Today is fasting day and God has been speaking to me about some things. I have really been seeking the Lord on how to move our services to the next level. He took me back again to the Tabernacle. He began instructing me on things I missed. I understood the elements and the patterns, but I forgot the people!
Sit for a minute and imagine what was going through the hearts of those that entered the outer court. Something shifted on the inside of their hearts the moment they stepped through the gate into that court. Everything else ceased to be important, except the presence of God. They entered in with reverence and a heart filled with worship. This heart attitude gave great respect for the presence of God’s Spirit and made Him feel welcome. I really believe the Spirit of God is longing for that again among His people.
God reminded me of one Church I went to years ago in the New England area. It was primarily made up of Hispanic and Black members. Everyone was fellowshipping and sharing out in the foyer of the Church. The moment they entered into the sanctuary, the fellowship stopped and the worshiping started. To them, the sanctuary was a holy place and reverence was given to the Holy Spirit the moment they crossed the threshold.
I know that we have been very lax and casual about many things at Biblical Life; I wanted everyone to feel at home. We are also kind of handicapped in that we do not have a place outside of the makeshift sanctuary we use to fellowship in before Church. I think now as a spiritual family, we need to work together to make the Holy Spirit feel welcomed in our services. Fellowship is wonderful and I propose that we fellowship after the service. Pastor Rodhouse and I will begin creating an atmosphere of music, praise, worship and reverence about 20 minutes before services begin. When you arrive, use the restrooms, quickly get situated and begin to join in. I think this attitude toward the services and giving respect to the presence of God is more Hebraic than everyone having a tallit and displaying a Torah scroll.
For our elders and those training for ministry, let us be an example for the rest of the Body. If we enter in, show respect for the House of God and the Spirit of God, even new people coming in will immediately join in. We set the pace and the example – lets be the right one!
One day, as we grow, we will have a building that has a foyer in it. Folks will be able to fellowship a little bit before coming into the sanctuary. Until that day, let’s work on doing this: Have fellowship with God first and then each other afterward.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Updating Website
We apologize that our Church website is down. We are in the process of switching over our servers. The new site should be up and running by February 29.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Lessons from the Feast of Dedication
Biblical Life eJournal – News You Can Use
12/03/2007
1. Lessons from the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)
The average Christian will look at the Feast of Dedication and wonder if there is any spiritual significance to it and whether it applies to them. I would like to try to answer those questions in this short article by examining this overlooked Feast.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was one of the four generals under Alexander the Great. When Alexander died in Babylon from being poisoned, the four generals divided up his kingdom. As Antiochus moved toward Egypt, he conquered the small Southern Kingdom of Israel known as Judah. All of this happened between the Book of Malachi and the Book of Matthew (i.e. the the Intertestamental Period.)
On December 25, 168 B.C., Antiochus entered the Temple in Jerusalem, sacrificed a pig on the altar and erected a statue of Zeus on the high altar, which had his own face engraved upon it. (Poor self-image was not a problem that Antiochus suffered from!). This act stopped all service to God in the Temple. [It should also be noted that the birthday of Zeus was the Winter Solstice – December 25, as is the birthday of all sun gods within paganism. The Winter Solstice always fell on December 25 under the old Julian calendar. It was not until 1582, when the Catholic Church established the Gregorian calendar, that it began falling around the 21st.]
During his reign, Antiochus was known for killing children that had been circumcised and executing families that did not eat swine’s flesh. This reign of terror continued for three years. [With the atrocities that happened during this reign of terror, one can understand the great debate among Jewish believers in accepting Gentiles into the Church without being circumcised. ]
I believe that God anointed and rose up Judah Maccabee and his family as a literal hammer in the hand of God (Maccabee means hammer) to drive Antiochus and his army from Judah. The victory was complete and the cleansing of the Temple began December 25, 165 B.C. – exactly three years later. (I believe there is even spiritual significance in the time period of “three” years – Jesus was in the grave three days!)
The miracle of the Feast of Dedication was that when they started to dedicate the Temple and began service unto the Almighty, the Menorah was once again lit. There was only enough oil for one day, and it took about eight days to properly manufacture the oil. God supernaturally sustained the oil in the Menorah for eight days. This again has great spiritual and biblical significance since eight is the number for new beginnings and the new birth.
Here are some things about the Feast of Dedication that relate to Jesus:
1. If the Maccabees had not exiled Antiochus from Judah and rededicated the Temple, Jesus would not have been able to minister in the Temple, nor would He have been able to be our Passover Lamb.
