Knowing the Voice of God

1 Samuel 3:1 “And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”

What an epitaph for the nation of Israel! Israel had wandered away from God in pursuit of the gods of other nations. Though they had the form of worship, their hearts were far from God. Even Eli the high priest who represented God before the people no longer heard the voice of God, and his sons who served as priests in the tabernacle were involved in greed, corruption, and immorality.

In 1 Samuel chapter 4, Israel went to war against the Philistines, “who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.” So, Israel brought out the Ark of the Covenant with great shouts that were so loud the earth shook and put fear in the hearts of the Philistines. But despite the Ark of the Covenant which strongly encouragedIsrael, they were defeated, thirty thousand foot soldiers were killed, the ark of God was captured, the sons of Eli were killed, and every man fled to his tent.

Why did such disaster come uponIsraeland the ark of God? It all began in 1 Samuel 3:1, “And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”Israel’s confidence was in their religious practices rather than the voice of God. Though they had the form of worship, their hearts were far from God. We to have to be careful that we do not substitute our religious practices and service to God for the voice of God.

In the midst of our age of information, we can become so caught up with learning and the voices in the world that we no longer hear the voice of God. Hearing from God takes more than quiet time alone. There is no formula for hearing God. There are no ten steps to follow. Before you can hear from God, He has to be talking to you, and he talks to those who have prepared their hearts to hear.

Christianity will not protect us from what is coming on the earth in these last days. When crises come, we can pull out the ark of God, our religious traditions that represent God, and give a shout of faith, but it will not save us. We cannot wait until the time of crisis to learn to hear the voice of God. Samuel had no deep theological knowledge of God when the Lord first spoke to him, but he had a tender, pure, devoted heart that was open to the Lord.

If there is ever a day we need to hear the voice of God, it is today. We need to humble ourselves, declare our dependence on Him, and prepare our hearts to hear, receive, and act on His voice.

Andy Clark

Embracing God

Genesis 32:24-28

"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

The Man in verse 24 is what is called a Theofony, an appearance of Christ in the OT. In verse 28 it says, “you have struggled with God …. and have prevailed.” Jacob wrestled or, more accurately, embraced God all night. Even after God touched his hip socket, Jacob would not let go until God blessed him with a new identity. Instead of Jacob the “deceiver,” he became Israel “Prince with God” Jacob would not settle for anything less than his full inheritance.

Why could God not get free from Jacob? How can a mortal man wrestle with God and prevail? THE KEY! God cannot break the embrace of faith. The blessing was Jacob’s. It was established by God in Genesis 25:23 and declared by Jacob’s father Isaac in Genesis 27:27-29. Esau, who represents the flesh, was coming to take Jacob’s blessing. Jacob did no fight or wrestle with Esau, the flesh, natural man, circumstances, (we do not wrestle with flesh and blood) but Jacob embraced God, the true source of the blessing, and did not let go of God until the promise was confirmed and established.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) There is perseverance, a diligent seeking of God to receive the promises that He has given to us. God desires that we pursue Him. He is not withholding something from us but challenging us to go after Him and to walk with Him into the fullness of what He has planned for us.

“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11) Notice the focus of Abraham’s faith was on the faithfulness of God. For 25 years Abraham embraced God, not the promise, but the giver of the promise. And the Bible says that he was called “the Friend of God.” (James 2:23)

What greater thing is there in life than to be called the Friend of God? When we embrace God, we embrace everything that He is. It is out of that intimate relationship that everything else in life flows.

Andy Clark

A Covenant Keeping God

Scripture Reading: Luke 13:10-17

“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.”

It is interesting that in Luke 13:16 Jesus did not know the name of the woman but He remembered His covenant to Abraham. There are many times we see Jesus moved with compassion. But here Jesus is moved to action by His covenant.

Psalms 105:8-9 says: “He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 says: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

All the promises of God, Old Testament and New Testament are YES in Christ and AMEN in Him because all the promises are fulfilled through Him. God loves it when we remind Him or let Him know that you remember and believe His covenant and promises. Moses constantly reminded God of His promises to Abraham, and this is an ongoing theme throughout the Biblical record of Israel’s history.

In Luke 13:15-16 Jesus rebukes the Jewish leaders because their teachings and traditions were actually hindering the fulfillment of God’s covenant or promises. We don’t want to get in God’s way when He is fulfilling his covenant. When Israel refused to enter Canaan, the Promised Land, God had them all die in the wilderness until the next generation was willing to believe God and enter into his covenant promise.

God sometimes cannot move in our lives because our beliefs and traditions hinder God from moving and hinder us from coming into His promises. But if we refuse to enter in, God will find a people and a way to fulfill his covenant.

I want to encourage you today, that God is a covenant-keeping God. Take time to review the covenants in His Word. Pray and allow these to become alive to your situation. Do not let doubt or disobedience hinder you from pressing into those promises. Most covenants have requirements for us to fulfill. Remind God of His promises and be willing to step out in faith and maybe do something that you have never done before. Step out of the box of your routine and ability into the vastness of God’s greatness, and see Him work on your behalf.

May God by His Spirit and Word encourage you today.

Andy Clark

Compassion

Matt 9:36-38
“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." NKJV

In the kingdom of God there is a direct connection between compassion and harvest. The success of Jesus ministry was not built upon programs or finances but on the anointing of the Spirit fueled by compassion for people. He had compassion for wealthy, corrupt, tax collectors, prostitutes, as well as poor fisherman, lepers and the destitute. Compassion motivated him to lay down his life, minister for long hours, and to live with almost nothing. Holy Spirit compassion caused him to heal the sick, cast out devils, and bring grace and hope to both wealthy and poor. Compassion drove him to the cross and caused him to cry out for the forgiveness of those who put him there and ridiculed him.

