Follow the Filling: Week 2
Real stories of peace that surpasses all understanding.
James Greer
Jan 5, 2020 30m
In this sermon we hear real stories of people who have peace that surpasses all understanding. When we worship Jesus in the hard times, it brings victory. God wants us to proclaim 2020 as the best year ever. Video recorded at Pineville, Louisiana.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
James Greer: 00:00 I mean, God is rocking the house at Journey Church. Amen? Happy new year and welcome to part two of follow the filling, man. If you don't have your devotion, I hope you have one now and I want you to take it every single day at lunch. Hey, and even if you're not fasting that lunch, take the devotion and take time to read it every single day. Man, we're getting such great results. I mean, the key verse to this is this. Hey, anyway, we say where the spirit leads, I will follow. Amen? The key verses Ephesians 5:18 says, be not drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the spirit. In other words, it's a behavioral change. I mean it such a behavioral change, what happens is, I've been reading it over and over and over since we started last week and of course I've been fastened during lunch and I've been asking God to fill me where I could follow, and I want to tell you, it's been such a behavioral change. I told my wife last night, I'm ready to follow the feeling instead of the filling. She said, what do you mean? I'm ready to be mean. A whole week of nice man, that's enough.
James Greer: 01:12 I mean, how long is this going to go on? She said, you're the one that got us into this mess. Anyway, she said, I'm ready to go eat lunch. I said, well, we'll just go eat supper at three, baby. Don't worry about it. I mean, but anyway, we've been having a great time and you know, that was written in the context of continually be fueled. Because what it is the world is pressing everything out of us. It's like a press. I mean, if you're got a mold something, if you're going to mold a coin, you put the material in and you just squeeze it and that's what the world is doing is trying to squeeze us to death. It's coming to us on every single side, and that's why Romans 12:2 says, be not conformed. Don't be molded into this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove what is a good, acceptable, and even the perfect will of God. 2020 is going to be the best year ever. Amen?
James Greer: 02:13 Philippians 4:6 says this. It says, don't worry about anything but pray about everything with thanksgiving in your heart. Offer a prayer, your request to God, then because you belong to Jesus Christ. No, if you don't belong to Jesus Christ, you can't have the peace that God's talking about. Because you belong to Jesus Christ, God's going to bless you with peace that nobody completely understands and this peace will control the way you think. There's another translation that says this, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind through Jesus Christ. If God says words like this, it really means that we can have this. Now, if you weren't here last week and you just got your devotion, start Monday, every day at lunch say, I'm going to take my devotion. I'm going to pick up where it was. I just read last week and I'd come up to there and at lunch I'd say, Hey man, I'm going to instead of eat that day at lunch time, I'm a fast and I'm going to read my devotion and I'm going to ask God to fill me with his spirit.
James Greer: 03:18 It doesn't mean we're not going to face problems by the way, but John 16:33 says this, these things I have spoken unto you, Tom, at journey church that in me, you could have peace in the world. You're going to have tribulation be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. That's what it's saying. He wants us to learn to follow the filling. The greatest problem in the world today, in Journey Church today, in your family today, is your following the way you feel instead of the filling of the Holy spirit. And our feelings are good sometimes, but many times that's what's get us into trouble, including Christians. But if we would follow the filling, it would radically change every area of our life. It would change our marriage. It change our finances, our job, our emotional state. It changes our behavior. We would start experience of peace that surpasses understanding, in spite of all our situations, in spite of all our circumstances.
James Greer: 04:26 Now, I can tell you these are not just words. This is God's powerful word. Let me give you an example. I didn't know they were going to be here at 8:30 am. I don't know what you all doing coming to an 8:30 service, so I reached over and I said, I didn't know Fred and Nancy, what are you all doing at 8:30 am? She said, the Saints play at 12 noon. I thought they would give me some spiritual answer. I said, well, we're going to come at 8:30 am and then go to our Journey group. I think we're going to come back for another service. Not, but I can tell you this.
James Greer: 04:56 When I talk about Philippians 4 when God says, I have a peace that surpasses all understanding. When I talk about John 16:33 that said, in the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. When I talk about John 16:33 that says, in me you can have peace. And you're sitting here saying, that can't happen. I'm here to tell you that, that's a family that's experiencing it. I'm not telling you they don't have trouble. I'm telling you, I think it was yesterday, even on Facebook, they were doing a testimony where they found out that Fred had what stage four cancer and that I think Ashley wanted to know what stage it was in, and I guess that's okay. And so she had questions, and that the end, Fred said, was that as mean? He says, you know, doctor says, that means maybe he'd live 2 years, but doc doesn't have the final say, God does. The other thing during the testimony was this, I still have peace in the midst of the turmoil. Yeah.
James Greer: 06:11 What I want to tell you is this, God's word is true in spite of what you think or what you feel. Tony and Janet Fuquay, they are probably not here today because Janet's is probably still in the hospital. She has cancer bad and they had to put her back in the hospital. I happened to go by right before I came to see you, and I don't get out and I don't go that often, but it was all the same day. I went into the hospital and they were trying to get her IV in her and they stuck her and they stuck her and they stuck her. And Janet looked at me and she said, your face is red. I said, well. Kurt, true story. Kurt said, I told the nurse, he's not a nurse at that hospital, Do you mind me trying? And the nurse said, well, I'm not very good at this. I thought I'd say, well Yeah. I was filled, or I would have cussed. Under my breath, I did anyway. And they let Kurt do it, believe it or not. So, I go over, I'm going to hold her other hand. She'll allowed me to. Well, she couldn't fill it because she said, you about broke my finger. I said, but it didn't hurt as much did it? She was still smiling and Kurt got it in. Well, let me tell you about her, when she's not throwing up and when she's not too sick to come, she's standing in the back smiling. But, she's so sick right now that she can't even hardly speak, but yet when I got ready to leave, I told her and she said, you are still going to pray and hug and do that. They both have cancer. They both don't know if they're going to make it or not yet. They still both have peace. Now, if you can explain that, tell me.
