May 8th 2013

Matthew 22: 36 - 40 
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Vs 37. Jesus said to him, "You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, (or strength). Vs 38. "This is the first and great commandment. Vs. 39. "And the second is like it : "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Vs. 40. "On these two hang all the Law and the Prophets." 

We all know that God has an order to everything He has created. He has set seasons and times according to His patterns. Everything in creation was patterned after the priorities of sequence that was most highly valued by Him. Many have called it "the law of first mention." Watch what God does first or says first and that becomes a DNA pattern throughout the Bible. 

When our priorities are aligned correctly with God's priorities, we have peace in our lives. We may have opposition on the outside, but when we are governing our lives according to the graces put within us, as well as His healthy priorities being enforced, nothing can stop our growth or forward advancement in life! 

It is very important to note in the scripture above, that Jesus prescribes a priority of first and second in what is the "great commandment " of love established by God. Many of us in this fast paced culture do not take the time to establish healthy priorities in our lives, but by default allow everything around us to dictate what comes first and second! When this happens, a door is open to the enemy to bring chaos into our lives. 

What is a priority and why is it so important? - 

A priority is a precedence, especially by order of importance. Something deserving prior attention. It is a boundary defining the order of importance. A boundary is something that defines a border or limit. One of the first things God did in the beginning was establish a boundary for mankind. 

Gen. 2: 16 - " of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; vs 17 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." 

Satan came immediately to discredit The Lord's purpose for mankind's boundary. Healthy priorities and boundaries actually keep the enemy out of our lives. God's priorities and boundaries are actually a wall of protection for us and they are meant to be a limit to the enemy! Satan twisted and distorted the character of God, and redefined those boundaries to be a limit to mankind! 

The Lord unveiled these truths to me at a difficult time in our ministry. In the beginning of ministry there was a supernatural grace and flow of the Holy Spirit, as we focused on the vision to Worship The Lord, and teach others how to as well. The focus was "ministering to The Lord," first and foremost, and then ministering to the people. Very slowly and subtly the order and focus began to shift. Ministering to and focusing on meeting the needs of the people began to supersede loving God first. It was hard to detect at first because ministering to God's people is good, and it's what we are called to do. 

Satan's game plan- 

God does not want us ignorant of Satan's devices. If he can't get us sinning, he endeavors to get us out of order! A good thing in a wrong place and time can be destructive! Why? Because God blesses along lines of authority, and lines of priority! When our lives get out of order, it not only shuts the door to the blessings of God, but opens the door for the enemy to confuse and manipulate. Satan has no right to touch God's blood bought children, unless they knowingly or unknowingly open a door to him. Staying within our grace place is a boundary that keeps the door shut to the enemy. Staying within our calling, and the priorities established for marriage and family, all keep the enemy out. 

After seeking The Lord as to why it seemed the anointing was receding in our ministry, the answer was simple but profound. We had inverted God's priority of loving Him first, and people second. With this inversion came an open door for many to come through our doors with less than pure motives for God and our calling as a church! It also went undetected, because we were doing "good things" for the community in the name of God? Many a good ministry has bitten this bait of Satan, which is cloaked in scripture and great intentions, only to find themselves on an ash heap down the road! 

Thankfully, if we ask God for wisdom, He always gives it to us liberally. We, however, need to be brave enough to hear His truth, and submit to His correction. God never condemns our lack of knowledge. He is ever ready to give us whatever we need when things are just not clear! We just have to ask, and ask in faith knowing He always answers us! We then need patience in waiting for God's timing in bringing the answer from heaven, into the realm of time on earth! 

When we stay close to the heart beat of God by putting intimacy with Him first place, He will keep us from stepping on the unseen land mines of the enemy!

Nugget from The Lord - An inverted priority, is a perverted (twisted) priority!