Dunamis from Danny

At any point, you begin to hear the cry of a people who are enslaved or who are used as tools or pawns upon which others may trample to increase their wealth or power, the stage is set for a resurrection. Joel made the statement, When God’s leaders who minister to the Lord cry out, spare your people Oh Lord, then the Lord will be zealous for his people. The Lord declares that their threshing floors shall be full of grain, new wine, oil and His people would be satisfied. Again the instruction comes, be glad and rejoice for the Lord has accomplished great things, marvelous things.

• “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month”. (Joel 2:23)

There is great significance in the reality that the resurrection played in the history of the people of Israel. The Hebrew people not only were blessed by God and learned to walk in His resurrection power. Much of the time they were a picture for those of us who live in this day as the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ. Joel gave what we would call a prophetic word in Joel 2:25, the restoration would compass many years of destruction. Sometimes destruction can come upon a land and though it may be for a short time, years may be devoured by the enemy. In Joel’s day the locusts came through the land and devoured the crops so the blessing of many years of prosperity was lost. Listen to Joel as he makes the declaration, I will restore to you every year the locusts have eaten. Every type of locust, whether it is the kind which flies in swarms or runs in packs, the crawling locust that licks up the ground or the chewing kind that just keeps chewing on you and everything you have, it chews on your family, your business or places of employment, Joel declares I will restore everything the enemy has stolen. Satan has creatures every-bit as real as a locust, they are called confusion, doubt, fear, jealousy, sin of every kind and description, they are called deceit, indecision and you may know more than I do. They will destroy your life. Listen to the words of Joel when he says, do not be afraid, you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God who has dealt wondrously with you.

• For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. (Romans 6:5)

Nearly all that the apostle Paul writes about in reference to the resurrection is concerning the righteous. Paul opens new ground for us in Romans 6:5. Notice the words, “in the likeness of His death”. It is here that we begin to get a revelation of resurrection at work in our lives; (Romans 6: 6) dying with Him will set you free from the bondage of slavery to sin and rebellion. Having died with Christ, we have been set free from sin. (v.6) that sounds different than what we have been taught these days. The words “freed from sin” mean, we are no longer subject to sin, sin is subject to us. Romans 6:8 is shouting ground, our death with Christ causes faith to rise in our spirit man and scripture says , We shall also live with Him, knowing this (Romans 6:9), that Jesus, having been raised or resurrected, doesn’t die anymore; death no longer has any dominion over Him. Jesus defeated death. He destroyed the hold that death had on human kind. The death He died put Him outside the boundaries of sin “once and for all”, but that is not all, He gave us power over sin, sickness and disease. Peter in explaining the experience of Pentecost said, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel and Joel said, “and you shall praise the name of the Lord your God.” Can you imagine in your fondest memories, most glorious dreams, the blessing of God in such abundance where there is no sense of lack. Joel said, “And my people shall not be put to shame, then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel.” (Joel 2:26-27)

Since Pentecost is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, not only will prosperity come upon us and overtake us, but the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God, has come upon you, church. Everything which has been stolen will be restored; most importantly our relationship with a living, loving Father is restored. His Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, from the top of the food chain to the bottom of the food chain. David spoke these words concerning the resurrection of Christ, “His soul was not left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption, this Jesus, God has raised up of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father, the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out that which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:29-33) No excuses here, He went back to be with the Father and the two live in you and me, He brought the Holy Spirit with Him to empower the Church, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, In every believer, You can not fail, you can not be destroyed, you can not fall, the greater One dwells in you.
Pastor Danny

THE HISTORY OF RESURRECTION

The history of Resurrection takes all that has been and modifies all that is and utilizes that which is beneficial and thrusts it into all that which shall be. You might say the present has been defined by the past and will be contained in our future. The story of Abraham taking his son to Mount Moriah and offering him there was certainly a resurrection in the mind of the writer of Hebrews. Let me quote, “by faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.” (Hebrews 11:17) Abraham took his son, the wood for the offering, went where God told him to go, He said to his servants, “I and the lad will go and worship and come again.” (Genesis 22:5) The emergence of Israel as a nation would certainly be, if not a resurrection, a rising again, out of the ashes of the past. If we could do away with the history and culture of the Hebrew people we would, by that very act destroy the church of Jesus Christ.

