Worship Decrees God’s Kingdom in the Earth

The River Church

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.  — Revelation 11:15 

You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you: and the light shall shine upon your ways. - Job 22:28

We are often told that worship is an attitude of the heart, that we can do it without ever uttering a word from our lips, and that all of life should be an expression of worship to the Lord.  Although this is true, and heartfelt adoration of the Lord is of much greater value than mere lip service, today I would like to focus on the huge impact that spoken, out loud worship has on the world around us. 

A few weeks ago, we mentioned that worship is a weapon of our warfare.  It puts the devil’s forces in disarray, as we see in the story of Jehoshaphat’s victory, in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.  The worship that brought about that victory was verbal, not an inward adoration alone. 

Worship is the sound of heaven.  When we worship, we unite with heaven to bring about the will of God in the earth.  Every time we speak or sing of the majesty, greatness, power, and glory of God, we are decreeing it and affirming it in the earth and over the powers of darkness.  We establish God’s authority, His glory, in the earth by verbalizing it. 

What this means is that, when we extol God’s love and mercy in our worship, it is a holy decree that then increases the establishment of His love and mercy around us.  When we adore Him for His faithfulness, His faithfulness is released in the atmosphere around us to a greater degree.  When we sing of His greatness, His goodness, His power, those things are loosed among us.  This is not to say that God’s mercy, faithfulness, greatness, and all the wonderful qualities that make up His character are limited in some way, and that we make them bigger by our worship.  No, God is already limitless in His goodness.  But there is a cooperating between us and heaven that takes place through worship that causes the goodness of God to be manifested more fully in the earth when we honor Him aloud for those things.

The River Church

Need Your Tank Filled?

The River Church

“Pull over and let Me fill your tank.”  Those were the words I heard while asking God what to write for this devotional. 

It’s hard for us to come to a full stop and rest in the Lord’s Presence.  We know we should, but the urgencies around us scream, “No! Wait! You’ve got to do this, and this, and this!”  Many of us are running on spiritual empty, while God is pleading with us to come aside with Him and be replenished.  We may not even have been neglecting prayer.  Faithful intercessors can become malnourished by not deliberately taking time to just enjoy the Lord. 

If we’re running low, how do we get our spiritual tanks refilled?  Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “… be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always ….”  Worshipping and thanking God for who He is and what He has done prepares us to slip into His glory realm.  Worship gets us focused on the Lord, rather than on the busyness around us.  It also causes God to bend His ear low toward us.  “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you …” (James 4:8). 

Once we are focused on Him, it is easier to be quiet and listen.  “I … will watch to see what he [God] will say to me, and what I shall answer …”  (Habakkuk 2:1).  Habakkuk had learned that intimate time with God was two-way conversation time - listening, responding, asking questions, and listening again. 

When we lavish our attention on the Lord, a supernatural reenergizing takes place.  “He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might he increases strength, … but they who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength …”  (Isaiah 40:29,  31). 

It is important to remember that we do not bring about the fresh filling.  We position ourselves through worship and being quiet before Him, but He is the One who recharges our battery and fills our tank.  We can’t accomplish it through striving harder to get there.  That only brings frustration.  We do the “pulling over” (giving God time), but He takes over from there and pours Himself into us.

Will you pull over and let Him fill your tank this week?

The River Church

Faithfulness

The River Church

There is so much to love about God!  It would be hard to choose which facet of His character is the most fascinating.  I love His truth, His gentleness, His mercy, His utter holiness.  Yet, for me, His faithfulness is probably the most engaging aspect of who He is. 

He is faithful to always, always forgive - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

- And to protect us from sin -  …but God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted above what you are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, so that you are able to bear it  (I Corinthians 10:13). 

His faithfulness to His promises stands firm: 

Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor permit my faithfulness to fail  (Psalm 89:33). 

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful who promised  (Hebrews 10:23). 

… For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you about (Genesis 28:15). 

He is faithful to bring us into the fulfillment of our destinies, and to keep us safe in the process:

Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it  (I Thessalonians 5:24). 

But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil  (2 Thessalonians 3:3). 

He is a God Who can be completely trusted.  His very nature is that of faithfulness that cannot fail.  We can rest the full weight of all our cares upon Him, for He will come through for us every time.  There have been times in my life that have been so bleak that I could not imagine how God could fix them, yet He always has.  He has the ability to make everything right, and the faithfulness to see to it that it is made right, even when we struggle with continuing to believe.  If we believe not, yet he remains faithful: he cannot deny himself  (2 Timothy 2:13). 

Don’t give up.  Honor Jesus by believing in His faithfulness to you.  He will see you through.

The River Church

Mighty Men of Valor

The River Church

1 Chronicles 11:12-14 — Eleazar … was one of the three mighty men.  … The Philistines were gathered for battle where there was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled before the Philistines.  They set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.  

2 Samuel 23:9-10 — Eleazar … [was] one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary and cleaved to the sword: and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil. 

