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When Dreamers Dream

1/15/2016

In the book of Genesis, Joseph had two dreams. In the first, his sheaves of grain rose above those of his brothers' and his brothers' sheaves bowed before his. In the second dream, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him. The first dream was interpreted by his brothers as Joseph's own belief that he should be the favored first born who would have authority over them when the father had passed away. When he shared it with his brothers, they couldn't handle it and consorted to get rid of him. The second dream was interpreted by his own father to mean that Joseph would have rule and authority over his parents, family, and the nation. And even his father rebuked him over the communication of that dream.

Depiction of Joseph's Two Dreams

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord,

As we continue in our study of the Season of Now, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and we thank God for his many accomplishments as a husband, father, minister, civil rights leader, prophet, and one of God's dreamers.

One of Dr. Martin Luther King's most famous speeches was the "I have a dream" speech, and it is widely lauded as one of the great american speeches in history. My task today however, is to discuss what the Bible communicates happens when a dreamer dreams, and why it is important for us to engage this marvelous spiritual activity in the Season of Now.

First we note that the dream state is a spiritual realm and medium through which God communicates His will to His prophets. God told Miriam and Aaron, in the 6th verse of the 12th chapter of the book of Numbers that He reveals Himself to His prophets in visions, and speaks to His prophets in dreams. God allows His oracle to peer through the walls of time to see what God is doing in the Season of Now.

The dream once received is not only a point of communication from God, but becomes the anchor-point toward the fulfillment of the will of God. The dream-seed, as it were is planted in the Season of Now. God knows what is going to happen, because the Word sent to fulfill it comes from God. So God has employed the dream to provide a window into what God has ordained in the construct of the time continuum (Beyond the under heaven experience that we talked about in our last reflection from the book of Ecclesiastes 3). It inspires hope and stimulates action, because a Word from the Lord, even before you can truly see it, touch it, or taste it, is as good as having what God has declared will come to pass- simply because the Word of God will not return back to God unfulfilled or void of fruition. Isaiah 55:11

So when a dreamer dreams, God plants His Word, communicates His plan or intent for His people into a called out servant and oracle of the Lord. The dream may be for the individual, but is often to be declared among the people, because it may also be for them.

Here we note that dreams inspired by God can be taken out of context and thus misinterpreted in the finite hand of man. So the interpretation itself warrants seeking the Lord for clarity, as well as spiritual gifting to discern the true meaning of the dream. But even the misinterpretation of man can't override the sovereignty of God! Joseph was rebuked by his father and hated by his brothers, as a result of sharing his dreams with them. While many feel that he should have considered their feelings and kept it to himself, it becomes more evident that his brothers' response was a necessary part of the fulfillment of the dream, as it set Joseph on course for the fruition of the dream-seed planted by God.

Finally, God communicated to the people of God through the Prophet Joel in the 28th verse of the 2nd chapter, that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit on all nations and that their sons and daughters would prophesy, their old men would dream dreams, and their young men would see visions. God is still using His people to communicate His plans, as well as purpose for the lives of men and women, boys and girls in the world today. Where are you in the midst of this awesome experience? What is God saying to you? What is God showing you? Are you declaring what thus says the Lord? Are you walking by faith and trusting that God will bring it to pass?

Dr. Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood... I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!" Many of us have striven toward this dream, because after we heard it with such detail and clarity, we could actually see it! And as the man of God proclaimed it, we believed that it would come to pass. We were set in motion to participate by faith, in bringing it to pass, because "faith comes by hearing. Hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17 While we still have quite a way to go, we are certainly closer to it today than when he first shared it.

May we be those who lay hold of our role and responsibilities as servants of the King, as prophets of God in the Season of Now. May we proclaim the dreams that God has planted with us, and write the visions that God has shown us that we may together press forward toward its fulfillment, all for the glory of our awesome God, and the good of those He loves.

Until next time, may the Lord God bless you real good!