1 John 4:7-8 says: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God is love! That is his very character and nature. He cannot help but love. His love is not based on human response, circumstances or environment. His love is unconditional because He is love. If we are to touch our world, we need a baptism of God’s love in order to see the world as God sees it and to respond as God would respond. If we are not careful, we become calloused and cynical because of the constant exposure to our sinful world.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 Love, joy and peace are fruits of the Spirit. They are not dependent upon our circumstances, environment or response of people. They flow out of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. God is love, and when His nature flows through us we can love the unlovely.

Romans 5:5 says: “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Hope is an expectation from God. Our godly expectations never disappoint us if they are fueled by Holy Spirit love because love believes all things, love hopes all things, love endures all things. Love never ever fails! Love does not seek its own way and thinks no evil. Love is the ability to embrace people where they are at and to continue to pursue them no matter what their response because there is the undying expectation that love will overcome.

God does not love a saint any more than he loves a sinner because He is love. May you know today that God loves you unconditionally, and may He help you to love those around you unconditionally.

Andy Clark

Our Ministry

Our Ministry

Beholding and Reflecting

2 Corinthians 3:18-4:1

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

Our first ministry as Christians is to behold the glory of the Lord.

Behold: to hold in view or attention: to fix ones gaze intently.

Behold with unveiled faces. A veil is something you hide behind so people cannot see who you are.

Part of our transformation is not only fixing our eyes on Jesus but being transparent in our relationship with Him. The result of this beholding and unveiling before God is that we are transformed into his image The fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) become part of our nature.

Our second ministry is reflecting the glory of the Lord.

2 Cor 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory. NIV

What you are focused on is what you will reflect!

The glory of the Lord can only be truly reflected through unveiled faces.

Just as we must be transparent before God, we must be transparent before the world.

No matter what culture we live in and minister in, the world is looking for real people.

My prayer for you today as that you will experience God in a new dimension, that your relationship with Him will be refreshed and the world you are in will see a fresh image of Jesus.

Andy Clark

The Power of Love

As part of a Prayer Focus this past week for World Horizons, we have meditated on the fabulous Epistle to the Ephesians. It is an epistle of profound prayers that reveal God’s heart and plan for His church, a people group redeemed by His blood, called by His Name and empowered by His Spirit to reach the world with His redemptive message of love.

This epistle reminds us that we cannot fulfill God’s mandate on our own. It reveals that all our efforts are futile, and our fruit will not remain if we endeavor to do this in our wisdom and ability. Our cry is for God to grant us “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that we may understand the hope of His calling, the glory of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” This revelation of truly knowing Him comes only out of deep relationship with Him. It is this relationship that guides us, sustains us, and empowers us to effectively reach out and love others.

It was Paul’s prayer “that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.” The Apostle John said, “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (I John 4:6) Love is the root of our relationship with God from which our life springs forth.

This love relationship with God is what enables us to do what we do no matter what the cost. I Corinthians 13: 4-8 says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. This kind of love is not possible on our own. It is a fruit of the Spirit that flows from our relationship in the heart to the Father who is love. It bears all things and never fails no matter what the circumstances because it flows from the limitlessness of God. I had a missionary friend who read this Scripture every morning to remind himself why he did what he did.

It is the power of this love that enables us to do “exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.” It is this love that enables us “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It is this love that causes us “to redeem the time, because the days are evil.” It is this love that enables us to “sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord and to give thanks always for all things.” It is love that empowers us to “open our mouth boldly to make known the mystery of Christ.”

As I meditate on these portions from Ephesians, I am awed by the greatness of our God and His love and favor toward us. May you experience the power of His love like you never have before. May you fall in love with Him all over again, and may it rekindle a new love in your heart for the people you encounter every day.

Andy Clark

Wait on The Lord

Psalms 123:2

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”

The picture the Psalmist gives here is a powerful picture packed with implications of how we wait on the Lord. “The eyes of the servant look upon the hand of their master” implies that the servant is in close proximity to the master. He is not out running around busy doing his own thing or what he thinks the master wants of him. He is not distracted by other people’s activities or demands, but his focus and full attention is on the master. It is not a passive position, but a posture of expectation that at any moment the master will have some instruction of what he wants done.

The servant’s position is also a position of submission, dependence and trust. His focus is not on his agenda or the agenda of others, but solely on the will of the master. His focus is on the hand of the master for all that he needs. He is completely dependent on the master for life, direction, and purpose. His full identity is in the master and his will.

Instead of waiting on the Lord for our full identity, direction, and purpose in life, we often times find ourselves waiting on the Lord for Him to fulfill what we want and need, and if He does not come throught as we expect, we simply do it on our own. Our identity, fulfillment and purpose in life come from our job, family, some other person, activity or possession. Our eyes are often on others, their expectations of us or our expectations of ourselves. We can become anxious, worried, frustrated or discouraged when things do not go as we expected. We can become critical of ourselves and others.

In the midst of the turmoil of the world that we live in today, where evil seems to be triumphing over good, we need to remind ourselves of the words of David in Psalms 37:3-7, “Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”

Whatever you are going through today, I encourage you to pull away from the turmoil around you and refocus on the greatness of our God, a God who created all things, is over all things, and sustains all things by His Word and power. Meditate on God and His Word. May He become your full delight, and may His will and way become food for your soul. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)

Andy

Numbers

Isaiah 6:1-2

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

In this chapter, Isaiah has a revelation of the awesomeness of God, a God who sits in authority over all things, and whose glory fills the heaven and the earth as the water covers the sea. It is this revelation of God that brings Isaiah to the revelation of himself. "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” It is only out of a revelation of God that we come to understand the magnitude of our need for God in our lives and our ministry.

