Know the Will of God

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It is difficult to understand that God’s will is in all the circumstances we go through, but through the process of obedience and submission, God’s will does become clearer. Many in the Body of Christ don’t realize that God is in their particular circumstances. Walking by faith and not by sight is easier said than done, but that is exactly what our Heavenly Father expects from His children. This is not the faith I have heard some ministers describe when they say that faith is sitting on a chair believing it will support you. I cannot and will not teach that. What we have received, is the faith of the Son of God. Read Hebrews 11:3 AMP, “By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Let me share with you what we experienced on our last trip to Haiti so you will see the power within the revelation in Hebrews 11:3. 

As always, when I begin to make plans with a team for traveling I go to the Lord to make sure we will be in His will. Everything was going well until we arrived in Haiti on Thursday, August 10. Gerson and Danny, our hosts, met us at the airport in an open pickup truck; the driver was a young man that only spoke Creole. Gerson and Danny sat in the back to guard the suitcases while the rest of us crammed in the front. On our way to the hotel the driver seemed nervous to the point of inattention and he collided with a new vehicle that was in front of us. Two men got out of the vehicle and argued with him then turned around and left. It was obvious he was shaken, so I put my hand on his shoulder and assured him that everything was going to be alright. We were less than half-way to our hotel when the vehicle stalled three times and we had to push it out of traffic. The driver found a mechanic who changed the battery, but it still stalled. At this point our driver was done; I paid him and hired another driver with a vehicle.  After several hours, we arrived at our hotel. Through all of this Gerson and Danny were upset and apologetic. Before they left for home I explained to them how important it is to start our days before the Lord who is the only one that knows how each day is structured for His purpose. He ordains our steps, He ordains our days.

Friday went as planned. While the women had a girl’s conference at the hotel, we had a battery put in the little ministry truck and drove to a campground to consider it for a future pastor’s conference.

Saturday we had planned to minister at a small town just a couple of hours outside Port Au Prince. We were going to minister to two groups; one group with forty young girls and the other with over one hundred pastors/leaders who had registered. We contracted a vehicle for all day Saturday, but at 5:00 a.m. the owner called to back out and decided not to rent it to us. We were waiting in the hotel lobby for Gerson and Danny to arrive when they called and gave us the news. Once they arrived at the hotel they told us Pastor Jean had a church member who had a vehicle we could use; so, off we went to Pastor Jean’s to change cars. Six of us piled into the car, stopped at a gas station to fill up and the car would not start. By this time we should have been starting the conference and we had not even left the city. At 10:30 a.m. I had to make a decision. The brothers who were hosting the conferences were calling to find out where we were and let us know that the attendees were there; they were wondering what to do. It was obvious what I had to do. I told them to cancel the meeting; feed them and dismiss them.

I can just hear someone say, “If it was me, I would be binding Satan and rebuke him out of those cars” or “It doesn’t seem you were in the will of God.” I know we were in God’s perfect will. Satan has no power over the material world. Only God has power over the elements he has created.  The only power satan has over us is through doubt and deception because we lack knowledge in God’s word. Satan wants us to doubt God’s faithful word. Let’s again read Hebrews 11:3 AMP, “By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose]. . .” Now, if God can frame, form, put in order and equip the worlds for their intended purpose, don’t you think He can equip us for our intended purpose? Read Psalms 139: 1-18. Every day is ordained by God.

 When we are born again we do not yet know our purpose but as we continue in the discipline of His word it will become clear. It grieves me knowing there are members in the Body of Christ after years as believers who still do not know their purpose. Perhaps they have not been taught that when we are born from above into the kingdom of light, we enter a whole new life of disciplines. Psalms 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart.” For many that is hard to learn because we are so used to doing selfish things; thinking of ourselves and never considering others in our decisions. Romans 14:7-8 AMP, “None of us lives to himself (but to the Lord), and none of us dies to himself (but to the Lord for) If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” My prayer is that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened so that you will see how precious you are to our Heavenly Father and to know His will, live in His will, grow in His will and rejoice in His will; which is all for the glory of His Son our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Philippians 2:13 AMP, "For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure." You want to know success? Know the will of God and abandon yourself to it; therein lies success. John 8:29 KJV “And He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.”

