dickbraswell

Word for Today:  September 7

Rivers.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:38

We should come together at ministry time with the Stream Flowing.   Most come to Church to get filled.  They are already dry and empty.  They have been drained by the demands of the unbelieving world and the constant constraints of the enemy.  They come in need.

This is not bad, but it is not the Best.  To come filled up is better.  Filled up and running over.  Can you imagine what kind of a service we would have if everybody came filled up and running over?  No need to get “worked up.”  No need to get “pumped up.”  Coming in as a Mighty Stream.  A Rushing River.  Men and women and young people and children with Rivers of Living water gushing out of their inner beings.  What a gathering!

The Stream is the Anointing.  The Anointing is the continual pouring forth of the Holy Ghost.   It is the One Thing Needed most.  In the Church.  In the Pulpit.  In the Choir loft.  In the Musician.   In the Body of Christ.

I must tell you, the Anointing in my life is essential.  Without the anointing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, I am nothing and I have no desire to live.  The Anointing… the Stream of Living Water… is the most important thing in my Life.  It is Jesus flowing out of me in Power and Compassion.

My prayer is that I might see with the Eyes of God.  Feel with the Heart of Jesus.   Minister with the Mind of Christ.  Flow with the Power of the Holy Ghost.

Without this, I am nothing.  The ministry is nothing.  And I will accomplish nothing.

Word for Today:  September 6

Emotions, feelings or the Word.

Religion has taught us that we can experience the power of God only occasionally.  We have been taught that sometimes God just lets bit a little of heaven come down and bless us.  We have prayed and stayed and fasted and repented and preached and prophesied and spoken in tongues in order to get the power to come down… the fire to fall… revival to happen.

We have been led to believe that every once in a while God will give us a little dab of glory just to keep us going.  We have been taught that the Christian experience is a series of peaks and valleys… ups and downs… drought and abundance…. times when we are hot and times when we are cold.

Where did this come from?  It came from our emotions and our feelings.  It came from our soulish man.  It is not the way it is in the Spirit!

God is the same.  Jesus is the same.  The Holy Ghost is the same.  The Word is the same.  His Eternal Purpose is the same.  When we walk in agreement with His Purpose, we are the same!  There is no “variableness” in Him or in us when we fulfill our part in His plan.

We can live in Revival

Word for Today:  September 5

The approaching Renaissance.

We are on a collision course for a Moral and Spiritual Renaissance.  And this is good.  Finally, it seems that many are realizing that there is a deadly sickness among us.  An infectious sickness that will ultimately bring about the destruction of our nation if it is not treated and cured.

Many are ready to do something.  Many are coming to the conclusion that our only hope is Revival.  I believe that this is you and me.  Us.  The Church.  The believers in our city.

We must never be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.  This sickness is “not unto death” but I believe an excellent opportunity for God to be Glorified.  This was the case when Lazarus died (John 11).  He did die, but Jesus turned the tragedy into triumph.  I am confident the same Jesus can and will turn our moral tragedy into a great Triumph.

Never underestimate the power of the minority.  Martin Luther King, Jr. proved this point.  (“I have a dream…”)

Gideon and his 300 proved this point.

The Nation of Israel continues to prove this point.

We may be in the minority, but we have God.  And God has us.

That turns the table and changes the equation

Word for Today:  September 4

Be a healer

I’m not talking about laying hands on the sick.  I’m talking about healing relationships.  Healing divisions.  Healing differences.    Building bridges and not walls.  Take down the fences and open the gates.

Our past religious traditions have built enough walls, we are called to tear them down and build bridges in their place.

According to the Word, believers are living stones.  We are to be collectively built up into a Spiritual House (not houses, plural) but a House (singular).

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house…   1Pet 2:5

In the past we have been divided, and put in piles…. separate piles.  Different piles.  Race piles, culture piles.  Diverse piles.  God wants us to be One Pile not many piles.

• We have had Baptist piles
• Methodist piles
• Catholic piles
• Presbyterian piles
• Pentecostal piles
• Episcopalian piles
• White piles
• Black piles
• Hispanic piles
• Asian piles
• Native American piles
• Rich piles
• Poor piles
• Educated piles
• Uneducated piles

God is calling us to One Pile so that He can build a Spiritual House… and that is what happens when we make a determined effort to heal broken and bruised relationships.

Be a Healer today

Word for Today: September 3

Checkers.

Even though our Christianity is not a game, some of the same game rules tend to apply.

For Example, our spiritual growth is kind of like playing checkers.  Remember, the object is to get yourself to the King Line and get a crown. You take your turn.  And you get there one square at a time.  But it had better be The Right Square.  The wrong square will get you jumped, captured, defeated, taken off the board and put into the enemy’s hand.

Once you get “crowned” you have more mobility.  You have more authority.  More power.  More effectiveness.  More freedom.  More opportunities.  But you still must move with wisdom.  Even a king in the game of checkers can be jumped if he is careless.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1Pe 5:8

Be sure you make the Right Move today

Word for Today:  September 2

Unruly.

Have you ever seen an unruly child that continually slips out from under Mother’s care and runs where ever he wants to go?  One that constantly demands mother’s attention because he flits from here to there and flirts with trouble all the time?  He just won’t be still.  He has to run here and run there to see this and to see that.  And mother is totally frustrated.  And aggravated.  And soon she reaches her limit.

At this time, she rushes over to the unruly child, forcefully lifts him off the floor, takes him to a chair and with much intensity, plops him down on his duster and sternly says:  “Now, you stay right there and don’t you move.  I mean, don’t move.  Be still.  Settle down.  Be quiet.  Stay in your place.”

