SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Numbers 22:16-18) (16) "And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:" (17) "For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people." (18) "And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more."
(Numbers 19:16-20) (19) "Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more." (20) "And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do"
(Numbers 31:16) "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD."
(Numbers 31:8) "And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword."
(Revelation 2:14) "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
(Ephesians 4:25-27) (25) "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another." (26) "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" (27) "Neither give place to the devil."
(Ephesians 4:28) "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."
(Ephesians 4:29-30) (29) "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (30) "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
(Hebrews 10:28-29) (28) "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:" (29) "of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
PREFACE SUMMARY
Beloved Church, this message has been on my heart all week concerning how the prophet Balaam got in trouble with God when a heathen King wanted to pay him to curse Israel God's chosen people and I have noticed for some time that some wearing the title of a minister today are like Balaam, they want the best of both worlds with one foot in Heaven and the other one in Hell and the scriptures state in (Proverbs 23:7) "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Saints, the founding scriptures for this timely message is taken from Ephesians the fourth chapter which warns us to put away sin and come clean with an honest conscience before ourselves and before our Holy God.
Dear Saints, God in his word speaks a stern warning for us to not give place to the devil because if we give him an inch, he will become our ruler.
Church, the devil can be compared to a fisherman dangling a lure to entice a fish to grab its meal, only in the end to become the meal of the fisherman for it is easy to notice him when he comes in as a slanderer or tempter but when he is known to be able to disguise himself as an angel of light, he becomes the master deceiver and is not so easy to recognize.
Dear reader, this message is one that is needed today concerning the rise and fall of the prophet of God named Balaam which gave in to the lure of the enemy and in the end cost him his life.
THE WAGES OF SIN
Church, many times, when the enemy plants a contrary thought in our minds instead of rebuking that thought we meditate on it giving it room to grow. "And God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them; Thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed." (Numbers 22:12).
Beloved church, Balaam did what he should have done by inquiring of the Lord, but like many people today he did not listen to what the Lord had to say letting the words of the Lord go in one ear and out the other.
Beloved church, notice (Numbers 22:13) "And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you."
Saints, notice here that Balaam says the Lord refuseth me to leave and church, all too often, we tend to ask God for something and because we don't like His answer, we will leave the open door of opportunity for the devil to come and sow his fiery darts clouding our mind with tempting thoughts.
Saints, the enemy knows what we want, and he will disguise it making it look good to distract us from receiving what God has for us.
Beloved, he will do this through a voice, a dream or even through someone else but remember, the enemy knows what we desire for he has studied us for many years.
(Numbers 22:14-15) "And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us. And Balak sent yet again princes, more honourable than they."
Beloved, the devil may leave you for a little while, but if you left the door of opportunity open, you can be certain that he will come again, and the next time, he will be more cunning becoming more persuasive than before.
Saints, the enemy has a way of making things happen that looks like God did them and without discernment, you will not be able to tell the difference.
Notice beloved that Balaam set his sight on the gift and not the giver: Numbers twenty two verse seventeen says "For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people."
(Numbers 22:21-22) (21) "And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab." (22) "And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass and his two servants [were] with him."
Beloved, God's permissive will allowed Balaam to make his own decision, and notice beloved that Balaam decided to go with the princes of Moab, which was against the Will of God.
Saints, many people ask the question why God was angered when He told him to go but beloved, God never told Balaam to go for we find in in (Numbers 22:12) that God said "Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they [are] blessed."
BALAAM GETS IN TROUBLE WITH GOD
Church, notice the ass tried to warn Balaam on three different occasions that danger was just ahead, but Balaam's mind was determined to do what Balak had requested of him to receive the reward of the enemy rather than listen to and obey the Will of God.
(Numbers 22:28) says "And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, what have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times"
Church, this very scripture proves that Balaam had a one-track mind, and even though God opened the mouth of the ass to speak, we all know that it is not a common practice for any animal to speak.
Beloved, we discover that (Numbers 22: 22-33) clearly describe the actions of the ass which saw the angel of the Lord standing ready to kill Balaam for his disobedience and Balaam was so focused on his own personal satisfaction that he could not see what God had done and notice that in
(Numbers 22:29) "And Balaam said unto the ass, because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now, would I kill thee."
