---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 2/2/2012 8:44:32 AM
Subject: Himself
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
In the late 1800’s A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church gave a timeless message titled “Himself”. Often I find myself at the truth this message so potently brings forth; the preeminence of knowing Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). In italics are some excerpts from A.B.’s message and then some of my perspective.
“I often hear people say, "I wish I could get hold of Divine Healing, but I cannot." Sometimes they say, "I have got it." If I ask them, "What have you got?" the answer is sometimes, "I have got the blessing", sometimes it is, "I have got the theory"; sometimes it is, "I have got the healing"; sometimes, "I have got the sanctification." But I thank God we have been taught that it is not the blessing, it is not the healing, it is not the sanctification, it is not the thing, it is not the it that you want, but it is something better. It is "the Christ"; it is Himself.”
“I once saw a picture of the Constitution of the United States, very skillfully engraved in copper plate, so that when you looked at it closely it was nothing more than a piece of writing, but when you looked at it at a distance, it was the face of George Washington. The face shone out in the shading of the letters at a little distance, and I saw the person, not the words, nor the ideas; and I thought, "'That is the way to look at the Scriptures and understand the thoughts of God, to see in them the face of love, shining through and through; not ideas, nor doctrines, but Jesus Himself as the Life and Source and sustaining Presence of all our life."
I have experienced a season of pruning and refining in terms of doctrine, theology and understanding of the Scriptures. I asked for it because I came to see again what I thought I knew meant nothing. It is whose I am and who I know that counts most. I told God all my thoughts, beliefs and understandings, even the most fundamental and orthodox that hinder me from truly knowing Him were fair game (1 Cor. 13:11-12).
“There came a time when there was a little thing between me and Christ. I express it by a little conversation with a friend who said, "You were healed by faith." "Oh, no," I said, "I was healed by Christ." What is the difference? There is a great difference. There came a time when even faith seemed to come between me and Jesus. I thought I should have to work up the faith, so I labored to get the faith. At last I thought I had it; that if I put my whole weight upon it, it would hold.”
A.B. had a preoccupation with his faith. He believed that if only he the right kind of faith he would receive his healing. He realized the real hindrance was his focus on his faith! The more we focus on faith, the more faith slips away. It is so true. The more we exalt anything above Christ and Him crucified the more we lose those things. If I exalt ministry, money, things of this world, dreams, visions, doctrine, theology, revelations or even anointing above Him I slowly lose them. It is only in Him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 1/26/2012 9:50:00 AM
Subject: Knowing God
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Awhile back a friend asked me a question. “How do you relate to God? How do you know God?” That is a great question and it is not that easy to answer, but there is good news; Jesus revealed how He related to and knew God. He had the ultimate relationship with the Father. And He has blessed us with the opportunity to have a relationship with the Father just as He had (John 14:6-8, John 17:20-26).
Jesus knew He was the Father’s beloved Son in whom He was well pleased (Mark 1:9-11). That was the foundation on which His life and relationship with the Father was built. This meant not only He was loved, but also He had His Father’s favor (Luke 2:52). The Father liked Him, enjoyed Him and took pleasure in Jesus regardless of what He was doing or not doing. This gave Him legitimacy and security in Himself and everything He did.
Because of this, it was not an issue that He was misunderstood, disliked or even opposed. The rejection or acceptance of men were not the motivating factors in Jesus’s life. Jesus knew what the Father wanted Him to do and He did it. There was never an issue of hearing God’s voice and knowing His will in Jesus’s life. Hearing God and knowing His will are fruits of relationship with the Father (John 5:20).
Jesus knew the Father had prepared Him for whatever life threw His way. He had gone through 30 years under the Father’s watchful eye. He experienced times of sorrow, loss, pain, pleasure, plenty, injustices, rejection, loneliness and acceptance, like we all do. And regardless of what happened Jesus experienced the Father being with Him and getting Him through the moment. We may never understand everything that happens on this earth, but we can come to a place of peace. Jesus offers us peace (John 14:27). A peaceful heart is a fruit of relationship with Him.
Jesus had a remarkable sense of timing coupled with passion. At 12 years old He was pursuing doing the Father’s business! Yet, He was also willing to wait 18 more years for the Father’s timing! Jesus knew His Father’s timing was perfect and although zeal for the Father’s House was consuming it did not overwhelm Him (John 2:17). He had grace to wait, not lose the passion or attempt to fulfill the passion on His own. Apart from closeness with the Lord we stumble all over timing and passion issues.
