January 09, 2011 Forward Motion Faith

As most of you know by now my daughter-in-laws uncle suffered a terrible heart attack this past week.  He is in very critical condition in Huntington, WV. He is an outstanding pastor and a great man of God.  I love this man dearly.  He is full of life and full of Jesus.  It doesn’t take but just a few minutes of being around him to know his love for the Lord Jesus Christ. We have had our intercessors praying and others from all over the nation are praying for him and his family. 

During our fast I am calling you to pray for him with intensity.  Pray aggressively.  Pray fervently.

I was preparing for my message for Sunday and was reviewing Acts 16.  You know the story.  Paul and Silas respond to the Macedonian call and wind up in prison for their obedience.  They sang a song at midnight and the doors were opened and they were released. The result was Mr. and Mrs. Jailor and all the little Jailors were saved. Great ending to a difficult journey that got there.

This is where I want to mix things up a bit.  The Lord spoke to me tonight about Natalie’s (my daughter-in-law) uncle.  His name is Paul Haskel (“Hack”) Farley.  When I was preparing my message the Holy Spirit showed me that after receiving his Macedonian vision (Acts 16) there were direct attacks on the success of that vision.  First, there was the demon possessed woman who followed Paul and Silas around proclaiming these men were men of the “most High God.” This was an attack on the Message.  This didn’t work.  Paul discerned the distracting move of the enemy – to sow seeds of discord, confusion, disillusionment in relationship to the message.  He cast the demon out of the woman.  This of course didn’t go over very well with those of the world.

When the attack on the message didn’t work – the enemy choreographed and attack on the messengers – Paul and Silas.  They were beaten and thrown in prison.  Not a good situation to be in.  Instead of reversing their efforts, backing up and quitting – these two men engaged forward motion faith.  They prayed and sang praises at midnight.  They probably sang the Psalms committed to memory.  No PowerPoint or songs off the wall in their world.  All they had was what they had in their heart.  After being beaten all they had was a song.  They were chained to a wall.  They couldn’t lift their hands.  They couldn’t dance.  But oh, they could sing.  I’m confident they didn’t sound like the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir after being severely beaten. The pain by the time they started to sing was at its peak.  But they sang praises and prayed.   They were probably off key.  They probably didn’t get pitch and tone exactly right.  No band to “strike up”.  No Hammond B-3 organ.  No orchestra.  They simply sang songs out of their heart.  They didn’t sing to be released they sang for the privilege of being there in the first place.  The doors to their prison were opened by praise.  Pure praise!

1 Peter 3:14

14        But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED.

There has risen in the land an ungodly theory that is being preached by parasitic wolves in sheeps clothing that one will never suffer for the gospel.  Nothing could be more false.  These so called “preachers” are no less than the woman who followed Paul and Silas.  Babbling parasites who need to be put in their place spiritually.  This false message is as confusing as she was with her reputation and being in agreement with Paul and Silas.  Bad stuff! 

We will suffer for the kingdom.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to discover this in scripture. 

See 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Act 5:40-41; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5; Romans 8:16-18;

2 Corinthians 1:5-9; 2 Timothy 1:11-12; 2:3; 2:8-13; 1 Peter 2:20; 3:14; 1 Peter 4:19.

The point the enemy wants us to miss is the one that motivated Paul and Silas with forward motion faith.  It was an honor to suffer for the kingdom of God.  They didn’t sing praises to “make something happen” – they sang praises because they were worthy of the suffering in a cold dark prison.  It is this attitude of the heart, this forward motion faith that God responded to with open doors.  The Lord didn’t open the doors because of their praise – He opened the door through their praise. 

I’m not sure Paul and Silas expected the doors to be opened.  They just wanted to praise God for the opportunity of suffering for the kingdom.  Haven’t heard this preached in a long time! 

My good friend Hack Farley is a privileged man in the eyes of the Great Healer.  We will sing songs and entertain the Lord Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Healer not to “make something” happen for Hack,  We will pray, fast and sing songs of praise because Hack was found worthy to suffer an attack of the enemy.  That means he is a prized warrior.  He is an anointed man of God.  He was found honorable in the Lord’s sight.  The enemy couldn’t stop the message Hack was preaching so he upped the stakes.   He attacked the messenger.

I honestly believe the church, through lifting up our voices, fasting, praying and singing songs of praise to the Lord can entertain God on Hack’s behalf.  Collective praise is collective spiritual authority that opens the heaven’s. 

I challenge my readers to join our fast.  Fast for reason and purpose.  My fasting is targeting this wonderful man of God.  My praise will be “forward motion praise” on his behalf.  I believe as God the Father, Abba Father receives our praise something will happen through our praise for Hack. 

Join me.  Put on the full armor of God and let’s go to battle for this anointed messenger.

Lord, we praise Your name in all the earth!  We ask you to accept our prayer, our humble request for this man of God.  Praise, honor, power and dominion be unto Your Name on his behalf.  We are humbled that our friend and fellow soldier of the cross has been found worthy to suffer for Your Name’s sake.  Just as You honored the prayers and praise of Paul and Silas we ask You to honor our prayers and our praise.  We approach you as instructed by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6.19-20.  We ask that You raise up “Hack” so he may continue to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.  Raise him up so he may proclaim the life-giving message of Christ with boldness out of his healing.  Raise him up in honor of his suffering.  In Your Mighty Name we pray – Amen.