dickbraswell

The Scene in Heaven

The scene in Heaven the day Jesus stepped down from His Exalted position in Obedience to His Father, and willingly vacated His God-Power, His God-Nature and His God-Position, would stagger the imagination of every human being who has ever lived.   

I believe the Heavenly Choirs stopped singing.  The Heavenly Orchestras stopped their anthems.  The Heavenly praise dropped to a low and God Himself was stricken with a measure of sadness.  The lights were dimmed a bit and the heaven-inhabitants were moved into an emotional place they had never ever been in all eternity.  

It was a New Day in Heaven.  Only God, by His Omniscience, knew how the scene would play out. 

While Jesus fulfilled His Redemptive Work here, all heaven watched anxiously.  They saw Him in His prime and they witnessed the culmination of His earthly ministry…. His rejection.  His suffering.  His freely-given measureless love.  His abject Obedience.  And His untimely torture and crucifixion…  the shock resonated through the expanse of God’s Great Heaven. 

Then:  the news came concerning the Victory of Jesus and the unconditional surrender of the powers of darkness in the bowels of the underworld.  Jesus stripped satan of his power and deprived demons of their authority and undid the sting of death and the conquest of the grave.  And leading a Great Easter Parade HE led those held captive in Paradise into a Glorious Entry into heaven. 

Then:  Jesus, the Sinless Lamb of God, emerged from the grave as the LION of the Tribe of Judea, clothed in all the glory and power and splendor of the God-Head. 

And

The Heavenly Choirs began singing a New Song. The Heavenly Orchestras Played a New Anthem.  The Heavenly Praise rose to a New Crescendo and REJOICING reverberated throughout all the boundaries of God’s Great Heaven. 

And the lights were bright once again.

Word for Today:  September 14

Use what you have. Begin where you are.

David, the sling shot boy, did not wait until he had something else or something better… he took what he had and trusted God to make it work…  He took his staff… his sling… and five smooth stones.  He did not wait for something better or delay for more equipment to arrive… He used what he had.

You can take what you have and defeat the devil today.  If you have been waiting for something else you have been waiting in vain.  Some are waiting for more faith…. more strength… more favorable circumstances… more money…  but God wants you to take what you have and use it to overcome the devil.

You are a New Creation in Christ Jesus and you can do all things through Him.  You have more than enough right now to overcome the devil. Remember… the devil’s biggest and best is still no match for the smallest and weakest in the Kingdom.   Jesus said: “He that is least in the Kingdom is greater than John the Baptist…”

David took what he had and partnered with God. And that, friend, will always give you the advantage over the powers of darkness.  Any warfare with the devil is always unfair to the devil…  he always has the short end of the stick and is at the mercy of the weakest Believer.

What you have is enough.

Just. Use. It.

Word for Today:  September 13

God has always had a Voice.

In times of trouble and distress and confusion… God has always had a Voice.   His prophets and His servants would come into great anointing and they would speak forth the message of God.

They were Perceptive.  They operated with great insight, foresight and anointing.

They were Receptive.  They were not blinded by or hindered by the fear of men.  They were courageous and bold.  They were determined and persuasive.  Turned on and Tuned in.

They were Called.  Anointed and Appointed and Commissioned.  They were extensions of God on earth and spoke with His authority and His power.

They were Radical and Unreasonable.  They were distinctive and different.  They were careless (toward the world) and careful toward God.  They walked humbly and circumspectly before God.  They respected Him and feared Him. (Held Him in awe and reverence).

We will come into a fresh end-time anointing.  More than ever before… at any time in the history of man… we will speak as the very Voice of God to a seeking generation… to a wounded and hurting Church…  to a world in desperate need.

The voice of the Prophet will be heard once again

Word for Today:  September 12

Put it off.

In Ephesians Paul speaks about the New Man and the Old Man.  He tells us to “put off the old man” and “put on the New Man.”

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  Eph 4:22-24

This is an act of the human will.  We determine what we “put off” and what we “put on.”  It is a decision we make.  It is basically not a very spiritual decision, it’s simply a choice we make.    Just as we decide what clothes we are going to put on each day, we can also decide to put on all the benefits of the New Creation Man each day as well.

I like to visualize literally putting on all my New Creation provisions as I put on my clothes each morning. Then I make a decision to “wear them” through all the situations and challenges that come along during the day.  The Word tells us to “put on” the New Man with all his privileges and provisions and to “put off” the old man with all his lack and need.  All his weaknesses and limitations. All his frustrations and temptations.

This speaks of personal action that comes out of the human will.  You either will to do it or you will to not do it.

If you do it you get the results the Bible promises and if you don’t you won’t.

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 many of God’s Army who have defected and 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 in the Gideon Group

Word for Today:  August 29

It matters.

It really matters what and how you believe.  You can’t just believe anything and everything and expect to live life to its fullest.  If you do not Believer Right you move into the realm of death.  If you do not Believe Right you will constantly be defeated and overcome by demon forces.

