Stop looking for the familiar

Isaiah 43:18-19 "FORGET the former things; do NOT dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

"I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

God is making a way. HE is making a road where it is impossible.

If we had never heard of the Red Sea part before God parted the Red Sea, many would have not had believed it. Prior to God parting the Red Sea through Moses, many or all who had left Egypt may not have believed it. But yet, even during Moses' generation, God was doing a new thing. HE fed manna from heaven. HE gave water from a traveling ROCK. HE fed millions meat as HE sent quail. Such things were new. We read it and because it has been written thousands of years ago, we can accept it.

People and Christians have more of a hard time believing in something new that is for the "Now." They can believe the past as it is written. But to actually have the faith to believe it in their time is a little more difficult.

"See, I am doing a new thing!"

As each generation reads the bible, there is something God will be doing "new!" What is this new thing for our generation. The bible says to actually "Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past."

This does not mean we should delete it from our memory. It means do not think that those previous path or way will be used again for the new generation. For example, in the past, man communicated through carriers, horses, ships, or they sent a man running to deliver messages. Then the telegraph was invented. First it was the Morse code. Then people were actually able to communicate through a wire.

Today, we have the cell phone. Should we continue to send a man running to deliver a message? Should we continue to use the Morse code? No, absolutely not! We don't need to dwell on those previous technologies. At that time, they were the new technologies. As we use the cell phone, should we yearn to see the old Morse code used? Should we yearn and expect a running man to deliver a message to us? No, today, we have email, UPS, FedEx, internet, Ecard, etc.

What if a third world country or some people in remote areas refuse to accept the new technology? What if they want to continue to use a running man to deliver messages? Then such culture or people will be stuck.

For each generation, we must have an open heart and mind to receive what "New Path or Way God will create in the wilderness." If we had never heard that a stream can appear in the wilderness, then we may not accept it if we are told it can be done. This means, when we hear of it, it will sound like a strange thing. It will not be an old thing. It will not be a comfortable thing to hear because we cannot associate with it. In fact, they may call it a cult. When Jesus walked the earth, although HE was to be recognizable and spoken about HIS coming, they still could not accept the new things HE did outside their "Box" of thinking. The Pharisees knew the written word but they could not understand it spiritually.

I cannot tell you the New thing God may have done before I was born or the generations before me. But in my lifetime, God has rescued me from religion and from denomination mentality and into the freedom of the Spirit.

"Where there is the Spirit of the Lord, there is Freedom."

If we have addictions, depression, discouragement, suicidal thoughts, extreme poverty, fights, death, robbery, etc, then how is the Spirit there and reigning? Then you are only in religion as an individual or group. So the question remains. Are we becoming Free from glory to glory because we have the Spirit of the Lord, or are we still walking in bondage and problems. This new path through the wilderness will be some kind of miracle. It will be some great testimony God is doing in your life. It is not a person pursuing conference to conference, church to church, people to people, seeking prayer for relief. Such people are but going in circles in their wilderness.

Jesus said HE had come to cast Holy Fire. In our Holy Fire Ministry, God has imparted to us a Holy Dance Gift. Is this a new thing? Perhaps or perhaps not but it is a new path for me. If God can move our tongue with the gift of tongue, then obviously, HE can move our bodies as we dance in the Spirit of the Lord. And there are many more things, I can testify of the "New Way" HE has created for me personally from the old man to NEW MAN.

May you find the New Path in your wilderness for this new year 2019.

Fire of God Church 
Pastor Steve

Joy comes when you achieve breakthrough

Psalm 51:9-12 “Hide my sins from your face; erase all my guilt by your saving grace. 10 Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you. 11 May you never reject me! May you never take from me your sacred Spirit!

Verse 12 
“Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say.”

Christians do not have true joy because JOY comes as we achieve and experience breakthroughs.

Breakthrough comes through full obedience.

Frustration, anxiety, fear, and anger comes through stubbornness and disobedience.

Discern the fruit you have been harvesting and humble yourselves to change this new year. I mean FULLY change. Humility through full submission. Whatever the Lord requires you to do, fully commit. Where ever the Lord requires you to go or move, fully commit.