2. If you consider the following events in the Word of God, Jesus’ birth is calculated to be during the Feast of Dedication:
a. Zacharias (of the division of Aviyah) was serving in the Temple in the 4th month.
b. Gabriel appears to Zacharias and tells him that Elizabeth will bear him a son (John).
c. At the end of the 4th month, Zacharias returns home, and Elizabeth immediately conceives.
d. John is born 9 months later during the month of Nisan (March/April).
e. During the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Mary is told she is going to bear a son and conceives Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
f. John was born 3 months later (Nisan – March/April) when Mary was in her 3d month.
g. Jesus is then born 6 months after the birth of John in September or October. This would be biblically and spiritually appropriate. Jesus was conceived during the Feast of Dedication (or Feast of Lights) – the Light of the World came into the World. Then Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles – God has come to tabernacle with us.
3. Jesus celebrated the Feast of Dedication and also used the Feast to announce that He was the Light of the World.
What I feel that God is speaking during this Feast of Dedication:
Antiochus is a type and shadow of the world system. This system has defiled much within the Body of Christ and has erected things within all of our lives that are not of God and are hindering us from offering true spiritual service to Almighty God. The eight days of the Feast of Dedication need to be a time that we, like the Maccabees of old, become a hammer in the hand of a holy God to eradicate those things that do not belong in our lives and are hindering our service to Him.
In our own congregation, I have anointed and commissioned every male to rise up in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit to pray over and dedicate his household to the service of Messiah. Yes, it is a time of celebration, but it is also a time of renewal, spiritual warfare, and bringing divine order to our homes for the year to come.
The Feast of Dedication begins at sundown on Tuesday, December 4. Invest in yourself and in your family by spending special times in prayer for yourself, your family, your ministry and your community. Anoint each member of your family; pray that divine order would be established and that their divine destinies would be released. Do this every day for eight days and let God establish a new beginning for you, your family and your ministry. Keep a journal of the things that the Holy Spirit shows you during this time and make sure that you follow up on each of them! It takes dedication and determination to come into divine order and to maintain it in your life. The world does not want you to move to this new level, and it will do all it can to stop or distract you! The blessings and victories of this new level are worth every minute of warfare required to establish them!
The staff and faculty of Biblical Life pray that you and your family will have a joyous Feast of Dedication.
2. Feast of Dedication Sermon Available for Download
You can download the message I ministered on the Feast of Dedication at our Church website in MP3 format:
http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org/library3.htm
======================================================================
The Biblical Life eJournals include news, special offers, teaching articles, access to free books in PDF format and free teachings in MP3 format. It is provided free to our students, graduates and friends. If you know someone that would like to receive our eJournal, have them e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “subscribe” in the subject line. We would be more than happy to include them in our mailings.
If for some reason you will like to be dropped from the list, simply e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Remember, to successfully subscribe or unsubscribe, you need to send it directly for the e-mail address you want to use.
=================================================
Biblical Life College & Seminary (www.biblical-life.com)
Biblical Life Assembly (www.biblicallifeassembly.org)
P.O. Box 588, Marshfield, MO 65706
Dr. Michael K. Lake, Chancellor – drlake@centurytel.net
=================================================
12/03/2007
1. Lessons from the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)
The average Christian will look at the Feast of Dedication and wonder if there is any spiritual significance to it and whether it applies to them. I would like to try to answer those questions in this short article by examining this overlooked Feast.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was one of the four generals under Alexander the Great. When Alexander died in Babylon from being poisoned, the four generals divided up his kingdom. As Antiochus moved toward Egypt, he conquered the small Southern Kingdom of Israel known as Judah. All of this happened between the Book of Malachi and the Book of Matthew (i.e. the the Intertestamental Period.)
On December 25, 168 B.C., Antiochus entered the Temple in Jerusalem, sacrificed a pig on the altar and erected a statue of Zeus on the high altar, which had his own face engraved upon it. (Poor self-image was not a problem that Antiochus suffered from!). This act stopped all service to God in the Temple. [It should also be noted that the birthday of Zeus was the Winter Solstice – December 25, as is the birthday of all sun gods within paganism. The Winter Solstice always fell on December 25 under the old Julian calendar. It was not until 1582, when the Catholic Church established the Gregorian calendar, that it began falling around the 21st.]
During his reign, Antiochus was known for killing children that had been circumcised and executing families that did not eat swine’s flesh. This reign of terror continued for three years. [With the atrocities that happened during this reign of terror, one can understand the great debate among Jewish believers in accepting Gentiles into the Church without being circumcised. ]
I believe that God anointed and rose up Judah Maccabee and his family as a literal hammer in the hand of God (Maccabee means hammer) to drive Antiochus and his army from Judah. The victory was complete and the cleansing of the Temple began December 25, 165 B.C. – exactly three years later. (I believe there is even spiritual significance in the time period of “three” years – Jesus was in the grave three days!)
