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CHRISTMAS SERIES

Glory to God - Luke 2:8 | Dr. Tobey Montgomery |  12.8.19

The Lord Jesus was BORN at night (Luke 2:8).  Did you ever stop and wonder why?  Why would God send His Son into the world in the obscurity of Bethlehem, the isolation of a manger, and in the middle of the darkness?
 
Because it is reflective of the human condition.  Everyone walks through the night and everyone experiences midnight. There are seasons of Darkness personally, corporately, nationally, and even globally.  Humanity is suffering in brokenness, illness, pain, abuse, addiction, disappointment, failure, grief, and depression.  The Darkness often feels all-encompassing and overwhelming.
 
Therefore, The Lord Jesus was born during the night and into a season when the darkness was the most intense.  The timing was no accident.  The world was a dark place when Christ came to the earth.  It had been nearly 400 years since God had spoken prophetically to His people – The Word of the Lord was not just rare, it was completely silent. The People of God were under brutal occupation and oppression from the Roman Empire; and Judaism had been corrupted by men who sought to profit from an immoral alliance with Rome.
 
It was horrific Darkness on a global scale, but it was into the middle of that darkness that our Savior was born.  Again, NOT BY ACCIDENT: The LIGHT is the BRIGHTEST when the NIGHT is the DARKEST. 
 
The LORD comes into your night and mine.  He comes into our moments of deepest fear, most gut-wrenching grief, most perplexing confusion…when the Enemy seems to be on the cusp of victory…THEN GOD SENDS HIS SON in the BIRTHING OF LIFE!
 
Christmas itself is a time of illumination, of GLORY, of MAKING HIM FAMOUS!  The light has come and Darkness cannot prevail!
 
John 1:5 - “The darkness has not overcome it.”
 
Jesus was born in the middle of the Night, and He will enter your night, your darkness, your despair, and give birth to life, give hope to tomorrow, give joy to your weary soul, give grace to the broken sinner, give comfort to grieving, and strength to the Weak.  He will enter your night; you will not face it alone.  BUT His life and mission were not just about entering your night, He came to END your night and bring the release of a new day!
 
Beloved, Jesus was BORN at NIGHT, but He ROSE from the Grave at DAWN!
 
Luke 24:1 AMP - …At early dawn…
 
Jesus not only enters our night and births life, He ENDS our NIGHT; to end all the Darkness and allow the Dawn to Break forth, DELIVERANCE to come, and full RELEASE to be realized!
 
Psalm 30:5 NKJV - …Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
 
Christmas is therefore, a most Holy Day; and it was first announced with a message and a song (no wonder Christmas Carols are still so popular).   The Song of Heaven, the Angels’ praise on that first Christmas night, declared that the weight and substance of Heaven was moving upon the earth!  The declaration of this truth requires the response of Humanity.  You cannot be ambivalent or undecided about The Redeemer, you must either accept or reject the Gift and declaration of Heaven.
​

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“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 11/17/19

Midnight is when Today ENDS and TOMORROW BEGINS! 

Acts 16:25-26, 35 NIV - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
 

• Remember, Beloved…Midnight is also when Today Ends and Tomorrow Begins!

 

• Midnight is not dawn, but it isn’t yesterday any more!

 
Psalm 30:5 NKJV - …Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
 
Philippians 1:6 NIV - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 
Revelation 1:17-18 - "...  Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
 
2 Timothy 1:12 KJV - For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 11/3/19

Acts 16:25-26, 35 NIV - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
 
Remember, Beloved…Midnight is also when Today Ends and Tomorrow Begins! 
​
Midnight is not dawn, but it isn’t yesterday any more! 
Psalm 30:5 NKJV - …Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
 
Philippians 1:6 NIV - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 
Revelation 1:17-18 - "...  Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
 
2 Timothy 1:12 KJV - For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
 
Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.
 
It is time to BREAK SOME CHAINS! 

​“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 10/13/19 

At Midnight, Expect the “Suddenly” of God! We do not know when the “Day of Grace” will come near.  Consider ten lepers in Luke 17, whose day began as any other day, until Jesus came by… 

Luke 17:11-16 NIV78 - Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.  15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him…

​You never know who God is going to send to you, nor do you know to whom he may send you!
 
