananias kept some of their possessions back, and his wife Sapphira was aware of it. They bought a certain part of their earnings in to lie at the Apostle’s feet, but lied by saying it was all that they had. In verse 3, we see that Peter knew that they were lying, because he was anointed. He wanted to know why they would allow themselves to be used by the enemy. In verse 4, Peter reminded them that it was in Ananias & Sapphira’s will to do right, but they didn’t. Peter reminded them that they did not lie to Peter; instead they had lied to God. In verse 5, Ananias died after hearing the words that Peter said. Everyone had great fear as if to say, “Here is my offering.”Now are we saying you going to die if you lie to the Holy Ghost? No, but we are saying Ananias did and because he did, the risk is too great for us to lie to him.
  3. He can be resisted – Acts 7:51 says 51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. – Basically this scripture is saying that the people resisted, because their fathers did. We have the power to obey, but we willfully disobey. Ex-Royce (the church Organist) travels with Bishop when he preaches across the country. Royce decided he wanted to stay and shape and he asked Bishop about his diet. Bishop gave him his diet and its perimeters. On one of the trips they bought out the food and Royce had a choice between the baked chicken and the fried chicken. Royce willfully resisted the Holy Ghost by choosing the fried chicken over the baked chicken. When you get to point where you have to do what you have to do, you have willfully resisted the Holy Spirit. It might not be chicken for you, but you have something that you have chosen to do while willfully resisting the Holy Spirit.
  4. He can be blasphemed. Blasphemy is the only unpardonable sin. Matthew 12:31 says 31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. – God says he will forgive all sins but blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. When you curse the Power of God in your life, it is unpardonable.

The Greek word for spirit is 4151. Pneuma pnyoo’-mah from 4154; this is where we get the word pneumonia. It means wind or breath.

Historical framework of the Holy Spirit

The advent and age of the spirit

  1. The Holy Spirit abided with us in the Old Testament. Ruach or 7307 ruwach roo’-akh from 7306; is the Hebrew version of this word pneuma. When Ezekiel called the four winds of God to come together when he was in the valley with the dry bones; this was the pneuma/ruach, the breath or wind of God. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was beside us. In New Testament, he abided in us.
  2. God spoke to prophets preparing for this arrival of the Holy Ghost.
  1.  
    1. God told the prophets that the only way to live this word out is in the Spirit of God. Ezekiel 36:24-27 says 24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. – Even way back then, the Prophet Ezekiel is saying the only way you can live this word out is by the Spirit of God. There is no way you can live God’s word out in the flesh.
    2. God says he spoke it and he will act. Ezekiel 37:14 says 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
    3. God said he will pour his blessing on their off spring and children. Isaiah 44:3 says 3For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.