The miracle of the Feast of Dedication was that when they started to dedicate the Temple and began service unto the Almighty, the Menorah was once again lit. There was only enough oil for one day, and it took about eight days to properly manufacture the oil. God supernaturally sustained the oil in the Menorah for eight days. This again has great spiritual and biblical significance since eight is the number for new beginnings and the new birth.
Here are some things about the Feast of Dedication that relate to Jesus:
1. If the Maccabees had not exiled Antiochus from Judah and rededicated the Temple, Jesus would not have been able to minister in the Temple, nor would He have been able to be our Passover Lamb.
2. If you consider the following events in the Word of God, Jesus’ birth is calculated to be during the Feast of Dedication:
a. Zacharias (of the division of Aviyah) was serving in the Temple in the 4th month.
b. Gabriel appears to Zacharias and tells him that Elizabeth will bear him a son (John).
c. At the end of the 4th month, Zacharias returns home, and Elizabeth immediately conceives.
d. John is born 9 months later during the month of Nisan (March/April).
e. During the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Mary is told she is going to bear a son and conceives Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
f. John was born 3 months later (Nisan – March/April) when Mary was in her 3d month.
g. Jesus is then born 6 months after the birth of John in September or October. This would be biblically and spiritually appropriate. Jesus was conceived during the Feast of Dedication (or Feast of Lights) – the Light of the World came into the World. Then Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles – God has come to tabernacle with us.
3. Jesus celebrated the Feast of Dedication and also used the Feast to announce that He was the Light of the World.
What I feel that God is speaking during this Feast of Dedication:
Antiochus is a type and shadow of the world system. This system has defiled much within the Body of Christ and has erected things within all of our lives that are not of God and are hindering us from offering true spiritual service to Almighty God. The eight days of the Feast of Dedication need to be a time that we, like the Maccabees of old, become a hammer in the hand of a holy God to eradicate those things that do not belong in our lives and are hindering our service to Him.
In our own congregation, I have anointed and commissioned every male to rise up in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit to pray over and dedicate his household to the service of Messiah. Yes, it is a time of celebration, but it is also a time of renewal, spiritual warfare, and bringing divine order to our homes for the year to come.
The Feast of Dedication begins at sundown on Tuesday, December 4. Invest in yourself and in your family by spending special times in prayer for yourself, your family, your ministry and your community. Anoint each member of your family; pray that divine order would be established and that their divine destinies would be released. Do this every day for eight days and let God establish a new beginning for you, your family and your ministry. Keep a journal of the things that the Holy Spirit shows you during this time and make sure that you follow up on each of them! It takes dedication and determination to come into divine order and to maintain it in your life. The world does not want you to move to this new level, and it will do all it can to stop or distract you! The blessings and victories of this new level are worth every minute of warfare required to establish them!
The staff and faculty of Biblical Life pray that you and your family will have a joyous Feast of Dedication.
2. Feast of Dedication Sermon Available for Download
You can download the message I ministered on the Feast of Dedication at our Church website in MP3 format:
http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org/library3.htm
======================================================================
The Biblical Life eJournals include news, special offers, teaching articles, access to free books in PDF format and free teachings in MP3 format. It is provided free to our students, graduates and friends. If you know someone that would like to receive our eJournal, have them e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “subscribe” in the subject line. We would be more than happy to include them in our mailings.
If for some reason you will like to be dropped from the list, simply e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
Remember, to successfully subscribe or unsubscribe, you need to send it directly for the e-mail address you want to use.
=================================================
Biblical Life College & Seminary (www.biblical-life.com)
Biblical Life Assembly (www.biblicallifeassembly.org)
P.O. Box 588, Marshfield, MO 65706
Dr. Michael K. Lake, Chancellor – drlake@centurytel.net
=================================================
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A Special Message from Dr. Lake
A Special Message from Michael K. Lake, Th.D.
Chancellor of Biblical Life College & Seminary and the Bishop/Apostle of Biblical Life Assembly.
==============================================================================================
Dear Students, Graduates, Ministers and Friends:
Over the past month God has been speaking some powerful messages to my heart. I have been sharing them with my local congregation and at several national conventions. Here is a list of a few:
Cultivating Your Harvest: How our attitude is just as important as the seed we plant for a spiritual harvest.
The King’s Strategies: We can no longer afford to operate on a “wing and a prayer.” The King of the Universe has Kingdom strategies for us to gain victory in our lives. As we learn to flow with His strategies, we will see a greater level of authority and victory in our lives.
Overcoming a Hindering Spirit and a Buffeting Spirit: These are two major spirits that the enemy is using to hinder and frustrate true ministers of the Gospel today. Learn how they operate and how to overcome them.
