November 9, 2009
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Get out of the River by Pastor Ernest Fink
We were blessed to have Pastor Ernest Fink speak at King’s Fire in Lake Katrine. Pastor Fink spoke some one line wonders that I have placed in all caps. Some statements are so incredible that they are well worth noting. His whole message is well worth hearing – for he has shared truths so valuable for these end times.
2 Chronicles 20:20c Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.
Pastor Fink spoke about how he needed to learn how to fight like a Christian. He met his wife when she was 15, she prevailed over him, and they have been married for 39 years.
He told us that FAITH WITHOUT EXPRESSION ISN’T FAITH.
God is a family man, and we need to be tougher sheep – Lambos (rhymes with Rambo).
The river is refreshing and many love to be in the river, but we need to be harvesting the minerals from the river and all the good stuff in the river and taking it out into the world.
When Pastor Fink was younger he met Jesus, but from the age of 16-20 he spent some time doing what he calls “stupid.” This gave him a testimony, and fortunately for him there was a person in his life who kept praying for him and helping him to come back to the Lord.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HELL IF WE DO NOTHING. The Gospel is about people. Pastor Fink praised God for those who prayed for him when he was in rebelion. When he was 17 years old a friend of the family cornered him in the kitchen and spoke with him. This man had prostrate cancer, but God would later miraculously heal him. This man told Pastor Fink that God had a call on his life. The man’s words were like deep calling to deep in Pastor Fink’s life.
There is a difference between Facts and Truth. The facts were this man had cancer, the truth was that Jesus died for us 2000 years ago and the man was healed. We need to believe the truth, not look at the outward facts of our circumstances. This person who spoke into Pastor Fink’s life was miraculously healed.
We can get into a dangerous place if we are not careful what we hunger for. YOU HUNGER FOR WHATEVER YOU FEED ON.
There is nothing like the Church when it works.
There is nothing like the Church when it doesn’t work.It is good to spend time in the River, but we need to get out of the River. Often we use our reasoning to make excuses for why we are not doing what God has called us to do. We need to discern the difference between good and evil, and the Bible will help us to do that.
The Spirit of God speaks mysteries to us, and these mysteries are not always completely revealed. Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: whicha]’> and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
People need Jesus to find their freedom, and there are so many that do not have Him. Every 90 seconds a teenager takes their life by suicide, the elderly are also alone and many take their lives as well. We need to get out of the river and take Christ to the people who need Him so badly. Eighty percent of those who come to Christ come to Him because they were brought to Him by a friend or relative.
The Holy Ghost gives us power so we can be a worker in the field. The fruit of a Christian is another Christian. We need to be discipling people and bringing them to Christ. Take the anointing – revive and refresh ourselves in the river, and then take it back into the world to reach others for Christ. Our financial lack is often indicative of a lack of evangelism. Sheep reproduce sheep – they don’t reproduce shepherds.
The things we know, the Word of Knowledge, and the other giftings are not for ourselves, but to be used to reach others. We are not to be a dry boat rider, but a wet road worker. Jesus came to bring people to wholeness. Take what God gives you.
There is Davidic worship which is uninhibited worship. We have the things in the Spirit, but lately we have gotten in the habit of worshipping worship. We are washed in the Word, and need to bring this out into the world.
1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. We have the anointing from God, and do know all things. This gifting is for the revival, and using of the Word of Knowledge to reach others.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them,c]’> the forgiveness of sins.
We are qualified and accepted in the Lord.
Pastor Fink reminded us of the song lyrics: He paid a debt He did not owe; I owe a debt I could not pay; I needed someone to wash my sins away; and now I sing a brand new song; Amazing Grace all day long; Jesus paid a debt I could not pay.
There is potential for your life. We don’t want to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and tell Him why we did not use the resources He provided for us. We seem to think that we will be totally happy in Heaven, but the Bible tells us that He will wipe away our tears. He will wipe away the tears that we will shed for all the opportunities we have passed up to serve Him here on earth, where we were just splashing around in the river, having a good time, playing games, but not reaching out with what we acquired in the river to reach souls.
God is not interested in us feeling good about ourselves. Yes, we have the joy of the Lord, but there are times when things will not “feel” good on earth as we go about doing His business. Pastor Fink was poisoned 2 times serving God, attacked by the Hindus, and had challenges in his ministry. He kept reminding himself. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
The Patriarchs in Hebrews 11 viewed the promises afar off. REVELATION IS CAUGHT NOT TAUGHT. We have to have an open spirit. All revelation is from the Word. ALL WORD – NO SPIRIT = DRIED UP. ALL SPIRIT, NO WORD = BLOWN UP. THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD ARE NEEDED TOGETHER AND MUST AGREE.
The devil used to make Pastor Fink nervous, now he makes the devil nervous. He uses the gifts, the power of God, and the Word to get people saved. Many in the Body of Christ accept Jesus’ death on the Cross for our sins, but are not receiving ALL the promises He has to offer. We have the answer to what this city needs. We do not need to all remain within the walls of one church – we need to be equipped to be scattered.