The Holy Spirit generationally

  1. The prophecy of the Holy Spirit is found in the book of Joel. Joel 2:28-29 says 28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. – The references of the Spirit of God coming happened through Ezekiel, but manifest himself in Joel.
  2. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit is going to stay with us forever.  John 14:16 says 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
  3. When we receive the Holy Ghost, we will receive power. Acts 1:8 says 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. – What will we receive? It will be power. Who will it come from? It will come from the Holy Ghost. What will the Holy Ghost make us? He will make us witnesses. Where? In Jerusalem or in other words everywhere.
  4. Jesus tells them to wait. Acts 2:1 says 1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. – In Acts 1:8 Jesus told them to go to upper room and wait for the power to come. They were all there on one accord in the same place in obedience.
  5. The Holy Ghost comes. Acts 2:2 says 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. – Pentecost means 50. 50 days after Jesus ascended back into heaven; there came a sound like a mighty rushing wind. The wind was the pneuma as we discussed earlier. The pneuma filled the entire house where they were waiting which meant if you were in that place, you were going to be filled. They were in the house on one accord and everyone got filled.
  6. Tongues appeared like fire. Acts 2:3 says 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. – There was tongues sitting on top of them on their heads and they looked like fire.
  7. They were filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:4 says 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. – This verse has been confused by so many people and given so much credence to false theology, it is important for us to discuss this. What we have been hearing all our life is people will know when you have received the Holy Ghost, because you will speak in tongues. This is not the only sign that you have received the Holy Ghost. Tongue comes from the Greek word glossolalia. It comes from the English word dialect. It was like this tongue referred to a language. What they were speaking was not the series of mixed syllables (tela-um-ba). we here They were speaking another language.
  8. The Jews that were responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion were gathered and heard the manifestation. Acts 2:5 says 5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. – This was only 50 days after Jesus had ascended. This means Jesus had just been crucified just a little over month ago. These same Jews that was at this place were the same that were responsible for Jesus being crucified. The Jews gathered here was part of the religious establishments.
  9. Everyone heard each person witness in their own language. Acts 2:6 says 6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. – Every man heard them speak in his own dialect or language. It would equivalent to a group of German students and a group of Russian students coming and sitting down and we all turn around speaking German and Russian to them, though we were never taught to speak their language.
  10. There were witnesses. Acts 2:7-11 says 7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. – They heard them speak in their own tongue, the wonderful works of God. Remember in Acts 1:8 it says 8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. What is a witness? It is someone who testifies of what they have seen and heard. What had the disciples seen and heard? They had seen the wonders of Jesus, so when they spoke the tongues, it was of the wonder works of God. There were witnesses everywhere. Everyone heard them speaking in tongue. Nobody wants to deal with this part of the issue. Everyone wants to just deal with the mixed syllables (tela-um-ba) that you hear people do and they just want to fall out.
  11. There was doubt at first. Acts 2:12-14 says 12And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: – Jesus on one occasion asked the disciples who did the Jews think he was? The Jews could only relate to the Spirit of God they saw working through the prophets. It was Peter that said that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. Jesus said that flesh and blood could not reveal this to him. He said this could only be revealed by his Father in heaven. As a result Jesus told Peter he would give him the keys to heaven. This same Peter was the one who denied Jesus. Peter who had messed up was the same Peter that stood up and addressed what had taken place.
  12. Peter assures them that these people were not drunk. Acts 2:15-17 says 15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: -. Peter reminded them that this was a manifestation of what was prophesied by Joel (found in Joel 2:28-29). The Holy Ghost will bring it back to remembrance for you.
  13. Peter reminds the Jews of the prophecy. Acts 2:18-19 says 18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: – God prophesied that wonders will happen above and below us.
  14. Peter reminds them of who he was. Acts 2:20-21 says 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Peter says this and reminds us that this is coming from someone that messed up before (denying Christ). In other words, now because of the Holy Ghost, if we call on him, we shall be saved. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done.
  15. Peter reminds what was prophesied. Acts 2:22-23 says 22Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: – Peter said there was no fair trial. They knew from the beginning that they wanted to kill Jesus. He told them that Jesus knew this, but had a bigger plan to execute.
  16. When we were taught the 12 tribes of Israel, it was for a reason. Remember that the Jewish people identified with David the greatest king of Israel. Jacob and Leah had a son named Judah (meaning praise). When she had that son, it was from the tribe of Judah that David is born. David comes from the lineage of Leah. From the tribe of Judah also comes Jesus. When Peter makes a reference to David, he really is associating them with what they are familiar with. Peter starts to quote David in Acts 2:24-28 says 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
    1. Peter says let me speak more freely: In Acts 2:29 – 33 he says 29Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
    2. Peter begins to quote Psalms 22: Acts 2: 34- 36 says 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
    3. Now the Jewish people wanted to know what they should do. Peter says in Acts 2: 34- 41 37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. – The Holy Ghost had already come. From that point on anyone who repented and accepted Christ received at that moment the Holy Ghost. You don’t have to wait on him anymore; because at that moment once you received him he came you’re your life. You have the Holy Ghost. He lives within you.
    4. Peter says save ourselves from this wicked generation. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.- The reason why some people have  problem with a big church is because they want it to be about them. They want people to recognize them and their family. They want people to know that they are here, but when you get filled with the Holy Ghost, you empty yourself. I ain’t about you or your name; it is about God’s name. It’s about him being exalted. You decrease so he can increase. The same Holy Ghost and the same Holy Spirit that manifested himself then dwells in us. He gives us power to do more than go through the forms of Religion. We are tired of people who dance, run, and shout, yet have no power. He gives us the power to walk right, talk right, and live right. We ought to be after his anointing and his power to fill us up. We ought to want to be his witness, because when we were in the world, we had all the power to witness to the world. We had no problem telling the people what we wanted from them. We had no problem inviting people to the club. We had no problem walking up to strangers asking what’s up. Now that we are saved, we try to be shy when it comes to talking about the goodness of God. We don’t even want to invite people to walk down the isle to experience God. When you got power though, you have the same boldness that you had in the world. You don’t mind letting somebody know about God, because you have the power to be his witness everywhere. Not just in church, but on your job, on your campus and in your house. You don’t just have power in your church. Your power is portable! He gives us this power and this fullness. It is available and it is inside of you.
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