The Shift to Come: Like in the days of Eli and Samuel, we have part of the priesthood that is polluted. For God to move us into the next level, He must judge the “Sons of Eli” so that He can release the Samuel Ministries into the Body. Learn what God is getting ready to do in the Body of Christ and why.
No, this is not a sales e-mail to get you to purchase these messages. You can download them for free in MP3 format at our Church Website. (http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org/library3.htm) Take time today to visit our church website and download these important messages. Listen to them and allow God to speak to your heart.
What I am soliciting is your prayers and for you to begin fasting with me. God is getting ready to birth something into the Body. I sense in my spirit that it is something we all need badly and that it is wrapped in great victory for all who will seek His face.
I am currently working on two projects: (1) A new and powerful article for “Tactics on Overcoming a Spirit of Hindrance” that goes far beyond the message I delivered and (2) a new course on Spiritual Warfare that will equip believers with a new level of understanding of both the field of battle and the weapons given to us by God. I ask that you would continue to lift me up in prayer. I am seeking a new level of grace to write these truths instead of just preaching them from the pulpit. It is more time consuming and demanding, but I believe it is the next level for our ministry here at Biblical Life. I need the grace to move into this new medium of ministry. I sense in my spirit it is paramount, not just for Biblical Life, but for the Body of Christ.
Friends, I am asking you to do something more costly than to sending us a love gift. I am asking that you would stand with me in prayer and fasting. America and all the believers in America are at a critical point in history. I want with all my heart to see Biblical Life become a catalyst for transformation and true spiritual advancement for all of the Body. Will you stand with me? Will you pray with me? I believe as you do, God is going to bless you and open new and powerful truths into your lives!
===================================================================================================
Dr. Michael K. Lake
Biblical Life College & Seminary
http://www.biblical-life.com
Biblical Life Assembly
http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org
Chancellor of Biblical Life College & Seminary and the Bishop/Apostle of Biblical Life Assembly.
==============================================================================================
Dear Students, Graduates, Ministers and Friends:
Over the past month God has been speaking some powerful messages to my heart. I have been sharing them with my local congregation and at several national conventions. Here is a list of a few:
Cultivating Your Harvest: How our attitude is just as important as the seed we plant for a spiritual harvest.
The King’s Strategies: We can no longer afford to operate on a “wing and a prayer.” The King of the Universe has Kingdom strategies for us to gain victory in our lives. As we learn to flow with His strategies, we will see a greater level of authority and victory in our lives.
Overcoming a Hindering Spirit and a Buffeting Spirit: These are two major spirits that the enemy is using to hinder and frustrate true ministers of the Gospel today. Learn how they operate and how to overcome them.
The Shift to Come: Like in the days of Eli and Samuel, we have part of the priesthood that is polluted. For God to move us into the next level, He must judge the “Sons of Eli” so that He can release the Samuel Ministries into the Body. Learn what God is getting ready to do in the Body of Christ and why.
No, this is not a sales e-mail to get you to purchase these messages. You can download them for free in MP3 format at our Church Website. (http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org/library3.htm) Take time today to visit our church website and download these important messages. Listen to them and allow God to speak to your heart.
What I am soliciting is your prayers and for you to begin fasting with me. God is getting ready to birth something into the Body. I sense in my spirit that it is something we all need badly and that it is wrapped in great victory for all who will seek His face.
I am currently working on two projects: (1) A new and powerful article for “Tactics on Overcoming a Spirit of Hindrance” that goes far beyond the message I delivered and (2) a new course on Spiritual Warfare that will equip believers with a new level of understanding of both the field of battle and the weapons given to us by God. I ask that you would continue to lift me up in prayer. I am seeking a new level of grace to write these truths instead of just preaching them from the pulpit. It is more time consuming and demanding, but I believe it is the next level for our ministry here at Biblical Life. I need the grace to move into this new medium of ministry. I sense in my spirit it is paramount, not just for Biblical Life, but for the Body of Christ.
Friends, I am asking you to do something more costly than to sending us a love gift. I am asking that you would stand with me in prayer and fasting. America and all the believers in America are at a critical point in history. I want with all my heart to see Biblical Life become a catalyst for transformation and true spiritual advancement for all of the Body. Will you stand with me? Will you pray with me? I believe as you do, God is going to bless you and open new and powerful truths into your lives!
===================================================================================================
Dr. Michael K. Lake
Biblical Life College & Seminary
http://www.biblical-life.com
Biblical Life Assembly
http://www.biblicallifeassembly.org
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Spiritual Contemplations of a Minister
Interesting Developments in Christianity
by Michael K. Lake, Th.D.