The truth about the matter is that many in the Body of Christ have been running around… like wild, uncontrolled, rebellious children.  Doing their thing.  Going their way.  And stopping by church once in a while to pay their respects to God.  There has been no discipline.  No commitment.  No determination.  No vision.  No “heart” for God.

God is going to pick up His rebellious, wild, self-centered children and forcefully seat them in “their place” in His Grand Plan.  And this is good.  It is time for this.  We have been undisciplined for a long time.  But this is a new day.   God is going to do some radical things.

He is capturing our attention and commanding us to shape up.  Ordering us to get ready.  The Big One is coming.  It’s at the door.  We need to heed what Jesus commanded:  Be ye ready for in such an hour as you think not… the Son of Man cometh.

There will be a coming of the Holy Ghost before the Coming of the Son of Man.  An arising.   A flood… not a shower or a downpour, but a flood.  There is going to be a rush to return to Father’s House.  Time to return to Our Place in Gods’ Plan.

Get there.  Stay there.

Word for Today:  September 1

Where your supply is.

But my God shall supply all your need according to His Riches in glory by Christ Jesus…  Phil 4:19

God supplies and His Supply comes out of Jesus.  Where is Jesus?  Where does He Live?  Where does He Dwell?  Where is His Kingdom?  Where is His Throne?  “Christ in you the Hope of Glory!”  Col 1:27

Don’t panic.  Don’t despair.  Don’t Fear.   Don’t give up.  There is a way out.  JESUS is your abundance!  He is the WAY.  And He lives in you.  Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).   If God be for us, who can be against us?

Wherever and whatever your need is take Jesus there with your faith, show it to Him, tell Him about it and He will supply that need. He wants to.  He wills to.  He delights in supplying it.  He came that we might have and enjoy Life.  He is waiting for the opportunity help you and wants you to let Him.  Quit begging and start Believing.  Quit griping and start praising.  Quit trying and start Trusting.

JESUS is your Supply

Word for Today:  August 31

The world will never understand a spiritually minded believer.

We simply believe what the Word says about who we are, what we have and what we can do.

• The Word says we are kings and priests. Therefore, we act like kings and priests.
• The Word says we are healed and not sick. Therefore, we act like we are healed.
• The Word says we are the head and not the tail. Therefore, we act like we are the head.
• The Word says we are above and not beneath. Therefore, we act like we are above our circumstances and situations.
• The Word says we are rich and not poor. Therefore, we act like we are rich.
• The Word says we are more than a conqueror. Therefore, we act like overcoming conquerors.
• The Word says we can do all things through Christ and nothing shall be impossible to us. Therefore, we act like nothing will ever be impossible for us.

We have the courage and the faith to attempt the impossible, see the invisible and obtain the supernatural.

So don’t worry about being “misunderstood…”

Word for Today:  August 30

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1Cor. 4:2

There are so many times pastors are tempted to quit or to compromise when they see so many of God’s Army who have defected or who have gone AWOL.   But when we see those who are Faithful… those who have remained steadfast and unmovable… our hearts are encouraged and we know that we must persevere… we must go on.

We cannot quit.  These are members of Gideon’s Three Hundred… they never stop to consider the opposition, the magnitude of the problem, or the impossible odds… they simply stand.  They stay.  They stick.

One individual has often done what a whole congregation was not able to do.  One family has often done what an entire nation could not do.  One church has often done what an entire denomination could not do.

Gideon’s three hundred easily did what the fearful twenty-two thousand who departed in a hurry for home, could not possibly have done.

Folks, hundreds of years have passed since Gideon’s time, but the Three Hundred still remain.  The brotherhood has been perpetuated and their spiritual posterity continues to live.  The tenth leper who returned to thank Jesus for his healing was a member of this band.

The 120 who took time to leave the stuff at home and the work at hand to head into Jerusalem and wait for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost belonged to this band.   Paul and Silas, singing and praising God with bloody backs, locked in stocks in a midnight prison, were members of this band.

Thank God for those who are “Found Faithful.”

They are members of God’s Best

Word for Today:  August 29

I was in a meeting one time and various pastors were testifying.  They were telling (bragging) of the growth and expansion of their respective churches.  They were sharing how many new members they had added over the past year.

One pastor stood and testified:   “We have just experienced the greatest revival in our history.  When I came to my church we had about 500 members.  But I began to work very hard.  I preached with all my heart.  God began to move.  Now, after a year of hard work we are greatly blessed with seventy-five members.

Started with 500 and lost 425.    But 75 are there for every meeting.  75 tithe.  75 pray and seek God.  75 are in Sunday School.  75 give to missions.  75 volunteer for all work that is necessary.  75 visit.  75 are soul winners.  75 are doing more than 500 ever did… Glory be to God.”

Jesus experienced such a sifting of His disciples.  The first mass exodus came when He began to go deeper into spiritual things.  He said that if they followed Him they would have to eat His body and drink His blood.  They would become partakers of His divine nature.  This was too much.  Many fell away and never followed Him again.

He asked His own inner circle of twelve, “Will you also go away?”

Then after His Resurrection, He met 500 of His followers in Galilee and told them to go into Jerusalem and wait for the Promise of the Father… the mighty Baptism of the Holy Ghost…

And yet, when this Outpouring took place, only 120 of the 500 were present.  380 did not find it convenient to do what Jesus said do… and they missed the mightiest visitation of God in history.

Wonder where the 380 were?