We each have a position we hold in life. It could be that of a mother, wife, husband, secretary, president, you get the picture. What about our position in the Kingdom of God? I’m not talking about gifting’s, those are as varied as we are, I’m talking about position. If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to just make you aware of our true position in the body of Christ:

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Romans 8:16-17 “ And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.¹⁷ If we are God’s children, we will get the blessings God has for his people. He will give us all that he has given Christ. But we must suffer like Christ suffered. Then we will be able to share his glory.”

I wrote yesterday about putting on the robe of authority and walking in it (see Robe Up). Today I continue this message; we cannot be like who we do not know and we cannot know who we don’t spend time with and we cannot walk in the authority He has given us unless we know what that is.  

I have two beautiful adult daughters, Stacy and Shannon. When they were small, they followed me everywhere I went and repeated everything I said (and not all of that was good). I read books to them, sang songs to them, was silly with them, prayed with them, worshipped with them and taught them about a God who loves them deeply. As they grew, I began to see glimpses of myself in them. My tone, my expressions, my responses to situation, it was all there, even my temper! It’s what happens naturally in life for good or bad, your children become like you.

When I was born, my daddy gave me his name; Sandra Kay Hulbert. When I married, my husband gave me HIS last name and I became; Sandra Kay Gregory. It didn’t change who I was, it changed who I was under.  My dad ceased being my covering and handed me over to the man who would take over that role. When I gave my life to God, my spirit came under HIS cover and I became Gods very own. Walt may well be my cover in the natural, but God is my cover in the spirit realm. It didn’t change who I was in the natural, but my spirit changed and I gave birth in the spirit to new things. I began to follow around my Spirit Father and each time we were together, I copied what I saw and spoke what he said. Walt can’t do that for me, only God was made for that role. If men and women would really get this, there would be less divorces. That’s a whole message in itself.

It’s what God created us for, to have fellowship with him, to become like him. We each have position and purpose, power and authority and it’s all contained in the robe of righteousness that Jesus provided for us. We each get up every morning and get dressed for work, why than do we go naked in our spirit. Put on your robe, clothe yourself in the power of love. God have you authority over all the power of the enemy so use it. Don’t be timid about it! Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you. Don’t be afraid, pick up your sword (the Word) and use it! It takes practice using a sword, learning it’s skill, becoming a warrior, but you were made for this. Your spirit Father, God Almighty, all knowing, all keeping, all covering will back you up.

We had an awesome service yesterday as our missionary, Pat Mahar shared stories about Athens and how God is moving on the hearts of so many refuges. One story in particular got my attention and although I probably won’t get the details right, hopefully you’ll get where the Spirit took me upon hearing the story.

This was about a man who had been in prison and the power of another to release him. The man who gained his release was an Orthodox, very young, probably in the beginning stages of ministry, who upon simply putting on the priestly robe and entering the prison, demanded release for the captive and they let him out.

Right then and there, the Holy Spirit began to show me the authority we have when we put on our robe of righteousness. Isaiah 61:10-11 NKJV says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Each time we put on the robe of our righteousness, it gives us authority to go into the earth and bring freedom to those bound by chains of addiction and slavery to sin. Every day we rise early to meet with our God, to get instructions for our day, we clothe ourselves with strength and beauty so that the world around us can be free. Just one word from us brings healing. Yes, just as John and Peter grabbed the hand of the cripple and said, “In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk!” sickness must respond to our voice as well. 

Why isn’t this happening for us? Perhaps we don’t understand the value of our robe and the power it evokes. Perhaps we don’t know who we represent and the power He has to back us up. We are so used to going about doing our own thing, saying whatever we want to say, we forget that we are not our own, we’ve been bought with the highest price.  Robe up, children of Righteousness! Put on the knowledge of who you represent and do it well. Romans 8:19 says that the earth “eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” There are dead men walking about the earth that need to know the hope of their calling. This is the day and the hour that we need to know who we are and whose we are.
 

