The Vine

Can God…?

2011-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

Restore our Families: Many of our families have been buffeted and plagued by one problem after another – death, unrepentant prodigal (s), loss of intimacy with spouse, financial setback. The restoration of Naomi’s family is an expression of God’s divine providence in the face of a crisis brought about by death.

Save our Children: The stories of God’s divine intervention in the lives of Jesus Christ (the man); the prodigal; Moses; Samuel and Timothy gives us hope in the living God, the Savior of all men, especially those who believe!

Save our City: The city of Nineveh is described as “great” containing 120,000 people whose “evil ways” had caused God to declare judgment upon them. Though these “evil ways” are not described in the book of Jonah, Nahum later writes that Nineveh’s sins included plotting against the Lord, cruelty, prostitution, witchcraft and commercial exploitation. Yet when Jonah went to warn them of their impending doom, they took heed and the king declared a complete fast – even the animals were forbidden to “eat or drink.”When they repented, God had “pity” and cancelled His threatened punishment.

Heal: The following Scriptures speak to the healing power of Almighty God through faith: Nu.21:8; Mt.9:22; Mk.5:34-36; 6:13; Lk.4:39; 8:48; Jn.5:1-9; Ac.5:15; Jas.5:15-16. “Be not afraid, only be-lieve.”

God has given us great and precious promis-es. He is faithful. In Him there is no varia-bleness or shadow of turning. Whatever promise He has made to us, we can, with absolute certainty know that they will be fulfilled.
God Can, Yes He Can!

January Consecration

2011-01-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

“Can God…? God Can, Yes He Can!”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had every-thing before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way."

This quote from Charles Dickens, I be-lieve, aptly describes the times in which we live. In such a climate as this it is very easy to doubt the providence of Almighty God.

Despite the signs and the “truth” it seemingly presents one thing remains abundantly clear, if God can do the greater, He is most certainly able to do the lesser.

What are some of the “lesser” things that you have been waiting on God to do for you but are yet to see? Utilize the weeks ahead to revive your faith and trust in a God whose promises are timeless.

I invite you to join me on this memorable journey to renew our faith in Elohim, El-Shaddai, Adonai, the great I Am! He is looking for a new breed of believers who are willing to exercise some confidence in a “Can Do” God!

VIEW OUR JANUARY CONSECRATION PROGRAM

Under Construction

2010-11-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the delay in our posts. Please be patient with us as we make some changes to our blog. We will resume our posts. December 1. May God richly bless you.

Flowers vs Fruit

2010-09-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

It is said that the word "flowers" appears some 37 times in the bible as against the word "fruit" which appears some 200 times. It means therefore that fruit-bearing is important to God and care must be taken to start reproducing.

According to the Scriptures: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not." Therefore, it means that flowers are fleeting. They are just blossoms and are a sign of a promise. That promise is the fruit.

Is your life just full of blossoms and very little if any fruit? If the answer is yes, let us be committed to get more involved in the Kingdom to teach others so that they too can pass it on (II Tim. 2:1-2).

Quote: "You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of you intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself. -Alan Alda

Christian Fellowship

2010-09-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

It is usually said that Christians are some of the most difficult people to get along with. Also a common perception among saints or believers is the feeling that their congregation is often unfriendly and expresses little love among each other.

Perhaps the reason for that is that too often we are of the view that we ought to be "friends" with each person we meet and should accord the same kind of treatment generally. However from a spiritual perspective it is useful for us to reconsider the perception that is commonly held regarding friendships and relationships. Depending on who you are there are different depths to the two.

Friendships are usually more intimate. The individuals draw close, relationally there is chemistry. A relationship, while it is the basis of a friendship is more cordial and stems from an association or connection of people on a common ground working toward a common goal.

As Christians therefore, we bear several commonalities. We are partners of the gospel with the common goal of one day reigning with Christ in eternity. At the moment we are not called to be friends, but to build relationships with both God and man.

At the start of His ministry 5,000 people followed Jesus, but at the end reference is made of only one who loved Him. For the purpose of His ministry it was necessary for Him to relate with the mulititude, but He was not "friends" with all He came in contact with.

The apostle Paul enjoyed three kinds of relationships. One with someone older, his mentor Gamaliel, from whom he learned the law; one with someone wh owas on the same level as he, Barnabas, with whome he evangelized Macedonia; and someone younger, Timothy, whith whome he shared his wisdom.

