Teaching

30 Days of Power Principles: #26 Shake off the vipers

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:44:00 GMT

Acts 28:5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. Have you ever run into a situation where Satan succeeds in gaining access to you through a circumstance? Whether it's an accident, a wrong being done against you, slanderous campaign or a flat out robbery, we are not immune to Satan's attacks. What can be really discouraging is that many of these things can happen to us while we're trying to serve others and do good. The apostle Paul was meaning good when a viper bit him and held fast to his hand. Joseph meant well while Potiphar's wife launched a campaign to discredit him. David meant well when he played for Saul and yet the schizophrenic king started throwing his spear against him.

We need to know how to shake off the vipers and move on. Think of Paul's situation: after being tossed in the sea for two weeks and nearly escaping death, he gets out onto dry land and a viper bites him while he's trying to help with getting the fire started! How absurd can it get? And yet, this is what happens all the time. Just because you've decided to serve God and people, don't expect Satan to watch on the sidelines and cheer for you! God will do his part and he will protect us THROUGHOUT such experiences.

But we must be strong enough in faith and learn how to shake off the demonic assignments against us and move onto the greater things that God has in store for us. The Kingdom advances through difficult circumstances. The notion that "if something is from God it will all work out just perfect", is absurd! In fact, if something is from God, all hell will break loose against you!

Be encouraged and shake the vipers off, Jesus is with you!

30 Days of Power Principles: #25 The power of saying 'I don't know'

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:10:00 GMT

"No one was able to answer Him a word..." Matthew 22:46

One of the things that has amazed me through the years as a preacher is how many people approach me with questions they expect me to have the answer for. For some people this might be flattering. To me it's about responsibility. Who am I to give someone advice about this or that? What makes me think I can give someone the competent counsel they need, based on the Bible? Thus, I really need to rely on the Lord's ability in and through me when it comes to helping others with their questions.

The Lord began to use me to preach the Word and lead a church at a very young age. I was trying to be of help to everyone who came to me. Many times it was hard, because people approached me with questions that were above my pay-grade. Thankfully, I found something very liberating early on into my ministry development. It's the power of saying "I don't know".

Not only we find ourselves humbled by Jesus when he asks us a question (see Mat. 22:46), but we must be humble before Him when others approach us with their difficult questions.

"Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?"

"Should I divorce my husband who is abusing me and yet goes to church pretending to be a Christian?"

"Should I change jobs?"

And on and on.

The first time this happened to me I was in counseling with a member of the church. They presented me with a situation that was rather complex. I was searching for the right answer to give this person to help relieve them of at least some of the stress they were obviously going through. I felt the Holy Spirit was saying something to me which I wasn't prepared to hear. "Tell him you don't know." I must have been a pastor for less than a year and I guess I had this idea that now since I'm a pastor I need to have an answer for everything. But I didn't realize that I was believing such a false concept. There are many stereotypes about what a pastor is supposed to be. Amazingly enough we can believe some of those stereotypes about ourselves, too. The light had come on for me right when I needed it.

"I don't know", I said. "That's between you and God. There are some things God has reserved to reveal directly to you. I wish I could give you the answer, but I can't."

Suddenly I felt relieved. I didn't feel like I had done something irresponsible as a easy way out of a difficult situation. I knew this was the right answer and there was power in my ability to say I don't know and be honest about it.

What is humility? Contrary to what most people believe, humility has to do mostly with the condition of our heart and mind, not with the way we look or behave. In this situation I chose to humble myself and be honest rather than to sound wise or well-versed in the Bible. And of course, when you choose to humble yourself you don't run around screaming "I just humbled myself!!!!" to everyone else around her. What kind of humility with that be? So you just have to do the right thing before God, whether people realize what you have just done or not.

This is true for pastors, moms, dads, business owners, professionals, everyone! This is a powerful life concept, not just a religious notion.

Let me be honest - the more I know God, the more I realize how little I know. The paradox is that at the same time I learn a lot more about God and life in general. So while I learn more about God and things in general, I must consciously develop an attitude of humility and honesty, recognizing there's more that I don't know than what I do know. I must protect my integrity by using the power of saying "I don't know" when I don't. I must also trust God with the things I do know because wisdom is the ability to apply the right knowledge at the right time, not just to have knowledge. God wants us to be mature in our understanding of him in the world we deal with. There's nothing godly about going around saying you don't know anything about anything.

Jesus came to enlighten our hearts and minds and make us wise children of light. But he also came to give us the power to be truthful and honest which liberates us to be human. You can be confident in what you know and yet humble in what you don't know.

There is power in declaring the truth you do know and there is power in saying "I don't know" when you're don't.

The Anti-Christ Spirit ... is against You!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:47:00 GMT

Posted by: Laurie Skipper [All scriptures quoted from NASB unless otherwise noted.] For some time now, I have not been able to get away from studying the book of Esther. I have gone back to it time and time again. One of the things the Holy Spirit has highlighted to me in this passage of scripture is the working of the anti-Christ spirit - how it worked then and now. Anti-Semitic Spirit at Work From the events recorded for us in Esther, we know that Haman hated Mordecai. Haman's hatred seethed each time he would pass Mordecai and Mordecai would not bow to him as everyone else did. Haman also knew why Mordecai would not bow to him, which caused him to hate not only Mordecai but his people - the Jews. Esther 3:6 tells us:

But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

It wasn't enough for Haman to get rid of Mordecai; he wanted to annihilate this whole people group!

Why this hatred for the Jews? Where and when did this start?

To answer those questions we have to go back to the beginning of this "race" of people. That takes us back to Genesis.

God established a covenant with one man, Abraham. God further made covenant with his descendants through Isaac, the son born to him by his covenant wife, Sarah. (Genesis 17:19-21) God promised Abraham that "in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 22:18) It would be through this linage that God would send His only begotten Son, Jesus, to redeem mankind.

From that time forward, Satan has hated the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the Jewish people - and has sought to destroy them. Satan was driven to stop the plan of God from coming to pass, and anti-semitism was born. Since the reason for wanting to annihilate the seed of Abraham was to prevent Christ from being born, the anti-semitic spirit is simply a form or particular manifestation of the anti-Christ spirit.

We know that throughout history, both in Biblical times and up to our present day, leader after leader in nation after nation has tried to wipe out - totally annihilate - God's chosen race, the Jews, including their modern-day nation of Israel. One of the many Biblical examples is the one given in Esther when Haman convinces King Ahasuerus to issue a decree "to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of ... Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder." (Esther 3:13)

While this particular edict in ancient times was overturned by Esther's plea followed by Ahasuerus' decree of reversal, Satan did not give up on his goal to destroy this people. In the 1940s, Hitler attempted to accomplish the task. He attempted to annihilate the entire Jewish race (among other groups he also targeted). Tragically, Hitler did kill nearly 6 million Jews, which was roughly two-thirds of the European Jewish population. About a quarter of those murdered were children under the age of 15 - he killed "both young and old, women and children." He also "[seized] their possessions as plunder." Yet, the Jewish race survived - as God has promised it will.