The earth we live on and the civilization of which we are a part has fashioned our conduct, it is the result of the immeasurable power of God that has been in force and active since time began. There may be crises in nature as well as the world of men. There are periods of time that are intense and considered even violent and there are periods of rest where you can sort of get your head screwed on straight. Yet life goes on and the continuity of life is unbroken. When the old is overthrown, the new is built, not only upon it, but out of it.

When I see the “sea worn” cliffs of Dover in Europe, I am reminded that they were the evidence of His creation long ago, yet everyday the face of those cliffs change through erosion due to the mighty forces of nature that are ever present. Like Israel, Abraham and Moses, were not complete without us, the history of Israel, the present day church of Jesus Christ and what John saw in the Revelation begin to create a mosaic or panoramic view of what has gone before and sets the stage for what is becoming a reality in each of us today. It is a blueprint for the magnificent wonder filled days that are to come. So the resurrection of Jesus Christ has sealed for us as Christians, the dawning of a new and glorious day, Luke said in Acts, it would be a day of power and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost that we would become witnesses throughout all the earth.” (Acts 2:8)
Notice the reference to the church in John’s Revelation where he is asked a question about those who were clothed in white robes and where they came from, by the way that’s us! John’s answer is classic, Sir you know, the answer came back, “They are those which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:13) Before the throne of God, they serve Him day and night in His temple, and He shall dwell among them, there is no more hunger, no more thirst, neither shall the sunlight be on them, for the Lamb shall feed them and lead them to fountains of waters. We see the future of the church in chapter 17:14 where we are called the chosen and the faithful. In chapter 19:11 heaven opens and a white horse rides forth. He that sat upon him is called faithful and true, His eyes, as a flame of fire, (v.12) He is clothed with vesture dipped in blood, He is called the Word of God, He is the resurrected Christ, He came to set things straight. (v.15)
What does all this resurrection stuff mean? I have noticed that at every place you find a rebirth or a restoration in the Word of God or in the life of family, friends and neighbors, it may be a resurrection. Whether it is Isaac, Israel or Abraham coming out of Ur of the Chaldees, Christ coming from the grave and raised to the right hand of the Father, when ever you see a resurrection, things begin to change and change they will as we open to His will and the word of God. A completely new realm opens up for us to walk in. This Easter resurrection of which we are speaking was a resurrection of Christ and through faith in Him and believing on His Word we enter into His resurrection, for He is in us and we are in Him. Life can change, it may be like the cliffs of Dover, ever so slowly, yet we may endure patiently and learn to wait on God for He is at work in you and every circumstance that surrounds you in life.

Pastor Danny

DOUBLE MINDED

“If any man of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)

I have noticed in talking to people I meet that they will try to say things that are positive or filled with hope, however, the longer they talk the more negative their words become. I am reminded of James when he said a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. It is hard to keep two minds on the same course moving the same direction. Two minds may cause a certain hesitancy in our lives, always wondering what must I do next, how can I please the other. Hesitancy may give our enemy, the devil, more time than we should to create confusion in our lives or the lives of our family.

“For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything {he asks} from the Lord, {For being as he is} a man of two minds – hesitating, dubious, irresolute – {he is} unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, decides). (James 1:7-8 Amplified Bible)

The Amplified Bible is particularly good here. It states that a person with two minds hesitates, is dubious and irresolute. The word dubious means dishonest or suspect, irresolute means indecisive. A person who can’t seem to settle things in his mind is unstable and unreliable. In the gospel of Luke 8:22 there is a wonderful story that will help us here. Jesus said, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” They got in the ship and set out. Jesus went to sleep and a storm came and the boat was filling with water. They woke Him up and said, Master we perish. I have noticed in life, there are times when Jesus just doesn’t seem to be doing anything. Don’t be fooled, He may be asleep, however, His word is filled with enough power to accomplish exactly what He said. His word will take you to the other side, no matter how bad the storm might be. Notice what happens when they thought Jesus was asleep. Fear came in and their perception of the circumstances that surrounded them was not what it should have been. They were frightened and despairing of life. The enemy of our souls will try to convince us that God does not care or that there is something wrong with us. If that is so and there is something between you and God, take heart. He said if you ask of Him forgiveness He is faithful to forgive and restore you. He will get you on the right track.

When Jesus is in your boat and says go to the other side, you will get to the other side, whatever the other side is. Let me go further, He may have been asleep, however, His Word was still working. His plan was still in the process, He had a purpose and may I say – you may not think that God is doing anything, but God is at work. He has a plan for your life. He has a purpose that you will only understand after you get there. He is processing His will through your life in a way that will bring glory to the kingdom of God.