When Isaiah truly recognizes his need, God comes down and meets him at his point of need and purifies his unclean lips, declaring him clean and positioning him for service. God then identifies what he is called to do and the expected results of his service.

Isaiah 6:8-11 “Then Isaiah said, "Here am I! Send me." And God said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return and be healed." Then Isaiah said, "Lord, how long?" And God answered: "Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate.”

God reveals himself to Isaiah, calls him and empowers him to be one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history during one of the worst times of Israel’s history. God tells Isaiah that no one would hear, understand, see or perceive what he was saying because God had made their hearts dull, ears heavy, and shut their eyes so that they wouldn’t understand and be healed. Isaiah asked how long he is to carry one this seemingly fruitless ministry, and God responds that he is to continue to do so until Israel is destroyed and taken into captivity.

Too often today we measure our calling and success in ministry by manmade standards. We laud those who have big “successful” churches and ministries and oftentimes feel as though we are failing because we fail to achieve what the world and church world deems to be successful. If Isaiah’s prophetic ministry were to be today, he would probably be branded as crazy, out of touch with the times, and a failure at reaching his generation.

God does raise up great ministries, but God’s measure of success is based not on man’s capabilities but upon our obedience to what He has called each of us to do no matter what the response. We live in a time of great opportunity but also a time of spiritual decay around the world and opposition to the truth. Despite the darkness, opposition, and at times seeming lack of success, we cannot pull back. What we need today are men and women like Isaiah, who have had a life-changing revelation of God that propels them and sustains them in life and in ministry no matter what the cost, consequences or results.

May God reveal himself afresh to you today and empower you to do what He has called you to do.

Andy

The Fragrance of Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?”

No matter who we are, where we are or what we are doing in the world, as believers in Christ we are called by God to be the fragrance of Christ to those with whom we come in contact. One key element to being able to diffuse the fragrance of Christ is our ability to always walk in triumph no matter what is going on around us because Christ has bought for us the victory. The picture Paul gives here is of an army returning victoriously from battle, and as they enter the city, people in celebration would fill the air with the sweet smell released by the burning of spices in the street. To the victorious it was an aroma of life. To the conquered it was an aroma of death.

Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:13) Our ability by the Spirit to be of good cheer in the midst of the chaos around is a sweet aroma that encourages and brings life. Paul and Silas after being beaten and put in chains in prison sang praises to God. The Bible says all those in the prison heard them. In the midst of a terrible situation, the fragrance of Christ diffused throughout the prison leading them into triumph and bringing many to Christ.

The second element to diffusing the fragrance of Christ is to grow in the knowledge of Him in every place. The word “knowledge” here is not just knowing about Christ, but a knowledge that comes from intimate relationship with Him and is life-changing. It means to saturate ourselves with Christ so that His character and nature just naturally diffuse His fragrance in our lives at all times and in all situations. In John 12, Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Martha was busy serving Jesus, Lazarus was at the table eating with Jesus, while Mary was at His feet in worship anointing His feet with “a very costly oil, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” It is out of a life of worship that the fragrance of Christ is diffused wherever we go.

In 2 Corinthians 2, there are two kinds of people, “those being saved and those who are perishing.” Both should smell the fragrance of Christ in us. You can tell you are emanating the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ by the response of those around you. To those who are perishing, “we are the aroma of death” because they hate who we are and what we represent. Hiowever those who are being saved, we are “the aroma of life leading to life.” The aroma of Christ in us, while repelling the world, will attract those who are destined for salvation.

Jesus said, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:19-20) Let us be careful that we don’t so blend with the culture that we fail to “diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

Andy Clark

Peace in the Storm

Isaiah 53:4-5

“Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.”

This is a wonderful portion of Scripture because it details for us so beautifully what Christ accomplished for us through His sacrifice on the cross. We acquire all these benefits by faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” That word saved is all inclusive, spirit, soul and body. We oftentimes receive so readily by faith the salvation Christ purchased for us from our transgressions and our iniquities, but we struggle to receive by the same faith that He has also borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, and provided our healing. In the same way we take our sins to God and leave them at the cross, He wants us also to bring our griefs, sorrows, and sicknesses and leave them there, allowing God by His Spirit to bring His healing into our soul and body.

“The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.” Jesus took all this on Himself so that we could walk and live in peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) He gives us His peace. He doesn’t give it temporarily at certain times, but He leaves His peace with us. It is not as the world gives because it is not dependent on people of circumstances. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Christ provided peace for us, but our connection to that peace is through our relationship with the Holy Spirit. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid!!!” That is a choice you make by bringing your, mind, will, and emotions into agreement with the Word and the Spirit.

In Mark 4:37-40, we see how Jesus wants to come into our storm and bring peace. “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

No matter what storm you or someone you know is going through, the Prince of Peace is there and He has purchased not only your peace, but because of His sacrifice for us, He has the ability to calm whatever storm you are facing. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) “In Me you may have peace.” It is abiding in Christ that we have peace, and it is out of that posture of peace in Him that we overcome the world. Shalom.

Andy Clark

Roaring Lions

1 Peter 5:8-11

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

We live in a day when Satan is roaring more loudly than ever before. The sound of his roar through the media, political and social upheaval, economical and natural catastrophes fills the earth in order to penalize people with fear and to cause panic. And just like a prey in the wild, it is those who panic that the lion will devour.