The most poignant current example of the impersonation of this spirit rests in the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who insists that Israel must cease to exist. The story of hatred against this people simply because of who they are and Who they believe is the same; the pawns used by Satan to attempt to destroy them change over time.

Yet, Satan knows "the end of the matter." God's covenant with Abraham was an everlasting covenant to his descendants. That means - it will never end! As part of that covenant, God promised them the land of Abraham's "sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession." (Genesis 17:7-8 & Genesis 15:7,18-21)

God also promised that Abraham's seed would "possess the gate of their enemies." (Genesis 22:17) Hence it is not wise for anyone - a person or a people group - to set themselves against Israel. According to God's promise to them, in the end, Israel will prevail!

We can see this demonstrated in the story of Haman. His hatred for Mordecai and the Jewish people cost him not only his position of authority but his life and the lives of his seed along with the lives of others who joined him in his hatred of the Jews. Rather than the decree he had issued being the end of the Jewish people, "the curse was reversed," and it was a day on which the Jews were allowed to annihilate their enemies. And so they did. With the help of government officials throughout the provinces, they killed 75,500 of their enemies in a single day and were given permission to continue into the next day in the capitol city of Susa, killing another 300. (Esther 8:11; 9:1-3, 12-16)

God turned Haman's plan to destroy them into a plan for deliverance from the oppression of those who hated them. They possessed the gates of their enemies!

Anti-Christ Spirit at Work

As previously noted, there is a close tie between the anti-semitic spirit and the anti-Christ spirit. One is specifically targeted against the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. The other is targeted more globally against Jesus Christ and His people, whether Jew or Gentile, in whatever earthly nation or geographic location they reside.

According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, we "who ... obey Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:1-2) and have been "born again to a living hope" through Him (1 Peter 1:3), are now "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's Own possession ... the people of God." The creation of this new "chosen race" and the "holy nation" it constitutes does not in any way nullify God's everlasting covenant with the Jewish race and their nation, Israel. However, those who accept Christ as the promised Messiah and Savior, whether Jew or Gentile, have "a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises." (Hebrews 8:6)

As with the anti-semitic spirit, to understand this hatred of God's people, we must return to the beginning. This time, let's go all they way back to Genesis 3.

From the very beginning of the human race, there has been a struggle between Satan and God as to whom man would believe and serve. In Genesis 3, we have the account of how the serpent came to Eve and enticed her to distrust what God had told them about the tree "in the middle of the garden." What we do not know is how long it took the serpent to entice Eve to disobey the commandment of the Lord. However, by verse 6, Eve is standing at the tree.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

Eve is no longer simply talking about "the tree which is in the middle of the garden" (Genesis 3:3), but she is standing there at it, beholding it and its fruit. James 1:14-15 warns us:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

This is where Eve found herself. She was "carried away and enticed by [her] own lust" for wisdom. Her lust gave birth to sin - disobedience of God's command; her sin brought forth death.

In verse 13 we learn: The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this ... I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel."

There you have it - the enmity between Satan and the seed of woman began. Satan knew that, eventually, the seed of woman would bruise his head.

While we know that Jesus was The Seed that would bruise his head, we are also told in Romans 16:29 that "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under [our] feet." So we as redeemed mankind, born-again followers of Jesus Christ, are also part of the fulfillment of the word given in the garden. But, the fact that we will have our heel on Satan's head comes at a price.

Jesus clearly told us how the world would view us. The world, under the influence of the prince of this world, Satan, hated Jesus and it would hate those who belonged to him. In John 15:18-21, Jesus provides this warning:

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."

So, why are we surprised when the world hates us? Why are we surprised that most of the media does not treat us "fairly" - or give equal (and respectful) time to our views and issues?

Christ, Himself, told us that if the world loved us, it would be because we were part of it - "its own." If we are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9, KJV), then we are not "its own" - we are in the world, but not "of it."

Yet, as with the Jews, we have the promises of God that tell us "the end of the story." We know that Jesus will reign over the Jewish people forever. Among other places, this was promised to Mary in Luke 1:31-33.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” [NKJV]

But what about us, particularly those of us who are non-Jewish followers of Jesus Christ? We also have promises! In fact, Romans 8:17 tells us that we will be "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." [NKJV]

Think of it. Jesus "will reign over the house of Jacob forever," but, as believers, we will be "joint heirs" with Him. That's the difference between being a subject in the kingdom and being co-regent! I would say that we have "a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises"!

But, did you catch that second phrase in the passage from Romans, "if indeed we suffer with Him"? Once again, there is the warning that the privilege of being a joint heir with Christ carries with it the condition that we share in His sufferings.

We should not expect that living a life committed to Christ will be "a cake walk." As soon as we are born again and set our hearts on living for Him and by His principles, we become targets for the Enemy. At that point, his fury against Christ is also directed against us.

In James 1:2-8 we are exhorted to:

... count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. [NKJV]

The Greek phrase translated here as "various trials" is "poikilos peirasmos" (poy-kee'-los pe-ras-mos'). A literal translation of this phrase would be to "to put to proof by various (different) means." The word translated as "fall into" is the word "peripipto" (per-ee-pip'-to). The connotation is that of falling into something that totally surrounds you or to be totally surrounded by something.

In other words, James is telling us that we are surrounded on every side by opportunities for our faith to be put to the test - to prove whether or not it will "hold up" under scrutiny. I think we can all agree he got that right!

But, why is that the case? Why does God not always give us immediate victory? Because "the testing of [our] faith produces patience." And we need for "patience [to] have its perfect work, that [we] may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

This reminds me of the issue of the children of Israel when they were finally freed from Pharaoh's rule and left Egypt.

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." (Exodus 13:17)

God knew that after spending their entire lives in slavery, He would have to retrain these people to think and act like the free men they now were as well. They also had to be trained to fight, both to defend themselves and to be able to conquer the enemies who had possessed their former homeland.

We are much the same when we become born again. Until that point, our thoughts have been controlled by Satan, the father of lies. God has to retrain us to think and act like His children, operating out His principles and faith in Him and His word. Ephesians 4:23-24 tells us that we need to "be renewed in the spirit of [our] mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

Yet, it is our very shift to begin to "put on the new self" that "flags" us for the anti-Christ spirit to being zeroing in on us. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul tells us that "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." We need not think this will improve over time. In fact, Paul warns in the next verse that "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (Emphasis added.) I don't think any of us will have a problem believing that this is happening!