John Casarez

  

My Word

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With all the anxiety, disappointment, deception and corruption in this world today, we as the children of the Most High God have nothing to fear.  We must understand that our Heavenly Father is creating the greatest opportunity for the display of His Glorious Son and the purpose of His coming into this world.  The most important thing we must recognize as we read our bibles is who is being revealed through all scripture.  Perhaps you have never thought about it; God the Father is revealed by God the Son, through the power of God the Holy Spirit. Also, the Holy Spirit was sent to reveal the Son and we are created to be the expression of the Son.

I am asking you to listen with your heart what was prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 14:24-27 (KJV), “The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian (oppressor) in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.  This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?  And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Who is declaring this universal truth? It is “The Lord of Hosts” making the declaration and not the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah is only God’s chosen vessel for the moment in God’s time table. Something else that we must see: the prophecy is not only for God’s chosen people, Israel; it is for us, as well as for the principalities and powers of darkness to know what is in store for them. Never forget what our Lord said in John 6:63 (NIV), “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”  Do you see why this is a universal truth?

In Isaiah 14:24-27, I want to focus on the word ‘surely’. The word means with confidence; unhesitatingly, undoubtedly, certainly or without fail.  Reading the definition makes me aware that our Heavenly Father wants to make sure nothing will limit us from coming into the fullness of Christ.  What God is saying here is not only going to happen over all the earth and nations, but IN you and me personally.  Do not be overwhelmed by your surroundings, keep your eyes on Christ and listen with your heart to what He is saying!

The next word I would like you to key in on is ‘thought’. With this word God is taking us into eternity; past, present and future. Glory to God forever and ever! The Spirit reminds me of the statement Brother Morris Cerullo would say at his conferences, “I do not know how far you want to go.” It has always stayed with me and now I see what the Spirit was saying then and now.  You see, we all start on common ground according to John 1:12 (NIV), “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” What we do with that right will determine our spiritual growth and our ability to understand the love that He has for us.  Let me give you a few more scriptures which I know will take us into the divine heart of God our Father. Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) reads, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Psalm 139:17(NIV) reads, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” We read in Psalm 40:5 (KJV), “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hath done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

We have all heard preachers say we cannot know God’s thoughts and use Isaiah 55:8 to back it up, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.”  I want to jump up and shout have you not read I Corinthians 2:9,10,12,16 (KJV), “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

Is it no wonder our congregations are filled with so many Christians who after years as believers are still walking in spiritual weakness; no power to overcome in times of testings? Oh that we as  men and women of God would come to see God as He truly is and who would say like Paul did on the day Christ met him on the road to Damascus Acts 9:6 (KJV), “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

 I Peter 1:23-25(NIV), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” We must stop putting our trust in things that perish once we know the Word is the essence and substance of our being. Do not be deceived by the times we are living in or become fooled by the changes taking place around us. As we read Isaiah 14:24-27, we hear God assuring us that nothing will stop His purpose from being fulfilled.  Our Lord knows what you are going through.

Let me finish with two scriptures that are foundational to Mountain Moving Faith Ministries. Isaiah 55:10, 11(NIV) says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  John 1:1-4(NIV) reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

What a privilege to take this revelation where ever God sends us.  We are a part of God’s eternal plan. I have come to know that if Christ is our Lord, we must always ask, “Lord what will you have me to do?”  Let Him lead and rest in His will.

John Casarez

Wisdom Displayed

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 Major events are happening in the United States and around the world with the election of an Outsider here in the States and Brexit in the UK. These events happened against fierce opposition from powerful and influential groups, but the people were ready for something new and voted for real change. People suddenly have a renewed hope and a sense of liberty, but that liberty is in the natural realm. I believe we are about to witness and partake of the greatest release of God’s Spirit in the Body of Christ which will liberate the church from the things that have held her stagnate. 1 Corinthians 15:46 says, “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural and after that the spiritual.”

There are two main systems in this world that control humanity; one is the government system and the other is the religious system. An important thing to remember is that both were ordained by God and given to benefit man.  However, when the purpose of these systems is corrupted they will produce evil in the form of divisions, stagnation, hatred and oppression.  Let me remind you, first the natural, then the spiritual.  Isaiah 14:24-27 reads, “The Lord almighty has sworn, surely as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.  I will crush the Assyrian in My land, on my mountains I will trample Him down.  His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders. This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord almighty has purposed and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”  Isaiah 29:14 reads, “Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” The scriptures tell us God’s enemy is in control of both systems. But we have the assurance that God's plan will continue to unfold.