You must be brought to full expression of LOVE

1 John 4:17 The Passion Translation (TPT)

17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world.

Think about these words. “All that Jesus is now, so are we in this world.” Why? So that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment.

This is not to say that even I am at this stage or state. Yes, we are in this state within the spiritual realm and God does see you spotless through the blood of Jesus.

But regardless, what is declared and known in heaven, is it correlating with you within the physical realm? Or are we hiding in sin, guilt, chaos, anxiety, and fear of judgment? The two realms must walk side by side. How you walk in the spiritual realm must match how you walk in the physical realm.

In the physical realm, do we walk as children of God or the children of the devil based on our action and what is hidden in our hearts? This is possible as Jesus called the Pharisees the children of the devil due to their behavior and action.

When we first get saved, why doesn’t God just take us to heaven? After all, we are then covered by the blood and cleansed? It would be so much easier.

It is to test us to see if our faith, commitment, and words are true and not false. It will be a life tested to see if your faith is genuine by living in God and not by this world. True faith must endure to the end. True faith will not crash on the last lap. True faith will not wither away.

If your Faith is genuine, as verse 17 states, “By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us.”

God’s love must be fully expressed in you and I. But only by the power of the Holy Spirit through real experiences with Him will you be cleansed and brought to this state. Otherwise, many will continue to wait in agony expecting their prayers to be answered. Their prayers are not answered because they are unwilling to make full commitments to God. Their lives must be a life sold out to God in complete surrender.

Many people have come to my church for prayer. God answers some and God doesn’t answer to many. God has healed some and HE has not healed many. Who will HE healed?

In Mark chapter 10, the rich man did not get what he wanted because Jesus told him to sell everything, give to the poor (means God), and most importantly, Jesus said then follow ME. But later in that chapter, Jesus healed the blind man because the blind man after being healed followed Him. God will heal and answer your prayers if you decide to truly follow Him. Will you go where He ask you to go? Or will you do what you desire staying in a safe comfortable place or position? Jesus came to challenge people. HE had come to bring division. HE had come to make you choose. Either you are with Him or against Him. There is no middle ground. The middle is the lukewarm who will be spit out.

Many Christians think they are following Jesus but do you have the courage to really ask God if you really are following Him as HE desires? Do you have the courage to receive an answer that you were not expecting? You must fully follow and not partially.

When Jesus walked the earth, those who really followed Him witnessed and experienced miracles with signs and wonders consistently. They experienced conviction. They experienced authority and anointing from glory to glory. They experienced who the Father was through Jesus. They experienced life. They experienced true joy and peace. They experienced resurrected life. This is what you will experience when you truly follow Jesus. People become stuck with lack of true experiences with Jesus because they have stop following Him.

Jesus said drink My Blood and eat My Flesh. Do you have the courage to go further and see what the Lord means? When HE said this words, scripture says they walked with Him NO more. Most of His people had abandoned Him. If you abandon Him, there will be no more miracles, power, signs, deliverance, or supernatural activities. You will only wander in agony from church to church asking for prayer. Such people want prayers answered without wanting to follow Him.

Ask the Lord to put salve on your eyes, turn to Him so He May remove your veil so that you may repent. Bear fruit of repentance is the command. Show that you have been saved!!

God bless you for the new coming year, 2019.

Pastor Steve Kim

Keep Sundays Holy - 4th commandment

Isaiah 58:13-14 TLB “IF you keep the Sabbath holy, not having your own fun and business on that day, but enjoying the Sabbath, speaking of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day, and honoring the Lord in what you do, NOT following your OWN desires and pleasure nor talking idly— 14 THEN the Lord will be your delight, and I will see to it that you ride high and get your full share of the blessings I promised to Jacob, your father. The Lord has spoken.

In the Old Testament, the 4th commandment was the seventh day. For our purposes and understanding, we view this as the Saturday since Sunday is referred to as the first day.

In the New Testament, we worship on Sunday because this is the new day of Rest known as the Lord’s Day rather than the Sabbath. We are to still keep it Holy. It is the eighth day. It is the third day the Lord Resurrected on (Sunday). The number 8 means “A New Beginning.”