Yet, in the next verse, Paul exhorts Timothy and us that we should "continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them." (2 Timothy 3;14, emphasis added.) If we have not truly "become convinced of" these truths, we will not be able to continue in them when the persecution comes and our faith is continually tried. If we have "become convinced," then we no choice but to "continue in" them!

Before pulling this to a close, let me emphasize that the anti-Christ spirit is after brining down the universal Church - the corporate body of believers wherever they live around the globe. He seeks to discredit it in any and every way possible and he seeks to annihilate its individual members.

The point is that the anti-Christ spirit attacks the Church as an entity - and its members as individuals. It particularly goes after key leaders, even as Satan sought to stop Jesus when He was here in the flesh. Satan first sought to stop Him through sin. When that failed, he killed Him. Fortunately for us, instead of stopping the plan of salvation, that led to its completion through Christ's death and resurrection. Hallelujah!

Satan's tactics through the anti-Christ spirit are the same for us. He will try to get us to turn from a life of righteousness and holiness to sin. When it become apparent to him that we are not "going there," he will try other means to "take us out" - either to discredit us before others in some way that will neutralize our effectiveness or even try to kill us.

In my own, personal experience, I have had two car wrecks that I firmly believe were both orchestrated by the enemy with the full intent of "taking me out" physically. One was in 1974; the other in 2004. In both cases, the situation causing the wreck was just too bizarre. In both cases, the car I was driving was "caved in" around the drivers seat. By all natural reasoning, the one in 1974 should have killed me. The one in 2004 should have, at a minimum, severely injured me. While I did sustain injuries in both, I also "walked away" from both. That was God's protection!

I am not pointing out the workings of the anti-Christ spirit against us to instill fear in anyone. Instead, I hope to offer encouragement to those who "feel the pressure" of the constant attacks and to exhort us all to be on our guard. Paul sums it up for us in Ephesians 6:12-18.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. [NKJV, emphasis added.]

Also, remember that James tells us that "If any of [us] lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5, NKJV) May we learn to always seek His wisdom for how to handle these situations.

I will leave you with two more promises we have from God's Word.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.
(Proverbs 4:18-19)

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
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.
Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isaiah 60:1-3)

Let us not worry about how dark it becomes around us or how much we are attacked. Instead, let us be sure we remain in Him so that ourpath continues to get brighter and brighter and we continue to radiate His glory to the nations!

Authored by: Laurie Skipper
Laurie resides in Wichita, Kansas. She is a Certified Enterprise Architect and has been employed by a major aerospace manufacturing company as a professional in IT for more than 25 years. She has been associated with HBNI and George Bakalov Ministries International since 2003.

30 Days of Power Principles: #24 Your hand determines your future

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:58:00 GMT

by George Bakalov For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (New International Version) In poker, after a tense period of betting rounds, there comes a moment when you have to flip all cards and see who has the best hand. Your hand determines your future! In real life we as Christians are given the privilege to approach the 'game' of life with Jesus Christ on our side. Unlike poker, once you enter into a healthy, meaningful relationship with the living God, chance has nothing to do with the kind of hand you hold. Your hand is the sum total of what you choose to believe, think, apply and be in life.

As we choose to align ourselves with God and His Spirit, our hand becomes strong to the point where we become positioned for winning when the time comes. Don't think you can live after the carnal ideas of this world and all of a sudden you will be dealt the winning card and you will turn into a winner just like that in a day! In real life there are so many things that are out of our control. In life you don't choose what hand is being dealt to you. Where you were born, the family you were born into, the relationships that formed you as a young person, the economic realities of the day, etc. And many of us have been dealt many bad hands. We feel weak. We don't play as winners. We dread the moment of truth when it may become clear to everyone we are not all that.

But that's because we miss the point.

The whole purpose of being a Christian is not so you can impress others with how spiritual, smart, rich and successful you are every day of your life. We're in covenant with God is so that we can please Him in the process called life and to fulfill the purpose He has established for us. This is the only thing that will bring permanent happiness and blessing - to you and those around you! You can't control what hand life with deal to you. But you can control your life with God, your obedience to his Word, your following of his Spirit. When you do, something happens. In God's economy of things, when the day of testing comes, you find out you were actually more than ready. What seemed like a high card all of a sudden has the power of royal flush. You win. The enemy loses. All because the game includes not only the players you see around you, but also the One who is above all the players and the playing field itself.

He holds your hand already, don't let go of His'.

30 Days of Power Principles: #23 The wisdom of staying in the right lane

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:59:00 GMT

Jesus said that the road that leads to life is full of trouble. Did you know that?

But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate. Matt. 7:14 (GWORD)

The word used for 'trouble' here traditionally is translated “narrow”. A deeper study tells us that there are more meanings to it: “to crowd (literally or figuratively): — afflict, narrow, throng, suffer tribulation, trouble.”

Whichever way you look into it, the full meaning of the word doesn't convey a very pleasant picture.

The road that leads to life will be crowded. All kinds of people, relationships and circumstances will try to crowd out the right people you are supposed to share the journey with. Some of those who 'crowd' your forward movement may be in fact people with very pressing needs. You know, the kind of people who never bother to actually seek God on their own or do something for themselves to better their lives. Why should they bother, when they know there’s plenty of mercy motivated “fools” in the Church who will take care of them one way or another.

The road that leads to life will be full of affliction. You will be betrayed, disappointed and even targeted by people you thought were fellow Christians. Tragedies, financial losses, illnesses and all sorts of other situations do actually happen to well meaning Christians. Why? It’s because we live in a fallen world. And even if we do all the right things and even if God is warring on our behalf, the simple truth is that He never promised earth is or will become Heaven and that he is in full control of what happens down here. I don’t mean to scare anyone, but it’s better to take the bitter pill of realization now than not be prepared in the day when affliction knocks at your door. And if it doesn’t -- well, praise the Lord, you have many wonderful reasons to sing and shout -- you are in the blessed minority! Most people experience various forms of affliction throughout their lifetime. And this, my friends is not indicative of whether God loves us or whether He has all the power. He does. Look at creation and you’ll know it. Look at the cross of Jesus and you’ll know it. But the fact remains this is a battle ground and we must be prepared for it.

The road that leads to life will be narrow. I remember living life circumstances leading us to live in a two bedroom apartment in Bulgaria with two babies, laughable income and intense persecution from the authorities, the culture and the church. Yes, living in the 90’s in Bulgaria was not for the faint of heart. Nothing was easy to accomplish. Even the most simple things took so much effort and resources. And what’s worse is that it lasted for years, not days or months. In retrospect, if that’s the worse we will experience ever in life, I’m OK with it. I’m thankful reminded of so many other believers who live in much worse conditions around the world. I’ve been there. I know.