But the Bible says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) To be able to operate in power and to maintain a sound mind when the devil roars in our lives and in our world requires us to walk in love. I John 4:18 says,” There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” When we read the context of this verse, we see how love is perfected in us, so that we have no fear. I John 4:16-17 says,“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

We have to know, I mean a deep-down knowing, and believe without a shadow of a doubt that God loves us unconditionally. This knowledge and faith in God’s love causes us to abide, make our dwelling place, in agape love. Agape love has no hooks or agenda. Agape love trusts so explicitly that it lays down all of its rights and privileges just like Christ did for us. Agape love causes us to abandon ourselves totally to God. The deeper we abide in agape love, the deeper we abide in God, and God abides in us because God is love. John goes on to say that when we abandon ourselves in God’s love, it gives us boldness in the day of judgment because we are then in the world just like Jesus is in the world.

When we have this stance of love, the lion’s roar, no matter how loud or ferocious, has no hold on us. In fact, out of this position of love, we can maintain a sound mind while the world panics; we have the power to overcome while the world cowers in fear, and the boldness to speak out and to do what God has equipped us to do in this hour of judgment. Be sober or self-controlled, and vigilant, resisting the enemy in faith. In the midst of the loud roaring of the lion in this world, take time to hear the still quiet voice of the one who loves intensely and has purchased victory for us by His blood.

Andy Clark

Conquering Challanges

Challenge – “A demanding task, that calls for special effort or dedication.” (Webster) We all face challenges in our lives, whether big or small that require a special effort or dedication to resolve.

In Judges chapter 6 we see a man who faced and overcame huge challenges. In the opening scene we see a farmer named Gideon hiding in a winepress from the Midianites trying to thresh out some wheat for his family. He comes from the weakest clan in Manasseh, and he is the least in his family. He doesn’t understand why they are facing these challenges. They are God’s people, and he has heard the great stories of what God has done in the past. But where is God now?

Oftentimes we find ourselves in Gideon’s shoes. We are Christians, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, more than conquerors. We know the promises of God and have heard testimonies of what God has done in the past or in the lives of others. We are living for God, trying to make a living for our family, and do the ministry that God has called us to. Yet, we find ourselves in the winepress, surrounded by the limitations of circumstances, finances, job, family and our own personal limitations. Maybe there are some enemies of our soul that we just can seem to break loose from, or we see some opportunities that we can’t seem to attain.

The great news is that God loves to show up when least expected in the middle of our winepress. Gideon’s encounter with God begins by God declaring over him that he is a mighty man of valor. The God of the universe has spoken. The God who said, “let there be light,” and light exploded into the formless, empty darkness that covered the face of the earth. The God who by the word of His mouth spoke everything into existence spoke into the limitations of Gideon’s life and circumstances and declared who he was created to be. The same creative God has spoken and is speaking over your life and circumstances.

As we read on in Judges 6:14, the Lord turned to Gideon and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” Notice, God does not say to go in My power. God says to go in your power. When God declared over Gideon that he was a mighty man of valor, God empowered Gideon to overcome the challenges and do what God had called him to do.

The key to conquering challenges lies not only in who we are in Christ, but how we respond to God’s declaration over us. Gideon’s test was to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build an altar to the Lord. Gideon’s obedience to this test opened the door for him to come into the fullness of what God has spoken over his life. We all face things that God asks us to do. Sometimes they are big, but often they are a simple nudge of the Holy Spirit in our every day lives. God calls us to lay down our lives and to press into the impossible that only God can do as we submit to Him.

Remember, a challenge, whether positive or negative, is “a demanding task, the calls for special effort or dedication.” As you dedicate yourself to God and the task He has given you to do, He will empower you by His Word and His Spirit to conquer the challenges in your life.

Andy Clark

Kingdom Perspective

As we see the deteriation of political, economic, social and moral structures in our world, God is calling us to refocus our attention and trust from the kingdom systems of this world to His kingdom. In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus defines His kingdom for us.

“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say,’ See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Oftentimes we measure ministry by what we can observe using earthly social and religious measurements. As we measure by these man-made standards, we fail to truly grasp what God is doing. We cannot observe the kingdom through the lense of human observation but only through the eye of God’s Spirit. So, what we see happening in the political and economic world and even in the church world is not what is happening in God’s kingdom.

The kingdom is in you, as it is in the hearts of millions of believers worldwide. It cannot be seen, measured or comprehended. It is greater than any one of us could even imagine. God is not shaken by what is happening in this world, because His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus told Pilate in John 18:36 "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight.” When Jesus spoke these words, He was standing almost naked, beaten beyond recognition, those closest to Him had abandoned him and the crowds were screaming for His death. Yet, He was speaking with confidence to the earthly authority, who thought He controlled Jesus’ fate. Why? Because Jesus understood who He was and the power and authority of His kingdom. He saw things Pilate could never comprehend because they were of two totally opposite kingdoms. Like Jesus, we need to begin to see His kingdom from His perspective and not according to man made religious structure.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) Lord, may we not be moved by what we see and the circumstances of our day. Give us your eyes to see what you see and to be moved by what moves you.

Yours in Christ,

Andy Clark

Effective Prayer

James 5:16-18

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

James, through the story of Elijah, gives us some keys to effective prayer. First, effective prayer is birthed in righteousness. Righteousness is not sinlesness but rather a position of right standing with God. James states that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.” Elijah was a sinner, struggled with personal issues, and had doubts and fears. Elijah’s prayer was not answered because he was a prophet or because of his great ministry. Elijah’s prayer was answered because of his relationship with God, a relationship that every born again Christian has because we stand in the righteousness of Christ. But Christ’s righteousness only opens the door for relationship with God. We, by the Word and the Spirit, must develop that relationship so that we can hear His voice and walk in His ways.