In His Service,

Pastor Emery B. Barber
Sheoherd's House, Brooklyn
For FaithWorks Christian Fellowship

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An AHA Moment: Ascending to a Higher Awareness of God

1/3/2016

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Scriptural focus: Isaiah 60:1-6, Micah 5:1-2, Daniel 4:9, Daniel 5:7-11, Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV), Numbers 24:17

1. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2. saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5. So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "

With so much happening in the world, it becomes easier and easier to “lose sight” of the things that really should capture our focus as the people of God. So many things vying for our attention. What is the next big thing? When will the job market improve so that I can purchase the next big thing? With so much violence taking place, are our families safe? Safe from the criminals? Safe from those who are sworn to protect us? In times like these we need to check our anchors, and make sure that we’re sure of this one thing: There is a God who sits high and He’s looking low, and He has all power – in His hands! That means He has the final word! Hallelujah!

So our focal point for the next few moments, and I pray more and more for the rest of our lives, is the A.H.A. moment. As an acronym in this sermon, it stands for Ascending to a Higher Awareness of God. It is what many understand as an Epiphany. It is a moment of divine manifestation – when God reveals to mankind some part of God’s nature, person, or purpose. The word epiphany has Greek origins from the word epiphaneia, and it originally meant an extraordinary appearance, also transliterated “fantasy from beyond.” It is also defined as the moment when a profound thought suddenly comes to you like, (SNAP) “I COULDA HAD A V8!” And this is the season when the church, universally, observes the day of Epiphany as the time that Christ was revealed to the gentiles through the wise men also known as the Magi. We celebrate the belief that through the birth of Christ, God has entered into our plain of existence in a tangible way, and thus into our lives.

The questions that arise through God’s Word today is, “Where do we search for profound moments of inspiration, illumination and revelation?” “Do we seek out the light of God or does the Light of God seek us out?” “Where do we see God to be present among and in us? What are the signs of the sacred among us? It is through that exploration, that spiritual journey, that we consider the AHA/Awakening Moment, Season of Discovery.

It is important to note that the shepherds and the wise men were two separate groups of people with two different purposes in this story. The coming of Christ was first revealed to the Jewish world through the shepherds who received the angelic announcement, an epiphany of their own, and ran to the stable to see for themselves. We often confuse the wise men with the shepherds largely due to the sensationalism of the Nativity Account, but it was through the wise men that Christ was revealed to the Gentiles.

The journey of the Magi – called the “wise men” of this account, translated from the Persian word magoi from which the word “magicians” is derived, they began with a few men who were dedicated to the task of looking up, over and beyond the resources that were within their reach. Many theologians believe these wise men from the East were descendants of the Magi of which Daniel was the (Rab-Magus in Aramaic or) Chief Magi. It is said that many of them were knowledgeable of the Hebrew Scriptures and traditions; honorable astrologers who watched the stars, yet it seems that many of them were not fully aware that someone greater beyond the stars was watching them. Someone who could supernaturally place a Star in the midst of the constellation and cause it to shine more brightly than any other. Someone who knew how to get their attention! Someone who knew how to speak in a language that they could
and would respond to. How many of you believe that God knows how to get your attention! And that my brothers and sisters is the spark that lights the flame of an AHA Moment.

An AHA Moment is an opportunity presented by God to Ascend to a Higher Awareness in God. It does not begin with us. God is the initiator and God seals the deal. Jesus said in Rev. 22:13 that, “I am the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end.” The writer of Hebrews was inspired to write in the 12th chap. and the 2nd verse, “Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecting finisher of our faith. And so as God illuminated the coming of Christ, it warranted a response from those who were called for such a time as this to reveal the arrival of the Christ to the gentiles.

Like many saints of old they obediently heeded a call to step out on faith, to Ascend to a Higher Awareness of God, not as a vain act of, “Hey look what I’m doing,” but as an act of worship of a King they longed to know. Right here. Right now, in the common places of our lives, God has illuminated himself to call us to a higher place of praise, a deeper level of worship, and a greater level of accountability and service! God is calling us to action! But how will you respond? When God initiates the varied AHA Moments of your life, he can take you from glory to glory dependent on your response. Will you ignore what the Spirit of the Lord is revealing to you right now? In this season? Or will you respond and move as God leads you to move? The Magi responded with a faith that moved them to action!

It is believed that the Magi traveled from Persia in the East, passing through Jerusalem where they inquired about the birth of the King of the Jews. The very inquiry of the Magi was an Epiphany - a moment of revelation for King Herod which must have insulted, as well as infuriated Herod the Great. He was served notice that Jesus, the Bread of Life, had come to the Bethlehem, the House of Bread in Judah the land of Praise, to take His place as King. It meant that someone greater than Herod the greater had arrived! When you begin to heed the call of God to seek something and someone greater than yourself, everybody is not going to be happy about it, but we must be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord no matter what the cost.