The road that leads to life is full of trouble. Troubles come in two ways -- internal and external. Internal troubles are those that concern our families and us personally. Most of these are self-inflicted and the result of our carnal nature. External troubles are the ones the system of this world causes us -- troubles for us personally, for our churches, businesses and societies in general through corrupt government, unjust courts, crime and all kinds of scenarios who are outside of our control.

So what is our most natural inclination when we encounter these troubles on our journey with Jesus, down (or up) the road that leads to life?

We try to shift lanes.

Most of us are not raised up with enough mental and spiritual discipline to know how to plough through the troubles that come at us. We interpret these troubles, afflictions and tribulations as denial coming from God. We feel inadequate for the task. We try to shift lanes.

To our surprise, we find there are indeed different lanes on the road that leads to life.

There are all the casual Christians, who may show up to church on Sunday but outside of this are totally submerged in their own lives. You watch and you think: may be something’s wrong with me, praying and working for revival, reformation and all that good stuff? May be it doesn’t take all that? Hmm.

In the lane next to them are all religious nuts who don’t mind living completely in a world of their own, denying everything and everyone and isolating themselves in a bubble of prayer, reading of Scriptures and painful expectation of the end of times. Oh, well...

Apparently, there are several other lanes, which I can’t get into describing here. They may be broadly described as:

the lane of the hurt & wounded,
the lane of the flashy and successful,
the lane of the mediocre,
the lane of the cynical and the skeptical

and on and on. Look around, see for yourself. Your landscape probably looks different from mine. But inevitably everywhere you go, you realize that it’s not easy to be a “kingdom first” kind of Christian. Someone who tends to themselves and their family, but more than anything else has centered his or her life in the pursuit of first of all seeking and establishing God’s will on the earth.

Don’t shift lanes, stick to what your inner man is telling you. The safest place on planet Earth is to be in the middle of God’s will...or lane, if you will.

Word for 2010 and Beyond

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:30:00 GMT

Word for 2010 and Beyond

Submitted by Laurie Skipper Tuesday, December 29, 2009. (Scriptures are from NASB, unless otherwise noted.)

Part 1: For The United States

We, the Body of Christ in the United States, have become complacent if not despondent when it comes to the war on terror in this nation. We want to look, point the finger, and blame the government for their errors. The only true protection for our nation lies in keeping a spiritual hedge of protection in place. We have let down our guard and will pay the price for doing so if we do not re-establish it.

KEY: We must become re-engaged in the spiritual battle against all forces who want to destroy this nation.

“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 22:30-31)

A nation is at peace only when the righteous rule.

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. (Proverbs 29:2, NASB)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2 KJV)

We have seen the result of allowing the unrighteous to rule. We have seen the result of allowing those who give lip service but whose hearts are far from what they say (or imply) to rule. The true Church, the true believers MUST mobilize politically to place righteous men and women in office to change the course of this nation and get it back on track with its God-given destiny. We, the Church, must quit squabbling over the minor issues and support those who uphold the major issues – of life and liberty for all. And, “liberty for all” includes liberty from excessive taxation and freedom to choose services and service providers.

KEY: We must become politically engaged to unseat those who want to destroy the destiny of this nation from within.

The Church must not forget the poor.

They only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do. (Galatians 2:10)

With the current state of the economy, there are many who are finding themselves in need for the first time in their lives. The people of God must not turn away; but, rather, realize that this is an opportunity to bless those in our communities and, thereby, reach them with a true gospel message.

KEY: We must be socially engaged in our communities.
And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. (Isaiah 58:10)

If we will:

re-engage in the spiritual battle for the nation,
re-engage in the political arena, and
engage to a greater extent socially in our communities,

then we will see the following:

God will use the current economic situation that the enemy has meant to destroy our free enterprise system (and our freedoms with it) to cause the wealth of the world to begin to transfer to the hands of those prepared to both receive and handle it. He will cause what Satan meant for evil – for our destruction – to work for our good.

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)

So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's anger subsided. (Esther 7:10)

As Haman was hung on the very gallows on which he intended to kill righteous Mordecai, those who have laid snares for others will find themselves ensnared and brought down by their own trap.

Deeds which have been done in secret will be brought to light. Deals made in back rooms and “under the table” will be exposed. This includes political deals as well as business deals. Those things done in secret will begin to be “proclaimed from the housetops.”

"But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:2-3)

This will mean over the airwaves of not only Fox, but CNN and other channels.

KEY: We must pray for key business leaders as well as key politicians to be radically converted. Be sensitive to God laying a particular leader on your heart. Pray for them diligently until you learn of their conversion.

These two factors will cause a shift in this nation to alter its course back into a right direction. However, these results are conditional. We must do as directed.

Part 2: For Other Nations

Israel

God’s eye is always on Israel, but there will be no major shifts there this year.

Arab Nations

There will be some shifting of powers both within and between these nations in the year ahead – and for the next two or three years. Pray for these nations! There needs to be a window of opportunity to freely share the gospel with these people groups. Pray that as the power shifts within these nations, the shift would allow that window of opportunity to open. Soak these nations in prayer this year.

China

China has given lip service to becoming more open. In truth, it has become more repressive in many ways. Pray for the church in China. There will come a time when the gospel can be shared more openly. But there will still be much persecution before that time. Pray for strength, grace, and protection for the believers there – and for extreme wisdom for them, particularly their leaders.

North Korea & Iran

North Korea and Iran are the two nations to watch. By “watch,” I mean watch and pray. These are the two nations that would like to force international conflict – and it is not God’s timing for either to do so. Pray that their plans – and they do each have plans – will fail. Pray confusion in their ranks. Pray, specifically, for those within these countries who realize the evil workings within their government regimes and work against it covertly. Pray for their protection and their success. Pray that they maintain the courage to continue what they do. Pray that they have supernatural wisdom and words of knowledge about specific situations, both for their safety and their success.

Europe

Much of Europe is teetering in the balance, deciding which way it will go. Islam is pressing in on one hand and socialism on the other. Both are anti-Christ spirits. There are decisions to be made by both the leaders and the people of Europe this year that will set their course for the next decade – and, for some, beyond that. Pray for a revival in Europe. There is kindling set for the Fire of the Spirit to break out in Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries. It will either be ignited within the next two to three years (by 2012) or it will be squelched until another generation. Pray for a revival that will awaken all of Europe and call her back to the roots established in the days of the early Church and re-established by the Protestant reformation.

Pray for the eastern European nations that have never been freed from the spirit of bondage that was imposed by Communism – and, for some, centuries before that. This decade is to be a time for the people of these nations to experience true freedom – the kind of freedom found only in Christ. But, there is still much spiritual warfare to be done for this to break forth in the measure intended. Pray for the people in these nations. What they need is to experience the true love of God. Pray for them; but, also, seek God for His ways to express the love of God to them – in tangible, “God made flesh” ways.

Turkey

The region now known as Turkey was once Christian and God’s desire and destiny for it is that it be so again. Pray for a revival in Turkey. The blood of the martyrs there is crying out and the bowl is almost full. God’s desire is to send a major move of His Spirit to Turkey.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria will experience what seems to be a set back spiritually in the coming two to three years. Do not be discouraged. Once again, what Satan has meant for evil will turn out to be for good if handled properly. Instead of responding in panic or discouragement, respond by turning to seek His counsel on how to turn what seems like defeat into victory. Remember, Satan thought he had won when he killed Christ. What he thought was a mighty victory was his biggest mistake and will lead to his ultimate defeat. Remember that principle when you see what looks like defeat in this nation. Prepare yourself now to handle it appropriately. Do not be caught off guard. Ask even now for strategies to be revealed to you in that season.

Globally

Without intervention, the next decade will bring more natural disasters and destruction. More islands will be hit with hurricanes or cyclones as well as tsunamis. Earthquakes will be felt in places not accustomed to having them. Rivers will overflow. Pray now that the loss of life and the destruction will be minimized. This warning is given so that there is opportunity to avert most of these. Be sensitive when God tells you to pray for a specific area. You do not realize how many such incidents have been averted or lessened by the intercession of God’s people – or how many more could have been averted. Again, I urge you, be sensitive when you feel a prompting to pray for a specific area or region.

Final Exhortation

While many are looking at 2010 and the next few years as being difficult and bleak, the darkness can be turned to light and God’s people can shine as they noon-day sun in the midst of it – if they will heed His warnings, seek His strategies and directions, and follow them.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19)

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
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.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1-3)

30 Days of Power Principles: #22 It's what you see that matters

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:17:00 GMT

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. Gen. 13:14-15 (NKJV)

Power Principle # 21 was about developing a God centric mindest, which is really the only way to understand the Bible and to be properly positioned to receive His instructions for success.

However, in this teaching I would like to underscore something which might appear as contradictory at first sight: It’s what you see that matters, not what God sees for you. The emphasis here is on you.

Let’s look at the story of Abraham and his nephew Lot.

You might say that Abraham had already made the switch from being self centric to being God centric. To become God centric has to do with worship. Worship is not about music! Christians, please get this once and for all! Worship has to do with positioning yourself permanently in submission to God. Read this again: worship has to do with positioning yourself permanently in submission to God.

Abraham came from a tribe which worshiped God. Many years ago I heard a preacher say that Abraham came from a moon worshiping nation, namely Ur of the Chaldeans. I have done extensive study on this subject and found out this: Abraham actually came from a tribe which resided in Ur of the Chaldeans but in fact was a tribe, which worshiped Yahweh, the true God. One of the reasons the Lord called Tara to leave Ur of the Chaldeans was probably because idolatry and the moon worship cult was threatening this minority tribe and they needed an exit strategy in order to get to a new place, to a new land where they'll be able to establish a permanent altar to Yahweh.

Abraham did not invent the idea of building an altar to God. This was a well established custom in his family and in the tribe he came from. Worship has to do with acknowledging the superior position God has in relationship to man and man's willingness to follow the patterns of God. Singing songs and making music which praises God is only one of the many expressions of our worship. Unfortunately in today's Christianity most people are taught that worship is about music.

Back to our story.

Abraham is in transition. He has arrived in the promised land but his authority hasn't been established yet. It's not only what God wants to give you, it's what you accept and act on that makes the difference.

The strife between the shepherds is very telling of the condition of the Church today. As soon as some people get some success in ministry, business or otherwise, they become arrogant -- Christians and non-Christians alike. Success can be deceptive and make one believe that it's the ultimate legitimizing of who we are as a person, our methods and so on. It isn't! You can actually become successful for a time and begin to believe yourself and the lies people tell you of how great you are. The true definition of success is not only about how high you reach but also how long you get to stay in that place. History teaches us that it's very possible for certain individuals, people groups, nations and even civilizations to arise and reach great heights of success for a period of time. True greatness has to do with how long they get to stay in that place and how well success can be transferred from generation to generation.

It seems to me Abraham needed a breakthrough. So God calls him to a higher place, to a place from which he could show him the big picture, the long-term strategy and plan. He tells Abraham that he will give him all the land which Abraham sees.

The Lord had already determined what he wants to give to Abraham but it was now time for Abraham personally to see the land and embrace God's plan. In other words it's what you see and embrace and identify with that makes difference not only what God has planned and prepared for you.

One of the most frustrating mindsets in the Church today is this: if it's God's will, it will happen.

This mindset stems from the subtle but well-established hyper Calvinistic understanding of predestination. In simple terms, it’s the belief that whatever God has determined to happen, it will happen, regardless of what I want or do. You and I can't afford to tolerate such subtle deception if we are to succeed in our Kingdom mission.

This is not the time and the place for me to get into a lengthy theological discussion. Sometimes powerful truths are communicated in a simple way. Imagine yourself standing on the verge of a cliff one step away from falling down to your death. All you need is for someone to give you a simple warning which might sound something like: step back!

Likewise, through this teaching I want you to grasp a very simple premise: it's not only what God wants for you, it's what you get to see and embrace that makes all the difference in how your life will unfold.

As a parent I might be seeing some incredible gifts and talents in my children. And they indeed are all very gifted in many different areas. But their breakthrough will come from what each one of them gets to see and decides to act on. They’ll have to see themselves as successful before they even engage in pursing God’s will. They’ll have to apply discipline and effort to release God’s ability in them.

Has the Lord called you to start your own business? Now you must see yourself as a business owner, you must embrace what the Lord is showing you and ultimately in the right timing you must act on it in order for God's plan to unfold for you. It will come with responsibilities, risk, failure and many opportunities. But you hold the key to activating it all.

Has the Lord called you to gather people and minister to them in some way? You must see yourself doing it, embrace your role as a gatherer and act on it in the right time. The Lord will do his part and his provision will align accordingly.

Has the Lord called you to the area of arts and entertainment? Same applies here.

You can go on and on and apply this principle to every area of life -- career, family and other creative pursuits which might serve as vehicles of influence.

In real life things don't work as simple and as automated as we would like them to. Even when you accept God's will for your life and embrace your calling, circumstances, Satan and other factors might still work against you. However, we will emerge victorious because the Lord is on our side when we plug into his strategy and embrace our role in it.

What are some of the factors hindering people from seeing and embracing what the Lord already has planned for them?

Not pursuing by faith, but pursuing God out of carnal, selfish desperation.
Low self-esteem.
Fear of man.
Lack of discipline.
Toxic environment -- relationally and culturally.
Theological misconceptions.
Disconnectedness.

You and I are responsible to tackle each and every one of these factors and become vessels of honor prepared in suitable for the service of the King.