James Greer: 07:07 Well, Philippians 4 says, that you can have a piece that you don't understand. That's what it's talking about. Doesn't mean it's happy, doesn't mean they're, they're excited. I just thank God they know the Lord and I thank God they're in church, and I thank God they had their church and their family behind them. I thank God that's why you need to continue to grow in the Lord. I think that's why when you're just doing this devotion every single day at lunch, you do need to be missing your lunch, and you need to be getting into devotion, and you need to be praying for Fred and Ashley and their family. And you need to be praying for Tony and Janet and their family and you need to be asking God to, to fill you with the spirit where you can follow. You need to be surrendering, which means to become preoccupied and dependent upon Christ, not yourself. Surrender leads to the supernatural power of God.
James Greer: 08:56 The key text today is going to be Luke 4. Can I tell you that God's word is not only inspired but the timing of God is inspired. I want to tell you before I even finish the message today, it was written weeks ago. But, I want you to know in Luke 4:18,19 I want to read it for you. It says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. The good news to those that are in need. He has sent me to heal the, say the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, to recover sight to the blind and to set a liberty to those that are oppressed and to proclaim acceptable year of the Lord. I love this because listen to this, to proclaim the acceptable year to the Lord. What is this year? An acceptable year? 2020 God said, but you need to learn to what? To proclaim it, to accept it, to announce it. Now, what you might not know when I say 2020 is going to be the best year ever. It means 2020 should be the greatest influence for Christ in your life.
James Greer: 10:16 Yeah, because that's the only thing that's going to last. Let's say 2020 is going to be the best year in your life. Somebody says, hey, I'm going to get rich. Yeah, get rich in the Lord. You can't bring that with you, but what if 2020 you influenced more people for Christ than you ever have in your entire life. It says to proclaim it, to accept it. God said, listen, I want to give you blessing. I want it to be a favorable year for you. What if I could tell you some reasons it's not? What f I could tell you some reasons that it might not be? You might not have an acceptable favorable year. It might not be the best year ever for reason number one, you've not allowed God to heal your broken heart.
James Greer: 11:00 In Luke 4:18 it says, the spirit of Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. The gospel is the good news. It's to mend broken relationships. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. I don't know what your broken heart is today. I know me and you have broken God's heart. We broke his heart so bad that he had to send his son, Jesus Christ to be beaten, nailed to a cross and put into a grave. Even though we broke his heart, he loved us so much. He forgave us and when we ask him to forgive us, he forgives us and doesn't even remember our sin. Because he loves us so much, he can heal any broken heart. Listen, if we looked to him and worship him and not our hurt. This is important. If you want your broken heart mended, you have to learn to worship him and not your hurt.
James Greer: 11:51 Worship is the weapon of our warfare. In Revelation 1:1 is very important, the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's good to reveal Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, which is John, to show his servants, me and you, things which must shortly take place, it's going to happen. He sit and signified it by his angel to his servant, John. When you say John in the bible, if you read the new Testament, John is known as the beloved. When you say Jesus beloved, who is that? It was John, it was one of the disciples. They referred to him as the beloved. And then in Revelation 1:5-8 it says this, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn, from the dead to the ruler over the Kings on earth.
James Greer: 12:59 Who's the ruler over the Kings on earth? Jesus Christ. In spite of what's going on, Jesus is revealing to John. No matter what's going on in your life, John, no matter what you see is happening in the world, I am the ruler. To him who loved us, he washed away our sins in his blood. He said, you remember John, remember the world. I loved you enough that I died and I washed away the sin. I made us kings and priests to his God the father. In other words, when we accept Christ, we become priests. We can go straight to father, to him be the glory, dominion forever and ever. Amen. Then he says, behold, he is coming in the cloud. Jesus is coming. Every eye is going to see him and they who pierced him, and all the tribes on the earth, they're going to mourn because of him, even so. Amen.
James Greer: 13:47 Now listen, Jesus is aspiring John to write this. He said, John, remember this, I'm the alpha and I'm the Omega. I'm the beginning and I'm the end. No matter John, no matter what you see, no matter what you think, no matter what you're going through. I'm the beginning. I'm the end. I'm the one that has the final say, not what other people do, not what other people say. I'm the one. You say, well, no, no, it doesn't look like this is right. Jesus said, listen, John, I'm the beginning. I'm the end, sayeth who? The Lord. The Lord said, I'm the beginning and I am the end, who is, who was and who is coming, The God Almighty. He was trying to tell him, don't you understand who I am and who is, who's going to be? Then he goes on and said, I John, both your brother and companion in the what? John said, your brother and companion in tribulation. That's something I don't want. I don't want to be Jesus' brother in tribulation, but Jesus is revealing to him. And the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, and he was on the island, called isle of Patmos, for the word of the Lord and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
James Greer: 14:39 Okay. Now he's leading up and he was telling, this is who he was, this is what has happened. And now all of a sudden in verse 17, Jesus is going to finally appear to him. Before it says, an angel reveal these things to him. I'm the beginning. I'm the end. I'm the ones in charge. Now he said, and then I saw him and he fell. What? As he's dead. And he laid his right hand on him and he said to him, did you all know this is the third or fourth Sunday in a row that God had a word for me? And you know, he said, do not be what? Do you know every single Sunday for the last month, God said right in the middle that we didn't plan it. We couldn't have. God says, do not be what? So if you're here today, no matter what you're going through, God has a word for you. Guess what? Don't be afraid. You know why, I'm the first and the last he said, it's me. I'm the first and the last, I have the last word. I'm the one that lives and was dead. And behold, I'm now alive, evermore. Amen.