Like Abraham, they set out on a journey, not knowing where it would take them (Hebrews 11:8). They did not know how long the trip would be when they decided to follow the star that appeared in the East. They didn’t know how they would be received in the faraway foreign land. They didn’t even know what the King would look like; nor did they know when or if they would return home. Yet they, like Abraham, chose to make the journey.

Following the light of God toward the fulfillment of our purpose is a journey of similar faith. We often feel that we don't know where our journey will lead us, and we certainly never know what we will find along the way. We do, however, know that God goes before us, and is with us, and that the journey is not in vain.

As I close, I’d like to share three responses from the example the Magi provide in today’s scriptural reflection that we should consider as we prepare for the AHA moments yet before us.

First, keep looking up, heavenward, seeking the face of God. Solomon was inspired to write in Proverbs 3:5,6: Trust in the Lord … Trust denotes a leaning forward, and a placing of your weight on the one that you are depending upon to see you through. You’re not leaning or depending upon your own understanding, but you’re leaning on God! Saint’s we have to acknowledge Him in all our ways! When our money gets funny and our bills are due, we have to keep looking up! When the vicissitudes of life overwhelm us, don’t give up - we have to keep looking up – heavenward! When the doctor pronounces a final word prognosis over our health situations, we have to seek out God’s Word, and trust that God will direct our paths!

Secondly we must be relentless in our pursuit of divine connection with God and the things of God.
Jesus said in John 14: “I am the true vine. You are the branches. If you abide in me, you shall produce much fruit!” If you want to be productive and successful in the pursuits you engage next year, you have to abide in Jesus! We have to stay connected! That means we have to take action! We have to pursue the things of God relentlessly as the Magi did. They had caught a glimpse of the prophetic, and didn’t give up until they possessed what God had for them! What God has for you is for you! Don’t give up! Pray without ceasing. Study God’s Word, and take your cues for life and living from God. Let God’s Word be the basis of every decision you make now and in the years to come. Let God’s Word be a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path! (Take time to be holy.)

Finally, worship the King with your gifts. Acknowledge the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords as Fine Shining Gold tried by the fire whose luster and brilliance causes others to seek out the King to Worship. As frankincense in your priestly role, let your worship of God be a sweet aroma unto the Lord as the flavor of God’s favor. Present your gifts unto God as Myrrh that you may be used as a covering fragrance for those who are preparing to die that they might live in Christ.

May this season of awakening, this AHA moment of reflection be a time of discovering or rediscovering God's love for all of us, as we truly “trust God to empower and lead us to where God wants us to be.” (Because if Jesus leads us to it, it will indeed be a place of abundant blessings.) And as we engage the All Encompassing Light of the world, may we move with an ever-increasing confidence along the path that only God can illuminate for us, all to His majestic glory, and our good. Hallelujah! Amen.

In His Service,
Pastor Emery B. Barber
Faith Works

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What Will You Do at Midnight?

1/2/2016

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Scriptural Focus: Acts 16:19-34, Psalm 119:62, Exodus 12:29-31

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

The midnight hour has been the reflection of songs, poems, and testimonies. Many of us can relate to expressions of "going through" something at the midnight hour. These are times that we can recount that we were in need of a breakthrough, and there was no one that we could call upon, but an answer became available right in the nick of time at the midnight hour. Others of us have heard about prisoners on death row - condemned to a needle or worse - the Electric Chair, and a reprieve was offered at the midnight hour.

The word Midnight finds its origins in the words that define it: the middle of the night. And although it is known as the darkest time of the night, it is the threshold by which we crossover to a brand new day!

Exodus 12:29-31 tells us that God made His final move to deliver the Children of Israel at the midnight hour. And King David recognized the value of praying and giving praise to God at midnight in Psalm 119:62.

The question that is raised in this moment as we approach 2016, is what will YOU do at midnight?