A side thought is the fact that He did calm the storm and the raging water. When life gets to be more than you think you can handle He is there to make sense out of life.

Pastor Danny

David said, “How sweet are thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. (Psalms 119-105)

King Solomon said, “The word of God is life to those who find them and it will heal your flesh.” (Proverbs 4:22) “Thy words were found and I ate them, and thy words became to be a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by thy name Oh Lord, God of hosts.”
The Lord said to Joshua, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. Then you shall make your way prosperous and you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8) One day I thought, I would finally be successful, That I would be healed, have peace and be filled with the of joy of the Lord.
I was saved; Jesus took all my sins to the cross, and cleared the path way to eternal life, yet I did not know God had provided the blessing of Eden that we could prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. (III John3:2) The Lord said to Joshua, you will have good success and I needed some of that good success. Years ago I started to read and study the Word of God it has become the governing factor of my life. The word of God is what I think about and the reason I live. God’s Word is the sustaining force of every believer. The desire of my heart is to be like the Psalmist David who said, “O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day. You through your commandments have made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me”. (Ps 119:97-105)
There is marvelous provision to be found in the word of our God. my prayer for you is that He will make you hungry, so hungry that you will lessen the time in front of the television. That your down time will become up time as you meditate on his word and learn to experience His overflowing presence.

Pastor Danny

• John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
• I John 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
• Revelation 23:21 “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on my throne.” We need to learn what a victorious life really is.

Jesus said, I overcome, yet from the world’s point of view, He was not victorious. He was beaten, misunderstood, rejected, He lived a life of poverty and He died a violent death. He was hunted by the church dignitaries of His generation. He was called a blasphemer and he was spit upon by soldiers. And that is called victory? I think we need to rethink our estimates of a conquering career.

He did battle with satan in the wilderness where He was deprived of food and water and His own natural desires. Every desire, be it natural or spiritual was to be used by the tempter as a weapon against Him. Yet Jesus remained unmoved in His obedience and submission to the will of God. He was sinless in nature so that temptation found nothing to lay hold of, nothing to set fire to, and nothing to kindle the flame of rebellion against His Father’s will.

In taking our sin upon Himself, He became partaker of flesh and blood, and He experienced the weakness of human kind. Yet, He was more than an over comer. He did no sin, no deceit, and no guile was found in His mouth. He fought the good fight of faith. You might say, He was a soldier in the army in which He is the captain and leader. I like what Jesus said in Revelation 3:21 – “To him who overcomes” ,to overcome means to overcome the spirit of this world – that means we don’t yield to the temptation of this world. We give ourselves wholly to the Spirit of our God who leads us, like Christ in glorious conquest over satan’s darkness, death and destruction. The next thing I like about that verse of scripture is that –“ at the right hand of God” –is not a local designation – it does not denote a physical position. The right hand of God is the instrument of His Omnipresence, His All Powerfulness, so when we speak of Christ sitting on the throne, we throw allegory to the wind. Jesus at the right hand of the Father wields all the forces of divinity. Jesus is exalted and He possesses supreme universal dominion over all things, and we are seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places! Back to Revelation. 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, ( and catch this) even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father on His throne.”

The words, even as I also – Those words then begin to dawn on us. Revelation 12:10 says, “and we overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of the testimony and we did not love our lives to the death.” Paul in Colossians 1:12 said that He has made us able, or qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. In Chapter 2:10, He says we are complete in Him who is the Head of all principality and power.” John 16:33 says, “These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The reason that we can be of good cheer is because He who has overcome, lives in you and me, and that makes us over comers in Christ!
Listen as Jesus prays. In John 17:6 He says, “Glorify thou Me with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” My heart leaps for joy as I realize, here is a man, Christ Jesus, Son of God, He took human flesh, lived in a body and became one of us and as one of us, he prays that the glory of the Father would come in human flesh, the two would become inseparable. Remember Isaiah’s words, arise, and shine, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. That glory brings me back to the words, even as I also overcame, has to mean, that I sit down with My Father on His throne, filled with the Holy Spirit I am commanded to bind and loose, set captives free, heal blind eyes, heal deaf ears, cast out demons, cause the lame to walk, preach the gospel, so that we may bring salvation to a lost and dying world. Truly this is the dawn of New Day!

Pastor Danny