George Bakalov (c) 2009 www.georgebakalov.com

30 Days of Power Principles: # 21 Allow God to define success for you

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:24:00 GMT

One of the most powerful principles you could possibly build your life on is to allow God to define success for you, not your environment, carnal mind, friends, family or even foes.

There are many scriptures who show us the Lord wants his people to be successful both in our private lives and as a body of believers in our mission to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Josh. 1:8 (NKJV)

Here’s what the concordance tells us about the Aramaic word used for “success” here:

Sakal: to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligent:—consider, expert, instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful), have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise(-ly), guide wittingly.

Here’s Jesus on succcess:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)

The Greek word for “abundant” is perissos, which means: superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by implication, excessive; preeminence: — exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly, advantage, exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, vehement(-ly).

At the same time it's important for us to define success. Let's look at it this way: if you are in a ship out in the open seas and there is a storm, your goal would probably be to reach safe shores as soon as possible. That would be success. However, if the shores you reach are inhabited by cannibals your definition of success will not be complete, especially if you get cooked for dinner.

Likewise in the Christian Church, especially in materialistic societies (and believe me, even though it might take different shapes and forms, there is materialism in every culture and continent), we need to redefine success and look at the whole context, not just the popular and very shallow concept of what it means to be successful.

For us as Christians success begins with responding to the Holy Spirit from our heart, turning away from sin and pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings and Lord of lords. At first this seems like very strictly a “spiritual” only dynamic. But if we examine the full meaning of the word “salvation” used in the New Testament, we’ll see that the new birth is designed to impact every single area of our lives, not to be just an emotional or abstract “spiritual” experience.

The second phase of our Christian life has to do with us getting cleaned up from all emotional, spiritual, relational and economic bonds of our past. It's important to get cleaned up otherwise we will be difficult sons and daughters, unable to stay in a place of communion with God, receiving his direction and serving him. For instance one of the huge problems among Christians is the inability of hearing his voice. God has no problem speaking, usually the problem is with us hearing Him.

Thirdly, our success as Christians is defined in discovering our place in God's plan, which has to do with our positioning both in life and in the body of Christ. One of the technologies that has changed our lives in the last decade is the GPS technology -- the global positioning systems technology, formerly only available to the United States Army. Today the GPS technology has been commercialized and is widely used by ordinary people and professionals. There is something very similar between the GPS technology at our whole experience as Christians on the earth. We were instructed by Paul the apostle to live by faith not by sight.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2Cor. 5:7 (NKJV)

We are told that the sons of God are being led by the Spirit.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Rom. 8:14 (NKJV)

Isn't this pretty much the same, except in the spiritual realm? So you're positioning does matter. You must determine your current position and condition in order to move to your next position and achieve your mission. This is where the prophetic ministry comes in. Sadly, without the overall strategy which apostles have the ability to receive from the Lord and communicate with the body of Christ, the prophetic ministry can also become perverted and do more damage than good. Why? Because it's not about you. And it's not about me. We will never understand how to function on the earth in sync with God if we are self centric. We will never understand the Bible and the biblical worldview if we don't understand it's written from a God centric point of view.

Let's go back to our discussion on success. We've establish something very important: in order to be successful in God's plan we as Christians must develop a God centric positioning in life. Jesus taught on this principle:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matt. 6:33 (NKJV)

Seeking first the Kingdom means first and foremost that you and I must abandon our carnal ideas of who we are and what we should be doing with our lives. Laying down our ideas opens up the possibility for Lord to reveal to us his will and strategy. We are then assured other circumstances will lineup and provision for our daily needs will manifest accordingly. It sure takes faith to walk and live your life based on this principle but long-term it is indeed the winning strategy.

Having said all this you and I can’t be perfectionists when it comes to God's will. The Lord may be showing you prophetically you will one day be a millionaire but in the meantime you will need to get a decent job to be able to provide for yourself and your family if you have one. If you don't, your family is the body of Christ and you can always empower others through the resources you have available.

Some of the people reading this material might not be in a very good place in life right now. Remember this: the Lord wants you and I to succeed! However, make sure your idea of success is not a carnal one, but rather allow the Holy Spirit to clearly define his plan and purpose for you so that your faith is based on God’s plan for your life and not some fantasy you picked up along the way who knows how.

30 Days of Power Principles: # 20 Find your tribe.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:09:00 GMT

You might have heard this -- why isn’t there unity in the Church? Well, if by unity you envision some idyllic, picturesque kind of pastoral unity, this will never happen. Rather, what we COULD have in the Church are tribes, clans, or whatever you want to call them -- “pockets” of people who form different clusters of unity and together they form the Church.

For this to happen, you need to happen YOUR tribe first. If you are frustrated due to not being able to fit in, there’s no need to blame everyone else for it. Your situation is your situation -- just because you don’t fit in it doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t fit in.

But it’s a good thing to determine you will find your tribe. Somehow, somewhere, someday, you come to a place of connecting with like-minded people with whom you share enough to make you feel like together you can achieve something for God. When this happens, don’t place ALL your expectations on your tribe, that’s unrealistic, too. You need to build those special few relationships on which you can lean and feel like they can lean on you. It may take a long time.

How can you tell your tribe:

- It inspires you.
- It adds something to your life you might not be able to get otherwise.
- It surrounds you (in a good way).
- It makes room for you to add to it.
- It makes you want to sacrifice because the reward is greater than the sacrifice.

If you thought you had found your tribe and it wasn’t it, exit gracefully. It takes mature, internally strong people to do so. Move on and keep seeking. Your tribe is waiting somewhere out there, wondering what’s taking you so long.

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Gen. 13:8 (NKJV)

Copyright (c) 2009; Source: George Bakalov www.gbmi.us

30 Days of Power Principles: # 19 Problems are not tragedies

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:09:00 GMT

Let it be all joy to you, my brothers, when you undergo tests of every sort; James 1:2 (BBE)

Everyone has problems. If you tell me you have no problems whatsoever, you’re either a liar, a mental case or living on a different planet. As for planet Earth, us ordinary people and this thing called life, problems are part of the experience -- period!

I have now been what they call a “full-time” minister (with a lot of “over time” I’ve put into it) for some 19 years. I can tell you one thing: there are more problems out there than you and I can imagine! I love to help people. But I’ve noticed something -- there are a lot of people I can’t help. I must accept this fact and learn to live with it and turn it over to God when it becomes too hard to bear.

I’ve seen that people either have real problems or they think they have problems.

I’ve also seen that there are problems and tragedies. You can’t solve a tragedy, tragedies must be survived. Generally speaking, all tragedies lead to a number of problems, but not all problems have to lead to a tragedy.

Tragedies are one of the proofs of the fall of man. God didn’t create mankind and this world in order for people to experience tragedies. But they happen and they happen due to the fact God and man aren’t the only players in our reality. Satan is very much part of the equation.