Jesus saw life from the Father’s eyes. He had a heavenly perspective about His life and the people around Him. Jesus kept the big picture in mind, always. How many people swore allegiance to Jesus, but in the end were part of the mob that wanted Him crucified? How many of the 12 deserted Him, yet He never deserted them and in the end look at what they did. Jesus never stumbled over people, events, the past, present or future because He saw it all from the Father’s eyes. We will be deceived over and over by everything going on in this world unless we gain heaven’s perspective. And heaven’s perspective is just another fruit of relationship with Him.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 1/19/2012 8:44:06 AM
Subject: Diamonds
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
In a dream, I was in my bed at home asleep. I woke up (in the dream) and discovered a very large diamond in my bed. The diamond was so large that I thought no one would believe it was real.
To me, diamonds speak of knowing the Lord on a personal level. You know the saying, “Diamonds are a girls best friend.” In this case, the girl is the church and the best friend is the Lord, Himself.
As a young believer, I experienced a very crushing and tragic season in my life. I was in a very dark place. In that place God spoke to me and told me His face had many sides to it like a diamond and I should spend my life getting to know Him as He chose to reveal Himself to me.
Up until that time, I only knew the Lord through others and when He began to reveal Himself in a different way than what I was taught, my theology about God crumbled. I really did not know the Lord personally; I had a theology about God, but not an experience with God. But that night everything changed and my life’s greatest quest became to truly know Him.
Looking back over my life since that time I have stayed true to the quest most of the time. The thing that amazes me is the further I walk with God, the more I realize how little I truly know Him. I believe that was why the diamond was so large. There is so much more to who God is than any of us can ever fathom. Yet, we know Moses knew God like a friend and John the Beloved had a very close relationship with the Lord. So we can be close to Him.
My heart is not necessarily to tell you how to have a relationship with the Lord, but rather to encourage you toward Him. I have learned a few things that have helped me over the years with my relationship with the Lord that you may find helpful.
First, you have to believe that God is available. He earnestly desires to have a relationship with you. God loves you and cares about you deeply. He is pleased with you. You have to believe that and continue believing regardless of what is happening in your life. Practically, that is what drawing near to God looks like. As you simply believe His goodness and love toward you, regardless of your circumstances and feelings about yourself, God will draw near to you.
Next, you must know there are enemies to face that we need to be careful about. If we are truly to have closeness with God it means we will have to keep our distance from some other stuff. “Demas hath forsaken me,” wrote the apostle Paul, “having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). We can’t be in love with the world system and what the world offers and have a love relationship with God. God highly values fidelity. He is a jealous God.
And there is religion. Religion may be the worst enemy to relationship with God because it seduces you into believing you are close or far from God based on a code of conduct or rules. Religion removes the experience with the Lord and without the experience there is no relationship.
As the Amplified Bible brings out in Romans 1:28, God is truly worth knowing. He really is.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 1/12/2012 9:20:31 AM
Subject: Revive Us Again
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Bob Jones encouraged us to pay attention during Hanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, as God may reveal something to us. On the evening of Dec. 22 I asked the Lord to speak to me in a dream and He did! He spoke to me about my spiritual roots and DNA.
In the first part of the dream I was in Wales in what seemed to be a cave and heard a voice directing me to go to the mouth of the cave. As I emerged from the cave I was in a wide-open space in a dark part of the day. There was a wind blowing, although it was like a mighty wind it was gentle, having no effect on me physically. I knew it was the breath of God. As the wind blew across my body I could feel my spiritual roots and DNA coming alive in me. I was experiencing an awakening.
In the beginning of my Christian life I was part of a church, Lamb’s Chapel, whose spiritual influence came from men who had spiritual roots in the Welsh Revival. The spiritual DNA those men carried was imparted to us, became our spiritual DNA and set the course of our lives. It is who we are spiritually. We did not choose it, we were chosen for it.
According to Wikipedia, “The Welsh Revival (1904–1905) was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. While by no means the best known of revivals, it was one of the most dramatic in terms of its effect on the population, and it had repercussions that reached far beyond the Welsh border, triggering a series of revivals in other countries.” One example is the Azusa St. Revival in the United States.
Some of the defining characteristics of the Welsh Revival were:
· A Revival of Young People
· A Revival of Worship
· A Revival of Prayer
· A Revival of Evangelism
· A Revival of Personal Experience
Those characteristics sure seem to describe who we are as a people. And we are desperate for revival in our nation. I read a quote by Bill Johnson recently that pretty much sums it up. “When there is revival, hell is plundered and heaven is populated. When there is no revival hell is populated…period.”
A dictionary definition of revival is an improvement in the condition and strength of something. That something would be us, our families, church, ministries and nation. We all can go for that.
