UNCOMPROMISINGLY RIGHTEOUS

For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works; at the deeds of Your hands I joyfully sing. How great are Your doings O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep. A man in his rude and uncultivated state knows not, neither does a [self-confident] fool understand this: That though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to be destroyed forever.

But You, O Lord, are on high forever. For behold Your adversaries, O Lord, for behold Your enemies shall perish; all the evildoers shall be scattered. But my horn (emblem of excessive strength and stately grace) You have exalted like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil. My eye looks upon those who lie in wait for me; my ears hear the evildoers that rise up against me.

The [uncompromisingly] righteous will flourish like the palm tree, [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in

Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the LORD, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. Growing in grace, they shall still bring forth fruit in old age: they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalms 92:4-15 Amplified Version

There are people who try to fight against God, but they will never succeed. Everyone who opposes God, opposes themselves and are eventually and inevitably, destroyed. Those who bow their knee before the Lord and who submit their lives into His hands are made righteous and therefore they have a reason to joyfully praise Him. This psalm is not just talking about righteous people, but about uncompromisingly righteous people.

Those people who are uncompromisingly righteous, live their lives by this principle, “God’s will – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!” They have made the choice to give all to the Lord, holding nothing back. When you are uncompromisingly righteous, you are on God’s side and He is on your side. When God is on your side, His enemies have no hope of defeating or destroying you! Even though they plot against you and even though they lie in wait to ambush you, you will be aware of their intentions and be able to avoid the trap they lay for you.

When we are uncompromisingly righteous, not only is the Lord the One who delivers us from the attack of the enemy when it comes, but He is also able to show us their plan beforehand, giving us the opportunity to avoid the attack altogether if we obey Him. Verse 11 (NKJV) says, “My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; My ears hear my desire on the wicked Who rise up against me.”

The Lord exalts the horn of the uncompromisingly righteous. The horn is a symbol for strength and for positions of prominence and security. The uncompromisingly righteous will be promoted into positions of honor and they will experience the gracious favor of the Lord. They are anointed with fresh oil. They don’t get burned out or worn out, because they allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to continually refresh them. The uncompromisingly righteous are prosperous and fruitful. They live long, productive lives. They are well respected. They cannot be removed from their place, neither can they be swayed or corrupted.

The uncompromisingly righteous are firmly established in their faith and their commitment to the Lord. Nothing can remove them from their place in the presence of the Lord. Nothing can turn their heart away from God. Their heart is fixed. They just grow stronger and stronger in the Lord. They continue to bring forth fruit, even in old age. They get better, not worse, as they age. They remain spiritually strong, experiencing an abundance of trust, love and contentment in their lives and their relationships.

The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is our Rock – immovable and unchangeable. There is no unrighteousness in Him at all. The uncompromisingly righteous are living memorials, demonstrating to all that the Lord God is upright and that He faithfully keeps His promises.

MAKING A QUALITY DECISION

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 NKJ

As we read this passage we can see that Jesus had purpose in His life. He knew exactly what He had to do and the Bible says that when the time had come, He steadfastly, or resolutely, set His face to go and do what He was born to do. When the passage says that He “steadfastly set His face,” it is telling us several things about Jesus.

Number One – He knew what His purpose was.

Number Two – He was committed to that purpose.

Number Three – He let nothing distract Him from going to fulfill that purpose.
He had made a quality decision. One of the things that I have begun to realize more and more, over twenty years of ministry is that the reason why some people do and some people don’t make it in their endeavors and in their walk with God is that they are double minded most of the time. You have to make up your mind what you want and go for it. If you don’t know what specific path God has for you personally – don’t sit and wait – doing nothing – go and do what the Bible already told you to do! As you get up and GO into the entire world, the Lord will lead you to the next point in your journey. Only a moving ship can be steered, but those that are anchored in the dry docks of indecision will go absolutely nowhere.

You need to make a quality decision. A quality decision is one from which there is no turning back. It is set in stone. You make up your mind and you don’t change it for anything or anybody or any pressure or any persecution. We need to make this kind of decision concerning every aspect of our life in order to be successful in life and in order to overcome the plans the enemy tries to have for us.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man supposes that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 NKJ

Let me give you some examples of moments in a person’s life, when it is crucial to exercise a quality decision, so that he or she will not be an unstable person and make a mess of their life.