A field full of barley.  What an insignificant-seeming thing to defend!  Yet Eleazar understood the importance of not giving an inch of his territory to the enemy.  He and his men defied the Philistines, as many Christians initially set out to defy the devil’s plans in our day.  But just as most of the Israelites fled in the heat of battle, many of God’s people today turn tail when the going gets too tough. 

Eleazar represents a different breed - those who will set their faces like flint to stand and defend God’s dreams for His people, no matter what the cost.  Eleazar’s determination to win was so great that his weary hand could not let go of his sword when it was all over, and needed to be pried free.  That’s serious work!  The battle to establish victory for God’s kingdom takes pressing in to the point of exhaustion sometimes, but the results are worth the effort.  The Bible tells us that God worked a great victory through Eleazar and his men that day.  If we persevere for our breakthrough, God will give us a mighty victory as well.  

And the blessing multiplies beyond just those who don’t quit.  “The people returned after him only to spoil.”  When we stand at the forefront of the battle, pressing in until we prevail, we must be willing to share “the spoils” of our victories with others - even those who became weary or afraid and ran when the battle waxed too hot. 

There are names in our day that will be recorded in God’s chronicles as “Jesus’ Mighty Men and Women.” Where some see only an insignificant barley field - or city, or region - some see a gateway to a nationwide revival.  Take your territory for Jesus.  Don’t quit.  Mighty men and women of valor, contend through your prayer, your belief, your obedience, for your area to receive the greatest outpouring of God’s Presence ever seen.

The River Church

The Secret Place

The River Church

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. - Psalm 91:1 

What a promise! What a faith statement! What a song!  You might be asking, “Where is the secret place?  How do I get there?” 

The secret place is a place of rest in the Lord, a place of intimacy with Him, a place of abiding in His presence that is available to each of us.  It may be a rock along a river or a place in your home specially set aside for prayer. Whatever the location, it is a place where you totally focus on the Lord and let Him transform you.
 
Out of the secret place flows ministry.  Jesus moved in the Spirit after coming out of alone-time with His Father.  As you spend time with the Lord, out of intimacy you will do what Jesus did - and even greater things.  Jesus said, “He who believes on me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father” (John 14:12).  The anointing for miracles flows out of being in that secret place of intimacy with God. 

Fellowshipping with the Lord must be our number one priority.  He must be our all-in-all.  We become like Him as we abide in Him, so that even the people in the world around us will notice the love and power of God flowing through us, and will be attracted to Jesus. Acts 4:13 says, “… and they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
 
Who will you abide in? Who will you spend time with?  What are you building - and who are you building for?  Do not just build for yourself, but build for God’s kingdom.  His kingdom come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do you want to minister like Jesus?  Then get into the secret place, into His Presence.  See what God is doing, and then go out and do it in His strength. 

When the Church gathers together, may we be full of testimonies of what God is doing.  The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and it will break every yoke of bondage. 

The River Church  

Combating the Enemy’s Plans

The River Church

After reading several recent, tragic newspaper stories, I asked the Lord, “Evil spirits are stirring up public suspicion of the supernatural, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” He said, “primarily in two ways. They want people to doubt that anyone can hear Me speak, and they want to quell any talk of raising the dead.”

The first thing I noticed was that God did not mention healing as one of the main areas of attack. A time of reflection showed me why raising the dead is a much bigger blow to the devil than healing the sick, even though healing is so important in taking back what the enemy has stolen.

Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”  This is a general principle, not an absolute rule. Enoch and Elijah did not die at all, nor will Christians who are alive at the time of the Rapture. Lazarus died twice!

The Hebrews passage tells us that after death comes judgment. After death it is too late to be saved, and if you are saved, after death it is too late to change your outcome at the Judgment Seat of Christ. But what if someone who has died unsaved, or even a Christian who has died with works that will burn, doesn’t stay dead? 

Isn’t this the ultimate in second chances? This is snatching souls away from Satan after he believes he can’t possibly lose them. As we pray to expose and to combat the enemy’s plans, we can prepare the way for our region to embrace God’s outpouring.

The River Church

The Abishag Ministry of Worship

The River Church

Some of us may feel like we don’t have a very important place in the Body of Christ.  We look around at others who seem to have great purpose, and we wonder, “God, why can’t I do great things for you?”  

Abishag might have felt like that. Her story is recorded in 1 Kings 1:1-4.  In his old age, King David became feeble, and a young woman was sought to keep him warm and care for him.  It doesn’t sound like the most exciting place to be.  It was not a place of recognition, but a place of seclusion.  Yet we read of Abishag, in verse 4, “And the young lady was very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him….” 

We wouldn’t naturally think of her as being important, yet she is mentioned by name in the Bible.  Most of David’s other wives’ names were only recorded in connection with the children they bore. Their place in the kingdom was recognized because of what they produced - their “fruit,” or, if you will, their “ministries.”  Abishag never had the opportunity to produce such evidence of her importance in God’s plan.  Yet the Bible says she was very lovely, and that she “cherished the king.” 

