Victory Life KY

Hebrews 11,MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Living this kind of life requires development, practice, it really does take some God inspired trust, motivated by some God inspired expectation. Think about this, if we’re born again, according to Jesus we’re no longer of this world. We’re built to live a different way, the faith way. Habakkuk 2:2, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38,THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH I think throughout our day, each of us has to ask ourselves, are we actually living a life by faith? Living like the truths we believe about Jesus are the fundamental foundation of our existence? John 11:21-27 NKJV- Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22, But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23, Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24, Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26, And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27, She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:40-44 NKJV- Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41, Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42, And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”43, Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44, And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” Remember last week, Jehoshaphat and the people of God, even though they had the word of the Lord, still had to step out to see the word come to pass. Here’s the deal, yes, God absolutely has plans of success for each of us, but they usually come on the other side of us stepping outside our comfort zone, (otherwise what do we need faith for?) Something I’ve discovered over the years is that most of the time God’s not going to ask us to take these giants steps of faith right out of the gate. Remember Ananias, God asked him to take one small step of faith and it changed the landscape of Christianity. Ananias is a faithful example, that even if we don’t become some superstar for God, taking those small steps of faith God puts in front of us, usually have a much bigger impact. And I realize that on the surface it might seem small and insignificant, but Ananias was used by the Almighty to change the course of mankind by one simple act of obedience. Think about it, if our steps are ordered by the Lord, and we’re willing to take them, it means every step, especially the small ones matter. Listen to Paul’s words again, “The life I now live, I live by faith in Him” The steps I take, I take by faith in Him. Martha, “Didn’t I tell you, that if you believed…” Here’s a reality way too many of us overlook, the majority of the time it’s those seemingly small decisions we make that shape our lives, because they eventually become habits. Studies have shown that it takes between 30 and 90 days for a small decision to become a habit. Lets give our faith a chance to become a habit. Seriously, in the bigger picture, the majority of our lives are made up of seemingly small choices. Come on, one small decision, refocusing our attention on something Godly, positions us just like Ananias. This is why putting into practice what the Psalmist says is key to this life of faith. Be still and know that He’s God. In other words, take the time to make room in our thinking for God to inspire us. If we continue to neglect our “be still and know moments” we can miss what God is trying to do in us because we’re so occupied with the things of this world. Seriously, we get clouded by circumstances, opinions, emotions, the things of the world, and it hinders us from hearing the Lord when He communicating. So, no matter how uncertain, stuck, afraid, hurt, disappointed you may feel, no matter how green the grass looks somewhere else, you still have to weed eat it. So let’s not overlook the next small step God has for us, regardless of what we’re facing. God said this through Zechariah saying, “How dare any of you despise the day of small beginnings.” So, regardless of what you have or haven’t done, accept this reality, God’s not finished with you. Start today with one small decision, acknowledge Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith. Remember Martha. Dare to believe for more, one decision at a ti

Hebrews 11,MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Simply put, faith is God inspired trust and expectation. And according to the apostle James, it demands a corresponding action. We could say, it’s activated by our actions. 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, (God inspired trust and expectation) not by sight, NLT, We live by believing and not by seeing.We live our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. A major component or action of faith is us speaking what God says, right in the face of not seeing anything yet. We cannot overestimate the spoken word of God, even in its seed form, it is still the most powerful force in existence. Jesus and Moses said, “Man shall live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Joshua & Proverbs paraphrase, Don’t let God’s Word leave your mouth, pay close attention to what it says, don’t let it out of your sight, on purpose do what it says and you’ll experience its success. Remember, God said, “Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so” Hebrews 1 makes it very clear, Jesus Christ is the exact image of His Father, The Almighty. Upholding the entire physical and spiritual universe by the word of His power. The Psalmist says, God’s word is flawless, purer than gold, sweeter than honey, sharper than a double edged sword, forever settled, true and righteous, transforming the soul. And in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 138, Lord You have magnified Your word above Your name.Jesus said, I only say what the Father says. Seriously, what if we on purpose started saying what our Father says about us on a more regular basis? For example: Psalm 103:2-5,NKJV- Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Hebrews 11:3,NLT- By faith(God inspired trust and expectation) we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. Hebrews 1, Jesus Christ is the exact image of His Father, The Almighty. Upholding the entire physical and spiritual universe by the word of His power. And according to Romans 10, faith, this God inspired trust and expectation comes from hearing God’s words about His Anointed One. This means we can’t just continue hearing whatever we want to hear and think we’re going to walk in faith. Remember what Paul tells us in Colossians, “The same way you received Christ is how you walk in Him.” We’ve got to get this settled, faith is spiritual substance, evidence, the title deed, proof of things not seen. It truly is a God inspired trust and expectation. Proverbs 3:5-6,MSG- Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! For everyone of us that are heirs to the Kingdom, part of our responsibility is expressing God in the world. That means being able to have practical conversations about Kingdom realities. A big part of the life of faith starts with us seeing ourselves the way God sees us, in His class, made in His image, heirs to His Kingdom. Not a religious image but an in Christ image. I know I quote this scripture all the time, but we need this revelation. Galatians 2:20,NKJV- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. All He has, He has already given. All His promises in Christ are yes, and in Him amen. His life, His nature, His wisdom and provision. Remember, God, our Father wants to be the El Shaddai of our lives. I realize all these things we’re talking about to some degree make absolutely no sense. This is why we have to have talks like this, because truth is, a life of faith, as a matter of fact, the things of God are not of the senes. 1 Corinthians 2:14,NKJV- But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Here’s the deal, as long as we allow our senses, emotions, circumstances, or intelligence to determine the realities of our new world, we leave no room for faith. And this is why it’s important that we keep reminding ourselves that God didn’t give us these new lives in Him just to do our own thing until we go to heaven. We’re suppose to be bringing Heaven with us wherever we show up. We’ve got to stay aware of this, we’re made for the supernatural, the impossible. God just migh