Beloved church, Balaam communicated with the talking ass, yet his mind was so focused upon himself, that he spoke back to the ass accusing it of mocking him and do you not think it strange when an ass or mule that is known for being stubborn knows more than the wicked prophet for hire which would be better said that, "your stubbornness know more than you do.
(Numbers 22:30-33) "And the ass said unto Balaam, [Am] not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since [I was] thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?
Numbers 31-33) (31) "Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face. (32) And the angel of the LORD said unto him, wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because [thy] way is perverse before me: (33) And the ass saw me and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive to the things of God.”
Beloved Saints of God, I often imagine what the children of God looked like as Balaam looked at their tents from the top of the cliff.
Beloved, God had instructed Joshua to have the different tribes pitch their tents in a certain direction with the ark being in the center therefore church, If we study this closely, we will discover what Balaam saw as he looked at Israel from the top of that high cliff, for what he saw would be their tents representing each tribe taking the shape of a cross.
Saints, all through history we find that God worked in shadows showing his greatest plan to redeem fallen man and here we see it as the prophet sees God's chosen people spread out resembling a cross which one day would be his chosen way to smite his Son allowing Him to hang between the Heavens and the Earth to pay the sin debt for all mankind.
Beloved, we find in this chapter, that God allowed Balaam's stubbornness to talk back through the mouth of a stubborn mule and you might ask, "what is so unique in this, well it is because a horse will throw its rider and run off, but a mule will throw its rider and wait on him to get some sense that he will not get his way."
Church, this is typical of the Holy Ghost who sometimes will back off and wait on us to realize that it must be done God’s way for beloved, Balaam was not able to curse what God had blessed but later we find Balak giving a plan of action to cause the Children of Israel to disobey God which would bring the curse upon them. and beloved, that's what is meant when we study the counsel of Balaam.
Dear reader, we discover in Numbers the 23rd chapter, that although Balaam and Balak went their separate ways, yet later Balaam is killed with them because he had come back and told Balak how they could defeat the Children of Israel by leading them into idol worship which caused God to have to punish them.
(Numbers 31:16) "Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD." Balaam caused a stumbling block to be set before God's people causing them to fall."
(Revelation 2:14) says "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."
Beloved Saints, did you know that the word stumbling block comes from the Greek word skandalon skan'-dal-on "scandal" (figuratively, cause of displeasure or sin)-occasion to fall (of stumbling), offense, thing that offends, stumbling block. Wow, beloved, did you know that Balaam made it into God’s book, our bible as one who is to be avoided? (Revelation 2:14)
Saints I hate to say it, but like some of the popular preachers today, Balaam is known for his love of money, popularity, prosperity, worldly fame, and prestige because he devised a plan counseling Balak how to set a stumbling block in front of God's people causing them to fall.
Beloved, although Balaam may have sold the people of God out for a price, even he had a reputation of being a prophet of God therefore beloved, he must have known how to enter God’s presence however the end of the story is that Balaam caused the people of God to sin, and when God instructed the people to hang the heads of the people that had sinned upon a fence facing a certain way to appease His wrath, He also instructed them to place Balaam's head right beside theirs.
Dear Saints of God, let me speak with all the authority of Heaven that any preacher that does not hold to the gospel truth and seeks to become prosperous at the expense of God's people is nothing more than a Balaam selling out the people of God for so called preachers promising them that God will deliver the children from drugs, and burn their devil of debt, he would be no different from the so called gods of other religions.
(Matthew 5:16) "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify God.”
Church, the Lord is stating in this verse that our life is a light to others therefore let us not be like those that want their name in concrete building their own kingdom like some are attempting to do today.
Beloved elders and fellow peers, did you know that what little bit we do for God in a dark world can be likened to striking a match in a dark cave or a dark room, for the flicker of that match can bring hope and light up what seemed like a hopeless situation and
(2 Peter 2:1-3) says "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” (2) "And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." (3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
(2 Peter 2:15) “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness."
PROPHETS FOR HIRE
Beloved Saints and fellow peers, the devil does not want us to know the truth about him and he sure does not want us to find out that we have nothing to fear that he can throw our way because the word says that we are more than conquerors (overcomers) through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
Beloved, they say you are what you eat and what is in your heart will come out therefore, we find that the temptation that got Blaam in trouble which was used by the enemy to blur his spiritual vision that not only got him in trouble with God but ended up costing him his life.