Oh Precious Ones, let me remind you that we do not know the Day of our Grace.  We do not know for sure, if it is a Sunday Morning Service, a Tuesday evening prayer meeting, the aisle of a grocery store, or behind the wheel of our car on our way to work.  We do not know the Day of Grace.  We do not know when the Touch of Heaven may come near.  We do not know when the Beautiful One may touch our face and speak His Word into our Lives.  But we do know that HE IS PROVIDENTIAL, HE IS SUFFICIENT, and He will be GLORIFIED!
 
Philippians 1:6 NIV84 - Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
 
HALLELUJAH!

​“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 10/6/19

At Midnight, Expect God to ACT. 

Acts 16:25-26 NIV - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
 
At Midnight, Expect the Infinite, Boundless God of ALL Possibilities to do the Unexpected and Miraculous… 

Psalm 37:25 NIV - I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
 
Isaiah 40:31 KJV - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
Psalm 40:1-3 NLT - I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 9/22/19

At Midnight, Expect God to ACT. 

Acts 16:25-26 NIV - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
 
At Midnight, Expect the Infinite, Boundless God of ALL Possibilities to do the Unexpected and Miraculous…
 
Psalm 37:25 NIV - I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
 
Isaiah 40:31 KJV - But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

“MIDNIGHT” ACTS 16:16-34 ​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 9/15/19

At Midnight, the Innocent and the Guilty, the Godly and the Wicked, were all in the same place.  “The other prisoners were listening!”  The Power of our Faith is not in the messages we preach from our pulpits, but rather in the Message We Live When Life is Difficult and Dark! 

Revelation 12:11 NIV - They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; 
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
 
2 Corinthians 1:4 GNT - He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.
 
Philippians 4:9 NLT - Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you

“MIDNIGHT”
ACTS 16:16-34
​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 9/1/19

At Midnight, the Innocent and the Guilty, the Godly and the Wicked, were all in the same place.  “The other prisoners were listening!”  The Power of our Faith is not in the messages we preach from our pulpits, but rather in the Message We Live When Life is Difficult and Dark! 
​
Revelation 12:11 NIV - They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; 
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
 
2 Corinthians 1:4 GNT - He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God.
 
Philippians 4:9 NLT - Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

“MIDNIGHT”
ACTS 16:16-34
​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 8/25/19

At Midnight, we have another choice to make: we can dwell in Despair and wallow in our condition; OR, we can DECLARE THAT GOD IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP BECAUSE HE IS GREAT, AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED! 
Psalm 145:3 NKJV - Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
 
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV - Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
 
At Midnight, Worship REMINDS us, that not only is God Great, but He also LOVES US! 

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV - The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

“MIDNIGHT”
ACTS 16:16-34
​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 8/18/19

At Midnight, we have a choice to make: we can worry, complain, and try to ascribe blame for our circumstances; OR, we can CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD! 
​
Joel 2:32 AMP - …Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved…
 
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
 
Ephesians 6:18-20 NIV - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should!

“MIDNIGHT”
ACTS 16:16-34
​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 7/28/19

At Midnight, we have a choice to make: we can worry, complain, and try to ascribe blame for our circumstances; OR, we can CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD! 
​
Joel 2:32 AMP - …Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved…
 
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
 
Ephesians 6:18-20 NIV - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should!

“MIDNIGHT”
Acts 16:16-34
​DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 7/14/19

Acts 16:16-35 NIV - Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family. 35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.

“His Father Saw Him…”
Luke 15:11-32
DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 6/16/19

The patience of The Father was not in merely waiting; he had reordered his life to be available when the moment of Grace arrived.  This is what patience is: a willingness to rearrange your life anticipating the UNKNOWN, but EXPECTED Moment of Grace.
 
Luke 15:20 NIV - …But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 
The child must “come to his senses,” but He also must have a Home to return to; and a FATHER WHO IS WAITING!  This is our HEAVENLY FATHER, BELOVED!  Ever waiting and moving Heaven and Earth to bring Grace to our heart’s door…even in a pigsty!
 