James Greer: 15:38 And guess what else he said, I'm the one that has the keys to hell and to death. Who holds the keys to death? Nobody else. Jesus does. So what you might not know. Why was John on the isle of Patmos? Why was he being tortured and exiled? Because of his faith in Jesus Christ. John had been out preaching the gospel. He had been telling him about Jesus Christ. He had been saying, you crucified the savior. You crucified the Messiah. He was doing what was right. So guess what they did? They tortured him. They put him in jail that they said, some said, what they really did is they took him and they put him in oil and they would raise the heat in the oil until it boiled and they would pull him out, where it pulled the flesh right off of him. Then many times they'd put him back in there and they raised him and pulled him back out. And so now that they had torn the flesh off and then they exiled him to the isle of Patmos. If anybody had a reason to be heartbroken, it would be John. If there was anybody that had a reason to say why Jesus, it was John.
James Greer: 16:28 John had been out preaching the gospel. He had been telling him about Jesus Christ. He had been saying, you crucified the savior. You crucified the Messiah. He was doing what was right. So guess what they did? They tortured him. They put him in jail that they said, some said, what they really did is they took him and they put him in oil and they would raise the heat in the oil until it boiled and they would pull him out, where it pulled the flesh right off of him. Then many times they'd put him back in there and they raised him and pulled him back out. And so now that they had torn the flesh off and then they exiled him to the isle of Patmos. If anybody had a reason to be heartbroken, it would be John. If there was anybody that had a reason to say why Jesus, it was John. If I was John, I would be saying, Jesus, you're the King of kings, the Lord of lords, let's go kill them suckers. Amen? I'm just saying if it was me. I'm in flesh. His flesh had been burned off. I would have been saying, heal me, take care of my body, bring me home. Instead, Jesus wanted him to understand that he was the King of Kings. He said, I want you to worship me. I want you to understand that in spite of everything has happened to you, everything that you think is going on in the world. I'm in control. I'm the one that has the keys to heaven and hell. I'm the one that has the keys to Hades and to death.
James Greer: 17:50 Worshiping Jesus is our greatest weapon and it's the only thing that brings victory in any and every situation. Even though Fred doesn't really realize what he was doing yesterday on Facebook. That was the best way he knew to worship God and give him the credit. He said because of the Lord, I have peace. Jesus was telling John, I'm the alpha and Omega. I'm the beginning and the end. I'm the one who is and was. I am the Almighty. He said, I'm in control. I've been in control. I'm the one who has the keys to heaven, hell and death. John, they thought they were in control, but now guess who's writing the book of Revelation? You, John. And when you get to heaven, John, you're going to understand. Until then, you've got to learn just to worship who I am.
James Greer: 18:26 Anybody can worship when everything's great, can't you? All the bills are paid, all the kids are happy. All the health is great. Easy to worship. If you're here today and your heartbroken it's real. If you're here today and you're sick it's real. If you're here today and you lost your job is real. If you're broke it's real, can I tell you something else? Jesus Christ is real. He's bigger than any problem, any hurt, and he wants you to worship him as King and kings. See what Jesus wants you to do. He wants you to, listen you all ready? He wants you to worship him when you're hurt and he wants you to worship him when you're happy. Amen? That's the real Jesus. That's what real worship's all about. If you want to go to a new level in your worship, you worship him when you're happy, and you worship when you're hurt, and that's a weapon of our warfare. Amen, brother James. That's the real truth.
James Greer: 19:52 Next, you might be here and be in captivity. He said, proclaim liberty those in captive. Prisoners of war. There's all kinds of prisoners of war. There's those people here that have never given their lives to Jesus Christ. You're a prisoner to war. There's those people that are here, they're prisoners to habits. We all have habits we'd like to get out of, we're prisoners, we're prisoners of war. And Jesus said, listen, I'm a freedom fighter. Jesus says your freedom fighter. We have something called CR on Thursday night. They're eternity, earthly helpers and you should be there.
James Greer: 20:26 Then he said that you might, you might be hearing you're blind. Recover sight to the blind. What a misunderstood verse that most people don't understand. You might be spiritually blind to the power and presence God in your life. Of what he can do and what he wants you to see.
James Greer: 20:48 Blind to what God's doing. You ready? Blind to what God's doing in you and through you. Blind to what's going on when you're going through tribulation that most never understand. I'm going to read Ephesians 3:9-13. I'm just going to give you a glimpse. Now what I'm telling you, what he's saying, he wanted the blind to see. Amen? He say now to make all see if you want you to see it was because prior to seeing you couldn't see. Amen? What the fellowship of the mystery. There's a mystery up until Jesus Christ came that we didn't understand. Which was from the beginning of the age, it had been hidden in God. God said there was something I've been planning, I've been working on all the time. You all didn't understand it. Now I want you to start see it. Who created all things through Jesus Christ? He said, you're blind. I'm going to start letting you see it.