Pastor Fink spoke about the vision of Jacob’s ladder where the angels ascended and descended. Jesus saw Nathaniel under the fig tree and told him John 1:50-51 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafterc]’> anything in My name, I will do it. Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
If we ask we shall receive, we can’t use finances as an excuse or a problem to keep us from doing what God wants us to do. If we ask we shall receive. We will receive enough money to scatter it. Joseph sowed seed in a time of famine. There are the principles of seed time and harvest.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF 12 MONTHS FROM NOW?
We are YO-YO CHRISTIANS – if things are going good we say, “Hallelujah.” If they are going badly we back away.
We need another paradigm. Once we have become born again, as the scriptures tell us old things have passed away. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Pastor Fink started telling us at one point he said things like, “I try to do things like Jesus. I got knowledge. I this and I that.” He said that when he realized that what he was doing in his legalistic way of pursuing Christ was focusing on himself – me, me, me, – it caused him to become all puffed up. He had to change what he was saying about himself, focusing on God, not on himself.
As a Pentecostal Holiness believer – he did not watch TV – considering it the one-eyed devil, or called it DevilVision. But he found recordings of sermons – at one time it was reel-to-reel, then cassette – and he listened to all the teaching of Alexander Scourby, and started listening to the Bible all the time. Much of what Pastor Fink did at that time was to say, look at me. But then he got convicted when he remembered: Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Pastor Fink realized he had to get out of the river and do something. He shared about a man who came to Christ two years ago. This man was an addict and his addiction had destroyed his family, all he had was the church. He came to a point where he decided that he did not want to follow the “rules and regulations” of the church, and withdrew. He came back to the Church and Pastor Fink told him that if he went back to his sin of addiction, that God was going to remove his hand of protection from the man. The man took drugs and died of a massive heart attack. It really hurts us when we see people withdraw from the church and turn back to those things that once bound them, and then proceed to destroy their lives. We would rather they take their freedom of choice and choose to stay close to Jesus.
When we fall back under the law it is demonic, and makes it hard for us to get free. Christ came to fulfill the law, and it is through Christ that we gain salvation. No one can keep the law in their own power. We need to get back to what is foundational in our faith, to use everything Christ has made available to us to reach people for Christ. Let our lights shine before us. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Get refreshed – renewed – encouraged – equipped – and then get out of here to reach others for Christ.
We are all aware of man’s inhumanity to man, without Christ it becomes quite barbaric. But Christ came to bring peace, and we have wonderful visions of that peace – Isaiah 11:6-8 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
We want to live in righteousness, not iniquity. Now is the time to occupy, to anoint with oil. THE DEVIL IS A DREAM THIEF. WHATEVER HAS HURT YOU CAN HEAL YOU. WHATEVER YOU HAVE SHIED AWAY FROM, DRAW CLOSER TO. WHATEVER YOU HAVE SEEN FROM AFAR OFF, YOU NEED TO LAY CLAIM TO.
Paul speaks to Timothy and tells him 2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
We need to stir ourselves up, encourage ourselves, pray over ourselves, so that we do His will on earth. Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
We will face challenges as we go forward to do good in Christ – for the devil will check us out to see if what we say we believe in, we really believe in our heart, not just our head. We can do warfare by proxy. Pastor Fink told us his father told him, “Son if you think you are going to hell, you’re in the wrong family.” We need a sense of destiny. When we look at someone who is hurting, we need to see them differently than what appearances show – we need to see them as Christ sees them.
We can have a thought that is not of God, but it doesn’t have to take root in our lives. A bird can fly over our heads, but we don’t have to let it nest. Some will die and not get the revelation by faith. Others will hold to the promises that the scriptures give us. Don’t say anything different from what the Scriptures tell us.
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Pastor Fink shared about how he and his wife went through a rough spot in their marriage, and he almost left her – reminding us how wives seem to “change” after the marriage. (this made us laugh) He and his wife went into separate rooms and prayed, and he came out realizing that the devil was the one trying to rip apart their marriage – his wife had already told him that, but it confirmed what was happening. They made a decision to not give into the devil and they are still together 39 years later.
YOU NEED TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STOP YOUR DEVIL.
Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.
We need to get equipped and submit to God. The principles of Christ create peace, give prosperity, but it can also mean sacrifice.
We need to begin to meditate on the truth, on the Word of God. It all starts with a seed thought. It is not like the meditation of the buddhists, where they seek nothingness, we meditate by taking the Word and the promises of God and reflecting on them.
Pastor Fink prayed for Haiti, and saw it in prayer, before he ever went to the country. He saw it afar off, and knew that he had won the victory for Christ in Haiti.
When God gives us instructions to go into the world, we need to know that we have the revelation to do what He says. We do not come out of the river dry. We embrace the vision for God, confess it before we ever see it. We see it before we do it. We need to stir ourselves up.
Speak in tongues, pray in tongues for that builds us up. Tongues will help us to battle whatever satan throws at us. James 4:2c Yetb]’> with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Pastor Fink closed by praying a corporate prayer with us, equipping us to go and do Christ’s work in the nations, to step out in faith.
Praying your day is blessed!
Heather