Secondly, effective prayer initiates from God not man. After three years of drought, in 1 Kings 18:1, God tells Elijah, He is going to send rain. Elijah had no power to call down rain. Rain came at the word of the Lord. Jesus sits at the right hand of God making intercession and calls us to come into agreement with him to pray in His kingdom and will into the earth. As I shared in last week’s devotional, “A Perfect Heart” is a heart that worships and communes with God. God revealed His will to Abraham because Abraham was His friend. Romans 8:26 says, “We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us.”

After hearing the voice of God, Elijah declares what God has spoken to him. “Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain." (1 Kings 18:41) What are you hearing and speaking today? Is it the voice of friends, circumstances, the media, or the world? In the day that we live, we need a people who can hear the voice and God and speak what He is speaking, despite what we see around us. In the midst of three years of drought with not cloud in the sky, Elijah heard by the Spirit an abundance of rain. Effective prayer is hearing and declaring the will of God.

“So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.” (1 Kings 18:42) It is interesting to note Ahab’s and Elijah’s responses to the prophetic word. Elijah does the work of praying in what He has heard. Seven times he gets down on his knees and prays until “A cloud as small as a man’s hand rises from the sea.” James says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Effective prayer is fervent, persistent prayer until we see the word and will of God come to fruition

“Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.” (1 Kings 18:45) In a world that is decaying and in the midst of spiritual drought, may God help us to become more effective in our prayers and usher in the rain of His Spirit.

Andy Clark

A Perfect heart

I believe God is calling His people to have a heart after Him. Having a perfect heart has been part of the life of faith from the time God first spoke to Abraham: “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)

To understand the Biblical concept of perfection, we first must understand that perfection does not mean a sinless, flawless existence. No, perfection in the Lord’s eyes means something entirely different. It means completeness, maturity. It means to finish what has been started, to make a complete performance.

The perfect heart cries out with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24).

The perfect heart wants the Holy Spirit to come and search out the innermost man, to shine into all hidden parts, to investigate, expose and dig out all that is unlike Christ. The Lord’s heart-searchings are not vindictive, but redemptive. His purpose is not to catch us in sin or condemn us, but rather to prepare us to come into his holy presence as clean, pure vessels

The perfect heart yearns for more than security or a covering for sin. It seeks to be in God’s presence always, to dwell in communion. Communion means talking with the Lord, sharing sweet fellowship with him, seeking his face and knowing his presence. . “Who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord.” (Psalm 24:3-5).

We can so often become busy serving Christ as Martha did, and we fail to sit in communion with him like Lazarus, or to sit at his feet in worship like Mary. John 12:2-3 “Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

All three things - service, communion and worship are essential in our lives. But like Martha, we can become tired, frustrated and sometimes even bitter in serving because we have lost the joy of a perfect heart that comes out of worship and communion.

May the joy of fellowship with Jesus sustain you, invigorate you, and inspire you as you walk out the call and ministry on your life.

Yours in Christ,

Andy Clark

God is in Control

God is in Control

As I was contemplating the changes that are constantly occurring in our world, and the challenges it brings at times to our ministry, I was reminded by the verse below that we can be at peace because ultimately God is in control.

“Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone, and you are the Ruler of all mankind; your hand controls power and might, and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength.” (I Chronicles 29:11-12 TLB)

I am also reading through the prophets now in my personal devotions. I love looking at history through the eyes of the prophets, which is a God-perspective on history. We see how God raises up and pulls down rulers and nations. God has not changed! He has a plan and He has never failed. Failure is not in His nature. The heart of the king, (president, prime minister) is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Ps.21:1) In the chaos of the political and economic conditions in the world today, we need to affirm God’s Word that “He is the Ruler of all mankind, and His hand controls power and might.”

On a personal level I never cease to be amazed at how God orchestrates our personal lives and ministry and works things out for our good. You may be facing changes and challenges in your life and ministry. Some may appear to be positive, while others may seem to be negative. Our response in both cases depends on our trust that God is still “Ruler of all mankind.” Instead of becoming negative, discouraged or frustrated over these changes, I encourage you to try to remember where God has brought you from, Declare His sovereignty over your life and ministry and ask: “what are you doing God and how do you want me to participate in what you are doing?”

When Israel was in seven years of famine, God spoke to Elijah to go to the brook Kerith and “I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” (I Kings 17:4) Commanded is past tense. The provision was already put in place by God. Elijah simply had to find out what God was doing and participate in His plan.

Lord, “we adore you as being in control of everything.” May God grant you the vision to see His plan and the wisdom on how to participate in what He is doing.

Your brother in God’s service,

Andy Clark

The Battle is Not Yours

Sometimes we fight battles that God does not call us to fight. Oftentimes the devil wants to occupy our time, energy, spiritual and natural resources in fighting these battles so that we are distracted or ineffective in what God wants us to do.

In 2 Chronicles 20 a vast army from Moab and Ammon comes against Jehoshaphat and Israel. Let’s look at Jehoshaphat’s response to this threat from the enemy.

1. He resolved to inquire of the Lord. 20:3
2. He proclaimed a national fast. 20:3
3. He prayed.
1. He glorified God. 20:6
2. He reviewed what God had done. 20:7
3. He reminded God of His promise.20:8-9

Ps. 105:8 “He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,…”

2 Cor. 1:20-22 “For all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” NKJV God did this for a reason. He did all this to fulfill His promise/covenant and bring you to the Promised Land, a place of destiny.