In the 16th chapter of the book of Acts, we find Paul, Silas and a new convert by the name of Lydia going to pray as they had for several days at this point. They were in the city of Philippi in answer to the Macedonian call that Paul received in a vision. The Word of God tells us that as they came to pray, that there was a young woman who was "possessed with a spirit of divination which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying." In other words she was being used to make money for others as a fortune-teller. Whenever they went to pray, the young girl followed them, and cried, saying, "These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation."

Grieved by this consistent taunting, the apostle turned and commanded the spirit to come out of her and delivered the young woman from this demonic oppression that very hour. Angry about the loss of financial gain, the girl's masters seized Paul and Silas and took them to the magistrates for their crime.

Like Paul and Silas, saints of God, we are living in a day and time that is becoming more increasingly challenging to preach the Word of God as freely as we have been able to do in times past. The moral compass of our country has been eroded like never before in the history of this nation. And at times when we see the enemy having his way with our children, with our sons and daughters, we must come to a point where we are grieved in our spirit and walk in the authority, in the power that has been vested in us to bind the power of the enemy and cast him out of our marriages, out of families, out of our communities, and out of our world.

What we discover in this passage of scripture is that what we do in the midnight hour has ripple of the pond effects on what we're doing in the days that follow them. What are you doing at the midnight hour?

Paul and Silas are treated like thieves for setting someone's daughter free of the demon that plagued her, and free of the pimps who were prostituting her. You see there are going to be some people in your life who are not going to be happy when you receive deliverance! Some people who are not going to be excited for your breakthrough! In fact there are some haters that are going to hate on you for making a complete turnaround to the glory of God! But you've got to keep it movin' my brother! Keep it movin' my sister, and hold on to the True Masters' hand!

And so Paul and Silas were beaten, but they were not broken! They were stripped and they were stricken, but they still had strength! They were imprisoned, thrown into the deepest part of the jail, but they were still free! They were all of this not, because of who they were or how great they were, but because of who they were connected to and how great and mighty our God is!

And the Bible shows us in this scripture three approaches to the Midnight Hour! The Word of God says that at about Midnight, the servants of God prayed to God and sang hymns of praise unto the Lord! That's the first approach! When you are going through a rough patch, that is not the time to give up or throw in the towel! When you find yourself broke, busted, and disgusted, that is not the time to have a pity-party! That's the time to pray and praise!
You pray to God, because God invites you to do so: "Come ye that labor for me and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly and you will find rest for your souls in me." Then you praise Him in advance, because you know that God is able!

The prisoners watched the servants of God praying and praising! That's the second approach! There are those who are bound by the vicissitudes of life. Victims of the situations of life and prisoners of their own sin. Experiencing sickness, disease, and at some times addictions; looking for a breakthrough, looking for a solution that will actually work in their lives, and they are watching you! They are listening to you! So how you respond in the midst of life's challenges can have an impact on those that are watching to see what God will do for you. And as they listen to what comes out your mouth, they will either become more fearful, or more faithful, because faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God!

The jailer was asleep - confident that the technology designed to secure the prisoners was dependable! That's the third approach! He represents those of us who have been dependent on the systems of this world. Depending on the notion that their jobs are secure! Dependent on the notion that their health is good, and there's nothing can possibly go wrong, that the rough patches of life are not going to befall their own lives.

But at midnight, as the servants prayed, as the servants of God praised God with hymns; I imagine they sang something like, "What a friend we have in Jesus..." Something like, "I will trust in the Lord ..." I believe it may have been a song like, "I've got a feeling everything's gonna be alright..." But it was most likely a song like, "There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain."

And suddenly the earth began to quake and shook the foundations of the prison, the chains of the prisoners were broken, and the jailer was awakened! I want to encourage you saints of God to embrace the first Midnight approach! When the going gets tough pray! When you can't see your way out Praise the Lord God Almighty! Praise the Maker of Heaven and Earth! What will you do at midnight? Join the House of Prayer and Praise that Love is building with Living Stones, and be empowered to set others free in the name of Jesus!

In His Service,
Pastor Emery B. Barber
Shepherd's House Prayer Band Tabernacle
www.shobc.org/ocean-hill-branch

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When Dreamers Dream

An AHA Moment: Ascending to a Higher Awareness of God

What Will You Do at Midnight?

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When Dreamers Dream

An AHA Moment: Ascending to a Higher Awareness of God

What Will You Do at Midnight?﻿

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What Will You Do at Midnight?