Twas The Night Before...

Christmas is one of the most celebrated occasions in the whole world.  From sea to sea and continent to continent people young and old wake up christmas morning to the expectancey of exchanging gifts and festive meals. God wants us to have that same expectancy in this new season

As I awakened this morning with the word "AWAKE" in my heart.  It is Gods desire for His people to awake to arise and shine as we move into the new year.  It is not time to slumber but to allow the Holy Spirit to serve you up a 5 shot americano in the spirit. It is time for an awakening to all that God has done on the tree not under it.  He has so much to give us yes but there is more.  As you would choose to get out of bed or sleep longer, we must choose to wake up.  It is very important that we make the right choices in this hour. The Holy Spirit is releasing an awakening to the slumbering, lethargic, apathetic church.

No matter where you are in your walk with the LORD understand that obedience to the mandate that He has given you will bring about the desired breakthrough.  So when faced with hard choices  - pray fast and choose correctly with wisdom from above not below not worldly wisdom, choose righteousness, holiness, and purity.  Awake in this new day with the expectancy of a child on Christmas morning.  Know that as you do God has blessings for you that can not be measured by anything this world has. We are in the season of the night before!  It is time for America to wake up its time for the nations to wake up.  It is is time for a Great Awakening !

Merry Christmas to you and your family
Pastor Daniel Bracken

Open the Door- The throne room awaits you

   In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says ^" Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. " That text has been used for generations to encourage people to receive the finished work of the cross.  Evangelists the world over have taken that text to say that if you will open the door of your heart and receive Jesus,  repenting of your sins, you will have fellowship with Him.  That fellowship will thus transform you in to a new creation in Christ, the born of the Spirit reality as it says in John 3.  While the truth of the transforming work of Jesus is absolute, the well-meaning, sincere servants of the Lord spoke truth in the message of repentance and regeneration, the use of Revelation 3:20 to communicate that was taken out of context.

  The Laodicean church in their minds were rich and blessed in every way, thinking that they had no needs. In reality they were lukewarm and about to be spewed out of His mouth.  God's desire was that they would be either hot or cold.  When Jesus said in vs 20, "I stand at the door and knock," he was giving an invitation to the throne room, not speaking to unbelievers.  Revelation 3 was written to believers not to the unredeemed as a invitation to salvation.  He was saying,  "Church, the door is unlocked on heaven's side of the equation but you must come and open it." It is an invitation to us.

   In Acts 12 Peter is awaiting trial by the insane Herod.  Having just killed James by the sword and seeing that it pleased the Jews, his intent was to now do the same to Peter, the leading Apostle.  The church was earnestly praying for him. In response to their earnest prayer God sent an angel to loose him from the prison.  Four squads of four solders were no match for one angel. One angel in Hezekiah's day killed 185,000 and one angel will take a chain and bind satan (not capitalized on purpose)and toss him in the lake of fire. Here Peter is lead out of the prison and through the first automatic gate.  Realizing that he is not having a vision but that the Lord had delivered him from the expectation of the Jews he returns to the house where they were praying and upon his return he has to knock on the door!  The church does not even believe that it is Peter.  They had to open the door for him.

   There are things that only God can do and things that only we can do.  God has made a way for us to enter into the throne room of heaven but we must open the door!  It's unlocked on His side because of the blood - he is awaiting you.  Don't be a Laodicean resting in apathy, thinking that you have it all.   There is more!  There are deeper things in God. Press in, go through the door and engage in the revelatory realms of heaven as you worship Him.  You will find that you will be walking in a new anointing to touch and change this generation with the love of God.

Satan’ Greatest Nightmare

Satan’ Greatest Nightmare

Luke 22:31-34 NIV

31"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 33But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

How strong are you spiritually? Many people work out and lift weights in order to stay strong physically. The Apostle Paul says physical exercise is of some value but Godliness has value for all things. As you are thinking of that, ask yourself, “How strong am I spiritually?”

As we look at the life of Peter how is it that he had awesome, life-changing encounters with Jesus yet he denied Him three times? Peter saw the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear and still he fell.  Peter was there when Jesus fed the four thousand and the five thousand. Peter was the one who caught the fish and pulled coins out of its mouth to pay taxes. He was there when Jesus said, “Let down your nets into the deep.” Peter and his friends caught more fish than he ever had in his life, bringing him great financial blessing. When Jesus raised the widow of Nain’s son from the dead Peter was there.  When Lazarus came forth and Jairus’s daughter were raised from the dead- Peter was there. Peter even walked on water and saw the Lord still the wind and the waves with a word. To top it all - he saw the glory of who Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration - God. Peter saw it all. Not only had he experienced many things with Jesus, he was brave. Peter was the one who pulled out the sword and cut off the ear of Malchus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He even went into the courtyard where Jesus was being tried at the risk of his own life. How in the world did Peter fail? What caused Peter to deny Jesus?