Yet nowhere in the Scripture does it say Paul was "friends" with any of these three. However a relational bond was forged. Therefore we should pursue relationships rather than friendships in order to get the work of the Kingdom done.

The Pruning Process

2010-08-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

A grape plant has the tendency to grow vigorously. As a result, a great deal of it's branches must be pruned each year in order to produce maximum results. Citing a passage from an old gardening manual, Bruce Wilkinson writes in the Bible study guide accompanying his book, Secrets of the Vine ".......If you don't prune your plant, it will turn nearly all it's energies to producing rampant growth rather than grapes..." According to Wilkinson, the "rampant growth" represents all those "preoccupations and priorities," while are not totally bad, are encumbrances that are besetting to the Christian.

In a vineyard, pruning is done to accomplish four specific purposes: to cut off dried-up or dying branches; to ensure adequate exposure to sunlight; to increase size and quality of the fruit; and to coax the development of new fruit. Similarly, our Father, the Vine dresser employs these principles as He shapes His branches, for it is said, He never takes anything away from His children unless He means to give them something better.

As it is when we are being disciplined, there is some amount of pain involved in the pruning process. However, we must be careful that we do not mistake the pain associated with pruning for disciplining. We are disciplined when we are growing contrary to the nature for which we were intended. We are pruned when we are doing something right (our branches are growing), but the product is below potential.

Several important principles of pruning are evident in the life of the apostle Paul. Philippians 1:12-14 describes a life that was bearing fruit yet underwent trials so a greater crop (furtherance of the gospel) could be harvested. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul's experiences are a testament of the principles that pruning is always for our good and is tailored to address our individual needs. The :"thorn" in Paul's flesh allowed for a more profound ministry potential. Philippians 3:7-9, indicates that pruning is as effective as we allow. This passage describes a life totally yielded to God, one that willingly relinquished all in pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

"Pruning is future oriented, the loss happens now; the gain comes later." Writing to the Galatians, Paul encouraged them to be steadfast in doing well for "in due season" they would reap if they did not give up. During this process it is easy to get impatient and some of us may even backslide into discipline by complaining. You get more out of pruning when you release (surrender) to God (Phil. 3:8), knowing that it will only stop when God accomplishes His desire for you.

Honorably Acquitted

2010-08-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

As followers of Christ, all of us are guilty of trudging around with a burdensome piece of luggage labeled guilt, filled with past stains and flaws that Satan uses to convince us that we are failures. These past sins, though confessed and forgiven, have the ability (if we let them), to eclipse the abundant, joyful life we have in Jesus Christ. Israel, because of her idolatrous ways, was given over by God to her captives. But God in His mercies granted them a return from exile through the reign of Persian king, Darius. In his examination of his people’s history, Ezra makes a
profound statement: “From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been
great. Because of our sins we…have been subjected to the sword and captivity…” (Ez.9:7). They had dishonored God and were guilty of their sins! And for that there was a price to pay. They had a city to rebuild and they were going to be judged. Zechariah chapter three sets the stage for this remarkable courtroom showdown. In a vision, God revealed to the prophet Zechariah, the spiritual representative of the people standing before the angel of the Lord. Here, Satan, the accuser, was the prosecutor (Zech.3:1). Does this picture look familiar? How often does Satan level accusations against us because of our sins? Note Joshua’s appearance as he stood before the Lord (3:3). How often do you feel unworthy because of the stains of the past? Fortunately, there was a Righteous Advocate in the courtroom that day. As soon as Beelzebub stood to deliver his argument, the Lord, in defense of His people said: “The Lord rebuke you Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! To His chosen, the Lord has promised that He “will remove the sin of the land in one day.” If we follow the prescription of: confession, repentance, and turning away then we too can leave the courtroom knowing that we are honorably acquitted!

Intimacy with God #2

2010-07-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Finding true intimacy with God is a relationship that too few enjoy. While many go through the motions, only a handful (and I say that reservedly) can categorically state that they're experientially intimate with God.

It begs the question therefore, why is this so? the answer is two-fold.

1. there is perhaps a lack of understanding of the nature and character of God.
2. those who theologically "know" Him are not pursuing a course of complete obedience to Him.

What God desires above all else is for us to pursue a life intimacy with him. The choice is ours (James 4:8). God is not in the business of forcing himself upon us. Therefore our level of intimacy is entirely dependent upon our level of commitment. We must make the first step!

