Good morning friends. As I was reading in the book of Micah today, I come across these important verses that I want to share with you.
Micah 4:5 (NLT) Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
Walking in the name of one’s god (idol) indicates identification with that deity. Because human beings are dependent, they take on their deity’s manners and many knowingly or unknowingly are unashamed to have their name associated with a deity as followers. The faithful boldly assert that the only true God is their God, the Lord (Yahweh).
This verse is a stark reminder that prior verses 4:1-4 are yet future, for men are still worshiping other gods.
Micah 4:1-4 (NLT) In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise!
Who are the idols you associate with? We can look around and most often we can identify our idols if we are really true to ourselves. Most often we fail to look at ourselves as the idol we follow. We exalt our thinking over that of the Living God. Turn to God’s Word to determine if what you are thinking or doing is what is righteous in God’s eyes. Repent and seek the Holy Spirit to help you overcome that which does not align with God.
Blessings to you all,
Tony Sanchez
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Walk of Faith - Book of Daniel
Truth
Daniel and his friends model unyielding faithfulness to God even under the threat of torture and death. The history of God’s people is filled with stories of those who have been willing to give their lives rather than deny their faith. May the testimonies found in this book continually remind us of God’s faithfulness and His presence with those who are called to walk through this ultimate test and sacrifice.
Action
Diligently seek to walk daily in God’s wisdom. Even under the threat of death, Daniel gave wise counsel. Understand that stress exposes a person’s true heart and character. Daniel 2:14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon
Turn immediately to the Lord when faced with threatening circumstances. Gather others to pray and seek God’s mercy, insight, and strategy with you. Daniel 2:17-18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Be bold in giving glory to God when He enables you to overcome an otherwise impossible situation. Believe that our God can do what no other can and He works miracles. Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
Believe that God is able to deliver you from even the most difficult circumstances. Be willing to endure the worst rather than deny your faith in the Lord. Commit your life into His loving hands. He will not disappoint you. Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
In the last days, are you willing to sacrifice all including death of self and of family members to remain faithful to God? Are you preparing for this possibility? Are you ready now?
Our number one priority should be preparing for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ by reading the Word of God and applying it to our lives without compromise.
1 Chronicles 16:33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
Obadiah 1:15 “ For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
Blessings to you,
Tony Sanchez
Daniel and his friends model unyielding faithfulness to God even under the threat of torture and death. The history of God’s people is filled with stories of those who have been willing to give their lives rather than deny their faith. May the testimonies found in this book continually remind us of God’s faithfulness and His presence with those who are called to walk through this ultimate test and sacrifice.
Action
Diligently seek to walk daily in God’s wisdom. Even under the threat of death, Daniel gave wise counsel. Understand that stress exposes a person’s true heart and character. Daniel 2:14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon
Turn immediately to the Lord when faced with threatening circumstances. Gather others to pray and seek God’s mercy, insight, and strategy with you. Daniel 2:17-18 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Be bold in giving glory to God when He enables you to overcome an otherwise impossible situation. Believe that our God can do what no other can and He works miracles. Daniel 2:27-28 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
Believe that God is able to deliver you from even the most difficult circumstances. Be willing to endure the worst rather than deny your faith in the Lord. Commit your life into His loving hands. He will not disappoint you. Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
In the last days, are you willing to sacrifice all including death of self and of family members to remain faithful to God? Are you preparing for this possibility? Are you ready now?
Our number one priority should be preparing for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ by reading the Word of God and applying it to our lives without compromise.
1 Chronicles 16:33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.
Joel 2:31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
Obadiah 1:15 “ For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.
Blessings to you,
Tony Sanchez
Monday, September 5, 2011
Warning - Ezekiel 3:18-21
9/5/2011
I am in the book of Ezekiel who prophesized during the time that Israel was in Babylonian captivity. I was flooded with thoughts on this day and I want to share with you all.
We have a demoralized people in America. We and our ancestors have allowed America to become what it is today because we did not take a stand against evil. We have given in to a wicked society, have become desensitized, and in doing so we have compromised the Word of God. We have depended on others and continue to depend on others when we should be taking a stand against evil in the name of Jesus.