James Greer: 21:42 He said, in the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities, listen, and the powers in the heavenly places. Do you all understand? When you read the principalities and the powers in heavenly places, it said there was something you didn't understand. I want you to see it, right? It was blind. It was always going on. Now I'm going to start revealing it through the principalities and the powers in heavenly places. That's real important that you understand that because now he is starting to say, there's something that's happening on earth and there's something that happens in heaven. When you see him saying that principalities and powers in heavenly places, he's talking about angels. What's going on in heaven. He said, what really is happening now.
James Greer: 22:38 He said, there's things happening on earth and things are happening in heavenly that has a heavenly purpose. Yes, they have an earthly purpose, but they have a heavenly purpose with an eternal purpose, that you won't understand until heaven. Principalities, and powers in heavenly places. It's talking about things that are about angels in war. If you read your devotion today, you'll see it's according to an eternal purpose which is accomplished in Jesus Christ. Everything, many times tribulations that are going on here on earth have both an earthly purpose and a heavenly purpose. You ready? Angels are learning and people on earth are learning. Ever since the beginning when Jesus threw Lucifer out, and we'll get to it later. There's been a learning process. God's always been in control, but God said, now I'm starting to reveal it now. It was a mystery in the past, so what's going on in heaven and heavenly places, principalities and power in heavenly places. That's talking about what's going on in heaven in whom you have boldness and access and confidence through faith.
James Greer: 24:01 Ephesians 2:6 says, and I raised up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. Wow. This is heavy. Stay with us. I know. When you get saved, you were raised up together and you're made to sit in heavenly places in Christ. That's in heaven. So, now I have a home in heaven and I have a home in earth all at the same time. Most never even heard that, but God says it is true. Amen? So, what we really want to do is get our heavenly spirit lined up with our earthly spirit because one day our body will catch up with our heavenly spirit. I know. Once we get saved, we have a place in heaven and we have a place on earth. So, we can boldly access Christ, now. God through Christ And the Holy spirit.
James Greer: 24:46 Then he sums it up and he says, therefore I asked that you don't lose heart. Uh, oh. He says, all this is going on. He said, there's really a lot going on in heaven. He said, you're never going to understand it. It's principalities and powers in heaven you can't understand down here on earth, I'm starting to try to reveal it to you, but there are as you don't lose heart just because you don't understand it. Don't lose heart at my tribulations many times is for you, which is your glory.
James Greer: 25:21 Woe! Do you all understand what Paul was saying? He was saying, my tribulation has a purpose. He said, the purposes in heaven, the purposes on earth, sometimes my tribulation is not just for me. He said, sometime my tribulation was for you. He said, for you, look at it. By tribulation for you, but it's always for God's glory. And said so when he's trying to say, my tribulation is always for God's glory, but sometimes it might have both a heavenly purpose and an earthly purpose, so don't lose heart.
James Greer: 25:56 Anyways. Fourth, you might need to be liberated from oppression. It said, let the liberty liberate those who are in oppression. I know what it is to be oppressed, depressed, and even in a mess, but I don't think God wants us to live there. Matthew 11:28 says, come unto me all labor and heavy laden and I'll give you rest. Fifth and last, I believe what God says when he says to proclaim this acceptable year. I think he means to us to proclaim it, to accept what he has for us. Not only just say it, but to claim it and proclaim it. In closing, I want to say this, you ready? Many of you have a broken heart and God wants to heal it.
James Greer: 26:49 He can forgive you and you need to forgive anybody else for whatever they've done. But listen, the only way you can really be healed and go forward after you've accepted Christ is to learn to worship him when you're hurting and when you're happy. Don't worship the hurt. There's only one to worship and that's Christ. Some of you need to come today and worship him. Some of you been in captivity and Jesus said, I want to begin to set you free. Some of you and captivity to your past. You don't live in your past. You confess your past and you look Forward to the future.
James Greer: 27:29 Some of you need spiritual insights, which, which God is trying to do to you right now. Some of you've been oppressed. Oppressed is not always the same as depressed. It's just like having a cloud around you. Sometimes you don't even understand it. Many times that's a spiritual cloud and today God is here to say, Hey, I want to to go in 2020 set free from your oppression. I want to you use you like I've never used you before. I want to use you to influence more people for Christ and you've ever been. In other words, listen for 2020 to be the greatest year you've ever had, you've got to get the focus off of you, and to put it on Christ. The main reason that people don't have the influence that God wants them to is their focus in on themselves. So, what Christ would have them to do. And some of you need to say, Hey God, fill me today because I'm really ready to follow you. Some of you need to claim it. God said this is acceptable year for you. This is going to be the greatest, greatest year that you've ever had. You need to see tribulation. Often is for others, not yourself. Sometimes it's for what's going on in heaven. Sometimes for what's going on here on earth. It's always to bring honor and glory to God. Would you stand. Let me pray with you and pray for you.