Lord, let this be the year that we experience revival!
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 1/5/2012 9:02:24 AM
Subject: Take The Initiative
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Jesus Christ makes all things new! He is into renewal. He is the ultimate alpha. Because of this, I am excited about 2012 in spite of all the forecast of continued and increased trouble. One of my personal mantras is, “I will go on to dreams, visions and revelations of the Lord.” And it has made a huge difference in my life. It enables me to live from vision versus living from memory. It is a very renewing way to live.
One of my dreams for this year is to grow as a co-laborer with Christ. Here is how I plan to make this dream come true.
First, Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. This is fundamental to co-laboring. I am going to continually commit to the development of my spiritual senses in order to see and hear spiritually at a higher and more accurate level. I also need to develop more skill at interpretation and application of what I am seeing and hearing. This will not happen if I do not give it priority, time and space in my daily life. The picture I have for this is Psalm 1:2-3. We plant ourselves in His presence and we will prosper spiritually.
The other thing is the really challenging part. It says the person who is planted in His presence will be prospered in his doing. I need to cultivate the art of taking more grace inspired initiative to do the work of the Lord that I was created for.
There is a conversation that took place at a wedding in John 2:1-5 that illustrates this. It went something like this. Mary: They have run out of wine. Jesus: Woman, why are you telling me this? My time to act has not yet come. Mary (to the waiters): Do whatever He tells you. And Jesus turns the water into wine. How many of us would have responded like Mary? Most of us would have likely said “okay” and waited for His time.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in waiting on the Lord. Waiting is a part of walking with God. God does not give us every answer, nor does He always commit to us the outcome. As followers of Christ, we must learn the graceful art of waiting, but what would have happened if Mary decided to wait in this instance? Maybe nothing. Maybe the wedding guest would have gone home early and Jesus’ first miracle would have to wait for another day.
If Jesus’ time to act had not yet come when Mary first approached Him either it came in the next few moments or Mary reached into the future, into the time of fulfillment of promises concerning Jesus and brought it into the moment. Either way, Mary took the initiative and wound up being a key part of the miracle.
There is no wisdom in taking the initiative to do the work of the Lord if you have not invested in knowing the Lord, for apart from the Lord we can do nothing. But the people that do know the Lord will be strong and do some mighty exploits (Dan. 11:32).
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 12/29/2011 9:00:24 AM
Subject: Endings
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Another year comes to an end, but that is not the only ending going on right now. We are in a time where it seems many things are coming to an end. And let’s face it; ending is not always easy even when we desire it.
I have discovered along the way that ending is just as much a part of change as a new beginning. For just about any change or transition that comes our way, there are endings and beginnings associated with it. To be successful in any arena of life depends a lot on how we handle endings.
I have seen a many good beginnings ruined by a bad ending. I have seen marriages begin with a courtship of love only to end bitter in divorce. I have seen businesses begin with the promise of success and end in bankruptcy. I have seen churches, ministries, missions and even revivals begin with a bang only to end in let down. A bad ending will ruin an otherwise great movie.
I have learned the hard way whether it’s a relatively easy change, or a more complex one such as a career change, death of a loved one or a failed relationship to always seek to end well. At the end of every year I try to tie up any loose ends that may be lingering before getting too far into the next year. And it is my aim to do this in every change I experience in life’s journey.
What comes to my mind about ending is Jesus. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and end. He has no beginning or end because He is the beginning and end. In a sense, to experience an end is to experience the Lord Himself. So times of ending can be as powerful and life altering as times of beginnings.
One of the only things that we do on this earth that is truly an end in itself is worship. So worship at its purest is experiencing Jesus. I don’t think worship should be pursued as a means to achieving something other than worship. Worship is never a step on our way up to any other experience. It is not a door through which we pass to get anywhere. It is not the opening act; it is the main and final act.
This does not mean that we should wait until all our motives are perfect and pure. If that were so there would be very little worship on earth. Go ahead and worship and let God deal with the motives.
Nor does that mean we do not achieve or experience something other than worship. We certainly will. There are by-products from worship such as healing, miracles, visions, breakthroughs and so on. God is a generous God and loves to share His pleasures with us.
Worship is the perfect ending.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 12/22/2011 8:35:54 AM
Subject: Glory In A Barn
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
This is a story about three barns.
The first barn was the birthplace of the Lord Jesus. There are questions as to the exact features or type of this barn, but we do know it was a place where livestock were housed and cared for.