Corporate responsibility has not worked and will not shield the individual believer from our responsibility. Each individual must accept personal responsibility for our national calamity. Each individual is responsible for his or her individual sin. It is the weight of the cumulative sin of each individual that has contributed to the downfall of America and each and every one of us bears a share of the blame.
Three very important personal, relevant lessons can be learned in Ezekiel. First is the importance of individual moral responsibility. Although it is true that God still blesses and corrects entire local churches (Rev 2:3), His primary dealings are with individuals. As such, one cannot appeal to the righteousness of others as his righteous nor need he fear personal correction for the sins of others. Second, Ezekiel teaches that though God is reluctant to discipline His people severely, He must. He is a righteous and jealous God as much as He is merciful and forgiving. Third, Ezekiel assures us that God will ultimately triumph in history. His enemies may be winning battles now, but future judgment will totally destroy them.
“We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” We can’t allow this statement from Bernard Shaw to apply to us. God never changes. If God brought judgment on Israel, He will do the same with us. He has blessed American with great wealth (spiritual and monetarily) and we spend it on ourselves instead of His Kingdom.
We have a moral and Godly responsibility to take a stand against the dark kingdom and to recognize that we are not to blame others. Rather, we need to look at ourselves. Turn to God for forgiveness and call on the Holy Spirit to help us change.
Ezekiel 3:18-21 (NLT) If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”
I am in the book of Ezekiel who prophesized during the time that Israel was in Babylonian captivity. I was flooded with thoughts on this day and I want to share with you all.
We have a demoralized people in America. We and our ancestors have allowed America to become what it is today because we did not take a stand against evil. We have given in to a wicked society, have become desensitized, and in doing so we have compromised the Word of God. We have depended on others and continue to depend on others when we should be taking a stand against evil in the name of Jesus.
Corporate responsibility has not worked and will not shield the individual believer from our responsibility. Each individual must accept personal responsibility for our national calamity. Each individual is responsible for his or her individual sin. It is the weight of the cumulative sin of each individual that has contributed to the downfall of America and each and every one of us bears a share of the blame.
Three very important personal, relevant lessons can be learned in Ezekiel. First is the importance of individual moral responsibility. Although it is true that God still blesses and corrects entire local churches (Rev 2:3), His primary dealings are with individuals. As such, one cannot appeal to the righteousness of others as his righteous nor need he fear personal correction for the sins of others. Second, Ezekiel teaches that though God is reluctant to discipline His people severely, He must. He is a righteous and jealous God as much as He is merciful and forgiving. Third, Ezekiel assures us that God will ultimately triumph in history. His enemies may be winning battles now, but future judgment will totally destroy them.
“We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” We can’t allow this statement from Bernard Shaw to apply to us. God never changes. If God brought judgment on Israel, He will do the same with us. He has blessed American with great wealth (spiritual and monetarily) and we spend it on ourselves instead of His Kingdom.
We have a moral and Godly responsibility to take a stand against the dark kingdom and to recognize that we are not to blame others. Rather, we need to look at ourselves. Turn to God for forgiveness and call on the Holy Spirit to help us change.
Ezekiel 3:18-21 (NLT) If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Thoughts - Imanginations - Strongholds
I put the following together this past week so that we have some insight on how our thoughts affect us either good or bad. It is my prayer that it assists you in the battle for your mind. Please share as you feel lead.
Have a happy holiday weekend.
Tony Sanchez
Thoughts – Every day we are bombarded with thoughts that are pleasant and thoughts that are not so pleasant. The pleasant thoughts reflect God. The evil thoughts come from the enemy and can be thoughts such as bitterness, un-forgiveness, worry, coveting, pride fullness, lustfulness, day dreaming and even thoughts of our past sins. Is it weird how our worst sins from the past appear out of nowhere even though you have been forgiven? Evil thoughts can come in waves and will continue as long as the enemy is there to both tempt us and torment us. The Word of God tells us we should be “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5 We have an obligation to confront any thought that does not bring glory to God and to bring it into captivity.
Imaginations – Imagination means to form a mental picture of. Every sinful thought that is not held captive will become rooted in our imagination. Evil thoughts will now be ever present and we mill these thoughts over and over. As time goes on, our imagination goes wild and we are reaching a point where we are in danger of losing control of our thoughts. God warns us in the beginning of His Word that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” Genesis 8:21.