James Greer: 28:57 Hey God, your word, your timing's always perfect. I thank you for that. I pray for Fred and Ashley, their whole family. I pray for Tony and Janet and especially in all the others, especially them today. God, I went away yesterday not really understanding what's going on and woke up this morning and understanding it better than I ever have in my life. Understand this in your hands and most of we don't understand until we get in heaven. Also understand and you've got the final word. Not any doctor, not any person. I just thank you for that. God. I pray there's people here today maybe had broken hearts, but God in light of other things that have gone home today, they need to move on. They need to let God heal their broken hearts. They need to be thankful what God's done for them in their life. They need to let God wash away all their sins and their past. If they're here today and they're not sure that God is in their heart, they're not sure if they died, that they would go to heaven. Can I plead with them and tell them that it's the most important decision they would ever make? They don't know that they have a tomorrow. If God's called you to join this church, that you'd do that today. If you'd like to start off the new year and you hadn't followed through in public baptism, you'd like to do that. If you're here in your laden and heavy laden and you need to find rests that you'd come and let somebody just pray with you, whatever God's called you to do, I prayed you. Let him have his will his way in your life, and I pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
James Greer: 01:12 I mean, how long is this going to go on? She said, you're the one that got us into this mess. Anyway, she said, I'm ready to go eat lunch. I said, well, we'll just go eat supper at three, baby. Don't worry about it. I mean, but anyway, we've been having a great time and you know, that was written in the context of continually be fueled. Because what it is the world is pressing everything out of us. It's like a press. I mean, if you're got a mold something, if you're going to mold a coin, you put the material in and you just squeeze it and that's what the world is doing is trying to squeeze us to death. It's coming to us on every single side, and that's why Romans 12:2 says, be not conformed. Don't be molded into this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove what is a good, acceptable, and even the perfect will of God. 2020 is going to be the best year ever. Amen?
James Greer: 02:13 Philippians 4:6 says this. It says, don't worry about anything but pray about everything with thanksgiving in your heart. Offer a prayer, your request to God, then because you belong to Jesus Christ. No, if you don't belong to Jesus Christ, you can't have the peace that God's talking about. Because you belong to Jesus Christ, God's going to bless you with peace that nobody completely understands and this peace will control the way you think. There's another translation that says this, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind through Jesus Christ. If God says words like this, it really means that we can have this. Now, if you weren't here last week and you just got your devotion, start Monday, every day at lunch say, I'm going to take my devotion. I'm going to pick up where it was. I just read last week and I'd come up to there and at lunch I'd say, Hey man, I'm going to instead of eat that day at lunch time, I'm a fast and I'm going to read my devotion and I'm going to ask God to fill me with his spirit.
James Greer: 03:18 It doesn't mean we're not going to face problems by the way, but John 16:33 says this, these things I have spoken unto you, Tom, at journey church that in me, you could have peace in the world. You're going to have tribulation be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. That's what it's saying. He wants us to learn to follow the filling. The greatest problem in the world today, in Journey Church today, in your family today, is your following the way you feel instead of the filling of the Holy spirit. And our feelings are good sometimes, but many times that's what's get us into trouble, including Christians. But if we would follow the filling, it would radically change every area of our life. It would change our marriage. It change our finances, our job, our emotional state. It changes our behavior. We would start experience of peace that surpasses understanding, in spite of all our situations, in spite of all our circumstances.
James Greer: 04:26 Now, I can tell you these are not just words. This is God's powerful word. Let me give you an example. I didn't know they were going to be here at 8:30 am. I don't know what you all doing coming to an 8:30 service, so I reached over and I said, I didn't know Fred and Nancy, what are you all doing at 8:30 am? She said, the Saints play at 12 noon. I thought they would give me some spiritual answer. I said, well, we're going to come at 8:30 am and then go to our Journey group. I think we're going to come back for another service. Not, but I can tell you this.
James Greer: 04:56 When I talk about Philippians 4 when God says, I have a peace that surpasses all understanding. When I talk about John 16:33 that said, in the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. When I talk about John 16:33 that says, in me you can have peace. And you're sitting here saying, that can't happen. I'm here to tell you that, that's a family that's experiencing it. I'm not telling you they don't have trouble. I'm telling you, I think it was yesterday, even on Facebook, they were doing a testimony where they found out that Fred had what stage four cancer and that I think Ashley wanted to know what stage it was in, and I guess that's okay. And so she had questions, and that the end, Fred said, was that as mean? He says, you know, doctor says, that means maybe he'd live 2 years, but doc doesn't have the final say, God does. The other thing during the testimony was this, I still have peace in the midst of the turmoil. Yeah.
James Greer: 06:11 What I want to tell you is this, God's word is true in spite of what you think or what you feel. Tony and Janet Fuquay, they are probably not here today because Janet's is probably still in the hospital. She has cancer bad and they had to put her back in the hospital. I happened to go by right before I came to see you, and I don't get out and I don't go that often, but it was all the same day. I went into the hospital and they were trying to get her IV in her and they stuck her and they stuck her and they stuck her. And Janet looked at me and she said, your face is red. I said, well. Kurt, true story. Kurt said, I told the nurse, he's not a nurse at that hospital, Do you mind me trying? And the nurse said, well, I'm not very good at this. I thought I'd say, well Yeah. I was filled, or I would have cussed. Under my breath, I did anyway. And they let Kurt do it, believe it or not. So, I go over, I'm going to hold her other hand. She'll allowed me to. Well, she couldn't fill it because she said, you about broke my finger. I said, but it didn't hurt as much did it? She was still smiling and Kurt got it in. Well, let me tell you about her, when she's not throwing up and when she's not too sick to come, she's standing in the back smiling. But, she's so sick right now that she can't even hardly speak, but yet when I got ready to leave, I told her and she said, you are still going to pray and hug and do that. They both have cancer. They both don't know if they're going to make it or not yet. They still both have peace. Now, if you can explain that, tell me.
