Tag Archives: Prayer

CHRISTIANITY THE WAY JESUS LIVED IT

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Christianity, Commitment, Covenant, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Testimonies, Training, Transformation

I am writing this very short blog to let you know I have finally finished the manuscript for my latest book Christianity the Way Jesus Lived It, Releasing the Christ Within You [CTWJLI]. This book is much larger than my previous two books Welcome to the Wilderness [WTTW], and Leaving the Land of Your Limitations [LTLOYL]. CTWJLI is over 400 pages and has tons of footnotes. Several who have read the manuscript called it a text book that should be in schools of higher Christian education.

In addition to that great news I have decided to add audio book format for all three of my books. I am working with a good friend who has access to a studio and is a professional technician and audio engineer, and a producer who has done several audio books for major publishing houses. We hope to begin that process within the next few months.

I am not yet sure of the cost to get CTWJLI printed in paperback, put in an e-book format, and to make all 3 books into the audio book format, but I am believing God to provide for all the costs associated with these new projects.

I believe all three books are revelatory and life changing, therefore I want to provide people the ability to experience them in the format that works best for them. Here is a testimony I recently received out of the blue from a man who was given Welcome to the Wilderness.

“Awesome morning Dr. Drury, My name is Bryant L. I just finished your wilderness book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It brought me back to certain moments in my life that I now understand were wilderness moments. It also revealed in those moments where I got too anxious and might have left the wilderness early. But then it also showed me where I left the wilderness on God’s timing because of the fruit that was bared. Your book also showed me that just because I am in the wilderness does not mean that I am in punishment or I did something wrong. It simply means that God The Father is calling me higher and for me to operate on the level He wants me to that it is necessary to go through the wilderness to progress His will for my life. Thank you for this pouring out, and being a man of God that wants to advance the Kingdom Of God. I pray for God’s love, and continued revelation upon you. Stay blessed.”

In a follow up email he wrote this when I asked how he heard about WTTW: “My big brother and Sis in Christ gifted me the book while visiting them. They said it would show me why I had been going through some of the past events in my life and that it would give me an understanding of where I was going.”

I was genuinely blown away and blessed when I got his email. I rarely hear from the people who have read either of my first two book. In all honestly, his testimony prodded me to finish CTWJLI!

I am no longer on social media so my ability to market my books is limited! Because of that I am asking you, especially those of you who have read and were blessed by WTTW, LTLOYL, or both to share this information with your family and friends, as well as on your social media platforms if you have them.

And I do hope and pray you will get a copy of CTWJLI in the format that works best for you and let me know how it impacts you.

I said this blog would be short, and this one is for me, so I will conclude it with this quote out of my new book:

~ Here is the crux of this book ~

Christ is the Anointed or anointing of God, and He wants to be released to flow into areas that are dry, diseased, dysfunctional, depressed, dissatisfied, disgraced, dying or dead!

Christ in us is the believer’s hope of glory!

Christ released through us is the hope of the world!

If you would like to be added to the Pre-Sale email group contact me at my email address below.

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity, and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A radical spiritual revolutionary
Revolution Movement Co-Founder
http://www.revolutionmovement.org
kdrury@revolutionmovement.org

You say you want a revolution! Join our movement and turn your world upside down so God can turn the world He owns and loves right side up through you!

Opened Eyes!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Christianity, Commitment, Covenant, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training, Transformation

Opened eyes!

“35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’

40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ And he said, ‘Lord, I want to regain my sight!’

42 And Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.’

43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.” [Luke 18]

I am focusing [pun intended] on the last portion of the chapter, but I encourage you to read the entire chapter. Please notice the chapter is bracketed [book ended] with two stories on persistence in prayer.

1] The woman who persistently sought what she NEEDED [legal [righteous] justice]
2] The blind man who Jesus asked what he WANTED [vision to fulfill his purpose]

God is interested in both what we need and want! He only wants us to want what He wants for us.

SELAH

Let’s look at the text about the blind man for a moment.

There is much to unpack in our text, but I will point out certain truths we need, must, see!

By the way, Matthew says there were 2 blind men [unidentified] and Mark identifies one man, Bartimeus.

First, Jericho means fragrance [sense of smell]. Bartimeus was sitting in a place where his sense of smell was heightened, but he could not see what he could smell. Smell and taste are closely aligned so I am sure at times he was tortured knowing he could not see what he could smell. The scents may have sent him into depths of adventure.

Second, Jericho comes from a word meaning “moon”. The moon is the light God put in the sky that governs the night [time of darkness, or when seeing is not as easy – meaning vision is not fully experienced].

Third, the Jericho of that day sat 5 miles from the Jordan River and 8 miles from the Dead Sea. Five = grace and eight = new beginnings.

It would appear Bartimeus was positioned [sitting] perfectly for God’s grace to introduce him to his new beginning.

Fourth, as we dig deeper into the root system of Jericho’s meaning we discover it means lunar cycle, or something that occurs repeatedly. The Jewish calendar is lunar, not solar, so their year is 360 days, not 365 like ours.

Twelve 30 day cycles make up their year!

This tells me Bartimeus was on a repetitive cycle [or repeat cycle] where he had plenty of time to think about what he wanted, and what he wanted was to not be on this cycle, or on this vicious visionless cycle.

Bartimeus means son of one who is highly prized [very valuable], but for some reason was unclean, impure. It comes from a word meaning contaminated.

Bartimeus’ lineage was promising and prophetic, but not conducive to health or wealth, and he became a beggar.

Beggar means applicant, one who earnestly asks. Bartimeus was so earnest Luke uses two different Greek words for ‘call [cry] out.’

The first usage is boáō [bo-ah’-o ] which means to raise a cry of joy or pain. It also means to speak or cry out in a strong voice for help.