Strongholds – At this point we are not serving God because we have not controlled our thoughts and these sins have become the focal point of our thought process and our life. These strongholds do great damage to us and everyone around us. We are consumed with these thoughts and nothing else matters even though we don’t want to be in bondage to these thoughts. We may not see the light of God because we are consumed by our thoughts. Nothing matters to us except our thoughts.
What is the solution? – We take responsibility. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NLT) We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Ezekiel 18:30 tells us to REPENT! Does God do your repenting for you or do you do it for yourself? You must take responsibility and recognize your sin. You have to confess your sin to God and REPENT on your own. God is not going to turn you away from your sin for you. So turn yourselves away from your sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Christ has already done everything for you at the cross. A popular belief is to think that we don’t have any work left to do. That is not what the Bible says. We as sons and daughters have a responsibility to do it ourselves. He is going to work with us as a work of the Holy Spirit. He has given us His Word. He has given us His love as a Father to us. God the Father has given us the Lord Jesus, which is the Word. He has given us the Holy Spirit Who gives us the power to overcome sin and then leads us into all truth. He has given us Himself. Now He expects us to do something with it.
If you cannot subdue yourself, you cannot subdue kingdoms. If you cannot establish the Kingdom of God in your own life, He cannot trust you to establish the Kingdom of God anywhere else. Being a son of God means you are not only a son of God by faith, but you are a son of God in reality.
So, if you are a son, you will be faithful to your Father and you will establish His kingdom in the earth. Luke 22:29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me. That means you will cast out those thoughts from the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ. Luke 11:20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
AMEN and AMEN!
Have a happy holiday weekend.
Tony Sanchez
Thoughts – Every day we are bombarded with thoughts that are pleasant and thoughts that are not so pleasant. The pleasant thoughts reflect God. The evil thoughts come from the enemy and can be thoughts such as bitterness, un-forgiveness, worry, coveting, pride fullness, lustfulness, day dreaming and even thoughts of our past sins. Is it weird how our worst sins from the past appear out of nowhere even though you have been forgiven? Evil thoughts can come in waves and will continue as long as the enemy is there to both tempt us and torment us. The Word of God tells us we should be “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5 We have an obligation to confront any thought that does not bring glory to God and to bring it into captivity.
Imaginations – Imagination means to form a mental picture of. Every sinful thought that is not held captive will become rooted in our imagination. Evil thoughts will now be ever present and we mill these thoughts over and over. As time goes on, our imagination goes wild and we are reaching a point where we are in danger of losing control of our thoughts. God warns us in the beginning of His Word that “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” Genesis 8:21.
Strongholds – At this point we are not serving God because we have not controlled our thoughts and these sins have become the focal point of our thought process and our life. These strongholds do great damage to us and everyone around us. We are consumed with these thoughts and nothing else matters even though we don’t want to be in bondage to these thoughts. We may not see the light of God because we are consumed by our thoughts. Nothing matters to us except our thoughts.
What is the solution? – We take responsibility. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NLT) We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Ezekiel 18:30 tells us to REPENT! Does God do your repenting for you or do you do it for yourself? You must take responsibility and recognize your sin. You have to confess your sin to God and REPENT on your own. God is not going to turn you away from your sin for you. So turn yourselves away from your sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Christ has already done everything for you at the cross. A popular belief is to think that we don’t have any work left to do. That is not what the Bible says. We as sons and daughters have a responsibility to do it ourselves. He is going to work with us as a work of the Holy Spirit. He has given us His Word. He has given us His love as a Father to us. God the Father has given us the Lord Jesus, which is the Word. He has given us the Holy Spirit Who gives us the power to overcome sin and then leads us into all truth. He has given us Himself. Now He expects us to do something with it.
If you cannot subdue yourself, you cannot subdue kingdoms. If you cannot establish the Kingdom of God in your own life, He cannot trust you to establish the Kingdom of God anywhere else. Being a son of God means you are not only a son of God by faith, but you are a son of God in reality.
So, if you are a son, you will be faithful to your Father and you will establish His kingdom in the earth. Luke 22:29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me. That means you will cast out those thoughts from the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ. Luke 11:20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
AMEN and AMEN!
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