Satan intervenes both through problems and tragedies. You won’t see a big flashing sign over tragedies that says “MADE IN HELL”, but that’s where they come from.

It’s important to distinguish between problems and tragedy. It’s important to know you and I can seek God for solutions to problems.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5 (KJVS)

God has a different grace for those who experience a tragedy.

Losing your job is not a tragedy, losing a child is.

Breaking your arm is not a tragedy, breaking your marriage vow is.

Your business going bankrupt is not a tragedy, you going spiritually bankrupt is.

When you distinguish between these various kinds and measures of trials, you will be able to more successfully navigate through life.

George Bakalov (c) 2009. Source: www.georgebakalov.com
George P. Bakalov

30 Days of Power Principles: # 18 Pull out the weeds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:10:00 GMT

I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. [Jer. 1:10]

Purging the new seeds we sow is not enough. Pulling the weeds is just as important.

Those of you who have had a garden, know how weeds ruin your ground. They consume the nutrients needed by the plants you’ve planted. They choke the life out of everything. They add no value to anything.

I hate weeds! Way too many people are tangled in the weeds the enemy has planted in their minds.

Weeds represent false ideas, thought patterns and philosophies. Notice God tells Jeremiah he has appointed him to pull out and break down before he even plants and builds.

I wish things worked by just making sure we purge the seeds we sow. However, there are many weeds we need to pull out before we can secure the seeds can be planted.

False ideas about marriage have ruined many of families. We all bring weed thought patterns into our marriages and those must be pulled out if new thought patterns are to be planted. False ideas about God have pushed many people from believing in Him. False ideas about money have gotten many people in debt they can never repay.

Weeds grow even if you do nothing. The pop culture plants false images and ideas into our brains without some of us even realizing it.

It takes the mirror of the Word of God and prophetic discernment to track down these weeds. And we do, we need to be determined, forceful and consistent if we are to see breakthrough.

George Bakalov (c) 2009. Source: www.georgebakalov.com
George P. Bakalov

30 Days of Power Principles: # 17 Purge the seeds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT

All of us want to see a good harvest in our lives. All of us want to succeed in the mission Jesus has for each one of us. There are two things we need to do to make sure this happens: we must purge the seeds and we must pull out the weeds.

Jesus taught the principle of the seed many times.

"The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.” [Mark 4:26]

Also, there is the law of reproduction from Genesis 1.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Gen. 1:11 (KJVS)

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Gen. 1:12 (KJVS)

Evil begets evil. Grace begets grace. We must purge the seed, so it can produce after its own kind. Our doctrine, ideas and works all represent seeds. What we spread is what will grow. It amazes me how evil reproduces itself through the generations. Why not have righteousness reproduce itself and become multiplied?

When we purge the seed, the harvest will be great! Confused Christians beget confused Christians. Abusive fathers abuse and beget abusive children. Ant-semites beget anti-semites. Racists beget racists. Like it or not, more things are transfered from one generation to the next by imitation than anything else.

We must purge the seeds in order to change the harvest.

George Bakalov (c) 2009. Source: www.georgebakalov.com
George P. Bakalov

30 Days of Power Principles: # 16 Faithfulness is a non-negotiable

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 1Cor. 4:2 (NKJV)

All of us have flaws.

Some talk too much, others are timid, yet others are always late. It’s human to have flaws. Those can be worked on and they are not fatal. But character is something you and I must have.

The way the Father sees us on the earth is not only as his children but also as stewards of what he has entrusted us with - gifts, talents & calling.

A steward has to treat what has been entrusted to him as his own, but never to become obsessive about it - he needs to remembers it belongs to someone else. As a steward you cannot afford not to be faithful. You can have flaws, but you cannot be unfaithful.

Suppose you have the gift of comfort. So many people need comfort in this life. As soon as you become aware your presence comforts people and ministers to them, will you be faithful to bless others through it? In other words, will you keep on keeping on?

It’s been 20 years now in my walk with God and I’ve seen one thing - there are a lot and I mean A LOT of people who come to Christ but never develop as consistent disciples. They may have gifts and talents, but they can’t be trusted.

Faithfulness is a non-negotiable. This means you will keep releasing to others what God has given you as long as you are alive! You must finish the course!

George Bakalov (c) 2009. Source: www.georgebakalov.com
George P. Bakalov

30 Days of Power Principles: # 15 You have the power to remove uncleanness!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:23:00 GMT

Spiritual uncleanness opens the door to satan in our lives. As a Christian, you have the power of remove uncleanness from your life - nobody else can do it for you! We'll look at uncleanness through the Old Testament type of leprosy.

(Lev 14:57 KJV) To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.

Jesus said that not one jot or a tittle from the Law and the Prophets will pass until they are fulfilled. Today the veil has been taken off our eyes and we can understand the Old Testament Scriptures prophetically. This will help us understand the ways of God and learn how to move with Him in Kingdom life and authority.

Moses gave the law of leprosy to the Israelites. Leprosy is a symbol of sin for us who are of the New Covenant. Just like sin, leprosy has the ability to kill slowly and to be passed from one person to another.

We may be safe to say that the greatest battle of the church today is the battle with sin. I hear again and again of pastors who have fallen in adultery and Christians in the church who are committing all kinds of sin – lying, stealing and committing sexual immorality.

Churches are full of false brethren – those who are calling themselves Christians, but with their lifestyle they are actually denying Christ and His teaching. The apostle Paul spoke of false brethren.

(1 Cor 5:11 KJV) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

So there are those who call themselves brothers, but in actuality they are all those things the apostle identified.

Now, we know that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes and many sincere Christians sin habitually. However, after we are born-again, our status in the Kingdom is different. We are now sons. When we fall, we fall as sons. When God picks us up and forgives us, He is not looking at us sinners, but our identity has been changed – we are sons and we are righteous through Christ. When we are judged by Him, we are judged as sons.

(Heb 12:4 KJV) Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

(Heb 12:5 KJV) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

(Heb 12:6 KJV) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

(Heb 12:7 KJV) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

People whose minds have been weakened from the lies of secular humanism, will find this kind of message offensive and difficult to accept.

(2 Cor 11:3 KJV) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

But I find it very difficult for me to accept what’s going on in the church today: adultery, fornication, lying, stealing, gossip, politics and all kinds of evil.

This is may be just a fraction of what’s really going on in the Church. The apostle Paul commanded the Corinthians:

(1 Cor 5:13b KJV) Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

In the Old Testament times, when someone suspected that there is leprosy in their house, they would call the priest to come in and inspect it. Jesus is the High Priest and the Apostle of our faith. (Heb 3:1) Jesus knows how to inspect our lives and find the stones that are infected.

