26
Jun '20
ANANIAS’ DAMASCUS “STRAIGHT” ROAD EXPERIENCE by Minister Gail Faulkner
26
Jun '20
Most of us are familiar with the conversion of Saul to Paul. Let’s look at Ananias’ Damascus “straight” road experience—a lesson about God’s unconditional love, and about God’s calling amid a boisterous detrimental situation in Acts 9:10-19.
The Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision. Ananias responded in like manner as Samuel did when the Lord calls him, and he responded, “Behold, I am here, Lord”. The Lord commanded Ananias to arise immediately and go into the street which is called Straight, and to look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. Furthermore, He said to Ananias that Saul is praying AND has seen Ananias in a vision coming and laying his hands on him, so he would regain his sight.
Ananias answered the Lord, saying, that he had heard people talking about how much evil and havoc Saul has done to the saints who professed the name of Christ in Jerusalem, and how he violently persecuted and slaughter the disciples of Christ. Furthermore, he said to the Lord, Saul had taken the lead, and had been given the authority by the chief priests to lock up the saints who call on His name. Nonetheless, the Lord said to Ananias, get up and go, do not delay or make excuses, there is no reason for you to be afraid. He goes on further to say, He chose Saul as an instrument to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. So, without excuses, Ananias quietly yielded. He arose and went on his way to the place where Saul stayed.
The Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision. Ananias responded in like manner as Samuel did when the Lord calls him, and he responded, “Behold, I am here, Lord”. The Lord commanded Ananias to arise immediately and go into the street which is called Straight, and to look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. Furthermore, He said to Ananias that Saul is praying AND has seen Ananias in a vision coming and laying his hands on him, so he would regain his sight.
Ananias answered the Lord, saying, that he had heard people talking about how much evil and havoc Saul has done to the saints who professed the name of Christ in Jerusalem, and how he violently persecuted and slaughter the disciples of Christ. Furthermore, he said to the Lord, Saul had taken the lead, and had been given the authority by the chief priests to lock up the saints who call on His name. Nonetheless, the Lord said to Ananias, get up and go, do not delay or make excuses, there is no reason for you to be afraid. He goes on further to say, He chose Saul as an instrument to carry His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. So, without excuses, Ananias quietly yielded. He arose and went on his way to the place where Saul stayed.
Note that, contrary to how detrimental the situation was, Ananias responds to the Lord’s call, showed obedience and readiness to hearken to His voice, to do His will, and to obey His command. Something life-changing took place in Ananias’ heart from the moment God whispered His intended purpose and plan for Saul. From that moment, Ananias no longer perceives Saul as the chief persecutor of the saints, “the enemy”; but he now comprehends that he is “brother Saul.” Ananias called Saul “brother”, not because he was of the same nationality, but because he was now of the same faith—a regenerate person who now belongs to the household of faith. Ananias relied not on his own knowledge, not on his ordinary understanding, and not on his physical sight; but he relied upon what the Lord had spoken and shown him about Saul in the vision.
Ananias also had a Damascus “straight” road experience—a lesson about God’s unconditional love, and about God’s calling amid a boisterous detrimental situation. Because of his obedience, he got to witness, firsthand, the Lord’s power to set free, the healing and deliverance of Saul, and to grow in intimacy with the Lord by receiving a vision, and by hearing and obeying the Lord’s voice. God used him to impart to Saul, by the laying on of hands, healing by restoring his sight, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, water baptism, food, and natural strength. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19.
So, Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight AND be filled with the Holy Spirit.” “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.”
So, Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight AND be filled with the Holy Spirit.” “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.”
Being quickened by the Lord’s grace, Saul cries out unto Him. He prayed as a regenerate man who yearned after communion with Christ. Here is a man who had never prayed before, now praying by the unction of the Holy Spirit, and with understanding, such as he had not previously desired. Consequently, just as it had been the third day Jesus had risen from the dead, it was on the third day Saul was regenerated and received spiritual and natural sight from the Lord. He received his sight, by the laying on of hands, which he had been without for three days. Furthermore, he was filled with the Holy Ghost, and he could now with the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, speaking with divers tongues, healing all manner of diseases, preach with boldness and with power, etc.
Whose life has the Lord called you to impact? Like Ananias, will you answer the call?
Read Acts 9:10-19
Whose life has the Lord called you to impact? Like Ananias, will you answer the call?
Read Acts 9:10-19
Read more...
18
Jun '20
DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE? by Minister Gail Faulkner
18
Jun '20
Abraham went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. A land which God told him to “Lech Lecha!” which is Hebrew for, “Go, go out!” And after Abraham’s father died, God removed him from that land into a new land. Yet, God gave him no inheritance in it–not so much as a foothold. He promised to give Abraham and his offspring after him the land as a possession, but at the time Abraham had no children. (Read the whole story Genesis 12:1-9 below:
12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. (Compare Acts 7:1-7)
Are you discouraged because you have not seen what God promised you? You have been obedient to what He has instructed you to do, but nothing tangible has manifested.
Be encouraged by God’s Word, which says, “He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23). “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Do not shrink back on what God had promised you, instead, remain faithful and trust God! The just shall [not might] live by faith!