John 2:14-15,NLT- In the Temple area He saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; He also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, Jesus said, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” The scripture says, My house will be a house of prayer. Today we would say His church, both individually and corporately are His temple. A living house of prayer. Individually and corporately. As we get into our talk, something that’s a continued work in my life is the awareness of just who I’m talking too. During our last prayer night there Lord gave me a word about us “stepping into to something” I had no idea at that moment what that was, and I’m still not a 100%. But part of it is the change concerning Wednesday night prayer. I believe God is leading us into something corporate, something that’s going to unify us as a body to a much higher degree. The longer I walk with the Lord, I am convinced that the most important reality of prayer is how we experience a divine relationship with our Father through fellowship. Prayer is not only an avenue of fellowship with God living in us, it’s also how a human, born of His world navigates that world. Hebrews 4:14-16,NKJV- Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I bring this passage up to highlight the coming into His presence boldly more than simply coming to get something. I’m hoping we can all leave here with a better understanding that ultimately, our Father, the Almighty simply wants to hang out with His kids. Let’s look at prayer from a natural perspective for a second, maybe from the viewpoint of a parent and a child; When children are young and immature, their primary communication is getting their needs met. But as they grow and mature, the relationship dynamic changes to one more of fellowship. I honestly believe that the most significant aspect of quality prayer is centered around our relationship with our Father. Go back to Genesis, it becomes very clear that God’s intention from the beginning is to be El Shaddai for all His people. As a matter of fact, according to Philippians 4, God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Think about Adam, what did he need as far as provision? So what do you think his prayer life was about? What if God’s main thing He’s looking for is exactly what He lost with Adam, and that is simply a relationship with His creation. The Apostle Paul takes us a little further in Ephesians by giving us some excellent insight into some of the things we should be praying about. Ephesians 1:20-23,NKJV- ...according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Notice the Holy Spirit led Paul to pray that they would be able to recognize what He’s already done. In that same chapter He also says this, The Lord Jesus Christ, HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... Ephesians 2, Jesus made us alive and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Peter adds that God has given usexceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of His divine nature. Don’t kid yourself, operating in this world only happens by faith. In others words, we’ve gotta believe this stuff. Hebrews 11:6,NLT- “It’s impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” Get this settled in your spirit, we will never operate in God’s world without believing in it. Remember, “It’s impossible to please Gods without faith.” Let me throw this in here, worrying to God isn’t praying. Probably the best way of overcoming worry is worship. And worship is key component of prayer. Think about it, if you’re needing to see it to believe it, how can you honestly pray to a God you can’t see? “Anyone who come to God must believe that He is...” Mark 11:24, Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask whe

Hebrews 11,MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Faith actually starts as a conviction in the human soul, established by the unveiling of the truth in God’s word, to the degree that you have this fixed expectation from what God has told you, you have this divinely inspired trust. 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. Living this way starts with our thinking. There’s no way our believing can be right until our thinking is right. Then James takes things a step further by driving the point home that our tongue is the rudder of our lives. When David went against Goliath, his sword was in his mouth. RIGHT THINKING = RIGHT BELIEVING = RIGHT TALKING For the born again, moving into a life of faith means that at some point we have to stop letting this counterfeit society dictate who we are. Speaking what God says about you right in the face of not seeing anything yet is exactly what walking by faith, not by sight looks like. Hebrews 11:3,NLT- By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. In these last days God is leading us back to the supernatural, to the impossible because He is returning for a glorious church. Listen to Ephesians 5, “He will sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church.” Here’s the deal, unfortunately the enemy has had more success than we would like to admit in misleading the church. 1 Timothy 4:1,NIV- The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Timothy 4:3,NLT- “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.” What we have to keep in mind is just hearing what we want to, what we like isn’t a life of faith. Remember, faith is spiritual substance, evidence, the title deed, proof of things not seen. What God is looking for in these last days is some proof from His heirs. 2 Peter 3:3-9,NIV- Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4- They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5- But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6- By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7- By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8- But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9- 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. For everyone of us that are heirs to the Kingdom, part of our responsibility is expressing our God, being able to have conversations about Kingdom realities. A big part of the life of faith starts with us seeing ourselves the way God sees us, in His class, made in His image, heirs to His Kingdom. All He has, He has already given. The Zoe life, His nature, His wisdom and provision. Romans 1:20,NLT- For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. You see, the reason faith is so vital is simply because we are created beings, made a specific way. The reason He says people have no excuse is because He made every human with the ability to believe, and guess what, we do. We can make all the excuses we want but at the end of the day, it simply comes down to what we believe. Remember last week we talked about those who argue, man wrote the Bible? Ultimately the written is simply a transfer of the living to a human form of communication. 2 Timothy 3:16-17,NKJV- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Thank God for His written word, but there were many that didn’t have written word and still believed. This is why God tells us that without a preacher, how can they hear? The actual power is in the gospel, the message of Christ. This is why Paul takes things a step further in Corinthians by telli