When the priest would find such stones, these stones would be taken out of the house and replaced with good ones. This was a way of giving a chance to the whole house. If this didn’t help and the leprosy affected those new stones too, then that house had to be destroyed totally.

(Lev 14:45 KJV) And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

This revelation has an individual and corporate application:

* Individually

The Holy Spirit desires to come and show us which stones (areas of our lives) are affected by sin and help us how to deal with it. This requires honesty, faith and understanding of deliverance if we are to have breakthrough in our lives. It’s not a negative thing for us to be rebuked by the Lord and for Him to show us areas of sin or vulnerability to sin in our lives.

(1 Cor 11:31 KJV) For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

(1 Cor 11:32 KJV) But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We have to invite the Holy Spirit to come and inspect our “house”, just like that person in the Old Testament would do. God will not help you, unless you are willing to humble yourself and invite Him as Lord in your life.

* Corporately

The Holy Spirit will deal not only with individuals, but also with whole bodies of believers. Sin, if it’s not confronted publicly, will spread like leprosy in the church.

(1 Tim 5:20 KJV) Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Jesus gave us the order of church discipline in Matthew 18:15-17. This is rarely practiced in the church today. We have made up all kinds of excuses not to build the church of Jesus, the way Jesus wants it built. True apostles are on the rise once again to restore simplicity and purity in the church.

If there are members of the body, who refuse to listen to what leadership is telling them to do in order to be set free, such people have to be released from the church.

John Kelly said once: “All believers have the authority to cast out demons from the church, but apostles have the authority to cast out people, too.”

This is the time to press in to a higher place in Jesus. We want the miracles of the early apostles, but we cringe when we have to embrace the holiness, order and authority of the apostles in our lives today. It’s time for us to put sin where it belongs, under our feet, right where Satan and all his demons belong, too.

Jesus demonstrated Kingdom dominion over leprosy. We can walk in dominion over sin, sickness and demons!

(Mat 8:2 KJV) And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

(Mat 8:3 KJV) And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

7 Steps for breakthrough:

ASK the Holy Spirit to show you what the infected areas in your life are. Be real and you will be amazed how quickly the Lord will begin to inspect your life and show you wickedness and compromise.

CONFESS your sin to someone you trust. This can be your marriage partner, spiritual parent (If you have such), trusted friend, church leader or someone who will know how to handle your confession and pray with you.

TURN from sin in your lifestyle. There is not such a thing as: The devil made me do it! We choose to sin. Therefore we can choose to turn away from sin.

PRAY for deliverance. Identify the stones (areas) of sin and demonization and release yourself from the bondages. The best is really if you have someone whom you can talk to, confess and have them pray for you for deliverance, too.

REPLACE the old stones with new. Exercise godliness! (Acts 24:16 KJV) And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.

TAKE HOLY COMMUNION

FAST AND PRAY throughout this divinely appointed time. Seek the Lord for divine order in your life, cleansing, healing and deliverance. Make a decision that you are going to the next level of love, life and prosperity in Jesus.

George Bakalov (c) 2009, www.georgebakalov.com
George P. Bakalov

30 Days of Power Principles: # 14 Go for an encounter with God!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:28:00 GMT

When we begin to loose our conviction, we become like Gideon, who was hiding from his enemies, trying to survive. And even after an angel came and spoke with him, he was still uncertain about the reality of God and His promise for breakthrough. Many in the church have lost their CONVICTION.

When you find yourself in this place in life, it may be time for you to go for an encounter with God! When you have an encounter with God, your faith becomes sharpened!

In order to penetrate darkness, we need the kind of faith that goes beyond the Sunday morning church experience. If we want to be Kingdom pioneers and deliverers, we need the force of conviction. Conviction is aggressive, initiating and penetrating force that lacks in the church today. Some have called it ‘over zealousness’ and ‘intolerance’. But we are talking about … conviction! Yes, faith indeed comes from hearing the word (rhema) of God. However, when we experience the sovereign power of God, through an act of God, our faith changes. It becomes energized, sharpened and it transforms itself into conviction. And this is exactly what the devil hates to see happen in the church today. He doesn’t mind having churches full of people who are formal Christians.

What the enemy fears is people with conviction.   

When our conviction becomes weak, God may even give us a sign. A sign from God is something so undisputed supernatural and transcendental in nature, that it disarms all of our fears, breaks through the barriers of the enemy, penetrates beyond our logical thinking and pierces our heart with the very evidence of the power, love, truth and reality of God.

  "Because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake." (1 Th 1:5 NRSV)   

The word conviction here comes from a Greek root word which means “to carry out fully (in evidence), i.e. to completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish: --most surely believe, fully know (persuade), make full proof of”.  

There are too many of us in the Church today, who are nothing more but a product of a watered down, politically correct, socially acceptable, culture friendly ‘gospel’. Also, wrong teaching on ‘faith’ sometimes creates ‘robo-Christians’ (as my dear friend, prophet John Isleib, calls them). We need once again the Gospel preached not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with FULL CONVICTION.

Where do we get full conviction from? From having an encounter with God!

  Did God strike Gideon dead for asking for a sign? No, he didn’t! In fact, Gideon’s very request came from his already believing heart. He was honest before God, admitting, he didn’t have what it takes to rise up and become a leader. In fact, I believe that God was pleased with Gideon's request. When the angel gave him the sign and the fire came out and consumed Gideon’s offering, I believe that the glory of God, the presence of God’s peace and love totally covered Gideon and he fell and worshiped God as Jehovah Shalom. Gideon was overwhelmed with God’s goodness and mercy! Gideon was shocked that instead of God striking him dead, He came with peace and power.   

Do we need faith? Yes! We need to learn how to walk by faith and not by sight. But at the same time, we need to get real with ourselves and with God and realize that we need HIM.

Didn’t Jesus tell the apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit to come? Wait for what? They were commissioned, they were called, and they had even seen the risen Christ. What more could they possibly need after seeing Christ risen from the dead? Well, their inner man needed AN EXPERIENCE. They’re faith needed the edge called CONVICTION.

And they had to pray for God to move…and to wait…and to receive it when it came. They had to go into the upper room and wait for an experience with God? What happened on the day of Pentecost didn't give or add faith to the apostles. It came because they already had faith. But after the tongues of fire came on these men, they went out and preached with full conviction! And they had to wait for 10 days and pray for God to send his promise! So, I say - you can pray for God to intervene into your life and shift you into a whole new place with him!

 You may even know what God has for you to do for Him. But you may be lacking the force of conviction in order to move forward.

Get real with yourself; stop all religious prayers that only make you fall asleep. Realize God hears only the words that come from our heart. Ask him to send the fire, let Him be God FOR you, not only through you. Receive in humility His goodness and His miracles. Allow him to convince you with the proof and the evidence of His love. He knows how to do that.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (Mark 9:24 KJV)

George P. Bakalov