4. He stated the problem. 20:10-11
5. He declared their dependence on God. 20:12
3. God responds with encouragement and direction. 20:14-17

2 Chron. 20:15 “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.” NIV

2 Chron. 20:17 “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you,…” NIV

5. Jehoshaphat’s response.
1. Praise and worship. 20:18-19
2. Faith in God and His word. 20:20-21
3. Obedience 20:21
6. God’s deliverance. 20:22-24
1. Divine provision. 20:25-26
2. Rejoicing 20:27-28
3. Fear of God and peace. 20:29-30

How do you handle challenges, problems and attacks of the enemy? Do you try to resolve the problem yourself? Maybe pray and then resolve the problem? Or do you seek to hear the voice of God, declare your dependence on him, and respond in obedience to his word? Be encouraged. The victory is ours!

Andy Clark

A Spirit of Expectation

2 Peter 3:10-14

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” NKJV

The words looking for in this passage have the sense of great expectation, leaning forward with expectation, a posture of faith. I would like to illustrate it as though you are waiting for the bus. As you wait, you lean back on the bench, relaxed and looking around. But as the time of the arrival of the bus approaches, you begin to scoot forward on the bench, looking down the street in expectation. As you see the bus turn the corner, you move from a sitting position to a standing position in expectation of its arrival. Peter says that is how we are to be looking for the coming of the day of God. As we read prophecy and observe what is going on around us, we need to be changing our posture from a relaxed position to a posture of expectation.

The second thing he said is that we are to hasten the coming of the day of God. Our expectation produces the act of hastening what we are expecting. Romans 8:22-23 says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Paul here compares the coming of the Lord to birth pangs. As the time for delivery gets closer, contractions are closer together. At this point the mother begins to push to hasten the delivery.

Peter goes on to say, “because of which the heavens will be dissolved.” That is an interesting statement. Why are the heavens going to be dissolved? They are going to be dissolved because of the coming of the Lord. I want you to hear this clearly. The new world order under Christ is coming, and it is pushing out the old world order that we live in today. Just like you cannot stop a birth after the contractions have started, the old world order cannot stop the new world order that is being birthed.

We need to be careful that we are not trying to sustain the current world order which is going to be dissolved to make place for the new world order. As we watch the old world order dissolving, Peter’s admonition is that we should be looking for with expectation and hastening, pushing the coming of the day of God. The hosts of heaven are not concerned about the old world order dissolving; they are with great excitement and anticipation preparing for the new world order.

It is time to move from the relaxed position on our bench and slide forward, leaning forward with a spirit of expectation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Andy

Where Do You Stand?

1 Kings 18:15 “Then Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." NKJV

The context of this passage is that Israel has been facing three years of no rain and famine due to their idolatry and rebellion against God. 1 Kings 18:11 says, “The word of the Lord came to Elijah saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth." So, Elijah is on his way to meet Ahab when he encounters Ahab’s right hand man named Obadiah, who was out looking for grass for Ahab’s horses. Elijah tells Obadiah to go tell Ahab to come and meet me here. The servant says if I go get Ahab and he comes and you are gone, he will kill me. Then Elijah says, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today."

The thing that strikes me about this verse is Elijah’s comment “before whom I stand.” The Living Bible says “in whose presence I stand.” Elijah had a unique perspective that we do not often have in our materialistic western culture. He had a sense that he perpetually stood in the presence of the Lord of hosts. It was out of this relationship and awareness of God that his powerful prophetic and miracle ministry flowed.

In 2 Kings 6, Elijah is surrounded by horses, chariots and a great host of the Syrian army that have come to arrest him. Elijah is calm and at peace while his servant is seized with fear. Elijah is calm because he sees what his servant does not see, that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire. He tells his servant, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” “Fear not.” That is a term Jesus often used with His disciples. Why was Jesus calm, while they were worried and fearful? I believe it is because, like Elijah, he understood where He stood.

Ephesians 2:4-7 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

“God has made us alive together with Christ, and has made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We who are born again are placed in a unique position. We not only operate in this world, but we at the very same time stand in the presence of God by the Spirit. We are given this unique position and view that the world does not have, a heavenly perspective, so that we might show forth his glory and accomplish His purpose in the midst of the world in which we live. Our problem is that we become so caught up in this earthly realm that we lose our heavenly perspective.

Like Elijah and Christ, we can operate with confidence in the midst of turmoil and chaos that surrounds us. Wherever you are and whatever you are facing today, remember that you are in the presence of God Almighty, the Lord of Hosts. It is out of that position that you can operate in His authority and speak into your situation and the lives of those around you.

Andy

A Covenant-Keeping God

Scripture Reading: Luke 13:10-17

“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”

“Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” NIV

It is interesting that in Luke 13:16 Jesus did not know the name of the woman but He remembered His covenant to Abraham. There are many times we see Jesus moved with compassion. But here Jesus is moved to action by His covenant.

Psalms 105:8-9 says: “He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.”

2 Corinthians 1:20 says: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

All the promises of God, Old Testament and New Testament are YES in Christ and AMEN in Him because all the promises are fulfilled through Him. God loves it when we remind Him or let Him know that you remember and believe His covenant and promises. Moses constantly reminded God of His promises to Abraham, and this is an ongoing theme throughout the Biblical record of Israel’s history.

I want to encourage you today, that God is a covenant-keeping God. Take time to review the covenants in His Word. Pray and allow these to become alive to your situation. Do not let doubt or disobedience hinder you from pressing into those promises. Most covenants have requirements for us to fulfill. Remind God of His promises and be willing to step out in faith and maybe do something that you have never done before. Step out of the box of your routine and ability into the vastness of God’s greatness, and see Him work on your behalf.