2 Corinthians 13:5,NLT- “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” Are we willing to evaluate ourselves honestly, to test our faith? We’ve all gotta ask ourselves, how teachable are we, really? Make no mistake, a faith life is a completely different life. The NT tells us, we are to walk by faith, not by sight. You see, living by faith, not senses, not emotions, not intelligence or experiences, will require genuine faith. This is why God tells us that we're to examine ourselves, to test our faith walk. Unfortunately there's a lot of Christians that won't even acknowledge they need help with their faith. Even though with our new creation lives it’s really the only way we navigate the Kingdom we’ve been born into. MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Faith actually starts as a conviction in the human soul, established by the unveiling of the truth in God’s word with, to the degree that you have this fixed expectation from what God has told you, you have this divinely inspired trust. 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. Living this way starts with our thinking. There’s no way our believing can be right until our thinking is right. Then James takes things a step further by driving the point home that our tongue is the rudder of our lives. RIGHT THINKING = RIGHT BELIEVING = RIGHT TALKING When Jesus told the disciples to have faith in God, He instructed them to speak faith to their situations, to their mountains. But he started the lesson with this statement, “If you’ll not doubt in your heart but believe what you say” In other words, we’ve got to line our words up with our faith. Jesus is very clear in the fact that speaking faith from our hearts, effects change in our world, from His. This is why, according to Jesus Himself, speaking divinely inspired words over our situation is exactly the kind of corresponding action James is talking about. Why do you think Jesus told us to put the Kingdom of God first? Because just like our natural lives here demand focus, intentionality, development, make no mistake, so does our new lives. We’ve gotta get this, living this kind of life requires focus, and a key to living a more focused life is avoiding distractions. And when we talk the problem more than the promise, we're distracted. Because God has designed us to live by faith, we’ve got to get to the place where we allow what He says to shape and strengthen what we actually believe. How we actually live. Just like with the father of our faith Abraham. Remember last week I brought up the fact that God changed Abram's name to Abraham, changing what he was saying about himself. And this is exactly what we’ve got to do with what God says about us today. What’s God calling you? Romans 4, Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. This is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. The God who calls things which do not exist as though they did. I love Mary’s statement when the angel spoke her, “According to your word, let be unto me.” Seriously, everyone of us operate within the boundaries of our current beliefs. You see, I believe Jesus is looking for some faith people today like Mary. According to your word Lord. Lets turn it around for a second, how many times did Jesus tell people, “according to you faith, let it be so?” The more I look at the life of faith, at believing, and I know I talk this all the time but our thinking is key. Faith truly is a mind set. Maybe we should say it like this, faith is an attitude. Think about it, our attitude pretty much determines our approach to our life. Consider this, which one describes you, you see the difficulty in every opportunity, or the opportunity in every difficulty? Ephesians 4:23-24,NIV- “Be made new in the ATTITUDE of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Take president Lincoln for example, very few people had a clue who he was until the weight of the civil war revealed his way of thinking, his mind set, his attitude. Truth is, most of us, like our father of faith Abraham, are just one attitude adjustment away from stepping into the name change God has for us. Discovering that next level of success. Overcoming that challenge. Being the change in that situation. And this is why it's absolutely vital we continue growing in our faith because at the

Listen to God's Words from the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 46,I am GOD, the only God, incomparable and irreplaceable.From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be.Assuring you, I’m with you. Assuring you I’ll do exactly what I set out to do. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done. Remember , without revelation, without the unveiling of the truth in God’s word with supernatural vitality and enlightening clarity, statements like this one form the Almighty will continue to be some mysterious, just out of reach idea that continues feeding our unbelief. The primary killer of our faith. Seriously, you think Jesus was just playing games when He said, “All things are possible to him that believes.”What about this one, “Without faith it’s impossible to please God.” This is Paul’s point in Galatians, “The life I now live, I live by faith in Christ.” This is why Paul talked to us about having genuine, true, authentic faith. And it starts with us having a clear, biblical understanding, with enlightened clarity of exactly what faith is. Remember, out of the book of Hebrews, Faith is spiritual substance, evidence, faith is the reality of things we can’t see. MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Faith actually starts as a conviction in the human soul, established by the unveiling of the truth in God’s word with supernatural vitality and enlightening clarity, to the degree that you have this fixed expectation from what God has told you, you have this divinely inspired trust. This is why the apostle Paul told us in Colossians, that the same way we received Christ is how we are to live our new lives in Him. Being a Christian isn't just knowing about Jesus, it’s living like Jesus. I honestly don't think God gave us new lives in Christ just to hang around here doing our own thing until we get to Heaven. Living by faith chooses to accept what God tells us. In an unwavering confidence, completely trusting what He tells us. I am GOD, the only God, incomparable and irreplaceable.From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be.Assuring you, I’m with you. Assuring you I’ll do exactly what I set out to do. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done. This kind of life of faith is a direct result of what Paul is referring to when he’s talking about walking in the spirit, not in the flesh. There has to be transformation in our thinking before our will allows us to engage in a different dimension, to engage in spiritual living. Paul says, “It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going.” 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. NLT- We life by believing, not by seeing. One of our greatest examples of faith comes from the father of faith, Abraham. We have to remember, first thing God told him was to leave his old way of living. Romans 4:20-21,NLT- Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. The more we embrace a God inspired mindset, the more we put into practice our new life. This is why James tells us that real faith has an action connected to it. A very simple approach to a life of faith is this; FAITH GETS READY!! One of my favorite John Wooden quotes is, “When opportunity shows up, its to late to get ready.” Remember 2 Corinthians 5:7, We live our lives in a manner consistent with our confident beliefs in what God has promised. Think about how often Jesus was on His disciples about their faith. Mark 11:22-23,NIV- “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Jesus's instructions are in response to the disciples seeing what happened after Jesus spoke to a tree. And when they questioned Him about the tree, He basically gave them this command; "Have faith in God" In other words, have such a conviction in our soul that it produces a fixed expectation from what God has told us. Then He instructed them to speak faith to their situations, to their mountains. But what I’ve discovered over the years is that most of us talk about our mountain instead of speaking to it. Anybody know why? Now in light of what Jesus has told us, let me say this; faith isn't magic. And it's definitely not some confession formula for getting things from God. Truth is, the things of the Kingdom have already been established. All the promises of God, in Him are yes and amen. This is why, according to Jesus Himself, speaking divinely inspired words over your situation is e