Jesus said to Martha at the tomb of Lazarus:

I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live;  and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believeth thou this?  John 11:25-26.

Do you Believe?  What do you believe?  How do you believe?  In whom do you believe?  Be sure you believe right.  Ignorance is no excuse.  False doctrine and flawed teaching is no excuse.  Religious tradition and denominational doctrines are no excuse.  Believing right is believing:

• That the Bible is the Word of God.
• That Jesus is the Son of God.
• That Jesus Died on the Cross for the sins of the word.
• That Jesus went into hell and defeated the devil.
• That Jesus rose from the dead in the fullness of His Resurrection Power.
• That He is Alive.  Now.  And forever.
• That He has empowered His Church to do His Work on earth.
• That He is returning to claim His own and establish His Eternal Earthly Kingdom.

Believing this really matters.

It will determine where you will spend eternity

Word for Today: August 28

Conflict

The more active you get and the more vocal you become for God, the greater the conflict.  As long as you are satisfied being “average” and “normal” and “sensible” and “reasonable” there will be little or no opposition.  When you get determined, so does the devil.  The fact that you and I are threats… serious threats… to hell and hell’s mission, makes us the focus of satanic activity.  However, the

Weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds… 2Cor 10:4

God has equipped us for victory.  Our weapons are not natural, man-made or physical.  They are Supernatural and never-failing.  When we operate in the offensive, our Spiritual Weapons will tear down and destroy every fortress and stronghold the enemy has placed in our lives.

Every attack of the devil is a challenge to the God in us… he is fighting the God in you (therefore he is fighting a losing battle).  The battle you fight is not yours.  It is God’s.  The devil hates Him and when he sees God in us, he is foolish and dumb enough to come against Him.  Remember David?

This is the reason the devil hates you… you are where God is.  When he see you he sees God.  He hates God and defies God.  David realized this in his confrontation with Goliath.  He declared:  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”  Notice, he did not say that Goliath was defying the armies of Saul or the armies of Israel… but instead, the armies of the living God.   Now, Who is the Champion?  Who is the Stronger One?  Who is the Victorious One?

It is God Who lives in you.

If He wins, you win.

If He can’t lose, you can’t lose.

If He overcomes, you overcome.

He has made you a Champion

Word for Today: August 27

Attitude.

Notice the attitude of those gathered in the Upper Room in Acts chapter 2:

FIRST:  They were serious about God.  They were serious about Church.  They were serious about Spiritual Things.  They were not playing games or pretending.  They were committed.

SECOND:  They were praying.  They were believing.  They were expecting.

THIRD:  They loved each other, forgave one another and were together in unity.  Petty differences were forgotten.  The playing field was level.

FOURTH:  They wanted IT.  They wanted fire from heaven.  They wanted revival.  They wanted God and all that God had for them.

FIFTH:  They were “In one accord…”   They were not arguing doctrine or comparing spiritual gifts.  They were not competing for attention or envious of others.

SIXTH:  They were filled with praise and thanksgiving to God.  They were unashamed and bold.  They were not intimidated and they were not shy.  They were not embarrassed about the Holy Ghost.

FINALLY:  They were not going to quit until they got it and until the whole world was touched.

What we are content  with determines what God can do in us.

Dissatisfaction leads to greater possibilities

Word for Today:  August 26

Paying the price.

Elisha paid the price.  He met the condition.  He did what he had to do in order to receive his Double Portion.  (2Kings 2:9)  I believe you want to do this, too.  Because this is the one most important thing in your life.  Whatever it takes, you will be willing to do.  Forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth to those things that are before… you will pay the price.

It may require some purging.  So, get rid of sin.  Get rid of wrong attitudes.  Get rid slothfulness.  Get rid of criticism.  Get rid of jealousy.  Get rid of greed.  Get rid of lust and loose morals.  Get rid of connections and relationships that pull you down.  Get rid of doubt and unbelief.

When you pay the price you will move into a New Place in God.  There are more than likely only one or two main obstacles that stand between you and your Double Portion.  Identify them.  Deal with them.

You know what you must do.  Resolve to do it.  Take the initiative.  Put it behind you.  Put it under your feet.  Put it out of the way.

Nothing is worth missing the Double Portion.  And the best time to start is

RIGHT NOW

Word for Today:  August 25

They may be in the Far Country.

But they Remember.  Just like the prodigal son… they remember how good it was to be in Father’s House.  What they have tasted they can never forget.  And they will return.   You know some of them.  They may a part of your family.

As this universal Pull of the Holy Ghost covers the earth… they will come home.  Again.

What they want the world cannot satisfy.  The flesh is too shallow.  The pleasure is too temporal.  The peace is too fleeting.  There is unrest.  There is dissatisfaction.  There is turmoil in the soul.  There is unhappiness and stress and anxiety.  And hunger for Something Real.

The backslider will come home.  The wayward will return.  The prodigal will “come to himself” and return to Father’s House.

And we will celebrate