In Jeremiah 33:1-3, the Lord (His covenant name) extends an invitation for us to "call" on Him.
It is said that the average person speaks some 34,000 words per day, but how many of those uttered unto God? To call means to lift up your voice. Is. 40:1; Ps 116:1, Ps. 50:15; and Ro. 8:15 indicates that something powerful happens when we with passionate intensity call out to God.

"I will answer you", He says in Titus 1:2. This is an assurance and God cannot lie! He is able to keep the promises He makes for He says, "surely I will do it (Is 46:11)."

God wants us to seek His face. It is only when we have found His feet that we will find His face. Once we have found his face (favor) then no longer are we satisfied just merely dwelling in His omnipresence but His manifest presence becomes the treasure we seek after daily.

Driving out the Nations

2010-07-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

As the nation of Israel prepared to possess the promise land, they received numerous
instructions from God. One of the most profound was His order to totally annihilate the seven nations, which comprised Canaan. But the Israelites did not comply. According to Judges Chapter one, Judah was unable to drive out the people of the plains; the Benjamites failed to dislodge the Jebusites; Manesseh; Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan also failed in this mission, opting instead to dwell right alongside the people whom God had commanded them to destroy. During this time in their history, Israel “did as they saw fit.” As a result, God sold them to their enemies whom they were no longer able to resist. Interestingly, just as there were seven nations to conquer, there are also seven things that are abominable to God.
They are: haughty eyes; lying tongue; hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that devises wicked schemes; feet that rush into evil; a false witness; and one who stirs up dissension (Pro.6). If, like the Israelites, we choose to allow any of these abominations to dwell among us, then we run the risk of walking outside of God’s assured protection. Though the names of the nations may not immediately correlate
with these seven sins, there is a lesson to be learnt from their failure to drive out the nations. God specifically said: “…make no treaty with them and show them no
mercy.” Let us therefore, heed His word! Our victories are hinged upon
them.

Intimacy With God

2010-07-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Judging from the signs of the times, I have every reason to believe with every fiber of my being that we are on the brink of a spiritual awakening. This has awakened a desperation in me for a sovereign move of God, which I believe will result in an unprecedented apostolic revival in a magnitude we have never experienced before.

I am excited about the future. God is calling his people to come up higher to forge a stronger bond of intimacy with him. With God there are several levels of intimacy. As a point of reference let us look at several key characters of the tribe of Israel.

Before Moses received the law at Mount Sinai, God called the children of Israel to congregate before him. Some including the priests were commanded to remain at the foot of the hill being careful not to touch the border of it (Ex 19:12). then Aaron accompanied by Moses was called up to another level (Ex. 19:24). But the ultimate level was accessible only to Moses (Ex. 19:20).

In order to move from the position at the base of the mountain, which the masses occupied, to the top, requires certain characteristics expressed by Moses. These are: obedience, faith, persistence, intimate communion with God, total submission and isolation. the level of intimacy with God therefore lies with the individual.

The Mountain or The Valley?

2010-07-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

It is said that if one climbs over 26,000 ft then it becomes impossible for the body acclimate. Your digestive system begins to shut down, blood oxygen dwindles, and your brain cells starve. According to one professional climber, "at altitude, you stay pretty busy trying not to die."

I happened upon this bit of information in an article entitled "Left to die on Mt. Everest," in the August 2006 4edition of Men's Health magazine, while I was experiencing what many of us like to term "a valley situation". while I am not able to divulge all the details of this experience, suffice it to say that my spirit was immediately lifted because the essence of the paragraph answered my questions to God regarding the disquietedness of the soul, which is: Human beings are not meant to live at a certain altitude, so learn to accept and deal with spending a majority of my time in the lowlands or valleys of life as my character is developed.

I also observed that the primary reason many people get involved in extreme sporting activities such as cresting mountains like Everest, is to seek after their own glory. While they are at altitude they spend every waking moment trusting their own abilities on how to stay alive because of the triumph, fame and praise associated with the ultimate achievement.

Like these extreme sports enthusiasts, Christians today spend a great deal of their time trying to accomplish their own agenda, while the Master's business is left undone. But the times indicate that we change our focus.

Unlike the end result of one's behavior having made it to the top of the mountain, in the valley you want to get out so badly that you are forced to dig your heels in and shift your focus looking to the One who alone has the power to restore and deliver you. In a time like this we cannot be seeking after our won glory for after all, "Its all about Jesus".