Will sent me this the other day and I thought it was perfect for the intro to our new talk, “FaithTime.” “By revelation, or the unveiling of the essence of the truth in God’s word with supernatural vitality and enlightening clarity.” Through this divine revelation, not only is humanity exposed to the realities of the kingdom of God, it’s how a human navigates the unseen world of the believer. Because we’re so exposed to the things of this world, it automatically pulls us away from our true identity and purpose. We’re sons and daughters of God, designed to imitate Him. But if we constantly feed our soul with a consistent diet of worldly, anti-Christ indoctrination, there’s absolutely no way we can ever actually live a life of faith. And according to Romans 10, there’s only one way that changes, we need some FaithTime. Without revelation, without the unveiling of the essence of the truth in God’s word with supernatural vitality and enlightening clarity, we will never overcome unbelief. The primary killer of our faith. Mark 9:19-25,NKJV- He answered him and said, “O FAITHLESS GENERATION, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20, Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21, So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22, And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “IF YOU CAN BELEIVE, all things are possible to him who believes.”Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more! We’re living in a time where we get bombarded with so much information that making time for faith to be developed becomes more of a challenge every day. One major challenge Christians face today is confusing information with faith. 2 Timothy 1, Because of your GENUINE FAITH, (real, true, authentic) I’m reminding you to STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD that’s in you. That being said, the other side of this reality is, not genuine faith. And according to Paul, the genuine is recognizable. So what’s it look like? More specifically, what is it? Hebrews 11:1,NKJV- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NLT, Faith is the reality of what we can’t see. MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this TRUST in God, this FAITH, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The Amplified says, faith perceives as fact what hasn’t been revealed to our human senses. Faith is spiritual substance. We have to remember, everything about God’s kingdom is like a seed, including faith. Faith actually starts as a conviction in the human soul to the degree that it produces a fixed expectation from what God has told us. It’s a divinely inspired trust. Remember, it’s the unveiling of the essence of the truth in God’s word with supernatural vitality and enlightening clarity.” Here’s what’s sad, much of society, not to mention, a percentage of the church really doesn’t see the value in developing a life of faith. We’ve reduced it down to some religious term or philosophy. At the end of the day, it all starts with this one simple question, do you believe the Bible to be the word of God for your life today? Once we make up our minds on this reality, its up to each of us to begin laying a foundation for living a life of faith. We’ve got to get the word of God issue settled. Genuine faith, real faith accepts the Bible as God speaking right now. This kind of faith is a what takes you past the demonic, unbelieving manipulation that,”man wrote the Bible.” Truth is, according to Hebrews 1, the integrity of God’s word is what holds everything together. Psalm 138, Lord You have magnified Your word above Your name.John 1 tells us that God’s word became flesh and dwelt among us.Jesus said, My words are spirit and truth. Here’s a perfect example, if we’re born again, according to Jesus we’re no longer of this world. We’re built to live a different way, the faith way. Habakkuk 2:2, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38,THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH Let me ask you this, throughout your day, how often do you think about actually living your life by faith? Living like it really is the fundamental foundation of our existence? Living with the conviction in your soul that faith is the substance you’re life is based on, to the degree that you have this fixed expectation from what God has told you, you have this divinely inspired trust. What if the reason the Bible teaches us that we’re to live by faith is because God designed our born-