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ERV: And now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you what God’s grace has done in the churches in Macedonia. ² These believers have been tested by great troubles, and they are very poor. But their great joy caused them to be very generous in their giving. ³ I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do this. It was their idea. ⁴ But they asked us again and again—they begged us to let them share in this service for God’s people. ⁵ And they gave in a way that we did not expect: They gave themselves to the Lord and to us before they gave their money. This is what God wants.

Joshua 14:^6-12 The people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite spoke: “You’ll remember what God said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me back at Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of God sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. And I brought back an honest and accurate report. My companions who went with me discouraged the people, but I stuck to my guns, totally with God, my God. That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children’s, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for God.’ Now look at me: God has kept me alive, as he promised. It is now forty-five years since God spoke this word to Moses, years in which Israel wandered in the wilderness. And here I am today, eighty-five years old! I’m as strong as I was the day Moses sent me out. I’m as strong as ever in battle, whether coming or going. So give me this hill country that God promised me. You yourself heard the report, that the Anakim were there with their great fortress cities. If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.”

My mom will turn 82 this year. Those who know her will agree that her stamina is amazing and she does not look her age at all. Her and my stepdad are founders of Ebenezer Glen Orphanage in Dessalines, Haiti. For 42 years, they have followed the call of God to begin an orphanage, clinic and school. The amazing part of it is that they were simple everyday people with a call that they could have either obeyed or denied. Neither had sufficient education for any denomination to back them. But God began to open door after door for them, they simply chose to walk through it and trust in him. Was it easy? No. Was there persecution? Lots! Did they want to quit? Often! Did they grow weary? Yes, but they realized something; their strength came from the Lord. God called them and he was faithful to back them up. 

A few months ago, mom returned to the states with a stress related chronic fatigue illness. She was tired, weary and thought perhaps she should think of retiring, turn over the orphanage to younger more qualified people. Last Sunday, our pastor preached a powerful prophetic message that stirred her heart once again. The verses he gave were the same ones that God had given her 30 years ago. As she told me about the message, she declared that God wasn’t finished with them, there was so much more to do. I reminded her that Sarah didn’t even have Isaac until she was 90 to which she stated, “I don’t want to have a baby!” No, but she has a seed of promise she’s ready to birth. 

Promise can’t be limited to age, social status or financial statistics. Promise is for all who will believe and give God the reins of their lives for Him to use as he sees fit. You may not feel qualified but He who is in you is more than qualified. You may not feel gifted or able to do anything but if you have the ability to hear Gods voice and trust that He who is in you is able, you are EXACTLY who he wants. He’s looking for you, waiting for you to say, “Yes Lord, I will.” 

Just because you say yes, opens you up for promise and blessing, not without persecution, but your reward will far outweigh your sacrifice. Your family won’t understand. You may have to leave your comfort zone, but what is comfort now if it robs you and others of the very thing God requires of you. What are you waiting for? Matthew 16:25-27, Jesus said these words: Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life.  It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life.  The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with his angels. And he will reward everyone for what they have done.

Father, I’m not asking for an easy life, I’m asking that you use me. I’m not asking to retire and live a comfortable life with my feet up, coffee in one hand and a good book in the other, although at times it sounds nice, I know that when I get to heaven there will be plenty of time for that but while here on earth, I must be about my Fathers business. My life is useless without you, but with you, I can do all things. Help me to hear clearly your direction for this day and regardless of what you tell me to do, may I be quick to obey.

I Corinthians 1:27-29 KJV “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” I usually don’t use King James Version because it’s in the Old English, but it’s how I learned the bible and sometimes I just can’t find it unless I look there first. However, this particular passage seems to just leap off the page to me. 

All morning long I’ve been getting one revelation after another of some portion of Gods Word. It’s left me astounded! Yes, that’s the feeling I have; astounded and undone. Kind of like an unexpected blessing from a complete stranger that leaves you standing with your mouth open. The thing is, I had just talked with a friend this morning and my words were picked up by Gods ears; “I want more revelation on Gods Word this year.” How exciting that as soon as He heard my hearts cry, he responded to me.  I may not have an great education or a high paying job, but I have Him and that’s enough to make the words leap off the pages and become more real than what I see surrounding me in the natural.

