The story of Abraham is a story of how God can change a person's history of failure and sin into one of His mercy and grace.
Abraham was a great man of God, a hero of faith as we can read in Hebrews 11:8-19. However, he did not do everything right in the process.
When God called Abraham and made a covenant of promise that his descendants would be as the number of stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5; also Genesis 12:1-3), he made a blunder by going ahead of the Lord, before His perfect timing. This resulted in Ishmael, a product of the mind and the flesh.
Sometimes, when a word of the Lord or a prophecy is released to an individual or a church, we can get impatient in trying to help God fulfill it by moving before its proper season and time. This often cause jealousy, strife and conflict. Ishmael is an example or a type of what happens when Abraham's wife, Sarah, asked him to go to her maid Hagar in order to bear them a child. This was a wrong move.
However, as God sees Abraham's heart of dedication, He has not forgotten His promises made to him. This resulted in the birth of Isaac, the child of promise and destiny, against all odds in the natural.
The key is:
Impatience gives birth to illegitimate work of the flesh (as represented by Ishmael); but
Intercession and intimacy with the Lord gives birth to inheritance in the Spirit (in the case of Isaac).
Today, God is calling us to be destiny setters for Him. Yet, mistakes in the past can often cripple us from being all that we can be in Christ Jesus. Like Abraham, what do we do when we fail God?
Continue to STAND before the Lord (and see His salvation) -
Genesis 18:22: "Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD" (a picture of intercession);
Genesis 18:33: "So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place" (we need to identify with people in our society and bring them to the Lord - an example of evangelization).
The key is:
The believer's primary commission is Intercession and Evangelization.
Intercession is the key to giving birth to inheriting the promises of God. Just as Abraham had to wait for the appointed time, when his wife Sarah was too old to conceive in the natural, God wants to move in the supernatural. It is like He is saying, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14).
Likewise, when God calls us for a task in the Kingdom, He will require maturity and obedience before the actual fulfillment of a word. Sometimes, it takes months and even years before we see the complete picture of His promises. In the case of Abraham, it was Isaac, the promise child, who was born in spite of his wife's barrenness and old age.
What are the "Isaacs" in our lives?
Could it be our career, material blessings, ministry and salvation of a loved one?
Some of us will have to press in and press on in prayer, faith and the Word before we see our fullest potential and destiny in Christ realized.
James 1:2-3 says: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing";
Luke 8:15: "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience"
The key is:
Faith is essential, but it is hope and patience with confession that brings forth possession.
Before possessing the promises of God, we need to know and love the Promiser Himself intimately. Intimacy and love for the Lord will result in a life of obedience, sacrifice and worship. Even after we have received our "Isaacs", we need to surrender them to the Lord as a living sacrifice. When we think we have produced some results in a particular career, calling, ministry or gifting, God may require us to lay it down on the altar.
Are we willing to relinquish our position and possessions in order to follow God wholeheartedly?
The lesson is:
Multiplication (follows and) comes through sacrifice.
And loving God precedes the fulfillment of visions and goals in ministry.
From History To His Story (Hebrews 11:8-18)
Come Into The Ark [English and Hiligaynon / Ilonggo]
March 3, 2024
Hiligaynon / Ilonggo Interpretation by Mark Winston Gabutero Hosting Pastor: Johann Bernajo, Promisecity Church Victorias City Jesus said that before He comes back to earth again, our world will be just like it was in the days of Noah. People are eating, drinking and partying. Many are consumed with pursuing money, power and sex. Now, there is nothing wrong with having the legitimate things in life, such as having food and sleep. But life is not just about fulfilling our physical needs. It is also to follow the Lord and seek His Kingdom. Today, we see all kinds of perversion and depravity. People are not only openly living sinful lifestyles, but want others to accept their behaviours. We are living in a day and age where evil is called good, and good is called evil. We have all kinds of blasphemers, mockers and scoffers of Jesus Christ. There is a spirit of violence that is persecuting those who believe God’s Word and walk in His way. The ark was a type of Christ. He calls us to come into the ark of His presence, protection, safety, shelter, refuge and rest. A storm is coming upon our world. It is a storm of judgment. Society will not get better and better, but rather worse and worse. We are a generation of vipers – sin has increased rampantly. Do we weep over lost souls? Do we warn people to flee from the wrath to come? We are close to the midnight hour, where the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is coming soon! Are we ready to meet Him? Now is the day of salvation. Some of us are religious. We may even attend church regularly, have a form of godliness but denying its power. We do many good works, but are not resting in the cross and the blood of Jesus for our salvation. Today, we must make our calling and election sure! The door of the ark is still opened right now. But it won't be long before the door will be closed.