The second usage is kraugázō [krow-gad’-zo] which means to be vehement to the point of brawling. Because his first attempt was not getting the result he desired he was willing to get physical.

This reminds me of the woman at the beginning of the chapter who refused to be denied. The Greek text indicates the judge finally realized she would physically assault him if he kept refusing her righteous request for protection.

Bartimeus wanted to apply himself. He wanted to be gainfully employed but he was not hirable or workable. His life was not working out according to his prophetic purpose. And he was over it!

Jesus opened Baritmeus’ eyes which enabled him to see the world, for the first time possibly in a long time. His eyes [vision] were closed to all the possibilities that were around him. By opening his eyes Jesus gave him the opportunity to see what was possible.

Bartimeus wanted to see – again!

What did he remember seeing that he could no longer see?

What did he see internally that made him want to see again externally?

I am reminded of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 – “That the eyes of your inner [redeemed, spiritual] man be opened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling.“

I believe what Bartimeus saw repeatedly was he was very valuable, a highly prized individual, who was trapped in a life that limited what he could see and do.

I believe Bartimeus never gave up hope his vision and his purpose would be restored.

Do you know “what?”

Does what you need, and want, line up with what God wants for you?

Selah

I want you to think about what you want that will require you to see with your spiritual eyes so that when God opens your physical eyes you will be focused only on what He shows you!

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity, and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
Revolution Movement Co-Founder
http://www.revolutionmovement.org
kdrury@revolutionmovement.org
912.577.4837

You say you want a revolution? Join our Movement and turn your world upside down so that God can turn the world right side up!

Overcomer!?

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Christianity, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training, Transformation

Overcomer!?

“31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” [Luke 22:31,32]

I have always found these two verses interesting, challenging, and encouraging.

Interesting because it is counter-intuitive to most teaching on God’s love and concern for His people.

Challenging because Jesus does not deny Satan’s demand to attack Peter.

Encouraging because Jesus obviously had faith in His prayer life, and in Peter to respond to his failure with faithfulness to God, which means He has faith in me to respond correctly and quickly when I fail to live up to His standard.

So many believe that God will “protect” them from Satan. These verses reveal a protection that is based in a prayer for a quick recovery, not a rescue from temptation and the tests in each temptation.

Do you see how Jesus prays and what He does not do?

Think about this –

  • God did not deny Satan access to Jesus
  • Jesus said He would send us out in the same way His Father sent Him [that is a deep subject]
  • Jesus did not deny Satan access to Peter
  • God will not deny Satan access to you, that is if you are or will be a threat to Satan [if you are not presently or will be eventually a threat then why bother with allowing him to bother [sift] you]

In His intercessory prayer life at the right hand of the Father Jesus prays for our faith, and for us to be strong. In the model prayer, which most have been taught is the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught novice disciples to pray for God to keep the devil away from them.

Matthew 6:13

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [the] evil [one].”

Yet John, who was present when Jesus taught the twelve that prayer, wrote this in 1 John 2:

“1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

  • We see little children are to learn sin is not acceptible

13 I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

  • Overcoming the evil one begins with saying yes to God, His word, will and ways

14 I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

  • God’s word does more than instruct us, it empowers us

Jesus fully expected Peter, and all of His disciples throughout every generation, to grow up quickly so that being an overcomer would be normal, not rare!

Jesus’ statement to Peter was approximately 3.5 years into Peter’s discipleship training process. Peter, having access to Jesus for 360 days a year for 3 to 3.5 years seems to give him an advantage in the maturation process. But Jesus said this, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” [John 16:7]

Discipleship comes with, and every true disciple of Jesus post resurrection, ascension and Pentecost outpouring, have an advantage over those who walked with Jesus in the flesh 2000 years ago.

With that being true then why do so many disciples of Jesus fail Him and fail to rebound quickly, if ever at all?

There are too many reasons to write about here but a main issue is the lack of reading, study and understanding Scripture and our identity in Christ.

Are you like the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?”

John gives great insight to his readers:

1. He writes to ‘little children’ in verse 1. Those children have matured to the level of living solely to honor God and to defend His honor at all costs.

2. He writes to young men in verses 13 and 14 and describes how these young men matured to become overcomers.

a. They are strong

b. The Word of God abides in them

c. They attack the devil [they overcome him] – they are not praying for protection from him

d. Their identity in Christ is revealed, and unleashes the Christ that is in them

Listen [well read and understand] friends, do you scare the devil enough that he demands permission from God to attack you?

Are you still a pebble in your own eyes or the pillar that God sees when He looks at you?

Is God looking at you, or for you?

Where are you?

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A spiritual revolutionary

 

Join the Movement!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training, Transformation

Revolution Movement has a Twitter Page.

You can follow us on:

Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/hisstorymakers/?modal=admin_todo_tour],

Twitter [https://twitter.com/RevolutionMove3],

and hopefully in the not so distant future on YouTube.

Our website http://www.revolutionmovement.org is nearly ready to launch. It is a simple one but we “Do not despise small beginnings.”

You say you want a revolution? Join our movement so God can turn your world upside down so He can turn the world right side up!

Ways to join:

1. Prayer support – It has come to that and “It” is so important to Donna and me and what we are called to do moving forward.

2. Financial support – Donna nor I will solicit financial “aid”. Jesus said we were to trust Him so trust Him we do.

We do have strong beliefs about sowing financially into the lives of those who work to obtain, prepare and serve spiritual food. It absolutely dishonors God and those God sows into our lives not to support them generously financially – and that includes feasting on what is posted on social media.

When we pastored we gave 100% of all the money that was given during our conferences, as well as paid for the travel, hotel, and meals of our guests.