The second barn was located on 306 Azusa St. in Los Angeles, California. In 1906, it was the birthplace of the Pentecostal Movement and of a spiritual renewal that went around the world. This barn had originally been used as an African Methodist Episcopal Church. It had fallen into disrepair and had become a stable to house hay and livestock. It was 40’ x 60’ with two levels. The bottom level where the revival was held had a dirt floor. It was called the tumble down shack.
The third barn is one I visited in a dream. A few days ago Becky and I were at South Park Mall, which is undoubtedly the most prestigious and upscale mall in the Charlotte area. I decided to take a nap in one of the sitting areas while Becky shopped. I dreamed I had been asked to come to a meeting that was being held in a barn. There was a very unusual move of God going on in this barn. There was a visible manifestation of the glory of God that would compare to the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. I was asked to come and help facilitate the move of God.
Suddenly Becky woke me up. I was very disoriented going from the glory of God in a barn to South Park Mall. It was quite a contrast. I was so disoriented I could not remember what I was dreaming, but I knew it was profound and had not left my spirit.
That night I went back into the dream and picked up where I left off. Suddenly a round ball of fire that looked much like the sun came into the barn. It was visible, frightening and then it exploded and glowing fragments and rays of light went everywhere. One of the fragments hit me and woke me up. Then I remembered the entire dream.
Apart from the glory one other thing stands out to me, the people in the barn. It was people who did not make it in the church world mostly because of their own faults and issues. It was the rejects, social nobodies and the poor. It was those who loved the Lord, but rejected the church. Except for the poor, those would be the last people that I would think God would visit, but He did and He always will.
He visited this type of people when Jesus was born. It was the shepherds; rough, poor, blue-collar nobodies in a field that the angels told first about the Christ!
He visited this type of people at Azusa St. A one eyed child of former slaves named William Seymour led the revival. Its adherents came not from the ranks of the privileged, but from the powerless, mainly the poor, immigrants and prostitutes.
The first time Bob Jones walked into our church, he looked around and said, “This place is like a barn”. I had no clue what he was talking about and didn’t care for the analogy, but now I do. I just hope we have stayed like a barn.
The barns are a reminder to not become so blessed and successful or to put it in barn language, be so high and mighty that we stop being a barn in our heart.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 12/15/2011 9:21:05 AM
Subject: A Joseph People
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Back in the 1970’s our pastor, Harry Bizzell, told us we were a Joseph people and I believed him. And I believe it now more than ever. Unfortunately, I did not understand what I was signing up for in those days.
“God sent a man before them – Joseph – who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters. He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” Psalm 105:17-19.
If you have a real dream, a real prophetic word or promise over your life, then it is likely you will experience the exact opposite before you see the fulfillment. As hard as this can be to swallow it is the picture Scripture consistently paints. God’s promises are central in the testing and preparation for our destiny.
Joseph’s life reveals what hinders all of us the most- self-focus, self-consciousness, self-centeredness, self-preservation, self-exaltation, self-awareness, self-pity, self-deprecation, self-loathing and on and on; but no matter how you phrase it, our core problem is I, I, I.
Joseph’s brothers did bow down to him as he dreamed, but that was not what the dream was about. It was about Joseph saving them. God’s dreams will bring you the best times of your life and satisfy your heart beyond what you imagined, but that is the by-product. God’s dreams are an extension of His heart. They reflect His heart, nature and desires. God’s dreams are ultimately not about the dreamer.
We will never know what it is like to live the dream in fullness until we get over ourselves. We can partially live our dreams, but who wants to settle for a measure when you can have an overflow? In Joseph’s life here is what measure looked like – being a slave managing his owner’s business while trying to avoid his unfaithful wife’s seductions. Or being an inmate/assistant warden of a dark, damp and nasty prison.
There are three pairs of dreams that are central in Joseph’s story. Joseph’s words in response to the dreams are revealing. It went from a self-focused attitude to a mixture of self and care for others and finally before Pharaoh Joseph said, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Joseph had finally gotten over himself.
God is faithful, He made Joseph’s life beautiful in it’s time (Eccl. 3:11) as He will with all of us if we let Him. God does have a time for each of us. We can’t dictate the time, but we can delay it and maybe we can hasten it . Time is like an usher, it will escort you into the right place at the right moment before the right people. When it is your time things will happen in your favor outside the realm of your ability, control or plans. You will succeed where you failed and your past will bow down and serve you.
So many have gone through a prolonged season of sifting and testing, but the time is drawing near for them to come forth broken, poor in spirit and set apart to the Lord and His purposes.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 12/8/2011 8:19:50 AM
Subject: Becoming The Dream Part Three
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
In some ways the clothes we wear are communicating something. Beside the basic function of covering and protection, what we wear can define and describe some of who and what we are or desire to be. If you think about it, clothing plays a prominent role all through the Scriptures starting with the fig leaves in the garden.