James Greer: 07:07 Well, Philippians 4 says, that you can have a piece that you don't understand. That's what it's talking about. Doesn't mean it's happy, doesn't mean they're, they're excited. I just thank God they know the Lord and I thank God they're in church, and I thank God they had their church and their family behind them. I thank God that's why you need to continue to grow in the Lord. I think that's why when you're just doing this devotion every single day at lunch, you do need to be missing your lunch, and you need to be getting into devotion, and you need to be praying for Fred and Ashley and their family. And you need to be praying for Tony and Janet and their family and you need to be asking God to, to fill you with the spirit where you can follow. You need to be surrendering, which means to become preoccupied and dependent upon Christ, not yourself. Surrender leads to the supernatural power of God.
James Greer: 08:56 The key text today is going to be Luke 4. Can I tell you that God's word is not only inspired but the timing of God is inspired. I want to tell you before I even finish the message today, it was written weeks ago. But, I want you to know in Luke 4:18,19 I want to read it for you. It says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. The good news to those that are in need. He has sent me to heal the, say the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, to recover sight to the blind and to set a liberty to those that are oppressed and to proclaim acceptable year of the Lord. I love this because listen to this, to proclaim the acceptable year to the Lord. What is this year? An acceptable year? 2020 God said, but you need to learn to what? To proclaim it, to accept it, to announce it. Now, what you might not know when I say 2020 is going to be the best year ever. It means 2020 should be the greatest influence for Christ in your life.
James Greer: 10:16 Yeah, because that's the only thing that's going to last. Let's say 2020 is going to be the best year in your life. Somebody says, hey, I'm going to get rich. Yeah, get rich in the Lord. You can't bring that with you, but what if 2020 you influenced more people for Christ than you ever have in your entire life. It says to proclaim it, to accept it. God said, listen, I want to give you blessing. I want it to be a favorable year for you. What if I could tell you some reasons it's not? What f I could tell you some reasons that it might not be? You might not have an acceptable favorable year. It might not be the best year ever for reason number one, you've not allowed God to heal your broken heart.
James Greer: 11:00 In Luke 4:18 it says, the spirit of Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. The gospel is the good news. It's to mend broken relationships. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. I don't know what your broken heart is today. I know me and you have broken God's heart. We broke his heart so bad that he had to send his son, Jesus Christ to be beaten, nailed to a cross and put into a grave. Even though we broke his heart, he loved us so much. He forgave us and when we ask him to forgive us, he forgives us and doesn't even remember our sin. Because he loves us so much, he can heal any broken heart. Listen, if we looked to him and worship him and not our hurt. This is important. If you want your broken heart mended, you have to learn to worship him and not your hurt.
James Greer: 11:51 Worship is the weapon of our warfare. In Revelation 1:1 is very important, the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's good to reveal Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, which is John, to show his servants, me and you, things which must shortly take place, it's going to happen. He sit and signified it by his angel to his servant, John. When you say John in the bible, if you read the new Testament, John is known as the beloved. When you say Jesus beloved, who is that? It was John, it was one of the disciples. They referred to him as the beloved. And then in Revelation 1:5-8 it says this, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn, from the dead to the ruler over the Kings on earth.
James Greer: 12:59 Who's the ruler over the Kings on earth? Jesus Christ. In spite of what's going on, Jesus is revealing to John. No matter what's going on in your life, John, no matter what you see is happening in the world, I am the ruler. To him who loved us, he washed away our sins in his blood. He said, you remember John, remember the world. I loved you enough that I died and I washed away the sin. I made us kings and priests to his God the father. In other words, when we accept Christ, we become priests. We can go straight to father, to him be the glory, dominion forever and ever. Amen. Then he says, behold, he is coming in the cloud. Jesus is coming. Every eye is going to see him and they who pierced him, and all the tribes on the earth, they're going to mourn because of him, even so. Amen.
James Greer: 13:47 Now listen, Jesus is aspiring John to write this. He said, John, remember this, I'm the alpha and I'm the Omega. I'm the beginning and I'm the end. No matter John, no matter what you see, no matter what you think, no matter what you're going through. I'm the beginning. I'm the end. I'm the one that has the final say, not what other people do, not what other people say. I'm the one. You say, well, no, no, it doesn't look like this is right. Jesus said, listen, John, I'm the beginning. I'm the end, sayeth who? The Lord. The Lord said, I'm the beginning and I am the end, who is, who was and who is coming, The God Almighty. He was trying to tell him, don't you understand who I am and who is, who's going to be? Then he goes on and said, I John, both your brother and companion in the what? John said, your brother and companion in tribulation. That's something I don't want. I don't want to be Jesus' brother in tribulation, but Jesus is revealing to him. And the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, and he was on the island, called isle of Patmos, for the word of the Lord and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
James Greer: 14:39 Okay. Now he's leading up and he was telling, this is who he was, this is what has happened. And now all of a sudden in verse 17, Jesus is going to finally appear to him. Before it says, an angel reveal these things to him. I'm the beginning. I'm the end. I'm the ones in charge. Now he said, and then I saw him and he fell. What? As he's dead. And he laid his right hand on him and he said to him, did you all know this is the third or fourth Sunday in a row that God had a word for me? And you know, he said, do not be what? Do you know every single Sunday for the last month, God said right in the middle that we didn't plan it. We couldn't have. God says, do not be what? So if you're here today, no matter what you're going through, God has a word for you. Guess what? Don't be afraid. You know why, I'm the first and the last he said, it's me. I'm the first and the last, I have the last word. I'm the one that lives and was dead. And behold, I'm now alive, evermore. Amen.
