I AM NOT FOR SALE!!!!

Sometimes you have lessons that you learn after the fact. You make the mistake and are all of a sudden acutely aware that you, as a matter of fact, just made a huge mistake. Sometimes the Lord leads you plainly and you are able to avoid the pit falls and consequences there in.

I have to say I prefer the latter.

Then there are those times that you battle. You find yourself being led slowly in a particular direction and you honestly don't have clear direction on whether it's right or wrong. It isn't a particular sin, its more of a direction you are heading. Should you do this or should you do that, should go here or should you go there. Through your physical eyes neither direction looks wrong, but you have a strong desire in your spirit man to choose the path God wants you to choose. It's just not clear which path He wants you to take. This is a frustrating time.

Sometimes you find yourself slowly slipping. Your thoughts navigate towards the negative, your words begin to follow, your attitude falls in line with your thinking and your words. You didn't mean to do anything wrong but one day you wake up and find yourself in a slump, a mess, a pit.

Satan is always seeking, in every single one of these ways, to get you out of the will of God.

I have been wrestling with the above thoughts over the last few weeks in many different aspects. From the aspect of which way to go, the aspect of recognizing satan and from the aspect of getting out of the pit.

The Lord answered me but not in the way that I thought He would. I'll share that in my next post.

Our service today was powerful. The scripture that Bishop Coleman used was:

Kings 21:1-4 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food.

We are living in a time when people give their flesh whatever it desires. People sell out cheap. They sell out to being comfortable, to justifying sin, they sell out to stubborness and not obeing God's word. They sell out to Rock and Roll, they sell out for popularity or to be cool, they sell out for money, they sell out because "it's what everyone is doing". They live beyond their means because their wants overcome their actual need, because it isn't fair to see other people have so much, or other people's children have so many commodities and you feel like your child is always doing without. People sell out to the highest bidder.

It's so easy to sell out, the instant pleasure, the immediate high. It is easy to serve the devil, all you have to do is jump in the boat. You don't have to work for it, have patience, or even think for that matter. No rowing required, you just have to GO.

One of satan's ploys is to devalue your experience with God. He wants to *lessen* our experience and make us forget the powers of darkness that the Lord delivered us out of. He wants to convince us that we were never truly delivered to begin with, he weakens us down and pressures us to try and get us to sell out.

It happens all the time. You even see it happen to people who have walked with God for a long time.

You see people go back into situations time and time again knowing the Lord is TRYING to move them to a place of freedom, victory, deliverance, order, wisdom. Somehow, they don't want to move, they want to suffer, they want to be in bondage, they want to justify the wrong they see and pretend they don't. They just want what they've always had, to be comfortable.

I want to say to you today, "DO NOT SELL OUT!"

God has a divine plan for me. He has a divine plan for you. It is time for Christians today to STAND and SHOUT.

'I AM NOT FOR SALE!'

We are fighting for something that is worth fighting for. We have abundant life, a life that cancels death. Did you hear that? A life that cancels death. We CAN live in victory! Our abundant life produces peace and righteousness. If my inward man is strong then my outward man will be strong. If you believe it you will live it. Re-examine what God has called you to do. Are you in His perfect will? Are you where God wants you to be? Or are you where YOU want to be because leaving is hard and the new place is uncomfortable? Are you really doing what He has called you to do? Or are you doing what YOU want to do for God? Are you doing what God has called you to do with purpose, with a full heart, to the best of your ability or are you slacking? Is it about God? Or is it about you?

DO NOT TURN YOUR HEART AWAY FROM GOD!!!

It is time to stop looking at what everyone has, it is time to stop looking at what everyone else is doing. Look at where you have fallen from and get back into that secret place of the most HIGH and abide under the shadow of the Almighty! Do NOT come out of a high place to answer satan in a low place! God has sewn us into the earth in such a time as this so that we can RISE UP, STAND FIRM, BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH WITH FULL FLAVOR FILLED WITH EXCEEDING GREATNESS. So that we can SHINE JESUS TO A LOST AND DYING WORLD!!!

The cultural world has an appearance of godliness but denies the power there of! The devil is after our inheritance because it changes lives. I once WAS lost but NOW I'm found. Because of Jesus Christ.

Naboth knew.

He didn't have to run and ask the prophet. He didn't need advice or council.

He knew.

He knew that his inheritance was a wealth for generations. He knew that the Lord had forbidden him to sell his inheritance, no matter what the worth, or what the price. He had a relationship with God. He stood on the rock. He took a stand and he said, "I will not sin against my God!" What he had was more important to him than money. It was more important to him than anything. He knew that what he was fighting for was worth fighting for.

I love that he knew, with no second thought.

My testimony is not for sale. Who I am and who you are IS important. People know you by the fruit you bare, not by the words you speak but by the life you live. Your lifestyle. If you don't live the life of your testimony then your words are worthless.

Are you singing His praises from the rooftops in spite of your circumstances?

Don't sell out and stay in a prison of a church that is operating completely out of order because satan is feeding you lies about the very place the Lord is trying to lead you.

Don't stay out of church because you are weak, sick, tired and down trodden. It's the gathering and meeting that strengthens us. We are told in His word in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

Don't allow satan to water you down. Do not open the door to him through music, friends, computer, drugs, sex, alcohol, gossip, parties, wrong company, laziness, doubt, faithlessness, adultery, language, pride, money or anything!

Get in the word, make time for God, pray and pray in the spirit. Obey.

Stand up and say!

'I AM NOT FOR SALE!'

(These are my words and notes mixed with pastor's taken from the message titled, "I Am Not For Sale." by Bishop David T. Coleman, pastor at Harvest Worship Center. July 5th, 2009)