Why should that surprise me? Didn’t he say that when I call he will answer and deliver me? Why than should I be amazed? Perhaps there IS a little girl left in me, one who still believes in the unseen and unknown. One who trusts that when daddy said he’s coming back for me, still believes he will. WHEN not if. He WILL return for me riding a white horse, a sword in his hand, calling out, “Will you ride with me?” And I’ll say, “Yes, Lord, I will stand up and fight. I will ride with the armies of heaven, I’ll be dressed in white.”

You’ll never marry someone you don’t love or who won’t fight for you. I know He loves me, deeply, unconditionally. I’m so convinced that I have given myself away to him forever. Who have you given yourself to? Spending time in His presence will change how you look at those around you because you’ll see through His eyes instead of yours.

Exodus 4:2-4 GW  Then the Lord asked him, “What’s that in your hand?” He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”  The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran away from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by its tail.” He reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a staff as he held it.

Why did the Lord ask Moses what was in his hand? I mean, really? He’s God, he knew what was there, right? But sometimes we forget that what we have in our hands, albeit insignificant, is just the thing that God will us to deliver us from the problem we face. God will take whatever we have and use it to deliver us, he’s just that big of a God.

I seem to remember a prophet who asked a widow woman the same thing in 2 Kings 4:2, “Elisha asked her, “What should I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” She answered, “I have nothing in the house except a jar of olive oil.” See, there it is again. God used the little thing she had to deliver her from debt and set her up for life.

Can I ask you a question? What do you have in your hand and are you willing to part with it long enough for the Lord to change it into something great. Perhaps you’ve been trusting in the wrong thing? Perhaps it’s in your bank account, that $100 that you have tucked away in case of emergency, the extra food in your pantry, perhaps the Lord has need of these things now. What do you have in your hand? It’s out of your greatest need God finds the best seed. The soil you plant it in will determine the harvest that fills your barns with plenty. Most of us don’t want to sit with the Lord long enough to find out where that is so we scatter our seed and our harvest is pathetic. It’s time we became responsible Christ followers and gave him all, and for each of us it’s something different.

Ok Father, here is what I have in my hands and I surrender it to you. I will not trust in what I have but in your ability to multiply it greatly for your Kingdom. May I be a good and faithful steward that you can trust me with. All that is in me and all that I am, will glorify and praise your Holy Name because only you are worthy.

Psalm 103:1-2 ERV “My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is!”

What a great reminder that I have so much to be thankful for. It’s so easy to be overcome by what I see around me, but when I begin to praise the Lord, I start listing all the beautiful things He’s made available to me and it changes how I feel. David spent countless hours tending sheep for his father but the greatest gift was relationship with the Heavenly Father. He learned where his help came from, the majesty of his creator each night while gazing on the stars.

When was the last time you talked with God? I’m not talking about a desperate cry for help, I mean to thank him for being who he is to you, for watching over you, for covering you with a blanket of love? When was the last time you laughed with the joy of a child, complete abandon, not caring what others think? He said to cast all your cares on him because he cares FOR you. So take both your hands, cup them in front of you and toss it into the air. Say, “Here God! It’s all yours!” Close your eyes and feel his Spirit sweep over you as it blows away every last care on your mind. 

“My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is!”

Ephesians 3:19-21  Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.  To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.

I was thinking about another story this morning when this verse popped into my head. I was over in Daniel 3 reading again the story of the three Hebrew boys who refused to bow to the idol the king had made.  Verse 16-18 says;  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to explain these things to you. ¹⁷ If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power. ¹⁸ But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, King, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up.”

These boys were fully persuaded that their God was more than able to deliver them, they weren’t afraid of the fiery trial they faced or of the ability of the king to take their lives. They established that when they made this statement to Nebuchadnezzar. They would not bow to the ways of this king, the ways of this world or the life it promised. They didn’t care if it cost them their lives, they trusted their God. 