HE who has promised you is faithful to bring it to pass.
An abundance of Blessings!
Read more...
11
Jun '20
AN INVITATION INTO HIS PRESENCE by Min. Gail Faulkner
11
Jun '20
Luke 10:38-42 – 38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
You may have read the Biblical scenario of the death of Lazarus.
The scene: Jesus and His company of men arrive at Martha, Mary, and Lazarus’ home in Bethany. In Luke 10:38, a woman named Martha is mentioned as the owner of this home. She panicked and became cumbersome with hosting the men. Imagine those present in the room hearing the sighs of Martha, and the clanging of the pots and dishes as she grew angrier by the moment. Not Mary: she was relaxed and sat at Jesus’ feet. She did not bother with Martha’s clamoring. She was only interested in the gracious words spoken by Jesus. Mary had eyes only for the One who had forgiven her, who loved her, and whom she loved. In Martha’s eyes, she may have felt that working in the kitchen was the “better thing”.
I do believe the text is not suggesting that Martha was wrong in serving; instead, her attitude and disposition in which she was serving was clearly wrong. Martha’s anger at Mary’s lackadaisical stance may have been a cultural one. In that day and time in Eastern culture, the men would sit and talk (in this case theology) while the women took care of the domestic chores. Perhaps, for Mary to have been sitting “idle,” and not helping in the kitchen was unusual. It also did not help Martha’s attitude that Jesus or the other men did not tell Mary to help her. This would further explain her outburst of anger toward Jesus.
Martha’s external behavior at first appeared to be that of a servant’s heart. However, the moment she stopped listening to Christ and made something other than Him the focus of her attention, her perspective became very self-centered. At that point, even her service to Christ became tainted with self-absorption and an attitude of sinful pride. This made her susceptible to other kinds of evil, such as anger, resentment, jealousy, a critical spirit, being judgmental, and meanness. All of which flared up in a matter of minutes.
Mary, in contrast, chose the genuine “better thing,” which mattered the most, and would not be taken away from her. She was so consumed with thoughts of Christ that she became completely oblivious to everything else. She sat at His feet and listened to Him intently, absorbing His every word. Mary had a calm, kind, loving, and caring spirit. She was by no means lazy. She simply understood and valued the precious moment to sit at Jesus’ feet. The Son, God Himself was a guest in her home! What an awesome opportunity.
What would you do if Jesus came to your home? Would you be busy trying to serve Him a meal or would you immediately sit at His feet? Serving would seem the ideal thing to do. If I were in Martha’s sandals, I would likely be guilty of being “busy,” and trying to impress Jesus by serving. To the contrary, like Mary, we should make the very best of that moment by listening and worshiping in Jesus’ presence. It’s the one right place and precise moment for us to focus our attention. We must be discerning and seize the moment. In other words, “carpe diem” or “pluck the day [as it is ripe]”—that is, enjoy the moment. I love the interpretation of Isaiah 55:8-9 in the Message Bible. It construes, “The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Are you busy with “stuff,” the cares of this world’s system, and ways of doing things? Are you self-absorbed, stressed out, or burnt out? Picture a busy fish market, the busy customers, the anxious sale merchants, the hobnobbing, the gossiping, and the gesturing of the day. In this setting, there is only unrest and stress.
This week forget about the cares of this world, all the negativity and “stuff” that is draining you, worries, heavy burdens, bills, and especially all the daunting undone tasks that are before you. Like Mary, choose the “better thing” to sit at Jesus’ feet. Together, let us go deeper, wider, yet still in His God’s presence.
Under His Wings,
Minister Gail Faulkner
Read more...
10
Jun '20
When Christ is Lord of Your Home by Michael and Gail Faulkner
10
Jun '20
As you read this brief writing, our aim is to encourage you so you can enjoy and share biblical truths with your beautiful family. We desire to see every man, woman, and child come to know Christ personally and to enrich lives by helping build the Kingdom of God throughout this world.
“When Christ is Lord of Your Home,” you can be assured of His favorable presence, His divine protection, and His guaranteed guidance. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 tells of three enormous armies (Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites) and utmost danger Jehoshaphat encountered coming against him and God’s people. He became afraid and set himself to seek God’s face by proclaiming a fast throughout all Judah. Immediately, they were assured of victory by the prophet Jahaziel, which, in turn, filled their hearts with joy, hope, and thankfulness. Their unity and dependence upon the Lord resulted in their enemies annihilating each other, and Jehoshaphat and the people returned to Jerusalem rejoicing and praising God.
Our attention is on verse 13, where it states that “all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.” The sense is that after Jehoshaphat’s fervent prayer, the people stood silently before the LORD, waiting upon Him for some sense of direction and or encouragement. With their little ones, their wives, and their children, they looked towards the most holy place, in the face of the Brilliant One, where the ark of God’s presence exists. Their stance was a humble, patient, and submissive posture. Hoping the Lord would have pity, compassion, and save them, they waited for His decree to be issued. What answer would they hear from the Lord? Jehoshaphat and all Judah put God first by relying on Him. He was Lord of their home. Like all Judah, our first order of the day should be that our household acknowledges the sovereign existence of our Lord by humbly seeking His face, and daily relying on His mercy and power. Like all Judah, we will be glad to hear the Lord say, “Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you….”, “Do not fear or be dismayed; for the LORD is with you.” (v. 17).