I hope by now many of you have had a chance to read over my last bulletin. I have received many wonderful e-mails thanking me for the article. In fact, several ministers asked my permission to preach the article from their pulpits. Although I appreciate the requests, they are not necessary. My heart’s desire is to speak into your lives. If it touches your heart, share it with others.
What has also intrigued me is the fact that when I hear from God and develop an article with either warm milk or a little meat, I also receive a good number of unsubscribe requests too. It is fascinating – people do not expect to receive anything that would challenge status quo or demand transformation in their lives from a Bible College or Seminary. (Let me add that these unsubscribe requests are not from BLCS students, but those that only requested our catalog.) Does this mean that we expect nothing new from our theological education? Maybe we don’t want anything that will stretch us or make us grow. I am just amazed at times the responses I get from the Church.
Most of you know a little about my background, I was raised old-line Baptist and surrendered to the ministry at 13. Back then we expected our ministers to challenge us; cause us to look deeper at ourselves and scripture; and to demand transformation within the lives and hearts of believers. In fact, back then if a minister did not do these things he was not worth his salt.
Today things are quite a bit different! We want pop psychology over biblical truth. We want the best life now as long as we never have to repent or change. We want God, His Word and His power to change our surroundings, but never change us. I am seeing the warning of Paul manifest in our very midst:
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (KJV)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Needless to say, all of this is proof that we are living in the last of the Last Days.
To be honest, it used to hurt my heart when I saw a good number of people unsubscribe after I sent out an anointing article. This past week the Holy Spirit has changed my paradigm. With each article I am not only feeding, but I am weeding! If you can’t take the truth in one of the articles I have written, your flesh will never survive any of the courses I have taught at Biblical Life. So having a good number of people unsubscribing is a good thing – they are not hungry for truth and transformation. My heart’s desire is to speak into the lives of those that have a spiritual hunger, not itching ears!
===================================================
Subscription Information
If you know someone who would like to receive our e-Bulletins, e-Journals and up-to-date information on BLCS, have them e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “subscribe” in the subject line. Make sure you e-mail us from the account you want added.
If you feel that our mailings get your spiritual milk too warm, try to crucify your flesh or you can’t be bothered by spiritual truth, you can be removed from our mailing database by e-mailing us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Make sure you e-mail us from the account you want removed.
by Michael K. Lake, Th.D.
I hope by now many of you have had a chance to read over my last bulletin. I have received many wonderful e-mails thanking me for the article. In fact, several ministers asked my permission to preach the article from their pulpits. Although I appreciate the requests, they are not necessary. My heart’s desire is to speak into your lives. If it touches your heart, share it with others.
What has also intrigued me is the fact that when I hear from God and develop an article with either warm milk or a little meat, I also receive a good number of unsubscribe requests too. It is fascinating – people do not expect to receive anything that would challenge status quo or demand transformation in their lives from a Bible College or Seminary. (Let me add that these unsubscribe requests are not from BLCS students, but those that only requested our catalog.) Does this mean that we expect nothing new from our theological education? Maybe we don’t want anything that will stretch us or make us grow. I am just amazed at times the responses I get from the Church.
Most of you know a little about my background, I was raised old-line Baptist and surrendered to the ministry at 13. Back then we expected our ministers to challenge us; cause us to look deeper at ourselves and scripture; and to demand transformation within the lives and hearts of believers. In fact, back then if a minister did not do these things he was not worth his salt.
Today things are quite a bit different! We want pop psychology over biblical truth. We want the best life now as long as we never have to repent or change. We want God, His Word and His power to change our surroundings, but never change us. I am seeing the warning of Paul manifest in our very midst:
2 Timothy 4:3-4 (KJV)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Needless to say, all of this is proof that we are living in the last of the Last Days.
To be honest, it used to hurt my heart when I saw a good number of people unsubscribe after I sent out an anointing article. This past week the Holy Spirit has changed my paradigm. With each article I am not only feeding, but I am weeding! If you can’t take the truth in one of the articles I have written, your flesh will never survive any of the courses I have taught at Biblical Life. So having a good number of people unsubscribing is a good thing – they are not hungry for truth and transformation. My heart’s desire is to speak into the lives of those that have a spiritual hunger, not itching ears!
===================================================
Subscription Information
If you know someone who would like to receive our e-Bulletins, e-Journals and up-to-date information on BLCS, have them e-mail us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “subscribe” in the subject line. Make sure you e-mail us from the account you want added.
If you feel that our mailings get your spiritual milk too warm, try to crucify your flesh or you can’t be bothered by spiritual truth, you can be removed from our mailing database by e-mailing us at blnews@fidmail.com and type “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Make sure you e-mail us from the account you want removed.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Quandary of the Missing Harvest
The Quandary of the Missing Harvest
by Michael K. Lake, Th.D.
