Rev. Rick Stoops, Superintendent Maine District UPCI
“And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” (Jeremiah 40:4)
The Jewish captives were assembled in chains at the city of Ramah. The scene was one of unbelievable heartbreak and human misery. At Ramah, Jewish captives who, from weakness, age, or poverty, were not believed worthwhile to transport to Babylon were slaughtered. There were cries and pleas for mercy from those who had formerly mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and misused His prophets until there was no remedy. The prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.”
The Prophet Jeremiah was standing in chains among the exiles who were being readied at Ramah for their long march to Babylon when suddenly Nebuzaradan, the Captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, appeared and uttered the most wonderful proclamation found in Jeremiah 40:4. Jeremiah’s preaching had not been popular with his people, but he had faithfully sought to please God in spite of great persecution. Jeremiah had a backbone and refused to go along with the compromising spirits of his day described in Isaiah 30:10 as follows: “Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
Jeremiah preached during the last days of Judah. We preach in the last days of the church. The words of Nebuzaradan to Jeremiah are prophetic for all who will be true to the word of God and to the mission that God has given them to do: “And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand.”
The things which heretofore you have had to struggle with—fear of stepping out in faith, fear of people, fear of failure, generational spirits that have plagued generation after generation in your family history—is in your past and is over. Make up your mind right now, I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which STRENGTHENETH me! It is now time to believe God for everything and worry about nothing! BEHOLD I LOOSE THEE THIS DAY FROM THE CHAINS WHICH WERE UPON THINE HAND!
Nebuzaradan told Jeremiah: behold, all the land is before thee: BEHOLD IT! SEE IT! ENVISION IT! Mother said, “Can’t Never Did Nothing!” “Behold, all the land is before thee! Whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” God has already opened the door. This is the truth: the devil is scared of you right now! God has put it in your heart to do His work. Right now there are doors that God has already opened for you. Jesus opens doors that no man can shut (Revelation 3:7).
There are also doors in our lives that God has given you the authority to open or close. These doors God leaves to YOUR choice to open. These doors are illustrated in Revelation 3:20, “...if any man hear my voice, and open the door...” There are miracles, signs, and wonders just waiting for us to get up and open the door!
The key to opening the door found in Mark 16:17-18 is, “And these signed shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
The key to opening the door of signs following is found in the first word of Mark 16:17: “AND”. And is a conjunction that indicates connection with what Jesus had just commanded in Mark 16:15, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The message is direct and powerful: “Go... AND these signs shall follow.” “Preach... AND these signs shall follow.” Signs follow as you preach, witness, seek, and reach for the lost!
Go preach to everyone and these signs shall follow. You may not feel the anointing release from fear, and you may not see the signs following until you get up and open the door of evangelism. When you testify the anointing will most surely follow!
Sister Cheryl and Sister Connie are two very fine ladies in our church in Augusta. Their brother, Clem, was in the Hospice House in Auburn, Maine. They desperately wanted their brother to be saved, so they got up and opened the door. Pastor Todd Little and Bishop Harold Churchill, of neighboring Lewiston, agreed to go over and baptize their brother. It was Tuesday, October 4, 2016. The sisters purchased a 150 gallon horse trough and took Sister Lisa and Sister Cheryl’s husband, Brother Andrew, and drove down and met Brother Little and Brother Churchill at the hospice house. I’m not sure what the staff thought when they came toting a horse trough into the hospice house. I’m not sure what they thought as these people used buckets, fire sprinkling system, and whatever they could get their hands on to fill the tank with water. But with sheer determination Clem was baptized that day in the name of Jesus.
On Thursday, October 6, 2016, I began to feel a direction from the Lord to head for the Hospice House, and as I recall, was already in my truck when Sister Cheryl texted me the following message at 10:03 a.m. “Good morning Pastor, Do you know if you may have time today or tomorrow to go visit my brother to pray him through?”
I responded at 10:55 a.m.: “Your brother’s full name and street address of Hospice House?” I walked in the hospice house and went to Clem’s room. We began to pray. At 12:08 p.m. I sent this message: “I’m here and he is talking in tongues right now!”
On Monday, November 14, Brother Clem went to be with the Lord, just 41 days after being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and 39 days after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost! There are doors that our Lord has already opened for you, additionally there are doors which He has given YOU authority to open. “And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which WERE upon thine hand...Behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.”
Now, arise and walk through the doors God has opened and open the doors that God has given you the authority to open.