Throughout our generation, we have seen spiritual attacks on the family. However, in these days of uncertainty and chaos, our eyes should be fixed on the Lord! It is necessary for us to live wholeheartedly for Him and to teach our children to do the same. When we make HIM Lord of our home, like Judah, we too can be assured that God’s love and favorable presence is with us! Like Jehoshaphat and all Judah, we pray that you and your household would rely upon the Brilliant One for ALL things. We have no might without Him. Today, we encourage you to reflect on your total faith in Him.
Abundant Blessings Always,
Michael and Gail Faulkner
Read more...
10
Jun '20
Excerpts: Prophetic Intercessors Training, Pt 2. ~ Renew Your Mind by Gail Faulkner
10
Jun '20
Prophetic Intercession is the ability to receive a prayer request from God and pray it back to Him. In other words, God’s Hand comes on you, and He imparts His burden to you.
As an intercessor and watchman, you are appointed as God’s secretary. Your assignment is to search through the divine Biblical calendar, discover His promises and appointments—which are yet to be completed, and remind The LORD that it is time to fulfill His Word. Intercessors GIVE BIRTH to the promise. Isaiah 62: 6-7 states, “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed WATCHMEN; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest until He establishes and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”
Intercession is not only PRAYING TO GOD but PRAYING WITH GOD. Jeremiah 27:18 states, “If they are Prophets, and if the Word of the Lord is with them; let them now entreat the Lord of Hosts.” True intercession is both offensive and defensive in action. Hence, do not approach God only with your “To Do” Prayer List. Do not focus solely on praying about your “stuff” and issues around you. Do not become bogged down with the cares of this world. Instead, entreat and beseech the Lord of hosts. When you go before Him in prayer, cast your burden on Him! Release it! Cast down every overwhelming thought and purpose, and bring it into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast ALL our care upon the Lord because He cares for us.” He will sustain and defend us. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken! (See Psalm 55:22].
We are in constant warfare both defensively and offensively. It is a twofold tactic. Therefore, you must first have a defensive plan: Guard yourself against the tactics or schemes of the enemy and come against his evil works. Second, you must also execute your offensive plan: Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit’s work to flow through you tearing down the strongholds the enemy has formed in your mind through deception, fear-based accusations, and old wrong painful thinking. We are commanded in Romans 2:1-2 to present ourselves to God, not to conform to the world, but to be transformed, and to renew our mind continuously. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The good news is that we are not alienated in this continuous warfare. Our victories are sure in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Consequently, give and commit your “To Do” Prayer List to the Lord. Start by coming to God with a blank piece of paper and pen, ready to write down what the Father is saying to you. Began praying offensively by following the Lord’s leading and focus on whatever the Holy Spirit wants you to pray about. Establish an intent to fight! Take your position between God and His world. Focus on what God is doing. Direct your prayers to bring forth His will on earth as it is in Heaven. Matthew 6:10 – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The best defense is a good offense, as the saying goes.
Throughout the Scriptures, there are many instances where God’s person or army occasionally strikes first and the Devil’s only resolve was to try a counterattack. [E.g., David ran toward Goliath was an illustration of staying on the offensive when engaging in spiritual warfare, 1 Samuel 17:31-58; 2 Kings 13:14-19, outlines six strategies Elisha launched in a successful war against the enemy; Paul the apostle taught that “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4); In John 10:16 Jesus’ declared His mission to reach, restore and liberate His flock [mankind]. He offensively and triumphantly advanced into Satan’s territory and fulfilled His purpose on that glorious day—He nailed ordinances that were against you and me, disarmed principalities and powers, and made a public example of them, displaying them as captives in His triumphal procession to the cross. Hallelujah!! What the enemy and his foes assumed was a defeat was in actuality a historical victory for those who believe! “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Read Colossians 2:13-15).
Are you born again of the Spirit? No? Then invite Jesus into your heart to save you from your sins: Admit that you are a sinner, believe in Jesus by putting your trust in Him, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. Read Romans 10:9-10 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Yes, you are a believer? Then, you are forgiven, you are redeemed incorruptible, you are free through and through because you walk in Him you are not condemned, and you partake in God-given Kingdom authority! You are created to live and move in the Spirit.
As a final point, the Holy Spirit is pleading for historical covenants to be enacted today so we can pray the heart of our heavenly Father. He is urging us to pray for circumstances which we have little knowledge of so He can intervene. Instead of seeking to fulfill our own agenda in prayer, we should be hearing, seeing, feeling, and smelling in unison with the Father. Ask HIM: What are YOU doing? How can I cooperate with what YOU are doing? We have to renew our mind when we approach God.
STAND IN THE GAP IN GOD-INSPIRED, GOD-DIRECTED INTERCESSION.
Scriptures to Grow By:
- Romans 9:33 says “just as it is written, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’”
- 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
- Philippians 2:5- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus]
- Matthew 22:37-38 – And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Blessings Always,
Read more...