Arrested, Charged And Convicted As Prisoners Of Jesus Christ
March 3, 2024
Hosting Pastor: Bishop Mike Berdin, Charismatic Revival Center Fellowship The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, unveils the power of the New Covenant. He was given the mission to preach and proclaim the gospel to the world. Yet, until his conversion, Paul who was known as Saul at that time, was a hater of the church. He persecuted the followers of Christ, arrested and thrown them into prison. He stood by, approved and consented to the stoning of Stephen unto death. But on the road to Damascus, he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ. He was blinded physically, but his eyes were opened spiritually. Suddenly, he saw a light from heaven. Often, it is persecution and not prosperity that results in lives being transformed. We like to have palace-like experiences in our Christian life. Yet, there are also pits and prisons in this journey of faith. It is opposition that has been a catalyst to spread the gospel. We want the hand of the Lord upon the church, to win the lost and make disciples. Yet, we must be prepared for trials and adversities in order to experience revivals and reap the harvest of souls. In the natural, none of us want to be a prisoner. Yet, we see that the very man who sought to destroy the Church and imprison its disciples, later became imprisoned himself. From a persecutor of the church, Paul became a great proclaimer and promoter of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, as was in the early church, the world still hates and persecutes Christians. It is not just the ungodly who are hostile to us. Often, there is also intimidation from parts of the religious world. Some religious leaders are outrightly false, others are backsliden and apostate. Paul, before his conversion, was zealous toward God, so he thought, until his encounter with Christ that dramatically changed his life. We can choose to be a prisoner of the world, a prisoner of false religion, or a prisoner of Jesus Christ. We may or may not be put in a literal prison, but we will face unjust accusation, ill-treatment and opposition at times. Paul’s life is to pursue, apprehend and attain Christlikeness. He wants to apprehend Christ and also, to be apprehended by Christ. In the natural, to apprehend means to catch, to capture, to arrest. It is to be handcuffed and chained to Jesus, to be a prisoner of His love. As a prisoner of the Lord, Paul bore scar marks on his body as the result of persecutions he has endured. He was in prison frequently, received lashes, beaten with rods and stoned. When the world looks at us Christians, what brand do we represent? No, I’m not talking about the name of our church, our denomination or our ministry. I’m talking about whether we are faithful and fruitful to the call of God, whether we are standing for truth and righteousness, whether we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, whether we are anointed and preaching the cross of Jesus Christ who saves, heals, baptizes in the Holy Spirit and is coming again! Unlike brands of physical goods and services, we do not seek to be popular. Instead, we are often mocked, hated and persecuted by people of this world and even those from false religious institutions. The world wants to silence our voice, but we will not retreat. We are to be bold as a lion. Yet, we are also sheep in the midst of wolves. As we put our faith in Christ and Him crucified, His power will work exceeding abundantly in us. God can work mightily through us as individuals as well as corporately as the church. We have our unique gifts and callings and yet united and interdependent with other members in the body of Christ. Presently, we are living in the church age, or the age of grace. At the second coming of Christ, we will enter into the Kingdom age. We the redeemed, glorified saints of God, will live forever, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Until then, we are wanted! We are arrested, charged and convicted as prisoners of our Lord Jesus Christ! Let us proclaim the mystery of the cross, the revelation of the New Covenant, the gospel of grace!
The Holy Spirit Upon, Within And Through Us [English and Hiligaynon / Ilonggo]
March 2, 2024
Hiligaynon / Ilonggo Interpretation by Melbert Fajarito Hosting Pastor: Carlito Tablero, A Light Shine The Holy Spirit comes upon and baptizes us, operates within us to develop character and produce fruit, empowers and works through us as laborers in His harvest field.