Jesus told us, “Do not invite someone to your “house” then make them pay for coming by withholding money that comes in the offerings.”

We would always round the offering total up to the next $1000 amount and some of our guests were speechless when they saw the “love” offerings. They FELT our love!

3. Mentor Movement – We offer help at the request of the person wanting us to mentor them. This Movement is for the occasional need for counsel, advice or ministry. If this turns into more than once a month the person will need to transition to the Discipleship Movement.

4. Discipleship Movement – This Movement involves more advanced training on a regular basis using the Bible and materials written and or published by me and other TRM affiliated and approved authors.

5. Fathering Movement – This Movement takes the relationship to a whole new level of interaction. The training will be similar to the Discipleship Movement but one main thing that separates this Movement from the others is the person expresses to Donna and me they believe God has called us to be their Spiritual Parents. Access to us increases and accountability to us, and us to them increases too.

You say you want a revolution? Join our Movement and watch God turn your world upside down so that He can turn the world right side up!

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
Spiritual Revolutionary

#TRM #NewTweetSpot #Courage #Confidence #Passion #BurningOnes #OnFire #NeverGoingBack #Mentor #Discipleship #Fathering

Know Who You Trust

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training, Transformation

Who do you trust, really trust?

Do you trust man more than you trust God?

Do you trust God, really trust God?

Jesus did not trust man because He knew what was in man!

Do you believe Jesus lived His life on earth that way because He was both fully God and fully man, or because as man who was tempted in every way you and I are tempted yet without surrendering to the temptations and commiting any sin, He knew by His experiences as a man what man was capable of doing that would not be acceptible to God the Father?

Jesus as God never lived as God while He lived on earth as a man!

Paul said Jesus did not think being equal to God was something to be grasped and that He emptied Himself and humbled Himself! Jesus became totally vunerable and in His vunerability relied on God’s trustworthiness to help Him navigate the life God sent Him to live.

Do you trust God like that?

If not why not?

Who have you placed your trust in that is more reliable and trustworthy than the God you say you believe [trust] in?

John 2

“23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

1 Peter 2

“13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

So many church leaders fall into the trap of thinking they are leading God’s people correctly when they themselves have stopped following the Chief Shephered! Following the Shepherd creates suffering and too many leaders stop following Christ the moment the price of suffering becomes too high for them to pay.

These ‘church” leaders are not really leaders because they have compromised their leadership by entrusting themselves to the people God supposedly called them to lead, for the purpose of obtaining or maintaining their position, paycheck and potential promotion.

Never knowing or possibly forgetting it is God who promotes those in His kingdom who remain trustworthy through continuously proving they genuinely trust God at all costs, they demote themselves in His eyes in order to appear promoted to the people who are in truth leading them where they want to go, not where God calls them to go.

“6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 76 KJV

Did you notice the psalmist did not include “north” in his assestment of where promotion never comes from? Or did he reveal real promotion comes from the north?

God sits enthroned in the “north!”

Isaiah 14:13

“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.”

The pride of lucifer was that he would ascend above the heights of God and His position in the north. There are many functioning in the spirit of lucifer standing before God’s people leading them, some unknowingly, in rebellion against the God they say they love and serve.

How?

By not surrendering to the Lordship and Leadership of Jesus the Sent Son!

Self promotion may look good to some but in the halls of heaven and in the heart of God it is a stench that has eternally disastrous results. Are you willing to risk the eternity God placed in your heart?

The prophet Jeremiah said this of these carnal, corrupt, and compromised “shepherds.”

Jeremiah 50

“6 My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. 7 All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.'”

What was their sin?

It was following leaders into what they perceived was a place of stability, security and safety – “From mountain [harder place to live] to a hill [apparent easier place to live].”

Jesus Himself warned about these politically minded shepherds in Matthew 9 – “35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'”

His next statement to them was, “5 ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.'” [Matthew 10]

In other words, “My compassion compels true kingdom shephereds [leaders] to intervene with My compassion, ministry and message, not with the ministry and message of the compromised religious [church] leaders who do not carry My compassion.”

Jesus revealed His kingdom leaders do not stay and pray. Rather they pray as they go intervene!

Dear leader, if your message and ministry is not what Jesus sent His original messengers to say and do your ministry is yours, not His!

Paul spoke of these compromised shepherds in Acts 20 – “ 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church [ekklesia] of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

These “savage wolves” are self-promoters and their goal is to dethrone God the Chief Shepherd from His position and power to promote those He qualifies as ready for the promotion!

They would never “advertise” their goal to you but that is their goal nonetheless!

Jesus Himself warned of these demonically inspired “servants” when He said, “Beware of [Be aware of not afraid of] false prophets who come to you [leaders] in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Do not trust anyone – leader or otherwise – who is drawing you to them and away from the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, rule, will and ways. The moment they become more important in their own mind than Jesus is – RUN!

They speak “pervese things” which means they:

  • abandon the proper path of holiness
  • pervert purity for their own pleasures
  • plot against God’s purposes
  • reverse course against what and who they once said they valued
  • serve their own selfish needs
  • twist [distort] truth by misinterpreting it

Who do you really trust?

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Radical Revolutionary

#TRM

 

 

People of Purpose, Purity and Power

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mature, Maturing, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training

Now, more than ever, is the time for God’s people to be people of purpose, living on purpose for the sole purpose of fulfilling God’s purpose for giving them His life. Two ways to ensure that happens is by living in purity and power.

All of the New Testament writers, in one way or another, spoke into the importance of this truth. And the truths they wrote about are timeless, speaking into every generation of people who read and heed their wise counsel.

Jesus, who is heaven’s model and our role-model for all life and ministry, is the Author and Perfecter of this life of faithful obedience to the Father.

May wife Donna and I have a call on our lives that in part is to train, equip, and activate maturing saints in the Biblical lifestyle of purity and power. Having a DNA of “In earth as it IS in heaven” [Matthew 6:10 KJV], requires us to pursue the life Jesus lived and to lead others into experiencing.

Mistakes happen! A mistake is a momentary lapse of good judgment. We have discovered there are way too many people who use the “I made a mistake” excuse for a lifestyle of repetitive “lapses of good judgment.” At some point people need to grasp they are not making mistakes. but they are revealing corrupt core values that if not repented of will lead them to dark places and possible eternal destruction.

Peter, a disciple of Jesus who made some mistakes in his life, wrote the following instruction to people displaced because of their commitment to Christ.

1 Peter 3 – “10 The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and [he must keep] his lips from speaking deceit. 11 He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Do you desire life? The life Peter is referring to is the life God possesses and passes on to those who desire His life.

Do you desire love? The love Peter is referring to is the love God possesses and passes on to those who choose to receive and communicate God’s love. God’s love does not change when a person rejects His love, because God never changes in His nature and character. He is eternally consistent!

Do you desire to see good days? The good days Peter is referring to that can be seen [experienced] are upright, honorable and therefore useful to God and to us. In other words, these “good days” are days when we live right according to the life God desires we live, and we choose to live because we choose to honor God.

Please pay close attention to this text!

This is a quote of Psalms 32:12-16 and Peter uses this text as he writes to believers in Christ who previously were not the people of God. Some believe Peter is writing just to Gentiles. Others believe he is writing to both Gentiles and Jews who previously were not born again believers in Christ. Either way, they are now Christians by virtue of their “being chosen by God, according to the foreknowledge of the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled by His blood” [1 Peter 1:2].

Look at what Peter says in 1:2 about the people he wrote to who were scattered into at least 5 areas quite possibly because of persecution.

1. Chosen by God according to the foreknowledge of the Father

This does not mean God only selects a select few to be saved. This means God saves those who choose to be selected to be saved. “Whosoever may come”, and “Many are called but few are chosen” are truths that reveal 1] everyone has the opportunity to come, and 2] only those who do come can be chosen. The call to salvation is offered to all, but only those who accept the call and the conditions of God’s call are saved.

2. By the sanctifying work of the Spirit

True separation to God always produces the life God saved us to live
. This sanctification must lead to a holy [pure] lifestyle
. In other words, if our life is not holy God did not give it to us. “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy'” [1:14-16].

3. To obey Jesus Christ

There can be no purity without complete obedience to Christ who fully obeyed the Father. Our love for God is proved in our obedience to God. Peter is saying that we are chosen to obey Christ. This is a different reality than we are chosen to go to heaven.

  • John 14:31 – “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.”
  • John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

I find it interesting Jesus followed up His “Loving Me means obeying Me” with “I love the Father by doing exactly as the Father commands Me.” True leadership is seen in setting the example for those who follow us. Pharisees [False leaders] put things on people they refuse to do themselves. By the way, the world is watching to see if what we say is congruent with how we live. Do we prove to the world we love God by fully obeying Him? Jesus did! And He is our role-model.

4. To be sprinkled by His blood

Being cleansed from all impurity must lead to a consistent lifestyle of living pure. This is an illustration taken from the Old Testament examples of – 1] The Hebrew people and the mixed multitude who were delivered from Egypt and the death angel by putting the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorposts of their homes [hearts]; 2] The sanctifying of all the materials, furniture, and utensils of Moses’ Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple; 3] The sanctifying of the priests where blood and oil was placed on their right ears, thumbs and big toes representing cleansing and anointing for service. Once these were sprinkled they were never to be used for any other purpose.

Peter lists some vitally important lifestyle characteristics of Christian character that leads to the life God desires for all people, but especially for anyone claiming to be His.

They:

1. Must keep their tongue from evil

  • ‘Evil’ here means worthless, destructive that comes from a belief that is not true
  • “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Our mouths reveal what really is in our heart.

2. Must keep their lips from speaking deceit

  • ‘Deceit’ here means a decoy [misleading for the purpose of luring away from what is true and holy]

3. Must turn away from evil and do good

  • ‘Turn away’ here means to turn completely from the wrong direction, or to head in the correct direction, to shun anything and anyone living unholy so we do not emulate their bad behavior
  • ‘Evil’ here is the same word used above [worthless, destructive that comes from a belief that is not true]
  • ‘Do good’ here means to produce, be the authors of, and abide in all that is honorable and beneficial to a holy lifestyle

4. Must seek peace and pursue it

  • ‘Seek’ here means to demand, require, crave and to pursue on purpose in order to find what you are seeking. It does not means meandering around pretending you are looking for something.
  • ‘Peace’ here means harmony, security, safety, prosperity, connection to others, and rest. This is the equivalent of the Hebrew word shalom.
  • ‘Pursue’ here means to run swiftly, passionately and purposefully in order to obtain the goal or prize.

Peter states the reason for these to be adhered to is because:

1. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous

God loves the unrighteous but His eyes are toward the righteous!

  • ‘Toward’ here means over and on
  • God’s eyes are not on those who are evil
    • Habakkuk 1:13 – “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.”
    • This is why God turned away from Jesus on the Cross, and for the first time there was a disconnect between Father and Son. When Jesus became sin God could not look on the wickedness He bore for us.

2. The ears of the Lord attend to their prayer

  • ”Ears attend’ here means to be aware of, attentive to, and understand
  • ‘Prayer’ here means needs, desires, long for and even wants, and to make those known through seeking God, asking and entreating God. The idea here is our seeking God will direct what we desire and want to be what He desires and wants for us, which includes a holy life set apart to God and His purposes in the earth.

3. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil

  • ‘Face’ here means the countenance, eyes, look, appearance, expressions, and presence
  • This should convince those who believe God never shows a different “face” when He is dealing with people in different situations that He absolutely does.
    • Mark 3:5 – “After looking around at them with anger.”
  • This is a very descriptive verse that reveals Jesus not only looked directly at each one of them with anger, but the anger was not just for looks
  • Jesus communicated with His facial expression His strong displeasure with them
  • “Anger’ here means a violent emotion, temper, and an exhibition of punishment or the punishment itself. It is very hard for many to wrap their mind around this truth. Is it really possible for the perfect God who came as perfect Man to get so angry he directed it toward people with just a look?
  • ‘Against’ here means to position in front of, or to be directed toward. This means God deals with those who misbehave face to face, or He confronts the people who are misbehaving. God never sweeps misbehavior under the rug or pretends it does not exist. God always approaches from the front to speak directly to those who are not living holy and or healthy, especially in a Christian community context. God never talks behind someone’s back, and neither should we.
  • ‘Do’ here means the same as ‘ do good’ above. To produce, make, construct, author, to cause someone to do something – with the word ‘evil’ following it is the exact opposite of ‘do good’ in verse 11
  • ‘Evil’ here means of a bad nature [which would mean live like you are still unsaved], to cause trouble or injury that originates in thoughts that are wicked [twisted, or twisting truth]

I am concluding this blog by going back to the beginning. To be people of purpose, purity and power, we must desire life, [desire] to love and want to see good days. To realize our desire we must direct our attention toward the God who through His love saved us, toward those who are in right relationship with God and us, hear [understand] what they say to us, while simultaneously turning completely away from those who do evil, and seek to harm us by ensnaring us in their evil.

Keep HIS Passion, Power, Presence, Priority, Process, Provision, Pruning, Purity, Purging, and Purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Spiritual Revolutionary

Politics, Prayer and the Peace of Jerusalem

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Discipleship, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

Some believe President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capitol of the State of Israel on December 6, 2017 will bring peace. I am more concerned with what Jesus said Jerusalem must do before God allows peace to come to her.

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want to! 38 Look! Your house is left to you deserted! 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'” [Mathew 23, International Standard Version]

The Amplified Bible translates verse 38 like this, “Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (abandoned and left destitute of God’s help).”

Verse 38 is in reference to Jeremiah 22:5 which says, “But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, ‘that this house will become a desolation.’”

One of the definitions of the word ‘desolation’ in Jeremiah 22:5 means to dry up or to be dried up. This is chilling! I know it is very difficult for the modern Christian to accept but God dried up [made barren] the land of the Jews and their hallowed city. This is true both in the natural and the spiritual.

History records Jerusalem and the hallowed Jewish temple were destroyed in 70 AD.

So why is the land coming alive in the natural and why is there so much excitement over what President Trump did yesterday? Man has an amazing capability to be creative and to be highly productive with their creativity. That is the mark of the Creator in the makeup of man that God made! None of those facts prove God should be given credit for what is an obvious improvement in the land.

But Kevin, what about what Isaiah said about God causing the desert to bloom. “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” [Isaiah 35:1 KJV]

Jesus is known as the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys [SOS 2:1]. Friends, there is no blossom or rejoicing of the desert that is divorced from the One who is the Rose! No Rose, no rejoicing! No Lily, no Life!

But Kevin, aren’t you spiritualizing the text? No! Paul said, “First the natural then the spiritual” [1 Corinthians 15:4]. Why do you think Jesus came as a human being [in the natural]? Jesus came to bring revelation of spiritual realities that are greater in every way than natural realities.

Everything the prophets said must be viewed in light of the Light of the world [Hebrews 1]! “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

What “words” were the Jews to obey according to Jeremiah that would keep desolation from coming to the people and the place of their habitation?

“1 Thus says the Lord, ‘Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates.’ 3 ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.’”

“Do justice and righteousness”

We know they failed miserably in this as the leaders and some of the people constantly were in conflict with Jesus, and they eventually conspired against Him and murdered Him at the hands of the Romans.

“Deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of the oppressor”

Again, the Jews failed miserably here as they were the original oppressor of Jesus and instead of delivering Him they handed Him over to Pilate. In other words, they abandoned God and left Him in the hands of an oppressive politician.

“Do not shed innocent blood in this place”

This is the most egregious sin the Jews committed. In fact, they screamed, “His [innocent] blood be upon us and our children” [Matthew 27:25].

The commands of the Lord come with conditions. Obey and the gates to ‘this house’ will be open to kings, his servants and his people.. Disobey and ‘this house’ becomes a desolation. They chose desolation as their destiny!

The Jews in Jesus’ day declared, “We have no king but Caesar.”  Until that confession is fessed you can forget about them entering the kingdom of God.

There will never be true and lasting peace until the Jewish people corporately repent for rejecting and murdering God’s free gift of salvation and peace to them. They must admit the Jesus they crucified 2000 years ago is the Prince of Peace, and until they do they will never see Him.

“14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 22 Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know — 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.'”

Peter is not the only Jewish believer in Jesus who attributes Jesus’ murder to the Jews.

Look at what Paul wrote to the believers in Thessaloníki [1 Thessalonians 2], “14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.”

What Jesus had to say about Jerusalem is of more importance to me than what any President or politician says. Jesus made some astonishing statements about Jerusalem. One of which I mentioned above.

