Identification

Hebrews 11:24-26
“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”

I returned last week from Niger with a team of six. We had a tremendous time visiting a pioneer work about nine hours from Niamey, ministering to the children and teachers at our school, holding a four-day leadership seminar and ministering to our staff. The Lord ministered in a powerful way and spoke clearly to my spirit that this is the hour for his glory in West Africa.

The final day as our team spent some time with the staff, the Lord gave me a word through Nehemiah chapter one. Nehemiah was the cupbearer of the king of Persia, a position of influence, the cupbearer often served as an advisor to the king. Nehemiah hears of the suffering of his people in Jerusalem who have no protection because the walls are broken down and the gates are burned with fire.

Nehemiah is so moved by the need of his people that he “wept, and mourned for many days; fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Nehemiah 1:4) He identifies himself with the sins of the people and asks God for forgiveness. In chapter three he asks the king for a leave from his work to go and help his people rebuild the wall. Nehemiah not only put up with opposition, deception and threats from without and within, but also invested huge amounts of his own resources to the task.

With both Moses and Nehemiah, we see men who were chosen and mightily used of God because at great personal sacrifice and by faith they were willing to lay it all down to identify with a people group who were bound, hurting and in need of deliverance. They not only faced opposition from without, but the very people that they sacrificed so much to help constantly challenged them. Yet, they refused to become calloused, bitter, or resentful, but continued to identify with the people to whom God had called them.

As I look over West Africa, the 10/40 window and much of the world today, I see the lives of people torn down by the enemy and burned with fire. It is from these burned stones that God desires to build a spiritual house for his glory. Sometimes these stones are hard to deal with and don’t seem very promising, but God is looking for laborers who will lay it all down to identify themselves with the lost to bring them to Christ.

May the grace and love of Jesus Christ strengthen you and empower you today to effectively identify with those around you.

Andy Clark

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

New Year's Expectation

As we enter the New Year the question the Lord is asking is, “What are you
expecting from Me in the coming year?” In John Maxwell’s book The 21
Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, the first law is “The Law of the Lid,”
which deals with the limits we put on ourselves and others put on us. We all
deal with limitations, whether it is time, finances, environment, culture,
abilities, etc. I visualize these as the box that we live in.

God, however, has no limitations. He lives outside of the box of our
limitations, and His desire is to draw us outside of our limitations into His
limitlessness. In Ephesians 3:20-21, Paul concludes a magnificent prayer that
our understanding of God would be enlarged by saying, “Now to Him who is able to
do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all
generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

There are several key statements in these verses. First, God
is able to do far more than we can imagine in our box.
Secondly, the power to do these unimaginable things is at work
in us. So, the potential is there! Thirdly, if we allow God’s
unlimited potential to work in us, it will bring glory to His name. But in order
for these amazing things to happen, we need to begin to expect them to happen.
Here are three reasons we need to get up every morning expecting great things
from God.

Expectation causes us to seek God with persistence.

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.”

Jesus exhorted us to "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Expectation causes us to believe God fervently.

Matt 17:20 “For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and
nothing will be impossible for you.”

Hebrews 11:6 “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.”

Expectation causes us to yield to God.

The problem oftentimes is we want to bring God into the limitations of our
box. We expect God to do things in a certain way within the limitations of human
thinking, understanding and ability. We often want to maintain control, do
things our way. The only way to get out of our box into a limitless God is to
yield totally to Him. When you get on a plane, you lose all control. If you are
afraid to give up control, you will never fly.

I would encourage you as you enter the New Year, to expect great things from
God. Let Him stir up your vision of His greatness and what He has prepared for
you. Yield to Him in faith, and allow Him to carry you out of the box of your
limitations into His limitlessness.

Andy Clark

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