Dear reader, because he could never get the offer of being paid by the heathen King to leave his heart and the thoughts of his heart displayed the reality of who he was and that is what we call, "a prophet for hire."
Beloved, our thoughts shape our actions and this brings into reality the scripture that states (Matthew 12:34) "from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
Beloved, (Luke 6:45) speaks about a good man will bring forth out of the good stored in his heart and the evil man will bring forth of the evil that is stored up in his heart and how many knows that the prophet Balaam did not show that he wanted what is best for God's people?
Church, the children of Israel had just come up out of Egypt and had conquered all their enemies destroying them with God providing for them abundantly as he continually blessed them despite their rebellious ways and bouts of disobedience.
Beloved, they had come to the top of Mt. Pisgah and Moses sent messengers to the king of the Amorites saying "Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink [of] the waters of the well: [but] we will go along by the king's [high] way, until we be past thy borders. (Numbers 21:22)
Beloved Saints, in this message we find that Sihon, the king of the Amorites refused to let them pass through his borders peacefully and gathered his people together to fight against the children of Israel with the children of Israel prevailing in the battle, taking their land, then settling in the plains of Moab. (Numbers 21: 24-35)
(Numbers 22:1) "And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho." Balak, the king of Moab, the son of Zippor and all of Moab became distressed because of Israel and they saw what Israel had done to the Amorites.
(Numbers 22:3) "And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel." Balak, the king, feared that Israel would destroy the Moabites like they had the Amorites.
Church, notice that Balak along with this board of elders discussed a plan of action against the Israelites and set out to hire a man of God by the name of Balaam.
Dear reader, notice that Balaam being a prophet of God supposed to be a mouthpiece with God listened to what they had to say and Saints of God, did you know that when you listen to the words of the enemy it opens the door for access into the mind to start planting his thoughts which go contrary to what is right?
(Numbers 22:8) "And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam."
Beloved, just like many leaders in the church today, the thought of reward had been planted in Balaam’s mind and by having them stay the night, the wicked prophet for hire had time to think on that which was planted for did you know that if you give the devil an inch, he will become your ruler and such was the case of this wicked prophet who later paid for this night with his life but the sad thing is that he ate their food which was unclean to the people of God.
Dear reader, right after the Azusa Street revival, there was an interest in the gospel and to contain their flock, leaders started placing man-made rules and fences (doctrines) around their people to keep them from visiting other ministries.
Beloved, it was not long till church standards were lowered to attract more people but what really happened was they lost sight of the purpose God saved them for and that beloved is for their life to be a light to a lost and dying world.
Dear reader, with the standard lowered and the lack of a disciplined prayer life in the leaders, there was a vacuum opened for the false prophets to move in and it did not take very long for people to realize that they could profit from the ministry by pretending to be operating in the spiritual gifts receiving large offerings attempting to build their own kingdom.
Beloved, apostasy has set in and such is the picture of many churches today with pastors dealing with extreme pressures from a world as a whole that rejects God and anything he stands for.
Saints, many people today tend to seek out a church that is lax on sin and allow them to feel comfortable instead of facing their sin which causes them to leave more entertained than elevated.
Beloved, did you know that many preachers today do not believe in the virgin birth which is an essential requirement to receive God's free pardon for sin?
Dear reader, the truth is, "these self-centered people seek for a gospel that allows the flesh to stay alive, one that does not demand a sacrifice for man's fallen nature or in other words, they seek for a feel-good gospel."
Beloved, for us to get back on the right path, there are two foundational stones that must be in place which are Love and Unity with harmony.
Beloved, these stones must also be in place for the gifts of the Spirit to operate in the church, for the gifts of the Holy Spirit will not function without unity and love in the body of Christ, and they will not be present when we maintain our selfish attitudes.
Dear reader, let's look at today's church as it is portrayed to a lost and hurting world and we might discover what is lacking that is keeping us from revival.
Beloved reader, we need to ask the question, "Why am I here?"
Beloved, did you know that there are times when the church forgets why it exists and even Christians seem to forget what Jesus saved them for which is to be his body on earth that can reach out with the love of Jesus to a confused world that is looking for answers and a reason to live?