James Greer: 15:38 And guess what else he said, I'm the one that has the keys to hell and to death. Who holds the keys to death? Nobody else. Jesus does. So what you might not know. Why was John on the isle of Patmos? Why was he being tortured and exiled? Because of his faith in Jesus Christ. John had been out preaching the gospel. He had been telling him about Jesus Christ. He had been saying, you crucified the savior. You crucified the Messiah. He was doing what was right. So guess what they did? They tortured him. They put him in jail that they said, some said, what they really did is they took him and they put him in oil and they would raise the heat in the oil until it boiled and they would pull him out, where it pulled the flesh right off of him. Then many times they'd put him back in there and they raised him and pulled him back out. And so now that they had torn the flesh off and then they exiled him to the isle of Patmos. If anybody had a reason to be heartbroken, it would be John. If there was anybody that had a reason to say why Jesus, it was John.
James Greer: 16:28 John had been out preaching the gospel. He had been telling him about Jesus Christ. He had been saying, you crucified the savior. You crucified the Messiah. He was doing what was right. So guess what they did? They tortured him. They put him in jail that they said, some said, what they really did is they took him and they put him in oil and they would raise the heat in the oil until it boiled and they would pull him out, where it pulled the flesh right off of him. Then many times they'd put him back in there and they raised him and pulled him back out. And so now that they had torn the flesh off and then they exiled him to the isle of Patmos. If anybody had a reason to be heartbroken, it would be John. If there was anybody that had a reason to say why Jesus, it was John. If I was John, I would be saying, Jesus, you're the King of kings, the Lord of lords, let's go kill them suckers. Amen? I'm just saying if it was me. I'm in flesh. His flesh had been burned off. I would have been saying, heal me, take care of my body, bring me home. Instead, Jesus wanted him to understand that he was the King of Kings. He said, I want you to worship me. I want you to understand that in spite of everything has happened to you, everything that you think is going on in the world. I'm in control. I'm the one that has the keys to heaven and hell. I'm the one that has the keys to Hades and to death.
James Greer: 17:50 Worshiping Jesus is our greatest weapon and it's the only thing that brings victory in any and every situation. Even though Fred doesn't really realize what he was doing yesterday on Facebook. That was the best way he knew to worship God and give him the credit. He said because of the Lord, I have peace. Jesus was telling John, I'm the alpha and Omega. I'm the beginning and the end. I'm the one who is and was. I am the Almighty. He said, I'm in control. I've been in control. I'm the one who has the keys to heaven, hell and death. John, they thought they were in control, but now guess who's writing the book of Revelation? You, John. And when you get to heaven, John, you're going to understand. Until then, you've got to learn just to worship who I am.
James Greer: 18:26 Anybody can worship when everything's great, can't you? All the bills are paid, all the kids are happy. All the health is great. Easy to worship. If you're here today and your heartbroken it's real. If you're here today and you're sick it's real. If you're here today and you lost your job is real. If you're broke it's real, can I tell you something else? Jesus Christ is real. He's bigger than any problem, any hurt, and he wants you to worship him as King and kings. See what Jesus wants you to do. He wants you to, listen you all ready? He wants you to worship him when you're hurt and he wants you to worship him when you're happy. Amen? That's the real Jesus. That's what real worship's all about. If you want to go to a new level in your worship, you worship him when you're happy, and you worship when you're hurt, and that's a weapon of our warfare. Amen, brother James. That's the real truth.
James Greer: 19:52 Next, you might be here and be in captivity. He said, proclaim liberty those in captive. Prisoners of war. There's all kinds of prisoners of war. There's those people here that have never given their lives to Jesus Christ. You're a prisoner to war. There's those people that are here, they're prisoners to habits. We all have habits we'd like to get out of, we're prisoners, we're prisoners of war. And Jesus said, listen, I'm a freedom fighter. Jesus says your freedom fighter. We have something called CR on Thursday night. They're eternity, earthly helpers and you should be there.
James Greer: 20:26 Then he said that you might, you might be hearing you're blind. Recover sight to the blind. What a misunderstood verse that most people don't understand. You might be spiritually blind to the power and presence God in your life. Of what he can do and what he wants you to see.
James Greer: 20:48 Blind to what God's doing. You ready? Blind to what God's doing in you and through you. Blind to what's going on when you're going through tribulation that most never understand. I'm going to read Ephesians 3:9-13. I'm just going to give you a glimpse. Now what I'm telling you, what he's saying, he wanted the blind to see. Amen? He say now to make all see if you want you to see it was because prior to seeing you couldn't see. Amen? What the fellowship of the mystery. There's a mystery up until Jesus Christ came that we didn't understand. Which was from the beginning of the age, it had been hidden in God. God said there was something I've been planning, I've been working on all the time. You all didn't understand it. Now I want you to start see it. Who created all things through Jesus Christ? He said, you're blind. I'm going to start letting you see it.
James Greer: 21:42 He said, in the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities, listen, and the powers in the heavenly places. Do you all understand? When you read the principalities and the powers in heavenly places, it said there was something you didn't understand. I want you to see it, right? It was blind. It was always going on. Now I'm going to start revealing it through the principalities and the powers in heavenly places. That's real important that you understand that because now he is starting to say, there's something that's happening on earth and there's something that happens in heaven. When you see him saying that principalities and powers in heavenly places, he's talking about angels. What's going on in heaven. He said, what really is happening now.