In the Old Testament, the Jews spent all day on their seventh day in the synagogue. They worshipped and fellowshipped throughout the day as one body. It was not an one hour service like most religious churches. They have one or at best one and half hour service (date with God) and then the congregation is dismissed so they can go seek their own desires and fun.

People were stoned and killed for breaking the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given to man to Rest in Him. Even during Moses’ time when manna from heaven was given, God told His people to collect double portion on the sixth day and rest in Him on the seventh day. Resting was not defined as laying on a couch and watching TV all day long. Resting in Him is defined as worship, dancing, sermon, fellowship, joy, love, peace, etc in His Presence.

Even when God had commanded His people not to collect manna on the seventh day, some disobeyed and they were judged and killed for disobeying God.

Today, for Christians, the 4th commandment still applies and stands. We are to keep it Holy. What does this mean, “Holy.”

In the simplest form, Holy means set apart. Therefore on the Lord’s Day (Sunday’s ), we are to set it apart for God. We are not suppose to do what the world does. We are to be set apart from the world at least on the Lord’s Day to show we are His people. This means especially, we should not be conducting business in buying and selling. We should not be watching the modern gladiators (sports) for entertainment when we should be spending time with our Lord. Why don’t Christians shop on their work time rather than God’s time? Why don’t Christians watch sports on their work time rather than His time?

Now, there is context and grace. What if someone gets sick and we need to buy medicine? Yes, then go buy medicine. But do not buy things for your pleasure. The scripture above states do not do things for your own pleasure or desire on His Sabbath Day. Some Christians are police officers or in the medical field in which they are mandated to work on Sundays. There is grace for this but still we should pray to get Sundays off so we can fully honor the Lord. If you are able to keep Sundays Holy (set apart for Him), please do so with your best ability.

Many Christians do not have joy in God because simply they do not put God First. Scripture says when we choose to honor and put Him first, THEN (a promise) God said in verse 14, HE will be our delight and HE will give us our FULL blessing promised to our father Jacob.

Verse 14 also says that God will see to it that we ride on high. This promise is also in Deuteronomy chapter 28. What does ride on high mean? It means we will get our promotions at work. We will become the head (CEOs and owners). We will make more than the unbelievers. We will be healthy. We will receive authority. We will be a blessed nation. Others will see His Glory on us! The opposite is a Curse.

Basically, if we put God First, He will put us first.

Deuteronomy 28:1 TLB “If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world.”

Deuteronomy 28:13-14 “IF you will only listen and obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, HE will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall always have the upper hand. 14 But each of these blessings depends on your not turning aside in any way from the laws I have given you; and you must never worship other gods.

Dec 23, 2018 Sunday Christmas sermon

https://youtu.be/YyhyU6XGusI

Merry Christmas!!

The Cain syndrome - mama boy!

enesis 4:5-6 (AMPC) "But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?

Cain is first born of Adam and Eve. Because Cain is first birth of man kind and first baby of Adam and Eve. Like many parents and human families, Cain is severely spoiled as he is raised more than Able.

This is the revelation the Holy Spirit spoke and taught us during prayer. Cain was spoiled and basically a mama boy. He was a daddy boy. He was catered and overly treated well to the point where all things were basically handed to him on a "silver platter."

Cain made a bad offering because he did not spend time with God. He just received approval from parents and that was his food. In today's term, a spiritual Cain is one who has not read the bible (or knows little of the Bible), does not pray much (or has not prayed much of their Christian lives), and does not spend much time with God (or a sporadic church attender/fellowship/bouncing church to church).

The characteristics of a spoiled "mama boy/girl or daddy boy/girl" exhibits tantrum and disrespecting traits when one does not get their way. Physically, they can get exceedingly angry and indignant, looking sad and depressed. As they were raised, their demands were generally met by the parents. Self Pity and Anger go hand in hand with those who exhibit the Cain syndrome. They are the ones where mommy/daddy did everything for them and now as adults, they really do not know how to handle responsibility or to function.

God asked Cain, "why do you look angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?"

Cain did not get his way. Cain did not get God's approval. Cain was not first between his brother when it came to the offering to God. Cain was always seeking approval since mom and dad had always exalted him as he grew up.

