A Root Out of Dry Ground

A Root Out of Dry Ground

I was greatly encouraged by my recent trip to Niger to see what God is doing in this dry land. I was reminded of a picture my father had on his office wall of a parched, cracked piece of ground in the middle of which a small green shoot had sprung up. Under the picture was the Scripture for Isaiah 53:1-2.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”

This is a prophetic word about how Jesus was going to come in weakness and suffering to redeem mankind. But it was a constant reminder to my father that there was no ground too hard for the truth of God to take root.

Jesus said,"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Mark 4:26-28

I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Our responsibility is not to convert the soul but to simply declare the Word, plant the seed, no matter how hard and barren the ground may seem. Secondly, we need to have an unshakable confidence in the power of the Word to convert the soul. Knowing that in God’s timing and in the right spiritual atmosphere, this seed that we have planted will spring forth into everlasting life. I’m reminded of scenes of deserts that have been dry for years suddenly spring forth into beautiful growth with a season of rain.

The twelve years that my parents sowed seed in the barren desert of an unreached Muslim people group, drenched with tears of intercession, forty-five years later is now producing a harvest.

The Bible says, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:6

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

May God by His Spirit renew your strength and confidence in the power of His Word.

Your co-worker in Christ,

Andy Clark

A Root Out of Dry Ground

A Root Out of Dry Ground

I was greatly encouraged by my recent trip to Niger to see what God is doing in this dry land. I was reminded of a picture my father had on his office wall of a parched, cracked piece of ground in the middle of which a small green shoot had sprung up. Under the picture was the Scripture for Isaiah 53:1-2.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”

This is a prophetic word about how Jesus was going to come in weakness and suffering to redeem mankind. But it was a constant reminder to my father that there was no ground too hard for the truth of God to take root.

Jesus said,"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Mark 4:26-28

I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Our responsibility is not to convert the soul but to simply declare the Word, plant the seed, no matter how hard and barren the ground may seem. Secondly, we need to have an unshakable confidence in the power of the Word to convert the soul. Knowing that in God’s timing and in the right spiritual atmosphere, this seed that we have planted will spring forth into everlasting life. I’m reminded of scenes of deserts that have been dry for years suddenly spring forth into beautiful growth with a season of rain.

The twelve years that my parents sowed seed in the barren desert of an unreached Muslim people group, drenched with tears of intercession, forty-five years later is now producing a harvest.

The Bible says, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:6

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

May God by His Spirit renew your strength and confidence in the power of His Word.

Your co-worker in Christ,

Andy Clark

Sifting

Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

This devotional was birthed out a word the Lord recently gave me for someone who was facing some challenges. I trust it will be an encouragement to you. In the context of the above scripture, Simon Peter was getting ready to face one of the greatest challenges of his life: the arrest, conviction and execution of the man he had given up everything to follow for the past three and a half years. The man he thought was the Messiah whom Israel had long awaited. In the heat of the action, Simon, denied the Lord three times.

What caused Simon to deny his Lord? Fear definitely played a factor. He faced the possibility of being tortured and executed with Jesus. But Simon was a bold, almost brash individual who was ready to take on about anything. In fact, at Jesus arrest, he had pulled out his sword and cut off the servant’s ear. The problem wasn’t that Simon lacked courage, but in the heat of the battle he lost direction. He was ready to fight and even die for his King, but his King wasn’t fighting. The one who could walk on water, calm the seas, chase the money-changers out of the temple, and declared Himself equal with God was yielding to the enemy. This wasn’t part of the script.

Oftentimes like Simon we face challenges in life that we do not understand. Unexpected things happen out of our control. We pray, fast, claim God’s promises in faith, and nothing seems to happen. Like Peter, we become confused and disoriented. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. If we are not careful, we can become angry, frustrated, or depressed and maybe even give up. We thought we were doing the right thing, obeying God, but it hasn’t worked out.