We can see three main things that caused Peter’s denial of Jesus. The first thing was Peter’s pride! In Mark 14:27 Peter basically says all these clowns will fall but not me! I am ready to die with you! Even in verse 33 Peter said the same thing. Scripture declares over and over that pride comes before a fall. Peter had a pride problem, which opened a door for his failure.  Pride was the sin that cause Lucifer to be cast out of heaven and become Satan. The second thing that we see that precipitated his denial of Jesus was his fallen human nature. In verse 31 Jesus is speaking and says Simon, Simon, not Peter, Peter but Simon, Simon. Peter was his spiritual name. If you recall earlier in the gospel record Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” and the disciples responded, “Some say that your are John the Baptist risen from the grave and some say that you are Elijah.”  Simon’s response was, “You are the Christ, the Messiah.” It was then that Jesus gave Simon a new name-Peter, a spiritual name if you will.  Over and over he is referred to as Peter or Simon Peter. But here Jesus calls him Simon. Not once, but twice. Why? Because one of the very things that would cause Peter to fail was his fallen human nature. I believe that the Lord was using his natural name as a way of illuminating or revealing what would cause Peter to fall. There were things about Peter, things in his own nature that would cause him trouble. He was impetuous and brash.  He would get out of the boat but get distracted by the waves. He would say things, like on the Mt of Transfiguration - that were fleshly. There were aspects of his being that allowed self-preservation to kick in and cause him to deny the Lord. In the courtyard I guarantee that he did not plan on turning away from the Lord. He probably rationalized it within himself. “I need to be here and it’s okay. It’s not that bad. Before he knew it, “Cock-a-doodle-doo - Fallen! We do the same thing. We justify our disobedience and say things like, “God knows my heart.” We yield to self and rationalize our sin saying it was not all that bad.

Besides his pride and fallen human nature, the third thing that caused Peter’s denial was Satan.  Satan wants to sift us all like wheat.  You might think that you have your act together but you could end up deceived.  There is a very real enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  The Bible calls him the deceiver, the father of lies, the accuser of the brethren.  He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  He has his minions that are looking for the opportunity, the open door to cause you to be sifted.  He is powerful but not all-powerful.  The thought or belief that Satan and God are the same in strength and power is called Zoroastrianism not Christianity.  You don’t have to live in fear of the demonic and the power of hell if you are a believer.  The Devil ought to be afraid of you because of the Blood of Jesus and the authority you have in Him.  If you don’t live for Jesus the bible clearly states that you have every right to be afraid.  In the text we see that Satan has to ask God to sift Peter.  The key here is he asked.  My children have to ask me for many things and without my approval they are not authorized.  My wife and I are in charge.  Satan asked God. If you have to ask you are not in charge.  Satan is a legalist (Definition: One who practices or advocates strict conformity to law; in theology, one who holds to the law of works) and he knows the word of God.  “ The soul that sins shall die”.  So if Satan can get you to sin then he has rights to you.  Satan’s power is parasitical in nature.  A picture that comes to mind is that of a courtroom and Satan is the prosecuting attorney.  One of the strategies of Hell is that he pushes you to sin and when you take the bait he has rights to you- the Devil is a bad Devil.

Satan has nightmares and his worst nightmare is God’s people praying!  In our text Jesus says, “ But I have prayed for you.  All of a sudden there is a tempering of the power of evil in our world and it is the intercession of God’s people covered in the Blood of Christ before the throne of God.  Not only our intercession but God’s. The scriptures declare that Jesus is the mediator between God and man and that he is at the right hand of the Father – “ever living to make intercession for us”.  Jesus death on the cross was and is the judicial penalty that releases us from judgment of our sin and Satan’s rights to us.  Peter survived because of prayer.  I can not help but wonder how many times God wanted to do something but we failed to pray or how many were lost because we failed to intercede and then we blamed God for the loss.   Can you, will you imagine what could and will happen if we will pray.  If we will pray we will see a historic move of God. Prayer has been the spark that ignited every great revival in History.  If we don’t pray it is like facing an angry, man-eating brown bear with a gun and no bullets. Be Satan’s worst nightmare -live holy, smash the idol of self and pray for it to be on earth as it is in heaven in the name of Jesus.  Satan has desired to sift us all but God has given us the loaded gun of prayer.  Use your God given, blood-bought right and fight in Jesus name.  The Victory has already been won.

STUDIES IN THE BEAUTY OF GOD

 

STUDIES IN THE BEAUTY OF GOD

Introduction to the Beauty Realm of God

Revelation 4

I. THE CHURCH AT THE END OF THE AGE: ENCOUNTERING GOD’S BEAUTY

A. The Spirit is orchestrating a worldwide worship and prayer movement.

·      The revelation of how God delights in us and beautifies us is one of core truths and entry points into this movement.

·       One of the most significant foundations to restore in the Church is the doctrine of God’s beauty and desire.

·      Why? Because it is essential to fueling the End-Time prayer movement, which releases God’s, glory and power.

Psalm 149:4

4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.

·      Psalm 149 is about prayer and worship.

B. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus’ beauty would be revealed to God’s people in the End-Times.

Isaiah 4:2  In that day the Branch of the LORD (Messiah) shall be beautiful and glorious.

·      In that day refers to the last days or end times that is the context.