Another one is found in John 4. “19 The woman said* to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.’ 21 Jesus said* to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’”

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that beginning 2,000 years ago Jerusalem is not the center of the worship His Father is seeking. Again, Jesus said in at least 2 ways the Father is not seeking worship in Jerusalem so Christians need to back off the misinformation on the importance of the city of Jerusalem. And by the way, Jesus said ‘an hour is coming’, and then He said ‘and now is’. There are no words in between those two truths and there are no words that can replace His words!

Jesus removed Jerusalem as the primary place of the worship of God, and Jesus said that Jerusalem was desolate, lonesome, abandoned by Him [God], a woman neglected by her husband, divorced and devoid of God’s help [Strong’s and Thayer’s].

People misunderstand David’s plea for prayer found in Psalm 122:6 – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Love is not love if it is not accompanied with truth! We are to “speak the truth in love.”

There is no truth that violates the One who identified Himself as, “the Truth.”

When we define ‘prosper’ by human standards we reduce the power of what God intended when He dictated that word to be used. To prosper from heaven’s perspective is to obey God at all costs. That is true prosperity!

“I desire obedience rather than sacrifice” is a core value of the Father. Why? Because it is possible to sacrifice without obedience but not possible to obey without sacrifice.

Isaiah spoke of the Messiah when he prophesied, “Behold, My servant will prosper. He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.” [52:13] Jesus confirmed what this was speaking about when He said, “”And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” [John 12:32] Can we agree that Jesus completed His mission by being completely obedient to the Father by carrying His cross to the very end?

David spoke approximately 1,000 years before Jesus. We must take what David said in view of what Jesus said. Does anyone really believe God will listen to any prayer for Jerusalem that does not consider what Jesus said about Jerusalem?

David is considered a prophet. Peter declared that on the day of Pentecost. “29 Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.” [Acts 2]

Paul said this in Hebrews 1, “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

Whatever God said before Jesus and whatever God [said] says after Jesus must be viewed in the light of Jesus’ life, ministry, message, mission, mandate and methods.

So, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we MUST pray for the Jewish people to accept the gift of repentance God has been offering them for 2.000 years so that they can repent for their rebellion and receive the free gift of eternal life that is found only in Jesus, the crucified and resurrected Lord of glory!

Then and only then will peace come to the Jews and Jerusalem!

Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Priority! Keep HIS Purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

His Hisstorymaker

 

Moses’ Veil & Blindness

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

There is renewed interest in the State of Israel again now that Barack Obama “stabbed them in the back” at the United Nations several weeks ago by not vetoing a resolution against their West Bank developments.

Of course in some Christian circles there is a constant interest in “Israel” and the unsaved, natural Jewish people that really does not carry the weight of heaven as it pertains to their present day predicament – being without God and hope in this world.

There is the constant admonishing to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” because of the promise, “May they prosper who love you.” [Psalm 122:6]

This verse is used to mislead the immature masses into thinking that if they don’t pray the proper prayer then not only will God not prosper them He might just pound them into either submission or oblivion.

My main issue with the constant droning of those desperate to prosper because of their prayer for Israel’s peace is they totally forget “Israel” forsook and eventually murdered the Prince of Peace Jehovah sent to save them. They seem to also conveniently forget Jesus spoke Ichabod over Jerusalem by stating, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate [abandoned, divorced].” [Matthew 23:38]

He continued His rebuke by telling “Jerusalem”, “From now on you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'” [verse 39]

Jesus was not inferring a future revealing He was declaring they would not see Him UNTIL they confessed His being there then was in the “name of the Lord.” For the Jews of our day, just like the Jews of Jesus’ day, must confess He came 2000 years ago in the name of the Lord. This means repenting for rejecting Him and receiving Him and His work on the Cross that paid for their salvation.

Praying for peace now looks like praying for them to genuinely repent for their sin of slaying the Savior of the world, and prosperity becomes promoting proper relationship protocols!

The Jewish prophet Isaiah said this, “But he [Messiah] was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” [53:5 KJV]

There can be no peace with God without agreeing with and surrendering to the God who presented His terms for peace.

Also, there is another verse that is so badly misrepresented that it is becoming laughable to those liberated in the Kingdom lifestyle Jesus inaugurated when He emerged out of His water and Spirit baptism at the Jordan River.

That verse is found in Genesis 12, and so many leaders and scriptural “authorities” completely misuse it and its context.

“I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you.” What is left out is this portion of this verse, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” [verse 3]

This verse has nothing to do with the State of Israel, or unsaved Jewish people. Israel is not mentioned in the verse or its context. Abram was the recipient of the promises God proclaimed and Paul would write in Galatians 3 that the gospel was preached to Abram in the last line of that verse. [verse 8]

The context of Genesis 12 is salvation through the gospel message that would bring God’s blessings upon the entire planet through all the people on the planet who received and accepted the gospel. That is why Paul said in Galatians only those in Christ are of Abraham’s Seed and heirs to [all] the promises God made to Abraham.

I have an 11 part teaching series that can be found on YouTube called Who Is The Israel Of God, And What Does That Have To Do With Me. I also have a 14 part teaching series on YouTube called Jesus and Jerusalem. I hope both these series’ become Books because there is so much misinformation that leads to the misdiagnosing and eventual mistreatment of these very important subjects.

I am continually in prayer for revelation as to the “Why” question I have concerning why the unsaved Jewish people and “saved” Christians cannot see the obvious truth about Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

I feel God just dropped a nugget into my noggin [head] as I watered the plants this morning at Bethel Church in beautiful Brunswick and the glorious Golden Isles of Georgia.

This is what I believe I heard Him say to me: “The blindness from Moses’ veil keeps people from seeing the obvious.”

I was immediately reminded of this text Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth.

“12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” [2 Corinthians 3]

Here are some things of importance that stand out to me in this text.