I believe the words of our Lord to Simon Peter are relevant to us. In the midst of the confusion in the coming days, the Lord wanted Peter to trust Him. Yes, Satan was going to sift him and try him, but two things Peter needed to be aware of was that Jesus knew what he was going to go through and had already covered it in prayer. He also knew that Peter was going to make it because he said, “when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

You may be challenged in some area of your life today. Things are not going like you expected or planned. You may not understand why things are happening the way they have. Be encouraged, your Great High Priest knew that you were going to face this long before you did, and He has already prayed for you and knows that you are going to come through. He is faithful and has faith in you because He lives in you. For “greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.” Be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world for you.

Andy

Declairing the Kingdom

Matthew 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”

One of the key messages of Jesus’ ministry was the message of the kingdom. John the Baptist’s first message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2) Jesus continued this trend in Mark 1:14, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, He “commanded them, go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8) As you go through the Gospels, it is interesting to note that the proclamation of the kingdom was often associated with signs and wonders.

In teaching on the kingdom, Jesus said that the kingdom of God could not be confined by political or geographical locations, for the kingdom of God was in us. (Luke 17:20-21) Wherever we go in the world, we are the representation of the kingdom of God. By the Spirit, the full authority of the kingdom resides in us. Paul went on to define the kingdom not by what we possess but by the character and nature of God demonstrated in our lives. (Romans 14:17)

In the world we live in today, where nations and kingdoms are being rocked by political and economic turmoil, our mandate is to exemplify the very character of the kingdom. It is a kingdom of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17) in a world that is becoming devoid of these godly character traits because the world is divorcing itself from the God of righteousness, peace and joy. In order to exemplify the kingdom, we must be people of the Spirit who walk under the authority of the King. We can not entertain what the world entertains. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9-10) We are not moved by the news of what is happening in our world today because the love and peace flows in and through us by the Spirit.

It is out of the very character and nature of Christ by the Spirit that we carry on the ministry of Christ that declares and announces the kingdom to a world caught in chaos and darkness. This begins with praying in the kingdom. Jesus admonishes us to pray this prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:10) Begin to pray the kingdom over your home, your church, your job, your community, and your nation. Begin to pray the kingdom over North Africa and the Middle East, where millions are seeking to be free from the kingdom of this world. As you pray, declare God’s kingdom over these nations. “God may your kingdom come to Egypt, Libya, etc!”

As God leads by the Spirit, begin to announce the kingdom to those whom God brings into your life. It is through this process of living, praying, declaring, and announcing the kingdom that we bring the kingdom of God to bear on a world that desperately needs the life of the kingdom. May God energize you today to be a representative of the King in whatever measure He has given you, whether it is a prayer, a tweet, a text, a blog, facebook, email or in person. May He be glorified in you.

Andy

P.S. There will be no devotional next week as I will be in Niger, West Africa.

Watchmen

Isaiah 21:6 “For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees."

Isaiah 21 prophesies the impending doom of the great and wicked Babylonian empire. God warns His people not to put their trust in surrounding nations because Babylon is marked by God for ruin. These watchmen are to observe and declare the destruction of Babylon by God.

Last week I spoke about the shaking that is happening in the world today. Babylon is being shaken! The political, financial and religious structures of our day are being shaken by God Almighty. The shaking is not for our destruction but for the salvation of all those who trust is in Him. Like Israel, He warns us not to put out trust in what is around us, for it is marked by God for destruction.

I believe we live in a day when the Lord is looking for watchmen - men and women who will take the time to see in the Spirit what God is doing in this day and hour. We, the people of God, are the watchmen set on the wall by God to declare what we see. We need to lift our eyes off of the Babylonian world and begin to pray and speak forth God’s kingdom and will into the earth. I am reminded of the powerful song by Israel Houghton, “We Speak to Nations.”

Hear the sound
The sound of the nations calling
Hear the sound
The sound of the fathers crying
Who will go for us
Who will shout to the corners
Of the earth
That Christ is King

We speak to nations
Be open
We speak to nations
Fall on your knees
We speak to nations
The kingdom is coming near to you
Oh we speak to strongholds
Be broken
Power of darkness
You have to flee
We speak to nations
The kingdom is coming near to you.