·      The branch is 6x in scripture ref messiah Jesus

·      In the last days the messiah will be seen as beautiful.

·      There is a compelling power in the revelation of beauty. It answers an ache in our soul that was put there by God.

·      We are born with an ache for the realm of beauty.

·      We cannot live healthy without beauty.

·      Beauty is essential to emotional health.

·      It is a vast subject.

C. The revelation of God’s beauty is key to living holy and

     interpreting God’s judgments at the end of the age.

·      Spiritual boredom is a dangerous place.

·      There are so many attacks we must be fascinated now sin is

·      We can resist sin much better when our hearts are fascinated. Also, we interpret His judgments as destroying what hinders love and beauty.

·      When believers live in this reality, there is no contradiction of Jesus as Bridegroom and Judge. It is a different paradigm of judgment.

·      Many preach on the Judgment but not with the revelation of His beauty - interpret His judgments as destroying what hinders love and beauty.

D. The study of God’s beauty takes time. It will come slowly for all of us.

·     There is a sense in which you may learn a lot in a short time, yet there is even a greater sense that this is a life long treasure hunt.

·      God’s grace imparts a new resolve and assurance that we will have more as we start by establishing new paradigms of God’s beauty.

·     The only way forward is long and loving meditation on His word. that includes prayer with fasting and a pursuit of 100-fold obedience.

·     You can be saved and anointed but the deeper things you will have to press.

·     The angels are still overwhelmed by Him a billion years from now it will be the same.

·     This revelation is key and critical to following through in Him.

E. The hungry become hungrier because hunger begets hunger.

A little depth in God makes us hungry for more.

·      A beginning hunger for God beckons us and thrusts us into more depth in God, which in turn makes us hungry for deeper things in God.

·      He who has more will be given…

·       Hunger catapults us into more depth.

·      If you feed hunger it grows

Psalm 42:7  Deep calls unto deep…  if we feed on the deep things

F. The knowledge of God is not neutral information. It is information with power that beckons, catapults and pulls us into greater depths.

·     God’s river is called desire.  If you yield to that

·     Hunger for God is painful. 

·     The hunger may feel good in the initial stages, but later it is painful as we become so much more aware of what we do not know and how shallow we actually are.

·     The pain of spiritual hunger is God’s gift to us. It assures that we will keep moving forward.

Matthew 5:4   “Blessed are those that mourn”

·      God gives more based on hunger. You receive salvation based on our need. For years we can feel like we are doing good spiritually.

·      Then, the power of the knowledge of God begins to touch our hearts.

·      We then begin to long for and even ache for what we do not have. Then, the journey is not so enjoyable.

·      We are more spiritually discontent than ever before. We have a vision and resolve in our heart to press on to the know the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10).

·      There is a north and south wind pain and delight a paradox.

·      There is something more then just a blessed ministry it is connecting with God.

The Lord's Restoration

Read these aloud over your life and situations and declare the Lords Restoration. It is time for Gods highest and best in 2010.


Deuteronomy 30:3 – The Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you.

Psalm 14:7 – When the Lord restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will
be glad.

Psalm 23:3 – He restores my soul.

Psalm 41:3 – The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed...restore him to health.

Psalm 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.

Psalm 53:6 – When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Psalm 60:1 – Restore us!

Psalm 71:20 – Restore me again.

Psalm 80:3, 7, 19 – O God, restore us.

Psalm 85:1, 4 – You restored the fortunes of Jacob. Restore us, O God of our salvation.

Psalm 126:4 – Restore our fortunes, O Lord. 

Isaiah 57:18 – I will lead you and restore comfort to you.

Jeremiah 15:19 – If you return, then I will restore you. 

Jeremiah 16:15 – I will restore them to their own land. Jeremiah 27:22 – I will bring them back and restore them. 

Jeremiah 29:14 – I will be found by you, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations. 

Jeremiah 30:3 – The days are coming when I will restore the fortunes of My people.

Jeremiah 30:17 – I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds.

Jeremiah 30:18 – I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob. 

Jeremiah 31:18 – Bring me back, that I may be restored. 

Jeremiah 31:23 – Once again they will speak this word...when I restore their fortunes.

Jeremiah 32:44 – I will restore their fortunes.

Jeremiah 33:7 – I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first. 

Jeremiah 33:11 – I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first. 

Jeremiah 33:26 – I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them. 

Jeremiah 42:12 – I will also show you compassion...and restore you to your own land.

Lamentations 5:21 – Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days. 

Hosea 6:11 – There is a harvest appointed for you, when I restore the fortunes of My people. 

Joel 2:25-27 – I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten...and My people will never
be put to shame. 

Joel 3:1 – When I restore the fortunes of Judah andJerusalem.

Zephaniah 2:7 – For the Lord their God will care for them and restore their fortune. 

Zephaniah 3:20 – I will give you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes.

Zechariah 9:12 – Return to the stronghold, O prisoners of hope...I will restore double to you.
 
Malachi 4:6 – He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

Galatians 6:1 – If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. 

James 5:15 – The prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick.