Message Core: God's Plans Will Stand! Get back to God’s Spirit revealed word! Use it to Speak to the Mountain!
Key Scriptures: Genesis 38, Deuteronomy 25:5-10, Matthew 1:17
Preamble
God’s word for us today is this:
We MUST get back to the truths of God’s word!
Never before in History has it become more necessary than in this hour, to know God’s Word.
It is our weapon of warfare. The word of God is sharper than any twoedged sword, our weapon that we wield at the enemy; the sword we are trained by the Holy Spirit to use, as we hear and obey.
Eze 6:3 - And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
Eph 6:17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Heb 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit
Rev 1:16 - And he [ referring to Jesus], had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Rev 2:16 - Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 19:11 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war
Rev 19:12 - His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. Rev 19:13 - And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. Rev 19:14 - And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Rev 19:15 - And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Rev 19:16 - And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the word was God….And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
“Word” is Greek, logos, the logos of God, not just mere speech, but the full power of God packed behind it. The Logos is the essence of who God is.
Any wonder Act 5:5
And Ananias hearing the logos of God, accusations of lying to the Holy Ghost, fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
I challenge you to meditate on these scriptures so that it would become clear to you how the word of God, Jesus, God Himself, are all intertwined as one.
Any wonder why you find it difficult to get to reading the word? It’s a secret the enemy knows- the secret the the power of God is released in His word. The enemy should know. He lived in heaven with God as one of the three highest angels.
We see how in the very beginning, in Genesis 1, the world, the earth, everything was created, how?
“And God said….” by God’s word.
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
God’s word is powerful, eternal, relevant, necessary!
The word says that at the name of Jesus, EVERY knee will bow! Every knee under heaven and earth will bow to the name “Jesus”, that’s how powerful His name is. Yet the word also clearly states through the Psalmist, that the word is magnified above all His name!
Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
We MUST get the word of God in us! We must understand its power as it is released by the blood bought, anointed child of the Living God!
Jesus sternly rebuked the people in Matthew 22:29 with these words,
You do not know the scriptures nor the power of God!
What does this tell us?
It is imperative, urgent, that we get back to God’s word. But not as a book. Not as stories. Not as rules- do’s and don'ts. But as revealed by His Holy Spirit.
ALL that we need to know to live successfully in this earth, is found in the word of God. There is nothing new under the sun.
Ecc 1:9 - The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
We can find it in the Book of God, the Holy Bible.
There was a time when God commanded that certain things of the book be shut up for a season. This is the season for it to be opened.
Dan 8:26 - And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
Dan 12:4 - But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Dan 12:9 - And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Rev 10:4 - And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
2Co 12:4 - How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
I want to repeat that it is imperative that you understand the urgency for us to get into the word, eating it up, filling up on it.
God gave us the Holy Ghost to be our 24/7 interpreter, teacher, reminder, ALL that we will need to understand His word, to stir us up, to cause us to discern His truths.
John 14:26 - But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
God gave us heavenly tongues, a language only understood by Him, and whosoever He choose to reveal it to.
1 Corinthians 14:2 - For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 14:4 - He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Luke 11:9 - And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Luk 11:10 - For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Luk 11:11 - If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Luk 11:12 - Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Luk 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Altar Call Challenge: My challenge is to those who find that they are having difficulty understanding the word of God or just getting into reading it: Be baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire. It is His job as our Interpreter, our Guide, our Reminder, our Teacher, our everything- after all, God is the GREAT I AM! He is whatever you desire for Him to be! You need to be baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, just as Jesus did in Luke 3:21-22. If Jesus, who is our example, was baptized in the Holy Ghost, then we too must be. We must desire and receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues!
Know: I nor no one can give you the Holy Ghost.
Free gift for believers
Cannot be earned
Only God can give it
Received by faith upon asking
Releases special language- sounds at first like a baby, and it is, because you are new at it like a baby and will, like a baby, increase the language the more you practice speaking what you hear in the Spirit. Of course the enemy is going to tell you that this is crazy and devilish! Why would the enemy want you to receive such a gift and speak in tongues when it is against his kingdom? When it is the Holy Ghost who knows perfectly praying perfectly through us? When he cannot understand a thing we are saying?! We need it!
Comes with 9 gifts for God to use through you as He wills when necessary- 1 Corinthians 12
Sermon Message
Let’s turn to Genesis 38
God’s plans, God’s purposes clearly detailed in His word, will not be thwarted by anyone or anything.
Here in Genesis 38 we see the story of Judah, Jacob’s 4th son, whose name means “Now will I praise the Lord”, Genesis 29:35.
He is given three sons- Er, Onan and Shelah
Er = "awake"
Onan = "strong"
Shelah = "a petition"
Judah gets a wife, Tamar, Tamar = "palm-tree", for Er.
Verse 6 of Genesis 38
Gen 38:6 - And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. Gen 38:7 - And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. Gen 38:8 - And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. Gen 38:9 - And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. Gen 38:10 - And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. Gen 38:11 - Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
Judah's sons both aborted the seed. Er did so by being so wicked that God killed him before he could bring forth children with Tamar.
Onan aborted the seed in his refusal to follow the plan, God’s plan laid down in His word. We perish when we refuse to know or to obey God’s prescribed plans which we clearly see in Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 25:5
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
Deu 25:6
And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
Deu 25:7
And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.
Deu 25:8
Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;
Deu 25:9
Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.
Deu 25:10
And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.
What was Onan thinking when he spilled his seed? Maybe he did not want to be shamed for disobedience? Or he was downright rebellious to God? Whatever his motive, it was considered wicked to God. He did not follow God’s set word.
This is the same law that Naomi used when she urged her daughter in laws to go back to their homes after their husbands, who were Naomi’s sons, died.
Ruth 1:11
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
It is the same law Boaz followed when he sought the elders for permission to marry Ruth.
Shelah was promised but that promise was aborted by Judah when he refused to follow through and marry Shelah to Tamar, as he promised.
So Tamar took things in her own hands
Genesis 38: 12
Gen 38:12 - And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep shearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite
Gen 38:13 - And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. Gen 38:14 - And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. Gen 38:15 - When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. Gen 38:16 - And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? Gen 38:17 - And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
Gen 38:18 - And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. Gen 38:19 - And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
Now we see that Judah sent the kid he promised so that he could get back his ring, bracelets and his staff, three things which we will see were inescapably markers that they were his. So he sent his friend to find the so called harlot, but she could not be found, because of course, she did not exist as harlot. Note in verse 23 Judah was concerned of being ashamed, needing to get back his signature items.
In Genesis 38:24 - And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
Gen 38:25 - When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. Gen 38:26 - And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
In Gen 38:27 - And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. Gen 38:28 - And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. Gen 38:29 - And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. Gen 38:30 - And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
So Tamar bore twin sons to Judah.
Why is this story important? How does it relate to God’s message today, to get into His word like never before? Learn His word? Obey His word?
Let’s see.
Matthew 1:1 - The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Mat 1:2 - Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; Mat 1:3 - And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; Mat 1:4 - And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; Mat 1:5 - And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; Mat 1:6 - And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Judah’s son, Perez, of Tamar, was one child born in Jesus' timeline
Did God know that He was preparing a family, a seed, a line of the tribe of Judah? A family line from whom a young girl would be the one to House Him in her womb when He came down from His throne in heaven? Did the King of Kings and the Lords of Lords, the Great I Am, who left His riches in heaven to to entrust Himself as a poor baby born to a poor girl from Judah’s family line? YES! Of course! It was His plan BEFORE the foundations of the earth! Any wonder that GOd was disgusted with Er and Onan? Er was wicked and Onan spilled his seed! Onan said, up yours God! I’ll do my own thing! I won’t follow your word!
But God’s plans would not be thwarted!
His word will come to pass whether we believe or not!
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
1 Samuel 15:29
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent
Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God’s word will stand! His plans will go forth as He decrees and declares!
Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written….