The Cain syndrome live their lives on impulse. Impulse is defined as "a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act." It is without thought or wisdom but emotion and instant gratification. Esau was impulsive. In fact, Esau was also first born and overly favored to the point of being spoiled. Without thinking of consequences, he sold his birthright for instant gratification.

Do you show the characteristics of Cain? Always seeking approval of people? Getting angry and having a tantrum because you are not getting your way? Looking self pity and sad to get attention? Looking self pity to manipulate people?Then it's time to grow up and get out of it or else like Cain, you will manipulate to stumble your "Able" brothers who are getting favored by God. Then you will just spiritually wonder in circles having tantrums as you live your life clinging onto people rather than clinging on to God.

Pastor Steve Kim

What is the Will of God for you?

John 6:26 tpt “Jesus replied, “Let me make this very clear, you came looking for me because I fed you by a miracle, not because you believe in me.”

The previous day, Jesus had just fed 5,000 men and with women and children included, about 20,0000 people all together got fed. After the feeding miracle, Jesus actually had to slip away for the people were looking to make Him their king. But don’t we want Jesus to be our king? Why did HE slip away?

There is a question Jesus poses onto His people after performing this miracle and this question still resonates for you and I. Why are we really following Jesus?

In verse 26, Jesus said to the multitude, that they were following Him because HE fed them by a miracle and not because they believed in Him. Even in our church, many had come and will come because they will hear or have heard of signs, wonders, and miracles. They want to be fed by a miracle. People may be coming to church desiring miracles to feed their distraught lives rather than coming to know Him through Full surrender. Does this mean that we can actually experience a miracle and not be “believing” in Him? After all, Jesus said to the people that they looked for Him not because they “believed” but because they were fed by a miracle.

When Jesus addressed this concern, although HE gave them a miracle, HE said HE was ready to give what mattered most. Most people come to church or to Jesus wanting something. But do we want something from Him or do we really want Him.

Jesus was ready to give them of Himself. But the people did not listen. They were one tracked minded. Rather than seeing the purpose of the miracle, the people asked a question that is self centered rather than surrendered.

John 6:28 tpt “They replied, “So what should we do if we want to do God’s work?”
“So what should we do if we want to do God’s works?”

Jesus had corrected them but rather than asking what they should do to “Believe” properly, they asked a question of what they should do to do God’s work. They didn’t ask the question of what they should do to properly believe because they all thought they believed in God and their definition of belief was sufficient.

I have witnessed many Christians say a very common term with their emotional passion.
They say, “I just want to do the Will or work for God. I will do whatever God wants!”

Most of the time, they do not realize they are not even believing in God properly. They do not see all their bad fruit and curses in their lives to realize they are not believing properly. Even in midst of spiritual and physical hunger, they still first seek God’s miracle to be fed physically. To be fed physically is to have your physical problems resolved but until we properly believe in Jesus, we will still go hungry. As a Christian, there will still be no peace, no joy, no rest, and no perfect love to cast your fear away if you are only following to be fed through a miracle rather than to feed of Him.

John 6:29-30 Jesus answered, “The work you can do for God starts with believing in the One he has sent.” They replied, “Show us a miracle so we can see it, and then we’ll believe in you. “
When Jesus tried to teach them properly, they rejected His teaching and demanded to be shown a miracle to test Him.

They didn’t really want to believe. True believing in the Lord requires full surrender. People generally do not want to fully surrender to the Lord. Wanting to see a sign or miracle showed that they only wanted to use God for their own self centered interests. They wanted to do His works out of their pride.

When the Lord did not show them a miracle but told them they had to eat His flesh and drink His Blood, scripture says, they disassociated themselves from Him. This is what many Christians do, they do not get what they want from God and therefore they walk away from Him. Many Christians think just because they think about God in their heads, they have not walked away from Him. When we are not surrendering, we may be walking away from Him.

“Those who are not with Me are against Me. Those who do not gather, scatter.”
HE said to eat My flesh and drink My Blood to have external life. Our basic core foundation should be Word, Prayer, and Worship. This is to feed of Him. We must first come to know Him to have eternal life. Then all those things will be added onto us.

Pastor Steve Kim