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

Your Sphere of Influence

Genesis 2:7 says, “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.” So often we see ourselves tied to the earth. We see our life and existence as from the earth. Humanism ties us to the earth. However, the Bible says that even though our body was formed from the earth, God breathed into us His life and we became living beings. So, our life connection is not to the earth but to God.

When Adam sinned, man’s spiritual nature died, but through Christ we are born again and are now spiritually alive in Him. Jesus said in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” The flesh and the sprit are two spheres of influence. Jesus told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight.” (John 18:36) And again in John 14:30, Jesus tells his disciples, “the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Jesus understood that His battle was not with earthly authority and powers.

Satan is the prince of this world. The world is his area of operation and influence. Satan is constantly using this world to influence us and to draw us into dealing with him in his area of influence and strength. He wants to battle against us on his turf and according to his rules. But like Christ, we need to see beyond the earthly conflict and understand that our life is in God. As born again, blood-washed, spiritually-alive individuals, our area of influence is in the spiritual realm.

Ephesians 1:20-21 says that “Christ is seated in “heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Then it goes on in Ephesians 2:6 to say that we are seated “together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” This and not the earth is our place of strength and influence. Paul carries this truth forward in Ephesians 6:12 where he writes, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

In 2 Kings 6 we read the story of the King of Syria who sends a great army to surround and take Elisha captive. When Elisha’s servant saw the vast army, he said to Elisha, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" That is normally our response when we encounter conflict and problems in this world. What shall we do? Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be open, “And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Elisha’s response was not what shall we do, but what do we see? He was operating from His seat in heavenly places. The army was Satan’s area of influence and power. Elisha did not respond in the natural but from the spiritual realm, his area of influence and power. It was out of that position that he led the enemy captive.

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” (IICorinthians 10:4) We who are born again are not of this earth, our kingdom is not of this earth, but we are from heaven. To overcome and extend God’s kingdom we must operate from our area of influence and strength in Christ Jesus. Whether it is family, ministry, business or work, you have an edge over the world “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (I John 4:4)

Andy

Resurrection Power

We have just finished celebrating Easter, the most important celebration in Christianity, the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No other religion in the world can celebrate the resurrection of its founder. Paul says in I Corinthians 15:17, “if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” But Christ has risen from the dead, and we know that if we are in Him, we will be raised with Him. Not only does His resurrection guarantee the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with Him, but it also promises us power for our lives today.

Paul prays in Ephesians 1:17-21,“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”

Paul prays that we would know “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” This resurrection power is what broke the power of sin, sickness, and death. This resurrection power resides in us by the Spirit enabling us to walk in authority over “all principality, power, might, and dominion, and every name that is named.” Christ gained victory over the enemy in order that by faith we can walk in His victory.

We cannot know this power through study, observation or experience. Oftentimes our knowledge and experience work against the operation of this power because our thinking and experience are finite. Paul says this understanding is given to us by “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” Resurrection power comes in the revelation knowledge of Christ! The more we really know Him, the more we walk in His power that can change our life and the lives of those around us.

This resurrection power not only comes from knowing Him, but also from our position in Him. His power does not operate from worldly means or ways of doing things because we live and work in a world that is under the power of the evil one. That is why Paul says Christ is seated in heavenly places, and Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated “together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” God’s ways are far above our ways. To overcome, we must take on the mind of Christ and operate in His sphere of influence. May you come to know and experience “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Andy

Be Strong in the Lord

Joshua 1:9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua is preparing to face the greatest challenge of his life and ministry, taking a nation of nomadic people who have lived in the desert for forty years under God’s protection and provision into a land of walled cities, giants and great armies with armor, chariots and horses. The challenge is daunting and in human terms downright impossible. Even the first step of getting across the Jordan River will take a miracle from God.

Maybe you are facing what seems to be a formidable challenge or task. Maybe it is sickness, a family or financial problem, or something in your work or ministry. It might be a promise of God or something God has asked you to do that is beyond your capability. Don’t think that this is something unusual or that no one else is facing or has overcome what you are facing. The Bible and church history is filled with normal everyday people who by God’s help and power have overcome insurmountable problems and done the impossible.

Let us look at some keys to overcoming. In the Scripture we have just read, God gave Joshua a command. This is not just some advice or a word of encouragement. This is something that God Almighty is ordering Joshua to do in the midst of this seeming insurmountable challenge. No matter what you are facing today, your Heavenly Father, “the Commander of the Lord's army,” (Joshua 5:15) says, “be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, or be dismayed.” As born again believers, the Holy Spirit (God himself) resides within our spirit. When the challenge comes, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to arise in us and command out soul nature (mind, will and emotions) to come under the authority of our spirit man and God’s Word.

Paul echoes this in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” One of the weapons we are exhorted to put on is “the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Paul calls these “fiery darts” because they not only pierce us, but if left alone they will consume us. These fiery darts may be fear, discouragement, doubt, depression, resentment, unforgiveness or anger.

When Joshua took on the challenge God had given him to take the land of promise, he faced fiery darts. You may be facing some fiery darts. When we walk with God and in His will and purposes, fiery darts will come. The key is to not allow them to continue to burn and consume us. We have to rise up in faith, meditate on and declare God’s Word and promises, “for all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” I Corinthians 1:20

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." May you be encouraged today to stand and believe God.

Andy Clark

P.S. I have received requests for these devotionals in French and Portuguese. If you feel led, would you be willing to translate these into one of these languages for me? If you do not have time to do it weekly, could your do one a month? Please contact me and let me know at avclark@juno.com. Thank you, and may God bless.

All Authority

In Matthew 8:6-13 a Roman centurion came to Jesus to heal his servant who was paralyzed. When Jesus said he would come, the centurion gave an astounding response.

"Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

You notice the centurion did not say that I am a man of authority but “a man under authority.” The centurion touches on the first key to authority. That authority is derived from submission to a greater authority. Jesus marvels at the centurion’s response and turns to the crowd and declares; “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Why does Jesus associate this concept of authority to “great faith”? It comes from the second key to authority, and that is God’s authority is absolute. The centurion said, when I tell, “my servant ‘Do this,’ he does it.” There is no discussion, negotiations, delay, maybe or an excuse of any kind. When he gave a command, it was as good as done.

In our world today, we have lost our sense of authority, both in submission to authority and operating in authority. When God spoke, the worlds came into existence at the authority of His word. Great people of faith are people who respond to and operate in the authority of God. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the Bible says he got up the next morning and set off to do it. When God told Moses to stretch forth his rod over the Red Sea, he acted immediately.

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Our authority to carry out the ministry God has called us to is derived out of our relationship with Jesus who has “ALL AUTHORITY” and the degree of authority we give Him in our lives. The people in Jesus day said that “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matthew 7:29

The world is looking today for a people who walk under and in God’s authority. By His Spirit He has given you authority to carry out all that He has called you to do.

Andy Clark