May God by His Spirit and Word encourage you today.

Andy Clark

Thirsty

John 7:37-39 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

This was the eight day, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. In Leviticus 23:37 God called the people on this day to a sacred assembly to culminate the seven days of the feast. John called it “the great day of the feast.” On that day the priest brought forth, in golden vessels, water from the stream of Siloah, which flowed under the temple-mountain, and solemnly poured it upon the altar. Then the words of Isaiah 12:3 were sung, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation,"

In the midst of this intense celebration with thousands of people, Jesus diverts everyone’s attention when He stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus is our source of life, our source of refreshing. It is not of us, our work, or our ministry that life comes, but it is from Christ that life flows to a thirsty world.

The water no longer flows from the temple-mountain. Today we are the “temple of the Hoy Spirit.” The rivers of living water are to flow out of our hearts. In order for this living water to flow in us and through us, Jesus said we must be thirsty, we must come to Him and drink and we must believe. The kingdom of God operates on the principle of supply and demand. How thirsty are you for God today, for His presence, for His Spirit and His Word? In the midst of a hectic world we live in, I believe the call of Jesus goes out today saying “Come!” “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

We live in a day when we cannot operate on our own. As this world shakes and challenges increase, personal challenges and challenges in ministry, we need more than ever the flow of God’s Spirit in our lives. We cannot wait for crises to come, but today we need a desperation for God that brings us to our knees. A desperation that causes us to tune out the world and to tune in to the voice of the Spirit. A desperation that causes us to act in faith to His Word, no matter the circumstances and consequences.

The call goes forth again in the closing chapter of Revelations, the end of the church age, “And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.” May you drink deeply today, tomorrow, and the coming days of the awesome greatness of our God, “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Andy

What do You Hear?

Revelations 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' NKJV

Two keys to entering into the promises that are common to all seven churches in Revelation are an ability to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches and the ability to overcome. We live in a world inundated with constant sound, voices from every area pulling upon our attention, drowning out what God is wanting to speak to us to enable us to overcome and come into the abundant life Jesus has provided for us.

In I Kings chapters 17 and 18 there had been no dew nor rain in Israel for three years and there was “severe famine.” God had supernaturally provided for Elijah with ravens that brought him bread and meat and a widow who only had a “handful of flour” and “a little oil jar.” Elijah came into this supernatural provision in famine because of his ability to hear the voice of God in the midst of insurmountable challenges and the courage to obey that voice. But God’s plan was not only to provide for Elijah, but to use Elijah to impact a nation.

In chapter 18, Elijah calls down fire from heaven, kills the prophets of Baal and then in verse 11 makes a startling pronouncement to Ahab: “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” There has not been rain nor dew in three years, there is not a cloud in the sky or even a hint of rain, yet Elijah hears what others do not hear, he hears the sound not of a little rain but the sound of abundance of rain. While Ahab eats and drinks, Elijah prays in what he has heard in the Spirit. Seven times he bows down and prays, six times he sends his servant to look and there is nothing, but the seventh time the servant sees “a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.” Elijah leaps into action and outruns Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel in the midst of pouring rain.

To survive, overcome, and lead in today’s world, we need to hear what others do not hear. If all we do is listen to what others say, what we see on the news or read on the internet, magazines or books, we are simply being influenced by voices around us whether good or bad. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Our ability to act with faith and confidence even in the midst of drought and famine is rooted in our ability to clearly hear the voice of God and to pray it into reality.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” God has hidden manna for you to eat today if you will shut off the shouting voices of the world and get into God’s presence. For those who hear and overcome there is also a new name that “no one knows except the one who receives it.” A name in Bible times defined identity. God has a new identity for you that does not come from this world, no one can give it to you, and no one knows it but God. He wants to reveal it to you if you, will hear His voice and respond in faith and obedience.

Andy Clark

Variables in Ministry

As I read again the story of the Sower in Matthew 13, I am struck by the variables that Christ wants us to consider as we sow the Word of God, which is the one constant throughout the parable, no matter what the soil type.

Variables that are often outside of our control are “the enemy, tribulation and persecution, cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches.” Things that we are responsible for are that people, “hear, receive, and understand” the Word. The difference in harvest between the path and the good soil was understanding. Communicating the Word in an understandable way is a key to fruitfulness. Another key that Jesus gives is that the Word “finds root” in the individual. Even though a person may hear, receive and understand with joy, harvest cannot come until it takes root in the heart and life of the individual.

Roots are the unseen part of the plant that grow and flourish in winter and in drought. I believe we nurture roots through prayer, intercession, meditation and discipleship. If we are not careful, we can become frustrated or discouraged with the variables that are outside of our control. When we don’t see the growth that we would like to see, it is time to nurture the roots of our lives and the lives of those whom God has entrusted to us.

As we pray for the persecuted church in largely unreached areas, let us pray that their understanding be enlightened, and their roots will go deep into God, that at the appointed time of rain they will spring up and “produce a harvest, some a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

1 Corinthians 3:7-8 “Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Andy Clark

A Revelation of God

Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.” NIV

Uzziah was a powerful and godly king most of his life but spent the last ten years of his life as a leper because in pride he burned incense in the temple. (2 Chro. 26) History records that Uzziah may have been Isaiah’s uncle and that Isaiah grew up in the palace. It was a great time of peace and prosperity for Isaiah. It is interesting that in the year that Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord. Uzziah’s death marked the end of an era and may have strongly impacted Isaiah’s life.

