TIME TO KICK THE ROOSTER

In the 1920's my dad grew up on a 300 acre farm in southwest Georgia that abutted a cypress swamp. Today you would still drive seven miles on a dirt road to get there. His dad was a country doctor and gentleman farmer. Like many in the rural south in the early 20th century crops, hogs, cows, horses, tobacco, chickens, well water, the smokehouse, sowing, reaping, rattlesnakes, all of the characteristics of the country life formed the core of their lives.

One of my father's most vivid childhood memories involved a rooster that loved to intimidate him. If dad came close to the chicken coop this aggressive sharply spurred rooster chased him back into the house. The day came when dad had enough. The next time the rooster charged him dad charged the rooster, kicking him for all he was worth with his hard toed brogan boots. That old rooster, literally kicked 'cockeyed', somersaulted backward over and over, ending that bird's barn yard dominance of my father.

This short narrative reveals an important spiritual principle. In order to prevail in this life we must face what comes after us and go after it. James, the Lord's brother said, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). We must not turn our backs on that which Wisdom dictates we aggresively resist. For many of us its time to kick the rooster!

Have You Seen This?

In Ezekiel 45-47 the Lord and the prophet Ezekiel measure the temple together. Although Ezekiel measured every aspect of the temple he did not notice a river running from the throne out the front door. Then the Lord took Ezekiel through the river; ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, and then water over his head -waters to swim in. So, Jesus and Ezekiel were wading and then swimming in the river of God.

As they were swimming, the Lord asked Ezekiel a very odd thing. He said, "Son of man, have you seen this?" (Ezekiel 47:6). Even though Ezekiel was wet from head to toe the Lord still asked him if he had seen what he was in. Why would the Lord ask the prophet this question?

I believe it is for this reason. Many in the church are waiting for the river to come to the church when the Lord is expecting the river to go out from the church. By this I don't mean the Lord is mad at the church because we aren't doing the right thing. The reality is that the church has not really understood and believed that the river of God is currently inside them. As the church awakens to this reality, the Spirit of God shall manifest Himself in some most amazing ways. Everything shall live that this river touches. Ladies and gentlemen, it's river time!

Joy and Freedom:Kingdom of Heaven in Manifestation

This is a photo of a good friend of mine, Bobby Hussey our Children's pastor here at MorningStar, Fort Mill, SC. He is one of the most consistently joyful guys I know. He was so happy as a child that his mother thought there may be something wrong with him, and so, once spanked him just to see if he would cry.

I once heard that joy is one of the infallible proofs of the presence of God. In the New Testament, when Philip preached Christ in Samaria the result of his Gospel was joy, "And there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8). In the Old Testatment Nehemiah identified the joy of the Lord as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

2 Corinthians 3:17 says "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Joy and freedom are like twins and are two powerful characteristics of the Kingdom of God in manifestation. Our Gospel must produce them, but much of what is proclaimed as gospel is not really good news. Until the gospel you have heard is 'too good to be true' I am concerned you have never really understood the gospel in its fulness.

I have never understood why so many folks were upset when laughter returned to the church. Some said it was unscriptural even when Psalm 126:2 says, "Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing." The phrase our mouth speaks of a corporate mouth...filled with laughter! I am convinced that a 'religious spirit' has intimidated many in the church out of enjoying both the joy and freedom that Christ Jesus died to give them. It was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). We must not let anyone or anything keep us from living in, demonstrating, and promoting the freedom of the Spirit and the joy of the Lord.

The Slumbering Giant

Our Nation is not a post-Christian nation as some have reported. It is a pre-Christian one. We are presently in the very early stages of another Great American Spiritual Awakening that will once again re-shape the nation.

A George Barna poll concerning aspects of the current American church determined that 45% of Americans are "born again Christians based upon their beliefs (not based on their adoption of that phrase to describe themselves)." That means there are 136,000,000 American believers! He also established that as little as 13% of those people claim to have what he described as the Charismatic gifts which he identified as healing, tongues, tongues and interpretation, word of knowledge, miracles, and prophecy.

God has given us the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a significant part of the weapons of our spiritual warfare, nevertheless 87% of the American Church is ignorant of their value and/or how to use them. We are like a giant army, sleeping in battle, with a very small percentage of us fully armed.

The American Church is a slumbering giant. As she awakens to the life and power of God available to her, the nations shall be shaken as it never has before. It is time to wake her up! Why...I hear the sound of an holy alarm clock now! Do you?

The Ladder

A ladder is a vehicle of access that is in two places at the same time; where you are and where you want to be. Jacob saw just such a ladder that connected the earth to heaven and angels were going up and down it. 'Ascending and descending', the order of their activity is important -up to heaven to get us what we need, coming down to deliver it to those who believed.

In John 1:51 Jesus identified Himself to Nathanael as Jacob's ladder, the One who provides us with access to the heavenly realm. He also told Nathanael that 'you shall see heaven open'. When Jesus lives inside us we have an 'internal Jacob's Ladder', a vehicle of access enabling us to be two places at the same time, here on earth, and in the heavens, where we want to be. Heaven is open. Help yourselves to all that God has to offer! What do you think? Does that make sense?

Knowing Where You Stand

Jacob had a ladder, Peter had keys, Paul had a seat, the disciples had a prayer, and the church has a door. All of these describe the access we have to what God has provided for us in Christ. Paul spoke of our access this way: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2). Many in the church do not yet know where they are standing.

When Jacob awoke at Bethel he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it" (Gen. 28:16). Many in the church are about to awaken to the same reality. God is in their place, the place where they are standing. He doesn't have to come, He is already there, waiting for each of us to access all He has for us by faith. As more and more folks do...well, some call that revival. Do you want one?

Heaven is Open

In Revelation 4:1 John, the apostle, saw a door that was standing open in heaven. He received an open invitation to 'come up here'! Many believers think they have what has been termed 'a brass heaven', meaning that something, or someone (the Devil or demons) has separated them from the presence of God, and the realm of the heavens is shut to them. They then set about to do something 'religious' to try to open the heavens. IT DOESN'T WORK. Most just give up, or make excuses for the lack of spiritual presence. Heaven's door is not closed. No one can close a door God opens (Revelation 3:8)! But, if you believe heaven's door is closed, then it is effectively closed...to you! I agree with the apostle John and Revelation 4:1... not those other folks. Heaven is open.

In Revelation 3:20 we find that there's a door that is closed. It is the door to the church and Jesus is knocking on it, wanting us to open it! Here is a powerful illustration of our (the church's) current relationship to heaven: It is like we are living in adjoining hotel rooms with Jesus. Those rooms have two doors between them, one in each room. In this case, His door is open (heaven's) and our door, the door of our understanding, is closed. He is knocking on ours so that divine realities can transpire. Jesus wants in. Wake up! Open your door.