Dear reader, many today are like the prophet Balaam who seem that everything revolves around them and tend to think that church is all about them slacking in their prayer life thinking that their relationship with Jesus is totally focused on their agenda and needs but beloved, I want to re-emphasize that it is not about us but about Him.
Saints, the church was borne in power and we each are chosen by God to fill the right place in the body of Christ and no one else can do what we have been chosen to do for God foreknew us before creating us in the womb therefore, the bottom line is he wants us to flow in the body and fulfill His call upon our life.
Beloved, one of the problems in todays society is that some have developed pride and thought they could isolate themselves from the body and build their own kingdom going so far as to call themselves "God's man for the hour.
Dear reader, this mindset causes them to be isolated from their covering and leads people to associate their gifts to the person and not the body.
Church, did you not know that God sees all of us as one body; the body of Christ?
Beloved, because of the Luke warmness that infiltrated many of the churches today, we have slipped in to an apostasy of spiritual confusion and a darkness so thick that people have started calling good evil and evil good.
Saints, we now have people that were born in the era called the baby boomers who mostly were involved in the protest of the Vietnam War which were known for living it up on college campuses with their free love and unprotected sex.
Beloved, did you know that we now have some of these same people holding offices in our government?
Dear reader, we have teachers using books in our school teaching evolution and denying creation telling our young people that life does not mean anything that we were merely a tadpole that came out of the ocean or the offspring from a monkey and recently they are attempting to bring drag queens in our schools before our young children.
Beloved, the bottom line to this message is people have spent to many nights sleeping with the devil allowing MTV and other ungodly TV programs raise their kids which has made them rebellious teens with no respect for the life of others.
GOD PROVIDES A REMEDY
(Hebrews 10:28-29) (28) "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:" (29) "of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
Saints, what punishment would be worse than to die without mercy and how dreadful when someone rejects the plan of God abusing his mercy and grace including his matchless foreboding love?
Beloved, if we die without accepting God’s redemption plan, the law of God is going to demand full payment for our sins and cause us to become guilty of the blood that was shed by the Lord Jesus causing the abused grace and mercy of God to call for vengeance.
Church, the blessed word in (Hebrews 9:14) clearly shows Christ offering His blood through the Eternal Spirit to establish an everlasting covenant with God which satisfied God’s wrath when he gave his life as a ransom for us all.
(Hebrews 9:14) "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Beloved, the blood of Christ not only protects including placing a barrier between us and the enemy, but it cleanses us from all sin allowing a murderer to be forgiven allowing the risen Christ to live His life through them.
Yes, dear reader, God made the way plain and it is up to us to either accept his pardon for our sin or reject it and be found guilty before an angry God who at death will require the innocent blood of His Son upon our head.
Beloved, let’s face it, there is no other religion that can take the guilt and stain of blood from a murder’s hands but Christianity which is not a religion but is based on a personal relationship with God.
Saints, the scriptures teach that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all unrighteousness and you might ask how his red blood is able to make us white as snow,
Dear Saints, it is a spiritual transformation that takes place in the heart of man and just as one would apply soap to wash their body, we apply the blood in receiving his great sacrifice and daily reading his word to enrich our soul.
Beloved Saints, one can work in a soap factory and even stand next to it, but it will not clean unless it is applied therefore, we apply the blood in receiving his gift of salvation which is given freely without merit.
Dear church, God chose the foolishness of preaching to save them that will believe in his (Jesus) virgin birth, death, and resurrection.
Dear reader, Jesus is the other Adam, and he was once one of us having a human soul including a human spirit. Saints, the word states in (Isaiah 53:10) that “Thou shall make his soul an offering for sin.”
Beloved this means Jesus the other Adam had a soul and spirit just like you and me. Church, the word also states that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
Beloved, my thoughts on this would be (re-consolidating the debt into one) or (Recolonizing) which would be God’s way of life.
Dear reader, Jesus not only had a soul, but we find in (Isaiah 53:10-11) states that his soul (Jesus) was made an offering for sin, and verse (11) states that “thou shalt see the travail or anguish of his soul and be satisfied. Church, the reward of his sufferings is to establish his church here on Earth that the redeemed family of God may enjoy fellowship with our father.”
