How to Overcome the Hee Haw Blues

When seemingly bad things happen to us we often get bogged down in all kinds of  doubts and questions of why is all this happening to me? When we do this our focus is then turned away from the Lord to self and poor pitiful me! Why me? Why me? And we begin to sing Kris Kristoffersons old song “Why me Lord what have I ever done to deserve even one of the troubles I’ve known” and Than if we’re not real careful we step it up a notch and will begin to sing the He Haw blues!.. Some of you are old enough to remember this song as well ? “Blue despair and agony on me deep dark depression excessive misery if it weren’t for bad luck Id have no luck at all, blue despair and agony on me! .. So how should we respond when seemingly negative things go wrong and come against us?

First we keep our minds off the thing coming against us and we keep our minds set on the Lord.

Isaiah 26:3 (amp) you will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You

There is nothing more valuable than peace! Especially the peace that comes from God.. I believe that Gods peace will become one of the most precious commodities in these last days. Those who walk in it will be a lot less fearful and tormented than those who don’t. As Christians we are called to live and walk in Gods peace but this peace only comes one way. When we keep our minds stayed on the One that is in complete control of every aspect of our lives and we believe Rom 8:28 that’s says All things work together for good for those who love God and are called to His purpose also on down in verse 31 that says If God is for us who or what can be against us? And notice how the amplified puts it. God will keep us in perfect and constant peace whose mind is stayed on You because we have committed ourselves full to Him and we lean on Him and confidently put our hope in Him.

For the Christian we do not have good days and bad days, We don’t have great days and then days that really suck.. It’s not Sweet and Sour .. No! … it’s All Good! So how can I say it’s all good when negative things seem to be happening to me ? Because absolutely nothing is negative when God is always fully in control, unless you think He’s on a vacation or forgotten your address.. or does not really see or care about your needs. Now I’m not saying it’s always easy to choose to set our minds on the goodness of the Lord when things seem to go wrong but its our choice do we sing the He Haw Blues or do we instead keep our minds set on the One who’s mind is always set on us? Do we begin to believe and confess that we are going to have a real bad day or do we choose to give thanks in the middle of it all?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

As we begin to give thanks knowing God is always in control and working all things out for good and for His greater purpose than His peace will rule and rein in our hearts and lives.. It’s only when we turn our eyes off the Lord and on to poor pitiful me that we begin to sink in despair. We all remember the story of Joseph, how that when Joseph shared his dream with his brothers they took him and threw him into a pit and then sold him as a slave to Egyptians and this was just the beginning of Josephs seemingly bad luck and If anyone had the right to sing the He Haw blues Joseph did but the bible says that Joseph kept his mind set on God and at the end Joseph told His brothers what you meant for evil God meant for good. We must resolve like Joseph that It’s all good and that God sees everything and has a plan. We may not see it immediately but the end result will always be more than good. Our life is hid in God and he is not only close He is in you. He is working out His plan in and through you. God did not forsake Joseph and He will never leave nor forsake you. Lets listen to what the apostle Paul had to say about trials.

Philippians 4:10-12 Amplified Bible (AMP) 10 I was made very happy in the Lord that now you have revived your interest in my welfare after so long a time; you were indeed thinking of me, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. 12 I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

So what was Paul’s secret of being able to face every situation whether good or bad? Its simple first Paul saw every situation as good! It’s all good because God is still on the throne and He is the one who ultimately is watching over me. Paul kept his mind set on the one who’s mind is set on him and than the other secret is found in verse 13 13 I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Wow when I read this it was like I saw it for the first time ! Paul’s secret to face any situation was the Spirit of Christ who was in him supplying him with supernatural strength to face any situation that might come his way! We really do need to understand that we have something that Joseph and all the rest in the Old Testament did not have! God was with them but God is now in us! As we tap into the grace of God in us we can face and go through anything and everything that comes our way with confidence and supernatural peace.. Maybe this is why Jesus said what He said before He left. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] Jesus did not just leave and say good luck you’re on your own! Do the best you can till I get back! No! Yes He left but He did come back. He sent His Spirit to move into us and to live in us. To give us grace which is Gods supernatural ability for us to live far beyond what is natural. I mean how can a person have peace when everything seems to be falling apart? One word Grace and Gods grace is available to us 24/7 to help us in the time of need.