  • Verse 12 – Paul and his team were bold in declaring the truth of God’s new day/new thing He had announced to the Jewish people in the Old Covenant and that day was upon them all
    • The boldness Paul refers to is traced back to verse 4, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.” Their boldness is directly tied to the hope they possessed
  • Verse 13 – Paul and his team were not going to live in the limitations of what God had done that was temporary
  • Verse 13 – Moses realized in the days of his glorious encounters the glory of his day [experience] was temporary
  • Verse 14 – The sons of Israel’s hearts hardened against God and His glory
  • Verse 14 – Paul and his team knew that hardening remained in their present day
  • Verse 14 – The Old Testament was the source of that hardening and the persistence of the veil that veiled the minds of those who depended on Moses for their revelation
  • Verse 14 – Paul and his team revealed that only in Christ would the veil be lifted for those who are in Christ and who do not rely on Moses for their revelation of what God was doing in their day
  • Verse 15 – Paul and His team reiterated that every time Moses was read the hearts of the hearers are covered with a veil that hides the new day/new thing God is doing. This hinders them from coming to the knowledge of the present tense reality that removed the problem
  • Verse 16 – Paul and his team reiterate the present tense truth that only turning to the Lord [Jesus] is the veil, cover, hindrance removed from the head and heart of the hearers

~~~ My conclusion is simply this ~~~

There are so many well meaning Christians who are blinded by the blindness from the veil Moses used to cover his decline. The result is they cannot see the truth of God’s new day/new thing that began with Jesus.

Concurrently, because of their unhealthy soul ties to old information and revelation and the possessor, protector and propagator of the old thing [Moses] they still live within a reality that is no longer real.

If you are presently tied to what faded away I whole heartedly encourage you to jettison the veil and proceed to the Person who now fully represents the present tense reality of heaven’s influence in the earth!

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

HIS Hisstorymaker

It’s Time To Act Up! #3 – Where’s Your Focus?

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

Where is your focus?

Our focus determines our outlook!

Our outlook speaks of our mental view, or the way we see things in our mind. It also means our point of view or where we “point” our sight. Our outlook is our line of sight…

The apostle Paul prayed for the saints in Asia Minor this prayer found in Ephesians 1:17-19 ~

“17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Paul prayed for the first century saints, who were under the earthly rule of Rome yet more importantly were citizens of heaven, to receive “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge [intimate awareness and connection to God] of Him [the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory].”

Please notice the order:

  1. “A spirit of wisdom” –
  2. “A spirit of revelation”

Wisdom must precede revelation so that we can rightly steward heaven’s downloads. Otherwise it is like a river without banks. The water just runs all over the place without clear direction or purpose.

Paul then proceeds to ask God to grant these saints with multiple citizenships [earthly and heavenly] eyes to see. The eyes he desired them to see out of are not the ones in their heads. These are the eyes of the heart, or of the regenerated new man, or new creation.

As citizens of heaven on earth we must see from heaven’s perspective or we will find it difficult to  overcome life’s obstacles and earth’s limitations. Our faith [seeing what God sees and saying what God says] is what overcomes the world.

These “eyes of the heart” are to be enlightened, opened, illuminated, and focused on God, who is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of glory. In other words, we must see that the Father and the Son are truly One and the same. Jesus said, “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father.”

What did Jesus ever face that caused Him concern and consternation? It was never the problems of the planet such as sin, sickness, poverty, or lack of resources. His problem was with the perception of the people.

“Only believe” was a central theme of His ministry. “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can . . . . “

Jesus never needs a lot to work with. He can take the little we offer Him and transform people, places and even the planet.

This synergistic understanding creates continuity in our heart and head which leads us to seeing Him who is invisible, understanding that He loves to do the impossible, that He has really good plans for us and tremendous resources available to us to bring transformation to the planet.

What are these resources?

They are:

  • “The hope of His calling” – Do you realize that we have no calling apart from His calling. Our call in life is simply a product of His calling. His calling is redemptive and transformational. He came to bring heaven to earth not rescue His people off of the earth. “Occupy until I come” is a command. The purpose of an occupation force is for transforming the area and society where the “force” understands it’s mandate and enforces the will of the conquering King.
  • “The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” – Did you ever stop to think that Jesus has an inheritance in us – His saints? We know that we have an eternal inheritance in Him but what about His inheritance in us? God has deposited in each of us a ton of grace, ability, intelligence, opportunity and a host of other beneficial resources. And He fully expects to receive “much good fruit” from us.
  • “The surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” – Think about what you just read!
    • “Surpassing!”
    • “Greatness of!”
    • “His power!”
    • “Toward!”
    • “Us!”
    • “Who believe!”

And the problem is?

Our problem is not what opposes us! Our problem is our perception of what opposes us! Actually, our problem is us! “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us” [1970, Walt Kelly, author of the comic strip Pogo].

Apostolic and prophetic ministers pray prayers, write blogs and books, prophesy and preach sermons that redirect people’s focus off of themselves and whatever they face, and onto the only Source that provides solutions to the seemingly overwhelming problems that “appear” to be standing in their way.

Look at what the prophet Isaiah said 8 centuries before Jesus came in the flesh.

Isaiah 60:1-5

“1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms. 5 Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.”

This text is a dichotomy!

On the one side are the obvious problems that Isaiah saw, which represent your target and your mission in life, which you are facing [have the opportunity to see].

They are:

  • “Darkness covering earth” and
  • “Deep darkness covering the peoples”

Memo to self ~ You are not responsible for what you cannot control!

On the other side is YOU!

In addition to you is all that you have at your disposal to dispose of the problems facing mankind.

