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Volume 33   Number 42 Oct 18, 2009

Rev. Celester Neeley -- PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION

        Isaiah 55:8-11: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to Me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
        God remembers His covenant He has given us; He never forgets. He remembers the things He has birthed in our hearts. God is building His Kingdom through imperfect vessels, and it is vital that we raise up people to reach the next generation. There are four things we can do to prepare the next generation.
        (1) The world is in spiritual darkness which covers the earth. You have the light of Jesus, and you must let your light shine. Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
        (2) Create strong Christians by teaching them how to pray, read the Bible, and find God’s will for their lives. Teach them to go to the same source that teaches you. The same Jesus who works through you can work through them.
        (3) Make decisions pleasing to God. Get the Word of God into you, and it works.
        (4) Learn to confront the giants in your life, whether emotional, mental, spiritual, fear, etc. Remember that fear and faith cannot occupy the same space.
        Jeremiah 29:11-13: “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. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Rev. John Carlos -- DESTINY

        Matthew 4:1:11: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
        Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge concerning you,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
        Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
        When Jesus became man, it was established from eternity. God desired a big family in the likeness of Jesus, and He created man in God’s image by His words. Jesus came as a man, lived a perfect life, and He died to redeem mankind and start a whole new creation. God’s perfect plan for your life is His destiny for you. The will of God is not just to go to heaven but to live out what He has for you now. However, Satan also has a destiny for you. Remember that Jesus, the man, was tempted by Satan, and Jesus was in a fight for His destiny.
        Here are three things to fulfill your destiny. (1) PROVISION—Submit to God, your provider. When God is your provider, your destiny will be fulfilled. Choose to live by the Word of God. Jesus said to Satan, “It is written….” Who is the source of your provision? Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Who will you trust to be your provider?
        (2) PROTECTION---Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus knew that the cross would be a high price to pay for mankind. But God’s love is a suffering love, and Jesus was willing to die for all mankind whether they accepted Him or not. How much do you trust in God’s protection? He is your shield and security.
        PROMOTION---Satan offered Jesus an easy way to promotion. To get promoted, be what God wants you to be. Promotion is costly in the Kingdom of God, because it is promotion based on godly principles. You have to “be” to be promoted. How dependent on God are you? Jesus was totally dependent on God; that is why God promoted Him.
        Philippians 2:5-9: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming into the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.

Pastor Phil Wiley -- A PASSION FOR HIS PRESENCE

        Exodus 19:1-6: In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the say day they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. For they had departed from Rephidim (place of thirst where Moses had struck the rock), had come to the Desert Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped before the mountain.
        And Moses WENT UP TO GOD, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed OBEY my voice and KEEP My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure (that which is of great value and belongs exclusively to the Lord) to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests (the priests only had access into Father’s house) and a holy nation’ (a nation set apart from Egypt and the world and set apart unto the Lord). These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
        It was God’s desire to have a kingdom of priests. At first, only Moses went up to God; later there was a priesthood established. But it had been God’s desire to have a kingdom of priests who would come into His presence.
        Psalm 105:1-15: Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore.
        He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations. The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant. Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.” When they were but few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people. He permitted no one to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”
        The Lord established His COVENANT, His PROMISE, and His WORD. Verse 19: Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. This is in reference to Joseph. The word of Lord that tried him was a Rhema type word or a spoken word that tested him. In order to come into the covenant promises, as a priest of the Lord who is able to come into His presence, there will be a test. Or you could say, the word you have from the Lord is going to be tested.
        Now we are going to see three levels of ministry. (1) MINISTER TO THE HOUSE. Ezekiel 44:11,14: “Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and all that has to be done.
        (2) MINISTER TO THE PEOPLE. They were allowed to minister to the people. Today we see this as the priority ministry, but not according to the Word. In fact, you can do all of this and still have issues in your heart, as we see in the next verses.
        (3) MINISTER TO THE LORD. Ezekiel 44:15-16: “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray (rebellion, self-willed, undisciplined) from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,” says the Lord God. “They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.”
        This is what God wanted all the time, but at that time only the sons of Zadok were obedient. Today we can come through the blood of Jesus. However, many only want to minister to the house and to the people and never even think of ministering to the Lord or even know or understand what that means. In Acts 13:2, it says that the disciples ministered to the Lord and fasted, then they ministered to the people.
        1 Peter 2:9-10: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
        There are many scriptures that speak of seeking the face of God. Here are two. Psalm 105:4: Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore. Isaiah 55:6: Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Also a key scripture is Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
        That is what happened on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-4: Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
        Here is a priesthood preparing to enter in and to press in. They were in one accord or unity in one place. There is a lot to be said about being together in unity in one location seeking the Lord. Every tribe, and every tongue, every language, and everyone will worship. Then there are those “suddenly seasons” when there is a sound from heaven, and there is a release of the wind of the Holy Spirit, and the fire of God is released upon His seeking priesthood. It is time to seek the Lord.