We who have been entrusted with leadership should recognize the weight of our responsibility. I believe our attitude should be that of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:28-29, “We proclaim Him (Christ) admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.  To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.”  Today is the time for Divine Wisdom in the Body of Christ. We as God’s people need to know that our existence does not come from this world. John 17:16 says, “They are not of this world, even as I am not of it.” 

Proverbs 4:7 gives us great advice, “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom, though it costs all you have, get understanding.” To understand why wisdom is supreme, let’s go back in history to 1 Kings 10: 1-9, “When the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.  Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan – with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones – she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.  Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the King to explain to her.  When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers and the burnt offering he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.  She said to the King, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and wisdom is true.  But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes, indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.  How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel.  Because of the Lords love for Israel, He has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” We must see the importance and the great value God places on wisdom.  Notice what drew the Queen of the South to Solomon; first, the ‘fame of Solomon”, second, “his relation to the name of the Lord.” I remind you of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:42, “…. and now one greater than Solomon is here.” As Christians if divine wisdom is in us, why are there so many in the church, disappointed, discouraged and sometimes angry with God, looking to the world for contentment and fulfillment? It will benefit us to listen to the words and counsel of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor, yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Contentment and fulfillment is not in the riches of this world. Wisdom, God’s wisdom reigns supreme, get wisdom.

Lets again read 1 Kings 10:4-5, “When the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace, the food, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.” She continued in verse 8, “How happy your men must be!! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom.” Her soul was so overwhelmed with all she saw and heard, that she praised the Lord.  Ephesians 1:17-18 reads, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you….” I believe our Lord wants to make it clear that we should not be seeking the wealth of the world, but wisdom. It was not only the Queen that came bearing gifts to hear wisdom from Solomon, 1 Kings 10: 24 reads, “The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.” We should have no question why God wanted this part of history recorded. God divinely planned and purposed that the Queen of Sheba come before King Solomon to see God’s wisdom magnificently displayed. Now, Jesus is saying of the Holy Spirit in John 16:14, 15, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” Envision yourself displaying the Glory of Divine Wisdom.  Are you seeing how important wisdom is?  It is time to take God’s word seriously so we will not be taken captive by the deception of this world.

I am sure you can agree that the church has so much knowledge; every denomination has its own institute. But where is wisdom? Can wisdom be taught by a man?  Knowledge without wisdom is dangerous. Divine wisdom in John 5:39-40 says, “You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Proverbs 8:34-35 reads, “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.  For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.”

Two thousand years ago an Outsider, Jesus, came into this corrupt world; one that not only came to deliver the souls from corruption, but to deliver the spirit from the power of death. He came to unite us with Himself. Jesus says in John 17:23, “I in them and You in me so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.” We were created by Divine Wisdom and we are in Divine Wisdom. What a glorious thought! Let me illustrate what I mean when I say ‘in Divine Wisdom’. I have a pitcher of water (wisdom) and three empty glasses.  I pour water into each glass.  I fill one glass a fourth full; the next glass halfway full; the third glass three fourths full. It does not matter which glass you drink from, they all will satisfy your thirst because they all were filled from the same substance of the one pitcher. As earthen vessels, we are endowed with the same Spirit as Christ Jesus.  I believe it is time we know what Spirit we, as God’s children, are made of. Isaiah 11:1-3 reads, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him - the Spirit of Wisdom and of Understanding, the spirit of Counsel and of Power, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord, and He will Delight in the fear of the Lord.” Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “…. I will build my church (Body) and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” I pray the Holy Spirit helps you realize the seriousness of the times we are living in.

Proverbs 9:1, “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.”  The seven pillars are the seven spirits we just read in Isaiah 11. Revelations 4:5 reads, “…. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” These spirits were given to our Lord without measure. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For we were all baptized by one spirit into one body – whether Jews, or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one spirit to drink.”  Our Heavenly Father knew what we would confront in these days; no doubt He gave us everything we need to come into our destiny. We lack nothing. Our Lord, the Outsider, came from heaven to reveal and accomplish His purpose.  Romans 11:33 reads, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out.”  I conclude with Luke 7:35, “But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”  Selah!