Luke 16:10,NKJV- “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” Galatians 6:7-9,NKJV- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for WHATEVER a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in DUE SEASON we shall reap if we do not lose heart. We can’t forget that everything pertaining to God’s Kingdom operates under this principle of sowing and reaping. Remember, whatever we sow we will reap if we don’t give up. This includes being faithful with our faith, here’s the deal, if we never sow into our faith, there’s no way we’re going to reap from our faith. What every believer has to understand is that we’ve all got to start somewhere, and usually it’s with one small decision, the another… (Mustard Seed) This is Jesus’ point when He told us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible for us. This is why God told us not to despise the day of small beginnings. Just like a seed. Remember, the kingdom of heaven is like a seed. At some point we’ve got to acknowledge this reality, God’s ways are different. All His promises, His covenant comes from a world we can’t see in the natural. And it’s only through faith that we bring them into this world. God rarely asks us to take giant leaps of faith, usually He’s simply encouraging us to take small, everyday steps discovering our life in Jesus. What we have to understand is, God’s not asking any of us to do anything He hasn’t already done. That being said, we have to remember, not only is God a faith God, Corinthians tells us He is the faithful God. Bottom line, there’s absolutely no other way to experience a life in Him outside of faith. Hebrews 4:2,NKJV- Indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith... What we have to understand is that our born again nature is built to live according to what He says, not according to our intelligence. Jesus’ mother summed it up perfectly when she told the workers, “Whatever He says to you, do it!” His Word is truth, it’s eternal, spiritual, the written image of Himself. Jesus not only instructs and encourages us in how we are to live an anointed life, He demonstrates it. This is why He tells us, the righteous are to live by faith. Romans 3:3-4,NKJV- What if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar... On the other side of us saying yes to God, there will be uncertainty, opinions, challenges, fears, obstacles we have to overcome. Maybe the question each of us has to answer is, which part of His word do we actually believe? Like He said, it all starts out like a seed, then grows to greatness. Proverbs 4:18,NLT- “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.” Psalm 68:19,NKJV- “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits” If we honestly believe God daily loads us with benefits, we should get up every morning actually counting on them? We’ve been asking this question throughout this talk, how faithful are we with our faith? It’s those little steps, little adjustments that keep us moving closer to our purpose. After all, we are new creations in Christ. Designed to live out of a different world right in the middle of this one. But make no mistake, our new life demands faithfulness. Philemon 1, The sharing of our faith becomes effective when we acknowledge every good thing that Christ has put in us. One of my favorite leaders from the OT is Nehemiah. But he didn’t start out that way. What interesting is that his name actually means, “God comforts,” which eventually does happen. But probably the most outstanding characteristic we see in Nehemiah is a faithful, no quit attitude, simply stepping into his God ordained path. Isaiah 58:11-12,NKJV- The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. The revelation of this prophecy is timeless, and I believe is speaking to us today. Nehemiah is a perfect example of one of God’s faithful, walking out a specific word of the Lord in his generation. There is a generation we cross paths with every day who are without God and they're convinced they're ok the way they are. But the reality is, their lives are in ruins and their walls are crumbling. This is why the Holy Spirit is constantly looking for those who’ll let Him creat a faithf

Im sure you’ve heard or even said the phrase, “You’re acting just like your father” Ephesians 5:1,AMP- Become imitators of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well-beloved children imitate their father. Jesus said, if you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.It’s the Father in Me that’s doing the work.The things I do, you can do also. Jesus’ prayer in John 17, Father, that they all may be one, as You, are in Me, and I in You; that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 2 Corinthians 5:17,NKJV- If anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name, In Christ means in the anointed One and His anointing. Born into a new world, a new way of living. This is why Paul told us, “The life I now live, I live by faith.” In other words, I’m living with an divine expectation, a conviction that everything God’s word says I am, I can have, I can do is a reality in my life. A revelation we’ve got to be more open to is the fact that God only sees us in our new creation, the old one is gone. He sees us from an eternity perspective. This is why Ephesians teaches us to pray, Father, enlighten our soul so we can comprehend what you’ve already done for us. Our challenge is, growing in our faith to the place where our soul no longer relies on this physical realm to confirm spiritual realities. Understand, born again doesn’t just mean access to Heaven someday, it means citizen of Heaven, heir to the Kingdom, appointed ambassador of our King, assigned here to establish His Kingdom. This is why Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11, Imitate me the same way I imitate Christ. Hebrews 6:12,NKJV- So that you do not become sluggish, imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. When Jesus told us to follow Him, or imitate Him, He meant watch how I do it, then do it. Here’s the thing, imitating Him means we have to stop living as if humanity is all there is. Because at the end of the day, as long as we’re comfortable living without more of God, we will. 1 John 4, As we take up permanent residence in God, we live in Him and God lives in us, our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. Our father wants us to succeed at being His body in the earth. He wants us acting just like Him. Imitate Him like little children. 3 John 1:2,NKJV- Beloved, I pray that you may prosper (succeed) in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. God knew He would be working through regular people like you and me. This is why He gave us a Bible full of ordinary people living extraordinary lives as they put their trust in God and take that next step of faith. Think about it, God has enough faith in us to call us, to give us inspired dreams, ideas, plans, purposes; He's simply asking us to have the same faith in Him. In Romans, Paul prays that we will overflow with a confident expectation by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. Keeping a God inspired, confident expectation will keep us from letting go of our faith every time things don't just fall into place. Leading us to actually becoming less independent, and more God dependent. After all, He is El Shaddai, The Almighty And if our Father told us to live a certain way, made in His image and likeness, lets leave here today with a renewed attitude. With a little divine expectation. What if it was said of us, “You’re acting just like your Father?” Today-Da-Day start seeing yourself attempting that dream, getting that breakthrough, overcoming that sickness, walking in victory. Stop living just to avoid failure and disappointed. C'mon, you're born from Heaven, made in the image of your Father. So stop thinking and saying you can't, that there's no way out of your situation, that you've messed up too many times. And when everything around us is screaming, not this time; here's one of thousands of promises from God reestablishing our hope. Empowering us to stand our ground. Isaiah 40, The Lord is the everlasting God, He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. David said, God arms us with strength and makes our way perfect, giving us His shield of victory. Anointing us with the oil of gladness, surrounding us with His favor. And at His right hand are pleasures forever more. Real, God inspired faith is built on promises from our Father, just like these. And when we yield to them, it gives the Holy Spirit something to work with, transforming us into His very own image. Romans 8:29,MSG- God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of his Son. We’re supposed to be conformed to the image of our Father. Ephesians 5:1,AMP- Become imitators of God, copy Him and follow His example, as well-beloved chil