Saints, the true church of God made up of believers in his finished work through Christ is not a religion like all the others but a way of life maintaining a relationship with a wonderful God who desires a family, therefore beloved, when we accept Jesus as our savior, we are adopted into God’s family as heirs.
Beloved, did you know that Jesus is the only name that God will recognize and we find in (Acts 4:12) the word stating that "There is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved."
Beloved, the Bible takes sin very seriously, more so than perhaps any other religion, mainly because Sin alienates us from the presence of God, and beloved, because Sin is rooted in the heart of man, Sin cannot be removed by any man made self-help program.
Saints, no other religion on this planet has any viable help to offer for the removal of sin and I close with a well-documented fact that happened in Chicago that caused a stir among the many world religions that had their representatives there to prove their religion was the way to God but in the end beloved, every religion except Christianity provided away for sin to be dealt with which would remove the guilt and the satin of sin from a murderer including someone that had been molested to willing to forgive their perpetrator and live a normal life.
Beloved, the sin nature passed upon the human race inherited through the fall of Adam demanded the blood shed at Calvary for the remission of sins. In the face of human need, the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone could meet the need and I do not care what our past is like or what we have done even to the place of being confined in a prison, the devil cannot hold our past against us as to make us feel guilty because once we have accepted the blood of Christ as God’s requirement for our sin, we are set free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:2) says, ‘For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death that we might become the righteousness (right standing with God) of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Beloved, did you know that when we have made peace with God through the blood of his cross, this peace will cause a person to be able to forgive someone who has violated them or their family such as a rapist or even a murderer for they now see the real picture and that is that people without a changed nature who have not dealt with the sin problem will act like and serve their master which is Satan.
Saints, thank God for a wonderful God that predestined our birth and life for his cause and purpose.
Dear reader, thank God for the blood of Jesus which will protect us from evil, make our life count and keep the enemy from bringing his facts against us.
Beloved, the world has the peace of God but we who are saved have peace with him because we have been cleansed by the blood of God’s precious lamb.
Dear reader, the fellowship we lost through Adam can now be restored by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus as God’s final payment for our sin.
Beloved, now that we have gleaned from this study and discovered that our birth on Earth was not an accident but predestined for his divine purpose, let us fall before him in reverence and ask him to forgive our sins and transgressions.
ENCOURAGING WORDS
Saints, I always like to give away out when God has me deliver a stern message and there may be some people like Balaam in the church today who are in it for the money, but I believe God is getting an Army together that have braved the storms of life and have been conditioned through severe trials to meet the enemy on every front.
Beloved, you will be surprised to find that many of these powerful soldiers of the cross are not known by the religious hierarchy of our day, however, these men and women have had to fight for every inch of ground gained because of their past mistakes, and they are not easily fooled by worked up flesh.
Saints, these men and women have been through God’s school of grace and have their degree, because they have not had anything given to them, but they have qualified for it through their training in the field and yes Saints of God, our undesirables who make up the forgotten church of the hedge will be the worship leaders and the leaders of clergy in this last push by the Spirit of God to rescue as many as possible from Satan’s rebellion.
(Psalms 113:7-8)
Beloved, did you know that there are times when the church forgets why it exists, and even some Christians seem to forget what Jesus saved them for, thinking church is all about them.
Church some people think that their relationship with Jesus is totally focused on their agenda and needs, but I want you to know it is not about us but about Him.
Saints, there is a lost and hungry world out there that is looking for answers and we have them, because some of us have been through the fire as we braved the tests of life and because we had the fire in us before went in the fire, we have gained strength from our battles.
Beloved Saints, strength is what is on the inside of us not what is on the out-side, and we can use a good illustration by going to our bathroom and examine a tube of tooth paste.
Notice beloved, when you squeeze it, what is on the inside will come out unless it is near empty then you may have to roll it therefore beloved, If we turn everything over to God, He promises to be our strength.
Saints, did you know that we do not have to be strong in the physical to be strong in the spiritual, because when we have Jesus on the inside, we have all the strength we need in any given situation.
Dear God, my prayer is, bring us back to humility and cause us to not glory in any of our achievements as one that is proud but help us keep our eyes on you the author and finisher of our faith.