Like Isaiah, there may be people, things or circumstances that hinder us from really seeing the Lord. In the changing and uncertain times we in which are living, things or people that we have put or confidence in may be stripped away. God wants to reveal Himself to us in new and greater ways, but something in our lives hinders us from seeing God in His greatness. We are living in a time when God wants us to move our trust from the systems of this world and our past to put it totally in Him.

God was highly exalted. The term for God here is “Adoni,” (Adonaay) the one who has all authority and dominion.

God was seated on a throne. Seated is a place of rest. Throne is a place of authority.

1. A throne of glory before which we must worship.

2. A throne of government under which we must be subject.

3. A throne of grace where we can come boldly.

4. A throne above all competition and contradictions.

The train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

Picture the long ornate train of a king or a bride. God revealed the train of His glory to Moses. Exodus 33:18-19 and 34:5-8, 29-35

God’s glory or presence identifies us as His people. Exodus 33:14-16

1 Cor 6:19-20

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

A cleansing of the temple. Isaiah 6:5-7

It is only in the revelation of God that we truly come to recognize our inadequacies, the inadequacies of our programs, structures, our political systems and man-made things.

2 Cor 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. NKJV

The angel touched his mouth with a coal from the altar.

1. To cleanse his mouth.

2. To enable him to speak for God. God wants to speak through you revelations that come from being in His presence.

A commissioning of the temple. Isaiah 6:8

Arise and shine. Isaiah 60:1-2

Isaiah 60:1-2

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”(from New International Version)

The year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord.

May you have a new revelation of God that will encourage you and empower you to do what God has called you to do.

Andy Clark

Contentment

Luke 1:15-17

“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

In my devotional reading I have been intrigued by the ministry of John the Baptist. Here is a man who was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.” Luke 1:41 records that he “leaped in his mother Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice.” From birth he had this spiritual connection and awareness of His life destiny. He ministered with such authority that thousands came out into the wilderness to hear him. He did not have all the technological advances and resources of our day that seem to drive our lives, work, and ministry. Unlike the Jewish leaders of his day, he had no position, wealth, program or glorious temple to attract people.

John, with the thousands that followed him and his prophetic ministry, could have had all of the above things. Yet, he lived in the wilderness, wearing animal skins and living off of locusts and wild honey. This was hugely abnormal and not the typical road to success. I’m sure there was plenty of opportunity for John to have advanced himself and enjoy the fruit of his work or ministry. Yet, John seemed to have an unshakable sense of his calling and destiny that allowed him to be content with what God had called him to do.

John said, “I am not the Christ.” "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord."' “It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." (John 1:20,23,27) He went on to say in John 3:27, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” In other words, the things that I do, the authority that I walk in, and the success of my ministry are from heaven. So he goes on to say, like the friend of the bridegroom, my joy and complete fulfillment is in ushering in the bridegroom. Therefore, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

We often spend so much time trying to advance or better our living conditions, career or ministry that we lose the simple joy of loving, honoring, and lifting up the bridegroom. The great Apostle Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) Paul could even sing for joy when beaten and in prison. Contentment is not void of hard work, challenges, struggles, and pain. But like John the Baptist, contentment is the joy of doing what God has called, gifted and anointed you to do in preparing the way of the Lord, even in the wilderness.

Andy Clark

Reaching Your Potential in Christ

Genesis 1:27-28 ‘God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

To reach our potential we must recognize our source of life and identity are in God. God formed man’s body from the earth, but the breath of life and what makes us who we are came from God. The day Adam and Eve sinned, they died because they were cut off from the source of life. Their soul man began to degenerate with sin and their body eventually died also. It was like cutting a healthy green tree from its roots. The tree will stay green for a while, but then the leaves will begin to dry and fall off. Eventually the whole tree will die and begin to decay. But through Jesus Christ we have been made spiritually alive and connected back to God.

1 John 4:4 says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Our training, education, five senses and, and life experiences try to keep us connected to the world. We measure ourselves and others by what we see, hear, and feel. It can cause us to worry and fret, feel devalued, measuring ourselves by how we look or what we own, or how we perform. If we are not careful, we even measure our spiritual life and ministry by man’s standards. As long as we see ourselves and others by worldly standards, we are bound to this decaying world. But we are not of the world, we are of God! Those who are of God, overcome the world!

Daniel, who was taken into captivity, rises to become the second in the empire. Joseph, unjustly sold as a slave in Egypt, rises as a slave to be in charge of Potiphar’s whole house. When falsely accused and thrown in prison, he is put in charge of the whole prison and from prison rises directly to be second in Egypt. David, the shepherd boy, kills a lion and a bear, then kills Goliath, and becomes the greatest general in Israel’s history. It was he of whom the people said, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” David then becomes the greatest king in Israel’s history.

What was their edge? What enabled them to rise above the injustices of life? It was because God was with them. Daniel, as a youth arriving in Babylon, purposed in his heart not to compromise himself with the Babylonian system. (Daniel 1:8) Three times a day he knelt down to pray to remind himself that he was not a Babylonian, that he was a child of God and that God was his source. (Daniel 6:10) Joseph understood his God-given destiny. David was a man after God’s heart. They all worked hard and were good at what they did, but their edge in life was their relationship with God.

We often relegate the Holy Spirit to ministry, but like Daniel Joseph, and David, the Spirit wants to give us success in every area of our lives. The Holy Spirit is a creative genius, a brilliant educator, ultimate economist, righteous politician, and noble warrior. But we often get so busy and caught up in the world’s way that we fail to hear His still small voice and do things His way. “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” No matter what area or field of life you work in, your edge is your ability to bring the Holy Spirit to bear on what you are doing.

Andy Clark