Galatians 6:7-9,NKJV- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for WHATEVER a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in DUE SEASON we shall reap if we do not lose heart. We can’t forget that everything pertaining to God’s Kingdom operates under this principle of seed time and harvest. Something every Christian has to evaluate is just how consistent we are at sowing into our God given vision? At the end of the day it’s our responsibility to make room for Kingdom of Heaven realities, allowing them to be the primary influence in our thinking. How much Kingdom exposure do you get? Matthew 13, Jesus tells us thekingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, a man took and sowed in his field… Matthew 17:20,NKJV- So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” God’s not finished with you. He’s eternal! You know the old saying, “Those who can’t do, teach?” As we get older we may not be able to do all the things we used to do, but never forget that as we mature in the Lord, we become these living dispensers of revelation for the next generation. Or in the words of Jesus, “Out of your spirit will flow rivers of living water.” (Good in, good out!) Luke 6:45,NKJV- A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. The challenge most of us face today is that we get so busy, so occupied with the cares of this world, circumstances, life and it clouds what God is wanting to show us. (Parable of sower) Here’s a reality Christians have to come to terms with, God actually expects us to live beyond our humanity, to be one of His faithful. Being faithful with our faith, demands transformation. This is why Jesus made statements like, “If you can believe, all things are possible for you.” Remember, Jesus told us, from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Everything about God and His world was spoken into existence. God’s original plan for words wasn’t just communication, it was creation. Here’s a thought, what if we stopped using our word to describe our situation, and start using them to change our situation? Seriously, if we’re going to be the faithful of the Lord, it starts with the little things. (Mustard seed) small adjustments, small decisions, small steps of faith. A big one is our tongue, after all James tells us it’s the rudder of our life. Our words are the fruit of the seed that’s in us. So starting now, on purpose set the course of your life, line your words up with your vision. I think we all need training and discipline in the language of faith. Job 22 says, You will decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light of God’s favor will shine on your ways. Time for a little vision prophesying. Seriously, why do you think James tells us, cursing and blessing should not be coming out of the same mouth. The Psalmist teaches us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” “Let the weak say, I am strong.” Roman’s 4 reminds us that God is the God who calls things that be not as though they are. Ephesians tells us to imitate God like little children. Maybe this talk is a simple reminder for all of us to take a fresh look at the importance of out words. Remember, from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Here’s the deal, every believer has to start somewhere, and usually it’s with one small decision, the another… (Mustard Seed) Luke 16:10,NLT- “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 19:17,NLT-“Well done! the king exclaimed. You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward. He went on to teach us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing would be impossible for us. Stop thinking you’ve got to have this great faith. Real faith, as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. This is why God told us not to despise the day of small beginnings. Just like a seed. Remember, the kingdom of heaven is like a seed. At some point we’ve got to acknowledge this reality, God told us His ways are different. All His promises, His covenant comes from a world we can’t see in the natural. And it’s only through faith that we bring them into this world. God rarely asks us to take giant leaps of faith, usually He’s simply encouraging us to take small, everyday steps discovering our life Jesus. What we have to understand is, not only is God a faith God, Corinthians tells us He is the f

Deuteronomy 9:1-3,MSG- Attention, Israel! This very day you are crossing the Jordan to enter the land and dispossess nations that are much bigger and stronger than you are. You’re going to find huge cities with sky-high fortress-walls and gigantic people, descendants of the Anakites—you’ve heard all about them; you’ve heard the saying, “No one can stand up to an Anakite.TODAY KNOW THIS: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—He’s a consuming fire. He will destroy the nations, He will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very quickly wipe them out, just as GOD promised you would. The Canaan mission represents leaving the old, overcoming sometimes the seemingly impossible, it’s going into a new place, a new mind set, a new way of living. Canaan boldly declares that God has and always will be the force surrounding and empowering every believer willing to follow Him. Today-Da-Day!! It’s time for us to be a little more intentional in our thinking, our faith, our actions, let this story of our ancestors inspire us to make our minds up. To ask God to give us a intentional mind. Paul really brings this revelation home in his letter to the Ephesians when he instructs us that it’s up to us to put on our brand new God fashioned lives. Canaan makes it very clear, we’ve got to let go of the old and trust God to take us into the new. And it all starts with an intentional mind. Seriously, make up your mind! You know when the apostle Paul tells us to not give any place to the devil? Guess where that starts? Leave here today with an intentional mind. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” We’ve got to understand that what we think on continually becomes the dominate influence in our lives. 2 Corinthians 10,MSG- The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought, emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Something every Christians has got to come to terms with is the fact that we’re made in God’s image. But because of free will, it’s our responsibility to make room for faith inspired thinking. In other words, renew our mind. This is why He told us to take control of our thoughts, to actually bring them into obedience with Christ. Canaan is waiting. Make your mind up, you’re letting go of the old and going in and taking the new God has for you. Remember last week in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us, “take no thought” He actually says, “Take no thought, saying” I’m convinced, every Christian needs training in the language of faith.Here’s the thing, an intentional mind produces intentional speaking. And I realize these are spiritual realities that will contradict the things of this natural world, and this is why we have to become people of faith, which means we have to do things God’s way. Practice seeing yourself the way God’s word describes you. Think about it, right now, what kind of in Christ image do you have?Don’t kid yourself, wrong thinking leads to wrong believing. What’s your thought life look like? What occupies the most space in your thinking? Do you honestly believe that according to Jesus, Isaiah, Paul, and so many other patriarchs, that the more you think on what God says, the more transformation is happening? Hebrews 12, We run with endurance the race God has set before us by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith... Is it possible that we could get to a place in our walk with Jesus that the cares and trials of this world no longer have the power to sideline us? Why not let God inspire our thinking, empower us to be more international with our thought life, to the place where we see from His perspective? This means taking the time to make room in our thinking for God to inspire our faith. Remember the Psalmist says, be still and know that He’s God. Remember, it’s the little things that make the difference. And the majority of the time it’s those seemingly small decisions we make that shape our lives. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus gives us a great picture of how God’s Kingdom operates. How something seemingly so small becomes something very significant. Matthew 13:31-32,NKJV- “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” Start today with one small decision, acknowledge Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith. The reason inspired thinking is so important for the believer is because our faith goes in the direction of our thinking. And for the born-again, our new lives (Canaan) can o