Let me share with you what God has been revealing to me.  When we worship the Lord with all our hearts, it is an Abishag ministry, and it is of utmost importance in His eyes.  We are ministering to the Lord from the depths of our being.  We are cherishing Him.  Abishag lavished her all on caring for David.  Some of us live a life of worship, where we pour out all on the Lord Himself.  It may be the only thing we “do” in the Body of Christ.  Some of us are not cut out for high places of position and recognition in the Church family.  But the ministry of worship to the Lord alone is so utterly esteemed by Him.  He sees you there in the secret place of worship, cherishing Him for all you are worth, and it matters extremely to Him.  Loving Him, adoring Him, is the most valuable ministry of all.

The River Church

The God Who Satisfies (Part 2)

The River Church

“…And my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,” says the Lord. - Jeremiah 31:14 

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:5 

For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. - Psalm 107:9

Recently, a profound statement was made by a guest speaker at The River Church.  He said that each of us has three voids inside that must be filled in order for us to live a happy Christian life.  The first void is filled when we give our hearts to Jesus in salvation, the second when we are baptized in the Spirit, and the third when we come into the destiny that we were born for, our place in God’s kingdom. 

Many Christians have gotten the first two voids filled, but are feeling most unsatisfied when it comes to the third.  We have an innate sense of great destiny within us, but we don’t know how to come into it.  As we said last time, true satisfaction with our Christian life starts with intimate relationship with Jesus.  Before we can be fulfilled in our calling, we must be fulfilled in Him. 

But when He starts to give us understanding of our purpose, what then?  We prepare for what He has called us to do in every way we possibly can, and we hold onto Him in trust.  We believe that what He says in His word is true - and that what He has personally spoken to us is also true.  We wait for Him to put things in place for us, believing in His goodness, believing that He will  satisfy us - because His Word says so. 

I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  - John 10:10 

Appropriate the promises of God.  Believe in His utter faithfulness to satisfy you.  He wants to. 

More encouraging Scriptures about God’s desire to satisfy us:
Psalm 37:3-7
Psalm 57:2
Psalm 145:16, 19
Luke 1:45

The River Church 

The God Who Satisfies

The River Church

“…And my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,” says the Lord. - Jeremiah 31:14 

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:5 

For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. - Psalm 107:9

Many Christians live in frustration, feeling as though there must be more to life than what they are experiencing.  Many have a gnawing sense inside that they have a greater destiny, a greater purpose, than what they are currently experiencing.  God never meant it to be this way.  He wants His people to be satisfied.

How do we come into living a fulfilled Christian life?  How do we attain to our destiny calling?  Before we can know the God Who satisfies us through a ministry, we must know the God Who satisfies us with Himself.  In Genesis 15:1, God says, “Fear not, Abram: I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward.” 

It starts with being satisfied with Him and Him alone.  We cannot put the cart before the horse.  The only way to come into satisfying, God-breathed destiny is to lay down the desires for it, and lavish our love on Jesus for Himself.  As we do that, a satisfaction and peace will fill our innermost being.  When we get the sequence in right order, the satisfaction in what we do for the Lord will come about as well. 

More on this next time.

The River Church

 

Abdicating the Throne of Self

The River Church

… Behold, the kingdom of God is within you. - Luke 17:21 

The goal is for the kingdom of God to be inside of us, but also that it will spill out to the spiritually dying world around us.  The good news of the gospel is not only “fire insurance” salvation, but a reestablishment of God’s kingdom on earth, for His glory and for mankind’s benefit.  Jesus preached a kingdom gospel.

Why, then, is the kingdom of heaven not spilling out into society at large?  One reason is that too many of God’s people have two kingdoms warring within, and the one with the upper hand is not God’s, but that of self.  Our job is to renounce our self-throne, and exalt Jesus in our hearts as Lord alone.

This is not easy to do.  Our natural man is very concerned with its own ambitions for recognition.  “What’s in it for me?” is the way we tend to think.  But God wants to give us a new mentality of building His kingdom, not our own.  Our hearts were never designed to contain two throne rooms.  We can’t afford the luxury of a divided heart.

How do we go about abolishing the throne of self?  It takes grace from the Holy Spirit and a constant vigilance to crucify our fleshly attitudes.  It takes continual repentance when we see ourselves striving for preeminence, or when we have indulged the urge to put ourselves above others.  It takes a determination to focus on what Jesus desires and on the needs of others.

Here are a couple of verses to help us get started with stepping down from the throne of self: 

Philippians 2:3, 4 — Don’t act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves.  Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others.

Mark 9:35 — … If anyone desires to be first, the same shall make himself last of all, and be servant of all. 

We’re all kingdom builders: we’re either building God’s kingdom or we’re building our own.  Jesus said it all, when He prayed in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” 

For more practical help in abdicating the self-throne: 

James
Matthew 5-7

The River Church