Hebrews 4:16 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Awakening

Do you know what a real awakening is? It may not be what you think. An awakening is really not receiving more of God. I have always said when you got saved and received Christ you have all the Jesus that you will ever have ! You don’t get more of Jesus or more of God but you awaken to what you have already been given in Christ.  Now  I  want to make another shocking statement after you are saved you cannot get any closer to God than what you already are ! You often hear christians say I just want to get closer to God. Well let me ask you a question how much closer top God can you get than being in Him? In fact I will take it a step further how much closer to God than you get than being one with Him? What One with Him that s sounds like blasphemy! I know to the religious mind it does sound like blasphemy because the religious mind sees itself still imperfect and separate from God trying its best to get closer through its much doing but I want to remind you that I didn’t say we were one with God in fact God himself is the one we were one with Him.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For 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.

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Until we see ourselves joined to the Lord and One with Him we will always see ourselves separate from Him and as we see ourselves separate from Him that s when our struggle begins to earn and work our way to get closer to Him. We must awaken to the reality truth that God is not way up there and we are way down here doing our best to reach Him but that we are actually right now seated with Him and that He is in us and we have been perfectly united and joined with Him! As we awaken to this reality we will then begin to experience His glory.

How is it that we have become so blind to reality truths about Christ in us?

Well first the enemy has kept much of the church blind and therefore contained through the reading of the Law.

2 Cor 3:15-18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Yes, …down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.  But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

Did you know that when we teach others to embrace grace for salvation  and than turn around and tell people they must now read and do there best to keep the law for living we are actually being used by the enemy to promote blindness,immaturity and containment rather than freedom and glory?

The Law was good for the reason the Law was given but it is very clear that once a person comes to Christ they are no longer to look to the law as a way for living but to Christ.

I am convinced that much of the church has experienced what they have called great awakenings throughout history because they turned from religion and legalism back to Christ. They experienced revival because they were awakened to truth present truth reality of who they already were in Christ and Gods unconditional love for them.

Emancipation happens as we turn from the law back to the Lord! but if we than turn from the Lord back to religion and the law we once again become blind and imprisoned.

God is awakening us to many reality truths in these last days that will ultimately usher in His Glory

Grace and Gods Love

Grace and Gods Love

 Grace Imparts righteousness and empowers us to walk upright before God  and forgives when we fall but the Law demands what we cannot do and then condemns us for not doing what it demanded.

Grace frees us from sin and its power over us.. Grace is God’s love and favor extended toward us

You cannot preach too much grace.. Those who teach you must preach grace but also teach people to keep the law do not understand grace. You do not try and balance grace with the law. This creates another gospel. The gospel is not the gospel of grace and law. The gospel is the gospel of grace period, not law and grace but grace,grace,grace.

If you touch water you will get wet. If you touch grace it will affect your walk with God. You cannot touch grace without being affected by it. Everyone that touched Christ with faith was healed. Grace is the power of God to save, deliver and heal. If you jump into the water you will be wet from head to toe, likewise if you jump into Gods grace it will carry you where ever it desires. We can trust grace to carry us and to do its work in us and through us!                                                                                                                         I love Ezekiel chapter 47 because it speaks of a river which I feel represents Gods great grace. The rivers that Ezekiel stepped into were first ankle deep, than they were knee deep, than they were to the loins and after the loins they were over the head and waters to swim in. I believe that the ankle, knee and loins deep represents our level of stepping in to Gods grace yet still trying to maintain our own Independence, but God wants us to be over our heads in grace. God wants us to dive into His grace and as we do His grace will carry us where ever it desires. His grace will not only heal us but others as well. This river is God’s Grace and the life of God that flows around us in us and through us. It is through the new covenant that God has actually place this river of Grace inside of us and it will spring up in us like a great artesian well. Remember what Christ said to the women at the well?

John 14:14 But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. As we drink from the well of grace than grace will spring up inside of us and will not only affect us but others who we come into contact with.