I want to encourage you today to take your place as a watchman on the wall. Don’t just see and declare what the media, politicians and economists see and speak. As you watch and hear the news, speak forth God’s Word, will, and kingdom into the nations today.

Andy

Shaking

Hebrews 12:25-29

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

As we look in the portion of Scripture, God gives us two reasons for the shaking. The first reason is so that we will hear His voice. The reason God came down and shook Mount Sinai was that He wanted to speak to the children of Israel to reveal himself in His greatness and His power and to reveal to them His ways. Their failure to heed the voice of God resulted in their failure to enter the Promise Land and their destruction in the desert. God is shaking the world again because He wants to speak to us. God is shaking up economic, political and religious structures, shaking up our comfort zone because He wants us to stop in our business and hear His voice. The shaking is fearful, just as it was for Israel at Sinai, however it is not for our destruction, but to bring us into the promise, if we will hear His voice and obey.

The second reason for the shaking is to remove those things that are made, man-made or temporal, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Our response to this shaking is for us to transfer our trust from the man-made economic, political and religious kingdom, which is being shaken and disintegrating because of sin, and begin to put our trust and all our assets in the kingdom which cannot be shaken. We must begin by God’s grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel received a revelation and a message concerning a great war. He then set himself on a 21-day fast to understand the message God had given him. On the last day of his fast, after three weeks of spiritual conflict, the angel Gabriel came with the revelation Daniel was praying for. What we are seeing in Egypt today is a result of a national prayer movement of thousands in Egypt over many years. The cry of intercession has risen up before God Almighty and He is shaking Egypt. The ripple effect is sweeping through the Islamic world.

God is shaking the Muslim world today because He wants to speak not only to them but to us, His church. What happens as a result of this shaking depends upon our response to the voice of God. These countries lie in the balance. They can move to greater freedom or greater bondage. Our brethren in the faith in these countries are crying out to God for freedom. We as the church, the people of God, cannot be passive observers. God is trying to speak. We must take the time to cry out to Him, to hear His voice and to respond to Him. We the church were created for such a time as this. I want to encourage you as you see the shaking in our world to begin to be more intentional in your prayer life and kingdom walk. Challenge others to do the same.

“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.”

Andy

The Fulness of Time

Ephesians1:3-11

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him.”

This is an amazing portion of Scripture that should encourage us in the day in which we live. When I think of the words “the fullness of time,” I see an hour glass where most of the sand of time has flowed through the neck, so that the top half is almost empty and the bottom half is almost full. When you see that happening in an hour glass, it is usually calling you to action. Most often, it is indicating the completion of something. The food is almost done or a job is almost finished. As we observe what is going on around us, I believe we live in the fullness of time. The hour glass of this dispensation is coming to a close.

Paul’s words are encouraging to us as we see time running out. God set this plan of His in motion before the foundation of the world, and we are an important part of this plan. In fact, He has set us up for success. The God of the universe chose us and then redeemed us from sin and death by Christ’s blood. Not only that, but He has blessed us or, more accurately, lavished us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. That means all the favor that heaven has toward Christ is ours. You are highly favored not because of your performance but because you have been accepted in the Beloved.

Because of Christ, we have been adopted as children of God. This word “adopted” does not just mean we have come into the family of God, but it actually means that we have come into our full inheritance, that we are joint heirs with everything that is Christ’s. We are full partners in the kingdom. As part of this inheritance, he has lavished on us the riches of His grace or divine favor and enablement. Part of this divine enablement is wisdom and insight into the mystery of His will. God by His Spirit wants to reveal to us His plan so that we partner with Him in His glorious plans. It is not our will and plans, but what He has purposed since the foundation of the world. It is not time to be afraid or to draw back, but to come into the board room of the Chief Architect and CEO of all things. It is time to discern the voice of God and to be atuned to the Spirit.

This is the most exciting time to be alive, when He who purposes all things according to the good pleasure of His will, is bringing His eternal plan to fruition that in the fullness of time He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth. To Him be all glory and power forever and ever, Amen!

Andy