I have been involved in Christian education for over a quarter of a century. Over the years, I have found one of the major obstacles that pastors face today is believers that are frustrated in their spiritual walk. They are worn, weary and at wits-end over the fact that the spiritual harvest times in their lives are more filled with weeds, rocks and thorns than the harvest that God promises in His Word. They see a few others occasionally that do have those blessed times of harvest – but it always seems to be out of their reach.
Those of you familiar with Biblical Life know that we address things such as generation curses, cloaked pagan practices in the Church and a host of other spiritual warfare topics that can stop our blessings cold in their tracks. The source of this problem, I believe, runs even deeper. The problem is our culture in America. There are things built within our very culture that can hold back our harvest.
Now before I get started, let me say this loud and clear – what I am speaking is NOT against America or being American. I am a veteran and would pick up arms to defend this nation in a heartbeat. (You vets know what I mean. I can still put together an M-16 with my eyes closed.) It’s not the country; it is junk that has crept into our culture over the years that runs opposite to the Word of God. In the Old Testament, God continually warned Israel not to allow the cultures of other nations to influence them. Over time we forget the ungodly origins of some of the things we do, and they simply become our traditions or culture. As you read this article, my prayer is that you have one of those “selah” moments that will cause you to examine why you do what you do.
Genesis 8:22 (KJV)
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
From the very beginning, God began teaching man about spiritual things through agricultural types and shadows. Constantly in the Word we are given teachings such as:
Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Matthew 21:33 (KJV)
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Matthew 13:31 (KJV)
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
In all of these scriptures, God is trying to establish the correlation between how things operate spiritually and how seed matures and then develops into a harvest. Much of the Body of Christ has understood the seed principle, and we hear about it almost continually on Christian Television today.
What we have missed is the “season” principle. I believe there can be a direct correlation between the seasons in the physical and those of the spiritual. Let’s review the seasons and their spiritual application for the sake of clarity. (When everyone has the same understanding, they usually end up at the same place.)
Winter
Winter is a time of resting. There is no physical growth of plant life above the surface of the ground, but a lot is going on underground. It is the same with us. God is not doing a lot externally, but He is hard at work internally. This is a time to press into God and let your roots run deep. Remember, the Kingdom of God is first within and THEN without.
Luke 17:21 (KJV)
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Spring
Everything starts to come alive. It seems like nature explodes with a desire for life and beauty. For us, it is a time that God is speaking. There are times of great revelation and watering of the Holy Spirit. Seeds of the Kingdom are being planted everywhere. Rhema from God falls like the spring rains, and it is so easy to see the Holy Spirit move in our midst.
Summer
The heat of the summer represents trials and toil. Satan comes to test and to steal the Word that was sown in our hearts during the springtime. Jesus taught us about the summer in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 4:14-20 (KJV)
14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
by Michael K. Lake, Th.D.
I have been involved in Christian education for over a quarter of a century. Over the years, I have found one of the major obstacles that pastors face today is believers that are frustrated in their spiritual walk. They are worn, weary and at wits-end over the fact that the spiritual harvest times in their lives are more filled with weeds, rocks and thorns than the harvest that God promises in His Word. They see a few others occasionally that do have those blessed times of harvest – but it always seems to be out of their reach.
Those of you familiar with Biblical Life know that we address things such as generation curses, cloaked pagan practices in the Church and a host of other spiritual warfare topics that can stop our blessings cold in their tracks. The source of this problem, I believe, runs even deeper. The problem is our culture in America. There are things built within our very culture that can hold back our harvest.
Now before I get started, let me say this loud and clear – what I am speaking is NOT against America or being American. I am a veteran and would pick up arms to defend this nation in a heartbeat. (You vets know what I mean. I can still put together an M-16 with my eyes closed.) It’s not the country; it is junk that has crept into our culture over the years that runs opposite to the Word of God. In the Old Testament, God continually warned Israel not to allow the cultures of other nations to influence them. Over time we forget the ungodly origins of some of the things we do, and they simply become our traditions or culture. As you read this article, my prayer is that you have one of those “selah” moments that will cause you to examine why you do what you do.
Genesis 8:22 (KJV)
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
From the very beginning, God began teaching man about spiritual things through agricultural types and shadows. Constantly in the Word we are given teachings such as:
Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:9 (KJV)
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Matthew 21:33 (KJV)
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Matthew 13:31 (KJV)
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
In all of these scriptures, God is trying to establish the correlation between how things operate spiritually and how seed matures and then develops into a harvest. Much of the Body of Christ has understood the seed principle, and we hear about it almost continually on Christian Television today.