Grace is all we need to be righteous and live Holy in this life you will begin to change from the inside out as you fully embrace grace! Grace will change your attitude and desires and grace will set you free from unbelief and make you strong in the faith and in confidence toward God

Grace should not be treated as just another doctrine in our harem of doctrines. Grace is not just another doctrine or teaching grace is the gospel, grace is the spirit of God and Grace is Gods unconditional love toward us. We are saved by grace through faith and saved doesn’t mean just going to heaven one day. Saved means to be healed, delivered and to be made whole. The rivers bring healing. Ezekiel 47 said that everything the river touched was healed! We need grace every day. We need to jump into grace, dive into grace, rest in grace and let grace have her way in our lives and carry us where ever it desires

Grace will set us free from the power of sin. Romans 6:6 says that sin will no longer have dominion over you when you’re in grace. Sin will lose its grip on your life as grace gains full control. Now I feel like the Lord has shown me something today, when we see the word sin in the bible we often think of the really bad sins like fornication and adultery but Instead of using the word sin use the word unbelief. Did you know the biggest sin in the world today is not fornication or all these other really bad sins we may think of but it’s the sin of unbelief? because unbelief is the sin that prevents Gods grace from working in a person’s life!. Remember the only place that Jesus was limited was in his own home town.

Mark 6:4-6  But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.  And he marveled because of their unbelief

 

As we believe Gods love toward us it will satisfy us. We will not than continue to look for love in all the wrong places. Most sin is the result of people trying to fill their lives up with other things besides God. They are in essence looking for Love in all the wrong places.

Country singer Eddy rabbit sang a hit song years ago entitled “looking for love in all the wrong places”. This is what the entire world is doing. It’s looking for love in all the wrong places; it is only as we see and receive Gods great unconditional love for us that we will ever be completely satisfied!

The woman at the well was looking for love in all the wrong places. She was drinking from the wrong well.  She had been married 5 times and the one she was living with now was not her husband. Jesus told her if she continued on the path she was on drinking from the same old well that she would continue to be unsatisfied, she would always thirst again and again but if she would drink from the well that Christ offered, she would never thirst again. I’m mean never. Jesus is the great satisfier!  Our future is knocking on the door of our hearts and He is waiting for us to let Him in.

The Rolling Stones also sang a song years ago entitled  I can’t get no satisfaction, though I try and try  I can’t get no satisfaction.. This song really is reality of an empty thirsty world looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places. We are satisfied when we believe and receive Christ’s love for us and we continue to walk in His Love

Unbelief is the greatest sin in the world and in the church today anything that is not of faith is sin. Why unbelief?, Because unbelief limits Gods grace from working in our lives and  If there is no grace than there will be no change and no freedom.

I want to close with this scripture

1 John 4:16 and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.

 

 

 

True and False Humility

True humility always agrees with Gods word and what God says about our present reality.It is not a humble thing to say ” Im just a poor old sinner saved by grace”. That may sound humble but it is not humble because it does not represent the true reality of who we are now in Christ. True humility rather says I was a poor old sinner but I have been saved by Gods grace and now I am the righteousness of God in Christ because old things ( my sin nature ) have passed away and all things have been made new and all things are now of God ! 2 Cor 5:17-18. True Humility says I am now joined to the Lord and have actually become One Spirit with Him!  1 Cor 6;17 . True Humility says I am once and for all forgiven of all sins and have a new nature now created in Christ. Now this may sound arrogant to say all these things but it is not arrogant but Humble. Its humble because you are simply believing what God says about your current reality over what you may even feel sometimes. It is not a humble thing to deny that Christ lives in you. This is actually working against Gods grace. Humility says ‘Its no longer I who lives but it is Christ who now lives in me both to will and to do His good pleasure. Humility is very vital to the works of God Why? because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Jesus walk in Humility even when He said before Abraham was I AM ! This sounded real arrogant to the Pharisees but it was not arrogance speaking it was the truth. We must agree with all that God says about our present reality in Christ.

The Promise Land is His Rest

Did you know why Gods people could not enter into the promised land and instead wandered around for 4o years in the wilderness? One word unbelief! They could not enter because of unbelief. Today God challenges us to not make the same mistake that they did or we too can wind up becoming wilderness wanderers instead of promise land possessors. Today we must also understand what our promised land is . God calls it Rest. God has called us to not only enter His Rest but to Live in Rest. Everything we do as Christians should be done from a position of Rest. Rest is the only place that we will ever experience all that God has for us on this earth. What does it mean to enter His rest? lets allow the scripture to speak for itself.