2 Peter 3:9 NIV - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
 
2 Peter 3:15 NLT - And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved…
 
Beloved Dad, Precious Granddad, Child of God…please remember that there is no soul too lost, there is no child or grandchild that is too broken, and there is no moment too important to bypass the great gift of PATIENTLY awaiting the Lord’s Grace upon OUR Children and Grandchildren.
 
Isaiah 43:5-6 VOICE - So don’t be afraid. I am here.  I will reunite you with your children, bringing them back from wherever in the world they are--East, West, 6 North, or South. No place will be able to hold you when I demand your release, when I order them, “Bring My children—My sons and daughters—from far away.
 
Psalm 40:1 NLT - I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
 
The PRODIGAL’S FATHER and our HEAVENLY FATHER, is PATIENT.

“NOW…”
Romans 7:24-25/8:1 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 4/28/19

ROMANS 7:24-25/8:1 NIV
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! 

8:1 Therefore, there is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 4/7/19

We cannot WALK the RIGHT Path until WE SEE the correct way.  Oh my friends, for us to walk in His Power, we have to “See” him as ALL-POWERFUL.  As King David said…
 
Psalm 34:3 NKJV - Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
 
What do we see?  My Friends, if you have a small God, then the Giants in the Land are too enormous.  The troubles are too many, the conflicts are too violent, the differences are too entrenched, and the battle is too hard.  Your faith then becomes a series of rituals and the passage of time, when God has called us to know the Abundant Life of Christ in Fullness and POWER!
 
John 10:10 TPT - A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 3/31/19

Before we evangelize, before we feed, before we clothe, we must “turn over the soil” of our community through prayer. In this section, I want to direct your attention to the NEXT chapter in Isaiah’s prophecy: chapter 59.  It speaks of the importance of intercessory prayer to God, and the personal role He takes in the ministry of intercession.
 
I want to be quite transparent with you this morning.  I am sensing something within my spirit regarding the ministry of intercession that is convicting and comforting, challenging and encouraging.  I feel I have known some things about this ministry in the past, maybe drifted away from these sacred truths, and I am now finding myself clamoring for this most sacred and ancient path

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 3/24/19

By standing and looking, we are seeking to once again, gain our perspective.  We desire to SEE God correctly and remind ourselves that we are Servants of the Most High!  In learning to ASK and SEEK once again, we are committing ourselves anew to the powerful spiritual weapon of intercession.
 
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV - This is what the Lord says: “…Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is…”

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 3/17/19

My Friends, if you have a small God, then the Giants in the Land are too enormous.  The troubles are too many, the conflicts are too violent, the differences are too entrenched, and the battle is too hard.  Your faith then becomes a series of rituals and the passage of time, when God has called us to know the Abundant Life of Christ in Fullness and POWER!
 
John 10:10 TPT - A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!
 
FASTING is not given so God can see you! It has been given so you can SEE Him

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 3/10/19

THIS IS the ANCIENT PATH!  We need our ANOINTING to be FRESH and our DOCTRINE to Be old!  There is not a NEW way to FIND GOD.  It is an ANCIENT PATH, and we must see it!
 
Jeremiah 6:16 VOICE - Eternal One (to the people): Stand at the crossing, and consider the ancient path, for it is good and it leads to Me. Walk on this path, and you will find rest for your souls.
 
What do we do at the crossroads? What do we do when we stand at the intersection of eternity or frailty, of strength or despair, of life or death, of righteousness or barrenness, of joy or sorrow, of CHRIST or SELF?!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 2/24/19

In many ways, we need to gain our perspective again.  We need to SEE God correctly and just STOP and consider who it is we are serving!
 
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV - This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look…”
 
Jeremiah 6:16 VOICE – “…Stand at the crossing, and consider the ancient path…”
 
Jeremiah 6:16 MESSAGE - “…Go stand at the crossroads and look around…”
 
We cannot WALK the RIGHT Path until WE SEE the correct way, and some of us are just moving to fast through life and ministry to SEE the correct pathway.  We have become governed by the TYRANNY of the URGENT and settled for a Christianity that is void of Relationship and empty of Power!
 