Number One – When someone accepts Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior, it must be a quality decision. Otherwise they will be lukewarm, wishy-washy believers – one day up and one day down. One day they will proclaim Him Lord and the next day, when pressure comes, they will deny Him. They will serve Him one day, and the next, when the fleeting pleasure of sin calls to them, they answer the call. Make up your mind whom it is that you will serve!

Number Two – A quality decision needs to be made when two people enter into a marriage covenant. If this is not a quality decision, then you will be thinking and talking divorce at the slightest conflict. You cannot be selfish and you cannot always have your own way. You are two completely different individuals. You will feel differently about different things. Make a quality decision to work at your marriage and resolve issues – not to run away from them and each other.

Number Three – Everyone must make a quality decision before they enter the ministry. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62 NIV

Number Four – In a vocation (a job or career) you must be single minded or else you will be unhappy all the time. You will always be looking for the greener grass on the other side of the fence instead of focusing your talents and energies into the task at hand and doing the best job that you can. You cannot be half-hearted about it. Either stay where you are and work hard, or if you hate your job, hurry up and make the change. Once you make the decision, then you need to bloom where you are planted.

There are many other areas that I could bring up. However I wanted to give you some practical, everyday examples that will help you live a life of stability, consistency and joy. Remember you are in it for the long haul. Your life is a steady marathon, not a fleeting 100-yard dash! We have our eyes on the finish line and run we will! Make a quality decision today about every area of your life, that you will do it God’s way and that you will be consistent. You will see stability, peace, and success come to you in everything!

HE CROWNS THE YEAR WITH HIS GOODNESS

Foundation Scriptures: Psalm 65:9-13 9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. 12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

As we look back on the past year, we see the hand of God manifested in an awesome way. We saw many souls saved and we also saw the miraculous supernatural provision of God, so that the work of God could be accomplished. The psalmist said that God crowns the year with His goodness or bounty.

I Predict

I predict – God’s awesome plan will be revealed, The Word will grow strong and many by the Spirit will be sealed. They will come to maturity, the deep things they will know, they will walk in the realm of the supernatural and the glory of God they will show. There will be a demonstration of the mighty Holy Ghost, as we draw nearer to the Coming of the Lord. The Lost shall come in to be cleansed from their sin, all heaven shall rejoice for they’ll make the right choice. The River will flow, to other lands it will go, new churches springing up new wine skins, raised up by God, for the end time harvest that must be quickly brought in. The time is growing short and the end of all things is at hand, and the power of God will be seen in the Land. This work God will do is quickly speeding up all things, by His power, So that all that heaven has planned will be accomplished in this hour.

The plan and purpose of God will be seen, and the gap between the godly and the unrighteous will be greater. Evil men and seducers will wax worse as a hunger for the ways of evil will grow, and men against the purpose of God will go. This is not a time to quit or be fearful, but in faith, to arise and press onto the mark of the prize of the high calling that is found in Jesus Christ.

What does the year hold? Many will ask. Will this be the end will this be the last? All I know is He will accomplish all before we go. The year will be crowned, with the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. And the righteous will be blessed, those that work with His Word. Signs & Wonders will follow them, everywhere they go. And God will be their shield and buckler, and exceeding great reward.

SPEAK TO YOUR MOUNTAIN

Mark 11:11-14 (NKJ) 11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. And when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. Mark 11:20-24 (NKJ) 20 now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.” 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.

24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Rodney Howard Browne teaches us that Jesus spoke to the fig tree, cursing it, as He passed by. The next day it was withered away. His disciples were amazed, but Jesus was not. Jesus was present when the world was created. It was created by and through Him.

God spoke and the world came into being. John 1:1-3 (NKJ) says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that were made.” Hebrews 11:3 (NKJ) says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Jesus spoke to things and they did exactly what He commanded. He instructed us to do the same. He said that we must speak to objects in faith and they would obey. Jesus said that if we believe without doubting as we tell the mountain to move – that it would move.

Jesus spoke to the fever and it left Simon’s mother-in-law in Luke 4:38-39 (NKJ) “Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.” Jesus rebuked the wind and spoke to the sea in Mark 4:36-40 (NKJ)

“Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

No matter what situation you are facing – according to the Word of God – you must speak to it, in faith, and it must change. As long as you are obedient to the Word of God in every area of your life you can command every situation in your life to line up with the Word of God. Speak to your body – command it to be strengthened and to function as God created it to function. Speak to sickness and disease – command it to leave. Speak to your finances – command the blessing on your financial affairs.