In the story of Joseph, clothing takes on a significant role in Joseph’s identity and destiny. In every change of position or relationship that Joseph experienced there was a corresponding change in his clothing.
It began when his father, Jacob gave Joseph a special garment, a coat of many colors. The coat communicated that Joseph was the most favored son; a position not necessarily deserved or earned and because of this and Joseph’s immature spoiled attitude, his brothers despised him. At an opportune time they threw him into a pit and took his coat and soaked it in blood so Jacob would think wild animals had killed him.
From there Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt, but again rose to prominence, this time in the house of his owner. It was because of the blessings and favor of God.
While running his owner’s business the owner’s wife relentlessly tried to seduce him. One day she grabbed hold of Joseph by his clothing and he ran away with his clothes left in her hand. Scorned she accused Joseph of attempted rape and he was thrown into prison. So Joseph was stripped a second time of his position and identity.
While in prison, and for a third time, Joseph rises to the top and becomes the assistant warden. This time, it was because of God’s favor and the skills he learned while managing his former owner’s business. But this time something different happened. Up to this point, Joseph had lost his clothing in a downward spiral from most favored son to inmate. Now, however, he acquired clothing in a sudden meteoric rise to prime minister of Egypt.
What does this tell us? Although Joseph had not earned it, he was the favored son. That is the beginning point for all us, our foundational identity. That was true in Jesus’ experience and is a must for ours (Mark 1:11). All future identities, positions and destiny rest upon the revelation that we are loved and well pleasing sons.
It tells us in God’s economy the future, not our past, impacts the present. Joseph did not allow his past failures, identity as a slave or inmate keep him from his true identity and destiny. God prophetically reveals the future to us, like He did in Joseph’s dream and then we begin the process of developing into whom and what the Father spoke over us.
Finally, it tells us that favor is not always good circumstances, but with favor we can rise above the circumstances. I think a lot of folks get stuck and never fulfill their destiny, not because of a lack of favor, but bad responses to adverse circumstances.
If we will cooperate, God will work in our present circumstance to prepare us for the future He has designed. He will use every challenge, failure and disappointment to shape us for what is to come. There is no waste in God’s kingdom.
Many Blessings, BW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Byron Wicker
To: People Who Keep Company with God
Date: 12/1/2011 8:33:43 AM
Subject: Becoming The Dream Part Two
Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Joseph had two dreams that prophetically revealed his future destiny. One was to rule over Egypt, which was the one with the sun, moon and stars as they represent the gods of Egypt. The other dream had to do with relationships (Gen. 37:2-11).
Scripture testifies to the fact that relationships are key to success or failure in one’s life. You can have tremendous calling, potential, skill, education and even anointing, but if you fail in relationships you will experience much heartache and failure in your life.
It is obvious Joseph had favor from God and Jacob, but it is also clear that early on he failed in his relationships with his brothers. You have to think that somewhere along the line, perhaps the day his brothers threw him into the pit, it dawned on Joseph that relationships could make or break you. Joseph had to learn the high value that God places on human relationships otherwise he would never fully enter into his destiny.
One day Joseph was working and his master’s wife attempted to seduce him. Joseph did not want to dishonor the Lord or his earthly master. In other words, Joseph understood the value of relationship with those whom God had placed in his life and proper relational boundaries. In choosing to form and maintain the right relationships and not violate relational boundaries he was misunderstood, falsely accused, and finally, imprisoned. In setting relational boundaries it may cost you up front, but over the long haul you will reap tremendous benefits, like seeing your dreams come true.
The way we treat people in general also has significant influence on our destiny. One day while Joseph was occupied with his duties in the prison he noticed two of the inmates were sad. He could have ignored them; after all, they were inmates going nowhere and who wouldn’t be sad in prison? But Joseph had learned to care about other human beings.
Because of this incident Joseph had the opportunity to interpret the dreams that were troubling the men. And it was because of the interpretation of the dreams, the butler, who was later freed, remembered Joseph when Pharaoh had dreams. Imagine what would have happened if Joseph would have ignored these men. You never know whom God has sent into your life. They could be the very people who will open the right doors for you down the road.
You cannot promote yourself alone; you need favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Joseph learned the value of healthy relational dynamics and was promoted into his destiny. And later it kept him in his destiny when he faced the brothers who so cruelly mistreated and rejected him. Healthy relationships, proper boundaries in all relationships and simple care about other human beings are basic to success in life and fulfillment of destiny.
Many Blessings, BW