What we have missed is the “season” principle. I believe there can be a direct correlation between the seasons in the physical and those of the spiritual. Let’s review the seasons and their spiritual application for the sake of clarity. (When everyone has the same understanding, they usually end up at the same place.)
Winter
Winter is a time of resting. There is no physical growth of plant life above the surface of the ground, but a lot is going on underground. It is the same with us. God is not doing a lot externally, but He is hard at work internally. This is a time to press into God and let your roots run deep. Remember, the Kingdom of God is first within and THEN without.
Luke 17:21 (KJV)
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Spring
Everything starts to come alive. It seems like nature explodes with a desire for life and beauty. For us, it is a time that God is speaking. There are times of great revelation and watering of the Holy Spirit. Seeds of the Kingdom are being planted everywhere. Rhema from God falls like the spring rains, and it is so easy to see the Holy Spirit move in our midst.
Summer
The heat of the summer represents trials and toil. Satan comes to test and to steal the Word that was sown in our hearts during the springtime. Jesus taught us about the summer in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 4:14-20 (KJV)
14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
We always pay attention to the seed, but not to the season. The only time the seed can grow and mature is in the summer!
If you have ever gardened, you will understand what I am going to share next. Just planting the seed is not enough! All summer long you must:
· Plow in between the rows to keep the soil aerated. (Repentance)
· Pull all of the weeds. (Pulling Down Strongholds)
· Make sure adequate water and sunlight are provided. (Time with God and His Word)
· Continually pull rocks out of the garden (Developing Biblical Paradigms)
· Guard the garden from anything that would eat or destroy the crop. (Spiritual Warfare)
Over the past few years, Missouri had been in a draught. (Praise God it appears to be over!) What we learned during the draught was that it was not the spring or fall that made or killed the garden. The deciding factor was primarily the summer. A long summer of no rain and too much hot sun will destroy a crop. Actually that is the point that I want to make – our reaction to summer in America is killing much of our personal spiritual harvest!
In the springtime, ministries seem to get moving forward again. There is excitement in the Body about what God is doing and about the Kingdom of God. There are fresh words coming from Heaven. Then it happens! What happens, you might ask? Kids get out of school, our thoughts turn to vacation and we go spiritually dead for three months. “Hey! It’s the summer. Time to play, have fun – everything else will wait till fall!” Isn’t that the American way? Attendance in Church drops to a minimum as well as the offerings for all ministries across the board. (We even have many students that completely stop paying their tuition during the summer and begin again right before they get terminated for non-payment in September. ) The Church is then hit square between the eyes with the great American summer play time. Everything else comes to a screeching halt.
Friends, what happens if you plant a wonderful garden in the spring and then abandon it all summer? What are you going to find at harvest time (September – October)? How about weeds, rocks and thorns! We have been so conditioned by our culture to abandon (although we call it “putting it on hold”) our spiritual gardens during the summer that we are the ones destroying our own harvests from neglect. We do it year after year and always get mad at God and frustrated over our lack of harvest in the fall.
Here are some words of wisdom. First, summer vacation is one or two weeks sometime during the summer. Enjoy it, do wonderful things with your family and be blessed with not having to go to work for a few days. Here is a reality check – the vacation does not last for all three months! If you do not go back to work after that one or two weeks off, where will you be in September? Bankrupt! Many Christians find themselves in the same exact position spiritually.
This summer make a determination before God to not abandon your spiritual garden. The summer separates the men from the boys. All the boys want to do is go out and play. Real spiritual men and women are cultivating their spiritual fields; watering, weeding and caring for their gardens; and pulling up every stone that would in any way hinder their harvest. They work their gardens because they have their harvest in sight!
The final truth I want to express in this article is that God shares in our frustration. As God was giving me the concepts of this article, He said to me:
“You need to understand how this grieves My Spirit as well. As I move in the spring to expand My kingdom - just as the momentum starts to really pick up, the Body in America runs off to play and abandons what I am doing. That is the difference between America and other countries. People comment that I am moving so much stronger in other nations. Son, it’s not Me; it’s your culture. I used to move greatly in America. My heart longs for times like the great revivals of old. You need to understand that Satan’s countermove to those great revivals was this American summer time culture. This obsession with continual summer fun may drive the economy, but it is stalling out the Kingdom!”
Well, now you know the truth – it’s either culture or kingdom. For some, I may have answered many questions as to what has happened to their spiritual harvest. For others, I have made them mad because I kicked over a sacred cow. The latter shows us just how engrained this is within our culture and how diabolical the plan of the enemy is. Why do I say it was diabolical? Because blood washed saints are upset that I was messing with their summer fun instead of being upset that anything would ever stop the expansion of God’s Kingdom in the earth!