Oh my friends, for us to walk in His Power, we have to “See” him as ALL-POWERFUL.  As King David said…
 
Psalm 34:3 NKJV - Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 2/17/19

We are at a crossroads.  Like ancient Judah, we have rejected the "hard" things of the Lord: The truth of His holiness, the confidence of His power, and the Depth of His mercy.  Oh, my friends, the Lord spoke to the ancient peoples, and He is speaking to us today.  In Jeremiah 6:16, He said through the Prophet:
 
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV - This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
 
The VOICE Translation reads…
 
Jeremiah 6:16 VOICE - Eternal One (to the people): Stand at the crossing, and consider the ancient path, for it is good and it leads to Me. Walk on this path, and you will find rest for your souls.
 
The MESSAGE reads…
 
Jeremiah 6:16 MESSAGE - God’s Message yet again: “Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, The tried-and-true road. Then take it. Discover the right route for your souls.
 
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO…STARTING TODAY.  We are going to LOOK, we are going to ASK, and we are going to WALK in this ANCIENT PATH!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 2/10/19

"The basic trouble with the church today is her unworthy concept of God...Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending on her concept of God.
 
I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.
 
When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn't mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don't make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise, you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger...
 
My brethren, God calls us to magnify Him, to see Him big."
  –A.W. Tozer

My Friends, if you have a small God, then the Giants in the Land are too enormous.  The troubles are too many, the conflicts are too violent, the differences are too entrenched, and the battle is too hard.  Your faith then becomes a series of rituals and the passage of time, when God has called us to know the Abundant Life of Christ in Fullness and POWER!
 
John 10:10 TPT - A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 1/27/19

THIS IS the ANCIENT PATH!  THIS IS what the LORD has required from His People in ALL Generations…not just a moment of humility or personal affliction, but a life that places God and others first.  This is the FASTING the Lord requires of us: to PURSUE GOD and to PURSUE PEOPLE.
 
Isaiah 58:6, 9 NIV84 - “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke…? 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…”
 
THIS IS the ANCIENT PATH!  We need our ANOINTING to be FRESH and our DOCTRINE to Be old!  There is not a NEW way to FIND GOD.  It is an ANCIENT PATH, and we must see it!

“THE ANCIENT PATHS…”
JEREMIAH 6:16 / ISAIAH 58 | DR. TOBEY MONTGOMERY 1/20/19

Our nation, our city, and even The Body of Christ in America are at a crossroads.  In many ways, we are wealthy in goods but impoverished in soul.  We use our hands idly to check the latest score, take a photo of our dessert, or update our status…but we do not lift our hands in praise to our God or in concern for our fellow man or woman.  We are a nation, and even The Congregation of the Saints, who have lost our spiritual fervor, our moral compass, and in many ways, our humanity. 
 
We are at a crossroads.  Like ancient Judah, we have rejected the "hard" things of the Lord: The truth of His holiness, the confidence of His power, and the Depth of His mercy.  Oh, my friends, the Lord spoke to the ancient peoples, and He is speaking to us today.  In Jeremiah 6:16, He said through the Prophet:
 
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV - This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

​“The Ancient Paths…”
Jeremiah 6:16 / Isaiah 58 | Dr. Tobey Montgomery 1/13/19

Now, as we begin 2019, we will delve more thoroughly into the last phrase of this statement: “by the Power of Christ.” This morning and throughout this entire year, I am inviting you to consider our vital (absolutely necessary, non-discretionary) need for the “Breath of Heaven,” the power of Christ to rest upon and infuse all of our ministry endeavors. 
 
Following Christ does not require the suspension of rational thought or reasoned consideration.  In fact, I believe that the same God who gave us the ability to utilize reason and logic expects us to use these abilities for His glory and the enrichment of the ministry.  With that said, however, please remember that our Faith began with a miracle, and it continues by the supernatural flow of the Lord God.  Christianity is the Religion of the Miraculous.  Ultimately, The Lord must do His supernatural work through us!  Therefore, we must not only recognize but also embrace the supernatural flow of His Spirit’s Power.  As the Apostle Paul told the Roman Believers…
 
Romans 1:16 NKJV - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...