Psalm 46 says, Be still and know... in other words, make the time to allow God to inspire our thinking, our decisions, our vision, our knowing, our faith!As we unpack this talk, no matter how uncertain, stuck, afraid, hurt, disappointed you may feel, faith inspired knowing is what enables any believer to having done all to stand, we stand. These are the ones God is patiently looking for, The Faithful.Galatians 6:7-9,NKJV- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.Here’s a little take home for ya, Nobody gets to go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today a make a new ending.Isaiah said, “I’m about to do a new thing...”God spoke through Zechariah saying, “How dare any of you despise the day of small beginnings.”So, regardless of what you have or haven’t done, regardless of the challenges, disappointments and criticisms, let this God ordained, Kingdom of Heaven reality settle into your thinking. God’s not finished with you. He’s eternal!I understand, for God there’s nothing new under the sun, but for every believer, this is Isaiah’s point, there’s always going to be a new thing we’re just seeing because God is progressive in His revelation of Himself.This is why faithfulness is required, we’re the clay on the Potter’s wheal.Let’s all of us leave here with a refocused acknowledgement that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Which means it’s time to refocus our believing; one decision at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time. Let God enlarge our vision. (Jabez)Here’s probably the most overlooked point of Jabez’s prayer, how’s my vision? He wasn’t just asking for more, but to enlarge his ability to receive from God. Think about it, when’s the last time you’ve checked your vision? Be still and know!Remember, whatever a man sows. How consistent do you sow into your God given vision?Here’s the deal, there is no silver bullet, even though God will absolutely stretch our vision, give us dreams bigger than we are; (otherwise what do we need faith for?) we still have to take them on one day at a time.And it starts by being faithful in the little. Remember what God spoke through Zechariah, “How dare any of you despise the day of small beginnings.”Mother Teresa said, “Our strength lies in being faithful in the little things.”Proverbs 4:18,NLT- “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”Solomon said, “The end of a thing is better than the beginning.”Here’s a reality Christians have to come to terms with, God actually expects us to live beyond our humanity, to be one of His faithful, actually living a spiritual life.Remember, Jesus told us we can’t put new wine in old wine skins. In other words, God’s ways, God’s Kingdom isn’t humanity’s way, and it’s definitely not religion’s way.1 Corinthians 2:9-14,NKJV- But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.Understand, God’s entire system will go against everything our natural life has grown comfortable with, as a matter of fact, God’s ways will absolutely go against all human reasoning.This is why Jesus made statements like,”If you can believe, all things are possible for you,” "Whatever you ask for believing, you'll receive it."But here's the thing, the only way a person starts believing differently is by thinking differently.And right thinking, Godly thinking is a direct result of time with God, time with His word. The challenge most of us face today is that we get so busy, so occupied with our circumstances, with life and it clouds what God is wanting to show us.Matthew 6:22-23,NKJV- The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!What we put in front of us, our spirit is exp