So here is my final question for you, “what are your plans this summer?”
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The First Annual Biblical Life Conference
June 7-9, 2007
We are excited about our first annual conference for Biblical Life College & Seminary and Biblical Life Assembly. We are planning three days of in-depth teaching, times of refreshing, spiritual empowerment and will conclude with a graduation ceremony for our national graduates.
Our Speakers:
Dr. Bruce R. Booker - Messianic Rabbi - Beth Yeshua Messianic Fellowship, Author & Writer, & Associate Professor of Hebraic Heritage Studies – BLCS
Dr. John Looper - Bishop/Apostle - Restoration Fellowship International & Professor of Pastoral Ministry/Church Growth – BLCS
Dr. Michael K. Lake - Chancellor - Biblical Life College & Seminary, Author, & Bishop/Apostle - Biblical Life Assembly
Conference Schedule:
Thursday
7:00pm Evening ServiceSpeaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
Friday
9:00am Morning Session 1
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
10:15am Morning Session 2
Speaker: Dr. Michael K. Lake
11:30am to 1:00pm
Lunch & Fellowship Break
1:00pm Afternoon Session 1
Speaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
2:15pm Afternoon Session 2
Speaker: Dr. Michael K. Lake
4:00pm to 7:00pm
Dinner & Fellowship Break
7:00pm Graduate Empowerment Service
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
Saturday
10:00am Regular Sabbath Services
Speaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
12:00pm to 3:00pm
Lunch on Grounds, Time of Fellowship & Preparation for Graduation
3:00pm Graduation Services
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
Other Important Information:
1. Deadline for Graduates to Order Cap & Gowns: May 1, 2007.
2. Please register for this conference by June 1. Seating is limited.
3. There is no registration fees for this conference. Freewill offerings will be taken to cover the cost of the conference.
4. Lunch will be provided on the grounds after services on Saturday only. Marshfield has many good restaurants within one mile.
5. Local Lodging:
Holiday Inn Express (Marshfield, MO) Reservation # 1-888-HOLIDAY (465-4329)
1301 Banning St, Marshfield, MO 65706
Front Desk: (417) 859-6000 Hotel Fax: (417) 859-6001
Rates: $94.95 per night, plus tax.
We request that all those that plan to attend would register with our offices by June 1. Seating is limited.
June 7-9, 2007
We are excited about our first annual conference for Biblical Life College & Seminary and Biblical Life Assembly. We are planning three days of in-depth teaching, times of refreshing, spiritual empowerment and will conclude with a graduation ceremony for our national graduates.
Our Speakers:
Dr. Bruce R. Booker - Messianic Rabbi - Beth Yeshua Messianic Fellowship, Author & Writer, & Associate Professor of Hebraic Heritage Studies – BLCS
Dr. John Looper - Bishop/Apostle - Restoration Fellowship International & Professor of Pastoral Ministry/Church Growth – BLCS
Dr. Michael K. Lake - Chancellor - Biblical Life College & Seminary, Author, & Bishop/Apostle - Biblical Life Assembly
Conference Schedule:
Thursday
7:00pm Evening ServiceSpeaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
Friday
9:00am Morning Session 1
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
10:15am Morning Session 2
Speaker: Dr. Michael K. Lake
11:30am to 1:00pm
Lunch & Fellowship Break
1:00pm Afternoon Session 1
Speaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
2:15pm Afternoon Session 2
Speaker: Dr. Michael K. Lake
4:00pm to 7:00pm
Dinner & Fellowship Break
7:00pm Graduate Empowerment Service
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
Saturday
10:00am Regular Sabbath Services
Speaker: Dr. Bruce Booker
12:00pm to 3:00pm
Lunch on Grounds, Time of Fellowship & Preparation for Graduation
3:00pm Graduation Services
Speaker: Dr. John Looper
Other Important Information:
1. Deadline for Graduates to Order Cap & Gowns: May 1, 2007.
2. Please register for this conference by June 1. Seating is limited.
3. There is no registration fees for this conference. Freewill offerings will be taken to cover the cost of the conference.
4. Lunch will be provided on the grounds after services on Saturday only. Marshfield has many good restaurants within one mile.
5. Local Lodging:
Holiday Inn Express (Marshfield, MO) Reservation # 1-888-HOLIDAY (465-4329)
1301 Banning St, Marshfield, MO 65706
Front Desk: (417) 859-6000 Hotel Fax: (417) 859-6001
Rates: $94.95 per night, plus tax.
We request that all those that plan to attend would register with our offices by June 1. Seating is limited.
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