And even when man or satan or you yourself plan otherwise, God’s word will go forth!
Perez or Pharez = "breach". He was named by what someone saw. But God wants us to begin to see our children, see ourselves, not as we do or man does, but as He does. She, the midwife, saw Perez as a breach, she saw that his brother Zara as Rising and no one stopped her naming. But God’s plans went forth. Perez was not a breach in the negative sense as they declared, but a breach to stand in the gap of his wicked brothers, and in the gap caused by his father’s fears and ignorance! Judah was too afraid of Shelah dying like his other sons to give him to Tamar as he promised. He did not read or know or wanted to obey God’s word! He didn’t teach it to Shelah. Yet he was quick to obey it when it meant killing Tamar for being a whore!
Don’t write off the child yet! Don’t write off yourself as yet! Don’t write off the marriage! God has a plan! His plan to use the simple, the shamed, the ones considered foolish! Use them for His glory!
Notice in Matthew 1, several people including Perez, who would have been written off as of no account, as of no consequence, as of no worth! But God sees what we cannot see when we choose not to align ourselves with His word and His Holy Spirit!
Mat 1:5 - And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; Mat 1:6 - And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
Harlot Rachab gives birth to Boaz
Ruth who lost her husband, Naomi’s son, marries Boaz
Naiomi being bitter at losing what she thought was everything, became the stepping stone for God to produce Obed, who became Jesse’s father, David’s grandfather! The David that God said is a man after His own heart! The same David who murdered Urias to cover up that he had slept with and impregnated the man’s wife- all these are mentioned in Jesus’ bloodline!
Nothing impossible to God! He has a plan clearly set forth in His word for all those who would believe and take hold of it! Then nothing will be impossible to us (Matthew 17:20) if we believe His word!
ALL power is in God's hand which He authorizes us to use through His word!
In this hour we live in, with hurricanes, and fires, and earthquakes and shootings and talk of impeachment, and a media focused on division and blame- all the devil’s work- kill, steal, destroy- with no shame, not empathy, no compassion, no care- In this hour we live in, God’s eyes are looking to and fro, searching for those who would set their hearts to seek His face, set themselves apart for Him, choose to believe Him, choose to seek out His Holy Spirit revealed word.
He is looking for those who would hear, know, and unquestionably follow Him!
WIll you be one of those? WIll you determine to return to His word? Will you be one of those who He can speak through to remove mountains out of the way of our lives, our homes, our schools, our country?
John 14:15
If a man love me, He will keep my word
John 14: 23 states, if a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love Him and we will come to Him and will dwell with him.
That’s power! The Holy Spirit is already with the one who obeys God. Now Jesus and the Father will dwell with the obedient one! And a king NEVER goes anywhere without an entourage of servants! Therefore angels in droves will also be with the one who is obedient!
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The earth is groaning, sighing, waiting for the earnest manifestation of the sons of God, those who don’t just say they believe, but who live it through obedience to His Spirit revealed word! They are all waiting to be set free from drugs once and for all! Youth waiting for something that makes sense and is worth following! Marriages waiting to be healed! Families waiting to be knit and strengthened! The White House, Congress, The Senate, the Supreme Court, our school houses, the jailhouses, the sick houses, the madhouses, the crack houses, our neighbors’ houses- all are waiting! Crying! And God is ready to aid! He uses us, His people as His hands and feet!
Prayers of grandmothers, great-grandmothers, are all waiting to be answered! Who will go? Who will believe? Who will obey?
Isa 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me [ upon me- anyone who will say send me Lord, I believe Lord!] because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isa 61:4
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
John 15:7 if you abide in me and my word abides in you you will ask anything and it will be done so you can bear much fruit!
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you John 15:8
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Personal testimony
Tasha's check for private school He authorizes me to write
when I had absolutely no money to do so in answer to my cry to Him for my child.
Make sure it's Him authorizing before you act. How will you know? Because you abide in Him and His word abides in you!
CHALLENGE
HEAR His Word, therefore, read it through the lenses and teaching of His Holy Spirit.
Then OBEY