James Greer: 22:38 He said, there's things happening on earth and things are happening in heavenly that has a heavenly purpose. Yes, they have an earthly purpose, but they have a heavenly purpose with an eternal purpose, that you won't understand until heaven. Principalities, and powers in heavenly places. It's talking about things that are about angels in war. If you read your devotion today, you'll see it's according to an eternal purpose which is accomplished in Jesus Christ. Everything, many times tribulations that are going on here on earth have both an earthly purpose and a heavenly purpose. You ready? Angels are learning and people on earth are learning. Ever since the beginning when Jesus threw Lucifer out, and we'll get to it later. There's been a learning process. God's always been in control, but God said, now I'm starting to reveal it now. It was a mystery in the past, so what's going on in heaven and heavenly places, principalities and power in heavenly places. That's talking about what's going on in heaven in whom you have boldness and access and confidence through faith.
James Greer: 24:01 Ephesians 2:6 says, and I raised up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. Wow. This is heavy. Stay with us. I know. When you get saved, you were raised up together and you're made to sit in heavenly places in Christ. That's in heaven. So, now I have a home in heaven and I have a home in earth all at the same time. Most never even heard that, but God says it is true. Amen? So, what we really want to do is get our heavenly spirit lined up with our earthly spirit because one day our body will catch up with our heavenly spirit. I know. Once we get saved, we have a place in heaven and we have a place on earth. So, we can boldly access Christ, now. God through Christ And the Holy spirit.
James Greer: 24:46 Then he sums it up and he says, therefore I asked that you don't lose heart. Uh, oh. He says, all this is going on. He said, there's really a lot going on in heaven. He said, you're never going to understand it. It's principalities and powers in heaven you can't understand down here on earth, I'm starting to try to reveal it to you, but there are as you don't lose heart just because you don't understand it. Don't lose heart at my tribulations many times is for you, which is your glory.
James Greer: 25:21 Woe! Do you all understand what Paul was saying? He was saying, my tribulation has a purpose. He said, the purposes in heaven, the purposes on earth, sometimes my tribulation is not just for me. He said, sometime my tribulation was for you. He said, for you, look at it. By tribulation for you, but it's always for God's glory. And said so when he's trying to say, my tribulation is always for God's glory, but sometimes it might have both a heavenly purpose and an earthly purpose, so don't lose heart.
James Greer: 25:56 Anyways. Fourth, you might need to be liberated from oppression. It said, let the liberty liberate those who are in oppression. I know what it is to be oppressed, depressed, and even in a mess, but I don't think God wants us to live there. Matthew 11:28 says, come unto me all labor and heavy laden and I'll give you rest. Fifth and last, I believe what God says when he says to proclaim this acceptable year. I think he means to us to proclaim it, to accept what he has for us. Not only just say it, but to claim it and proclaim it. In closing, I want to say this, you ready? Many of you have a broken heart and God wants to heal it.
James Greer: 26:49 He can forgive you and you need to forgive anybody else for whatever they've done. But listen, the only way you can really be healed and go forward after you've accepted Christ is to learn to worship him when you're hurting and when you're happy. Don't worship the hurt. There's only one to worship and that's Christ. Some of you need to come today and worship him. Some of you been in captivity and Jesus said, I want to begin to set you free. Some of you and captivity to your past. You don't live in your past. You confess your past and you look Forward to the future.
James Greer: 27:29 Some of you need spiritual insights, which, which God is trying to do to you right now. Some of you've been oppressed. Oppressed is not always the same as depressed. It's just like having a cloud around you. Sometimes you don't even understand it. Many times that's a spiritual cloud and today God is here to say, Hey, I want to to go in 2020 set free from your oppression. I want to you use you like I've never used you before. I want to use you to influence more people for Christ and you've ever been. In other words, listen for 2020 to be the greatest year you've ever had, you've got to get the focus off of you, and to put it on Christ. The main reason that people don't have the influence that God wants them to is their focus in on themselves. So, what Christ would have them to do. And some of you need to say, Hey God, fill me today because I'm really ready to follow you. Some of you need to claim it. God said this is acceptable year for you. This is going to be the greatest, greatest year that you've ever had. You need to see tribulation. Often is for others, not yourself. Sometimes it's for what's going on in heaven. Sometimes for what's going on here on earth. It's always to bring honor and glory to God. Would you stand. Let me pray with you and pray for you.
James Greer: 28:57 Hey God, your word, your timing's always perfect. I thank you for that. I pray for Fred and Ashley, their whole family. I pray for Tony and Janet and especially in all the others, especially them today. God, I went away yesterday not really understanding what's going on and woke up this morning and understanding it better than I ever have in my life. Understand this in your hands and most of we don't understand until we get in heaven. Also understand and you've got the final word. Not any doctor, not any person. I just thank you for that. God. I pray there's people here today maybe had broken hearts, but God in light of other things that have gone home today, they need to move on. They need to let God heal their broken hearts. They need to be thankful what God's done for them in their life. They need to let God wash away all their sins and their past. If they're here today and they're not sure that God is in their heart, they're not sure if they died, that they would go to heaven. Can I plead with them and tell them that it's the most important decision they would ever make? They don't know that they have a tomorrow. If God's called you to join this church, that you'd do that today. If you'd like to start off the new year and you hadn't followed through in public baptism, you'd like to do that. If you're here in your laden and heavy laden and you need to find rests that you'd come and let somebody just pray with you, whatever God's called you to do, I prayed you. Let him have his will his way in your life, and I pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.
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