Hebrews 4:1-11

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

² For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

³ For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

⁴ For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

⁵ And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

⁶ Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

⁷ Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

⁸ For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

⁹ There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

¹¹ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

It is very clear that God is equating the promised land and His Rest as one in the same. God says we are to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying concerning entering His Rest and make it our sole priority to enter into  and remain in Gods Rest. Man was created to live in Rest. God created man at the end of the 6th day so mans first day was the day of Rest. Gods desire for man has always been to live in and out of Rest. It wasnt until man fell that he then moved from rest into unrest but God has provided a way through the cross (the tree of life ) for man to now move out of fear and unrest back into rest,faith and a simple  love relationship with God.

Religion limits rest to a certain day but rest  in the new covenant is not to limited to a certain day but rest again is the place that we are to actually live  and inhabit. Just as God instructed His people in the old testament to inhabit or posses the promised land he now instructs us to possess and inhabit and live in rest. Why does God want us to live in rest ? because Rest is the only place that we can really commune with God and know God. Rest is also the place where all of  Gods provision and blessings are released into our lives. Rest is the place of a land flowing with milk and honey!

So how do we enter His rest? We enter in through faith! faith in what? Faith in the finished work of the cross for righteousness!

¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The only way to enter Gods rest is to stop trying to earn what God has already given to us through Christ!. Religion will push you into works to try and earn or keep Gods favour but in the new testament  God says you have my favour and you are in right standing with me through the blood of my Son and their is absolutely nothing left for you to do to earn it or maintain it , just believe that It is finished !

When someone hands you a list of things that you must now do as a christian to  keep and  to stay in my favour tell them you are  already are permanently in Gods favour because of the blood! In fact God loves you so much that He has permanently joined Himself together with you never to be separated again!

1 Corinthians 6:17

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

God really does wake up to this reality. If we have believed in Christ then we have been joined to Him and  have actually become One with Him. We have got to renew our minds to the truth of this reality. We are not sinners saved by grace we are now new creations in Christ and are made to be the righteousness of God in Christ. We are just as accepted as Gods Son ! We are just as righteous as Jesus Christ! When someones asks you how are you doing? I can say that Im doing just as good as Jesus is doing..

What is Jesus doing? Is He busy working and striving trying to stay in Gods favour. No!!! He is sitting at the right hand of the father and where does the Bible say we are right now? We are seated with Him ! How can this be? Because we have been joined with Him, We are one Spirit with Him and when Christ was raised we too were raised with Him! This is not the word of Rick Sarver this is the word of God.

Eph 2:4-9

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The only way that we can  enter His Rest is to believe the report of what God has already done to us, for us and in us  in Christ

To insist on working for what God has already given is unbelief and will keep you out of Gods rest and wandering in the wilderness.

Will God still take care of you in your wilderness wandering? Yes He will! Just as He took care of those in the old testament. The Bible said that their shoes didnt even wear out! but was the wilderness Gods perfect will for them? no! just as it is not His perfect will for us. We can be saved ,go to church every sunday and still be wilderness wanderers. There is a place that God is calling us to enter into today! and its called His Rest.

For those who insist on working for righteousness. God says why are you wandering around in the wilderness of works and unbelief ,you act like the cross wasnt enough for you? The way to enter into the Rest of God is to full believe in the finished work of the cross !

Numbers 13

Now I feel like the Lord reminded me about what kept the children of Israel from entering into the promised land  is the same thing that keeps most of the church  from entering today.

Remember when Moses sent 12 spies out to spy out the land? They spied out the land for 40 days and when they came back 10 came back with a report that said we cannot go! We cannot enter His rest , Its too difficult but their were 2 that said the very opposite! In fact they said we are well abl to to possess the land because God has given it to us to possess! Well we know what happened. Gods people believed the 10 over the 2 and because they did they did not enter in the Promised land.

Now this is what I feel the Lord has shown me. The 10 that prevented Gods people from entering His rest represents the Law! or the 10 commandments.The 2 represent Gods provision and faithfulness !. The word Joshua itself means Saviour and Caleb faithfulness. THese are the two that said they could enter yet they believed the 10 over the 2! What am I saying? Im saying that the main thing that has kept Gods people out of  Gods Rest and experiencing His abundance is they are still embracing the Law, when they should be only embracing Christ and His faithfulness!

We enter Gods Rest through Jesus Christ and Gods faithfulness. We enter in when we simply believe what God has promised that He has already accomplished through His Son!