“And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” (Jeremiah 40:4)
The Jewish captives were assembled in chains at the city of Ramah. The scene was one of unbelievable heartbreak and human misery. At Ramah, Jewish captives who, from weakness, age, or poverty, were not believed worthwhile to transport to Babylon were slaughtered. There were cries and pleas for mercy from those who had formerly mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and misused His prophets until there was no remedy. The prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 was fulfilled: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.”
The Prophet Jeremiah was standing in chains among the exiles who were being readied at Ramah for their long march to Babylon when suddenly Nebuzaradan, the Captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard, appeared and uttered the most wonderful proclamation found in Jeremiah 40:4. Jeremiah’s preaching had not been popular with his people, but he had faithfully sought to please God in spite of great persecution. Jeremiah had a backbone and refused to go along with the compromising spirits of his day described in Isaiah 30:10 as follows: “Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
Jeremiah preached during the last days of Judah. We preach in the last days of the church. The words of Nebuzaradan to Jeremiah are prophetic for all who will be true to the word of God and to the mission that God has given them to do: “And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand.”
The things which heretofore you have had to struggle with—fear of stepping out in faith, fear of people, fear of failure, generational spirits that have plagued generation after generation in your family history—is in your past and is over. Make up your mind right now, I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which STRENGTHENETH me! It is now time to believe God for everything and worry about nothing! BEHOLD I LOOSE THEE THIS DAY FROM THE CHAINS WHICH WERE UPON THINE HAND!
Nebuzaradan told Jeremiah: behold, all the land is before thee: BEHOLD IT! SEE IT! ENVISION IT! Mother said, “Can’t Never Did Nothing!” “Behold, all the land is before thee! Whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” God has already opened the door. This is the truth: the devil is scared of you right now! God has put it in your heart to do His work. Right now there are doors that God has already opened for you. Jesus opens doors that no man can shut (Revelation 3:7).
There are also doors in our lives that God has given you the authority to open or close. These doors God leaves to YOUR choice to open. These doors are illustrated in Revelation 3:20, “...if any man hear my voice, and open the door...” There are miracles, signs, and wonders just waiting for us to get up and open the door!
The key to opening the door found in Mark 16:17-18 is, “And these signed shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
The key to opening the door of signs following is found in the first word of Mark 16:17: “AND”. And is a conjunction that indicates connection with what Jesus had just commanded in Mark 16:15, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The message is direct and powerful: “Go... AND these signs shall follow.” “Preach... AND these signs shall follow.” Signs follow as you preach, witness, seek, and reach for the lost!
Go preach to everyone and these signs shall follow. You may not feel the anointing release from fear, and you may not see the signs following until you get up and open the door of evangelism. When you testify the anointing will most surely follow!
Sister Cheryl and Sister Connie are two very fine ladies in our church in Augusta. Their brother, Clem, was in the Hospice House in Auburn, Maine. They desperately wanted their brother to be saved, so they got up and opened the door. Pastor Todd Little and Bishop Harold Churchill, of neighboring Lewiston, agreed to go over and baptize their brother. It was Tuesday, October 4, 2016. The sisters purchased a 150 gallon horse trough and took Sister Lisa and Sister Cheryl’s husband, Brother Andrew, and drove down and met Brother Little and Brother Churchill at the hospice house. I’m not sure what the staff thought when they came toting a horse trough into the hospice house. I’m not sure what they thought as these people used buckets, fire sprinkling system, and whatever they could get their hands on to fill the tank with water. But with sheer determination Clem was baptized that day in the name of Jesus.
On Thursday, October 6, 2016, I began to feel a direction from the Lord to head for the Hospice House, and as I recall, was already in my truck when Sister Cheryl texted me the following message at 10:03 a.m. “Good morning Pastor, Do you know if you may have time today or tomorrow to go visit my brother to pray him through?”
I responded at 10:55 a.m.: “Your brother’s full name and street address of Hospice House?” I walked in the hospice house and went to Clem’s room. We began to pray. At 12:08 p.m. I sent this message: “I’m here and he is talking in tongues right now!”
On Monday, November 14, Brother Clem went to be with the Lord, just 41 days after being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and 39 days after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost! There are doors that our Lord has already opened for you, additionally there are doors which He has given YOU authority to open. “And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which WERE upon thine hand...Behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.”
Now, arise and walk through the doors God has opened and open the doors that God has given you the authority to open.