Isaiah saw these as well. Genuine apostolic and prophetic ministry does not focus on the problems. They look right past the “dirt” and get to the gold!

You and I are responsible for utilizing the tools God gives us to approach life with faith and joyful expectation of success. This is where the grace gifts of apostle and prophet are vitally important. These gifts of Christ see the unseen [what God sees and says] and they release courage to face life in such a way that helps people overcome. Apostles and prophets, among other things, equip the saints to live from the superior, unseen spiritual world toward the natural world. Our faith is anchored in the spirit world, where God who is Spirit rules from His throne.

Isaiah saw and declared that we have:

  • “Your light!”
    • Your light represents your revelation and understanding of God
      • Use the revelation and understanding of God that you have in a way that is productive
    • “[That] Has come!”
      • What are we waiting on?
        • Using what we presently have ensures access to whatever we need now and in the future
  • “The Lord!”
    • This should be enough, but along with Him comes all that He is and all that He possesses
  • “The glory of the Lord [that] has risen upon you!”
    • The Lord’s glory represents His manifest presence
    • His manifest presence represents His tangible activity
    • His tangible activity represents His supernatural interventions
  • “The Lord will rise upon you!”
    • This speaks of the baptism in the Holy Spirit
    • We will touch on this in a minute
  • “His [The Lord’s] glory will appear upon you!”
    • I believe this is another way of stating the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the anointing that will flow out of you

You are responsible for YOU! You are to responsibly ~

  • “Arise!”
    • Get up! Stand up! Act up!
  • “Shine!”
    • Be bright, cheerful, full of expectation of imminent good!
    • Be happy and joyful [full of joy]!
  • “Lift up your eyes!”
    • Look at the goal not the obstacle!
    • Get God’s perspective!
    • In the sport of track and field there is an event called the “100m and 110m hurdle race.” These races consist of a distance of 100m for the women and 110m for the men. For the race ten hurdles of a height of 83.8 cm [2.75 ft] are placed evenly spaced along a straight course. The racers know that the hurdles [obstacles] are there but they don’t focus on them. They focus on the goal [finish line] and visualize themselves hurdling [flying over] all of the hurdles [obstacles].
  • “And see!”
    • Really see! Or, see what is really real!
    • See the solutions not the problems!
    • See what you possess not what you are lacking!
    • God asked Moses, “What do you have in your hand?” God wanted Moses to see what was available to him to carry out his mission.

What did [does] God want His people to see? He wanted [wants] them to see their harvest!

“Nations will come to you!” We know we are to go to the nations but what about expecting nations to come to us?

“Kings [will come] to the brightness of your rising!” Can you handle attracting people of influence and authority? Can you see powerful people being attracted to you and your business or ministry?

“They all gather together!” You will not have to go out and look for them. They will assemble themselves and make it easy for you to recognize them.

“They come to you!” Oh Yeah! I bet you did not know just how attractive you are in God’s eyes!

“Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms!” Distance, danger, discouragement, despair, dysfunction and disillusionment cannot keep your covenant family from getting to you.  This is very important I believe because it appears Isaiah is predicting the arrival of “children” that have our DNA.

DNA is vital to furthering legacies and inheritances. Physical and spiritual DNA are critical components to handing off to future generations of “relatives” what we have worked hard to obtain. If we hand over our life’s work to someone that does not have our DNA then is could be squandered.

“Then you will see and be radiant!” The realization of what your faithfulness in dry and desperate seasons produced will result in you radiating the glory of God.

“Your heart will thrill and rejoice!” You will not be able to contain the unmitigated pleasure, excitement and joy of this moment of satisfaction in seeing for real what was really there all along.

“Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you!” Abundance? Yep! More than you can comprehend.

“The wealth of the nations will come to you!” Wealth? Yep! God is provision [pro – vision] and He will provide for His people of vision.

The Isaiah 60 text immediately follows what Isaiah saw and said in chapter 59. Let’s look at what immediately precedes verse 1-3 of chapter 60.

“19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun for He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives. 20 A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, declares the Lord. 21 ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with them,’ says the Lord: ‘My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring ‘s offspring,’ says the Lord, ‘from now and forever.'”

Here Isaiah declares there will be a holy respect for God and His glory. He says the wind [Spirit – John 3] of the Lord will drive a rushing stream [move of God]. This move of God will result in “A Redeemer is coming to Zion, and to those who turn from their transgression in Jacob.” In the natural Zion is the Eretz Israel, or Land of Israel, the physical inheritance of a physical people who were to be in covenant with God, and Jacob is Israel according to the flesh.

In their completed form Zion is the Church, the community of blood bought saints of God who are rightly fitted, formed and fashioned into a spiritual house of worship [Hebrews 12; 1 Peter 2], and Jacob is the new creation, or the Israel of God [Galatians 6].

God’s promise to these repentant people is an eternal –

  • Multi generational blessing of salvation and Holy Spirit baptism
  • Multi generational blessing of respect for revelation of and in God’s Word

Notice the word “upon” is used by Isaiah to illustrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon the repentant ones in Jacob. Luke wrote that Jesus used this word in Luke 24 and Acts 1 to describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “You shall receive power WHEN the Holy Spirit comes UPON you, and you shall . . . “

The  initial fulfillment of this promise  is found in Acts chapter 2.

“36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ —this Jesus whom you crucified. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Luke records this historical event by clearly communicating God’s intent for salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be multi generational. God’s Promise is to our literal and spiritual offspring.

So, what are you focusing on?

Is what you are focusing on creating confusion, consternation or confidence?

Just because there are obstacles does not mean you have missed God. Keep your eye on the goal and sail right over every hurdle.

Keep THE Faith! Keep THE Passion!

Our Hunger And Thirst For God Escorts Us Into Deep Satisfaction In God!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury

A Hisstorymaker!