Dear Lord, help us to be like Daniel and pray a prayer that will shake a whole empire to its knees, and help us not to glory in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ.
Saints, don’t you know there is a powerful strength and force in unity, and we are here to be a light to bring hope, meaning and purpose in a life that is searching for the truth, that they through our wisdom may be released from the enemy’s hold on their life, therefore let us labor together for the common cause of souls, for as we flow together in unity, we will see the power and love of God begin to spread all around us.
Beloved, the enemy knows his time is short and that is why he tries to bring division in the body but beloved, I have always said that if a brother or sister draws a circle and leaves you out, swallow your pride and draw a bigger circle bringing them in.
Church, God wants us to prosper and flow in the body as children of faith and power desiring that we live circumspectly in this cruel world making the most out of every opportunity, and when we miss an opportunity, it cannot be reclaimed.
Saints, some tend to complain about giving a little time to God’s work and evangelism, but beloved, every moment is a precious gift from God, and he wants us to manage our time and invest it in something worth-while.
Beloved, did you know that there is strength in working together?
Saints, too many have the mistaken idea that the building is the church, but beloved, the scriptures teach that God’s Son Jesus is not coming back for buildings but for a bride that hath made herself ready, and we are not here to fill up space, nor are we here to build our own kingdom.
Beloved, the church was borne in unity and we each are chosen to fill the right place in the body, because God wants us to flow in his body exemplifying his love that his call may be fulfilled upon our life.
Church, we have come to a climax (contest) of the church age, and in order to have a firm base and foundation for the work of the Holy Spirit, we must have unity and love, therefore, these are the two foundational stones that must be in place for the gifts of the Spirit to operate.
Beloved, did you know that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will not function without unity and love in the body of Christ therefore beloved Saints, we need to start caring for one another and quit being selfish and isolated, including having the right attitude toward God and our fellow men.
Saints, do you know we are bound by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and not doctrines or denominations, therefore because we are the Body of Christ on Earth and Jesus is the Head of the Body, we carry His Authority with us everywhere we go.
Beloved, it is not Jesus who is physically walking on the Earth today, and God wants us to know that the authority that He delegated to Jesus was delegated unto his church which is his body the fullness of him who filleth all.
Saints, when we understand that the church is described as a body, we see ourselves as belonging to each other in a unique way, because being a member of his body is not a matter of meeting together once a week and clocking in for worship and clocking out wanting only a weekend service where we leave more entertained than elevated.
In closing beloved, according to the book of Matthew, the church should be on the offensive breaking down the gates of hell and invading the territory of the devil for he has already been unseated and the only power he has is what we give him, therefore church, God is in the process of building a church that has the mindset of an Army and not the mindset of a hospital, therefore let’s take God at his word, believe his report, and see the power of God on display.
MY CONCLUSION
Beloved, my prayer is that you have been enlightened to just how dangerous sin can be to a Christian and not be like the wicked prophet for hire Balaam who asked the enemy to spend the night so he could devise a scheme to get the reward offered by the wicked kings which later proved to be the very thing that cost him his life.
Saints, if we are going to talk the talk we must hold ourselves accountable to walk the walk because there is a hurting world looking for answers and they are looking for a reason to find fault in a Christian to ease their conscience.
Beloved, our mouth speaks from the depth of our heart and our walk with God is only right when we desire the things that God desires and that is for us to desire what is righteous and never compromise the truth and our faith for material benefits of this world which in the end shall perish.
Church, we should remember that no one can curse what God has decided to bless for it would be like a dog attempting to stop a train and we all know what the end of that attempt would be, therefore beloved saints, we should never compromise the truth to appease others and never confuse the differences including the boundaries between right and wrong.
Church, we must realize that our God is a God of possibilities and he will use whatever means necessary including a talking donkey to direct and show us what is his will and purpose in a situation in-order to fulfill his plan for his people.
Beloved, the bottom line in this message is for us to remember that God sees our heart and he knows our true character therefore although there are people that will try to get ahead at the expense of others, God is still in charge and when others entice and tempt you to do the wrong thing that may offer a sizeable reward, just rejoice in the fact that you already have a reward in your relationship with Jesus which allows you to call the Living God your father.
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