How many of us when faced with our fiery trials have reacted this way? How many have stood toe to toe with this world and said, “I will not adapt to your ways or bow to your gods even if you put me in jail, take my children away or take my life? I have stood and watched as the church yields her freedom of speech and worship while others in lands far away have forfeited their lives for Jesus. They refused to bow.  Where are the children of the one true God? Where are their voices? Why do they tolerate? I didn’t say hate people, I said don’t tolerate evil. Don’t let it in your homes, don’t let it in your ears, don’t allow your children to succumb to it. Be fully persuaded that our God is well able to deliver us. He sent us into the world to be light, not to hide under the blanket of self deception, calling things good that are evil. We need to KNOW the truth, that is our only chance to have true freedom.

The king in his anger had them bound and thrown into the furnace after he had made it 10 time hotter. Sometimes when we do right, the repercussions are extreme but hold on, Gods about to show up. Remember the first verses in Ephesians I put up there? “With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.” Bet those boys never expected Jesus to show up in the fire with them. Ever wonder what kind of faith would allow them to see the son of God even before he was born of a virgin thousands of years later? Heres what the king said, “Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the opening of the hot furnace. He shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out! Servants of the Most High God, come here!”

He declared that they were servants of the Most High God. WOW! It may get mighty hot for you for a season but know this, God is with you to do big things through you so that His Name may be known on the earth. Don’t bow! Don’t bend! Then it will be written in history that you didn’t burn up but burned bright.

I John 2:15-17 Don’t love this evil world or the things in it. If you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. This is all there is in the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. But none of these comes from the Father. They come from the world. The world is passing away, and all the things that people want in the world are passing away. But whoever does what God wants will live forever.

The bible is pretty clear in this, that we are not to love this world or the things in it. Not the PEOPLE in it, the things in it. Lets be very clear in this, John, the one who walked with Jesus, heard his teaching and lay his head on his shoulder, he said in verse 15 that if you love the world, you don’t have the love of the Father in you. Then he describes what’s in the world: wanting to please ourselves, wanting the sinful things we see and being too proud of what we have. Well than! No wonder God led me to this verse this morning. It seems to be so prevalent in what we see this time of year, I want, I want, I want, I need, I need, I need. ‘Look what I have! I’m just going to do this for me, I can pay for it later.’ But John said that NONE of these things come from the Father but from the world. 

None of it lasts or brings lasting joy because only God brings peace and joy. The brief feeling of excitement leaves quickly when the first credit card bill comes in the mail, but we don’t want to think about that. Don’t go spoiling my Christmas, Sandy! Can’t you stop speaking the Word and just enjoy yourself this season. Well my friend, perhaps thats the main problem here, we’ve ignored the voice of God to satisfy our own wants all the while ignoring the blaring needs of those around us.

You can’t buy life. You can’t find happiness in a bottle of booze or pills or any gift in a store window. Only God can give life and the only way to get it is seeking to do His will which is found in His Word. “The world is passing away, and all the things that people want in the world are passing away. But whoever does what God wants will live forever.” The best gift we can give this Christmas is the gift of knowing God and having a passion for the things of God. 

Psalm 91:16 “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”

I ran across a verse this morning reading another devotional and it struck me how closely related it was to what I read in Isaiah yesterday. This one is found in Psalm 66:10-12: “God, you have tested us, as people test silver with fire. You let us be trapped. You put heavy burdens on us. You let our enemies run over us. We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a safe place.”

Have you ever wondered why you’ve experience the things you have? Why God seemed so distant in the moments you needed him most or why you felt bombarded with false accusations, loss of income or relationships? Testing is a part of a purification process, it’s not a pretty process, but it’s a necessary one.  

I love what Paul said in II Corinthians 4:7-9, “We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up.  We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.” 

Do you see the thread here? The facts read out clearly in our lives, page after page, chapter after chapter, what we go through is to glorify God and make him bigger in us that we are. How can someone so large dwell in something so small and frail? His Spirit that lives in us, it skims off the dross of impurities each time the temperature goes up. He’s making something beautiful out of us, a perfect collection of fine utensils, intricately carved, perfectly placed. Stop fighting the process and yield to it. The end result is only obvious to the Master but will be revealed for all to see. You can’t stop what’s set in motion, but you can trust the Master because He has a plan.

II Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles.  So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.” Thank you Paul for your great insight and wisdom. You truly knew and trusted the Father and with all you endured, your words ring through the ages, bringing hope to all believers everywhere.