Intentional Mind Part 1How many of you think Jesus knew exactly what the landscape of society was going to look like today?So, you think He’s still counting on us embracing the fact that one of His primary reasons for coming was that we could have an abundant life in Him, advancing His Kingdom.But here’s the deal, at some point, just like the first disciples, a life in the Kingdom is not the same as a life in this world. Jesus actually lets us know from His prayer in John that we are no longer of this world, just like He’s not.This means we have to realize, this kind of life will requires effort. An intentional mind set. Think about it, we’re not successful at anything of value on accident. So why would we assume our spiritual life would be any different?Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!Romans tells us, set your mind on things of the Spirit.Joshua says, meditate on the things of God day and night.Paul says, don’t look at the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen.Through the history of God’s people He inspired them to rise to the occasion, for the sole purpose of advancing His Kingdom. And I believe we’re living in one of those times, where Jesus is looking for those to distinguish. I believe it’s time for the world to see “Greater is He that’s is us, then he that’s in the world.”God wants to distinguish you! (Abraham,Joshua,Esther,Gideon, David) This means we’ve got to do things His way. And this is why the apostle James tells us we cannot continue living a double minded life. But just like with everyone of these, or any other patriarch of old, they had do to things God’s way. And it starts with seeing things the way He does. And faith gives us that ability.Faith allows us the ability to fix our thinking on Him to the place where we actually comprehend our new life. After all, faith comprehends as real fact things that haven’t been revealed to human senses yet.Something most Christians never take the time to embrace is the fact that we’re made in God’s image. But because of free will, it’s up to us to make room for faith inspired thinking.It’s actually one of the most creative, powerful forces a human being possess. It’s how we see spiritually. Faith is the substance of things not seen. This is why He told us to take control of our thoughts, to actually bring them into obedience with Christ.2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.2 Corinthians 10:5 (MSG) The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought, emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.Twice in Matthew 6:25 & 31, Jesus tells us not to worry. But what’s interesting is in the KJV, He says, “take no thought” I agree with the KJV because ultimately, worry originates from one place.This is what Paul is wanting us to understand when he tells us to bring every thought into captivity.Think about this, Jesus telling us to take no thought isn’t any different that Him saying, don’t sin any any other way.And I realize these are spiritual realities that will contradict everything in this natural world, and this is why we have to become people of faith, which means we have to do things God’s way.Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!The fact is, we’ll never become who God says we are until we start seeing ourselves the way He sees us.Practice seeing yourself the way God’s word describes you.I promise you, the more you begin seeing yourself through the lens of His word, inspired by His Spirit, the more influential, effective, and positive your life will be.Think about it, right now, what kind of in Christ image do you have?What’s your thought life look like? What occupies the most space in your thinking? Do you honestly believe that the more you think on what God says, the more transformation is happening?This is why the apostle Paul instructs us in Romans that if we continue living according to our carnal human nature, it only leads to destruction and separation from God.Then he says this is chapter eight, “Those who live according to the Spirit of God, set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”And here’s a wonderful revelation, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Set your mind on that.Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion

Romans 12, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. It’s one of our greatest acts of worship. This is why we should never reduce worship down to just singing songs from emotion. Realizing its our offering, from a humble, reverent heart. And make no mistake, God absolutely loves it when we come to Him with a reverent of love and reliance totally on Him. Jesus told us the Father is seeking those who will worship Him this way. Worship Him in spirit and truth. Those willing to come to Him in a reverent spirit of dependency and gratitude for everything Jesus did for us. And every time we gather around the Lord's table, it provides us this wonderful opportunity of a fresh heart of worship. I personally believe one of the greatest things worship does is keep us more God inside minded. Think about it, the same Spirit that raised Jesus, that hovered over the earth at creation, God’s Spirit, lives in us. And practicing worship around the Lord’s table, really does bring things into proper perspective for us. Remember, I say this all the time, communion is one of the most spiritual things we can do. And for many of us that have walked with Jesus for a little bit, we have the privilege of showing the younger generation how to engage in spiritual realities like communion. Here’s the thing, something all of us have to help each other with is the reality that it’s only in our grace empowered, steadfast, lifelong pursuit of our Savior that we discover God’s nature and character, His love. And in the discovery of His love, we embrace the heart of worship. Coming together like we do during communion helps us to not be so preoccupied with the cares of the world. It also helps some realize, and others to remember God is bigger than anything we're facing, from challenge to success. Communion really helps all of us with perspective. Psalm 34, Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” Think about it like this, you ever go out a night a look at the stars? With just our natural vision all we see are twinkling dots of light in the sky. But through a high-powered telescope, we see massive spheres of fire, millions of times larger than our planet, brighter than the human eye can stand. When we come together with a heart of worship, magnifying Jesus, it's like a high-powered telescope in the spirit. Because most of the time, it's usually our view of Him that needs to change. And communion is one of the special times of worship that helps us see the greatness of God through our faith. There's no better place for enlightenment and inspired vision than worshipping around the Lord's table. Not to mention, keeping our relationship fresh. Because in today's fast paced society, constantly being bombarded with everything but the truth, it's way to easy to be distracted, sometimes even forget. Truth is, our heart won't be in what our mind isn't on. And without question, communion absolutely helps get our mind on the things of God. You see, at the heart of worship, nothing magnifies our Savior more powerfully or passionately than acknowledging Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The reason worship is such a significant part of communion is because ultimately, only Jesus can bring someone into God's presence. And our humble acknowledgement of what Jesus did is what makes our worship acceptable before God. Acts 2:22-24,NIV- “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. I realize that we are all at different places concerning the realities of Calvary. So as we gather around the Lord's table today, let's be very clear about it; Jesus was no martyr. His life wasn't taken from Him. He was on the planet according to God's fixed, deliberate plan. Jesus said, "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” 1 Peter 1, For you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, by the precious blood of Christ.Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so your faith and hope are in God. I believe one of the best things communion does is remind us that we will never find our God ordained identity in the things of this world. Remember in Acts, Jesus was handed over to be crucified by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge. And if God had a deliberate plan for Jesus, the fir

Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV- They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” This phrase kings and priests is not just the future assignment of God’s people, it’s a reminder that God’s original design was and is for His people to be at the center of all social, civil and government to functions. Throughout our talk, the first and consistent truth we see is that in every account that kings and priests worked together, they were a successful, blessed nation. Our OT is full of incredible stories of God’s people experiencing the supernatural forces of our kingdom when they chose to obey. At the end of the day, living a Godly life is simply living from within God’s Kingdom.After all, we are God’s chosen people. 1 Peter 2:9,NKJV- “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” As God’s special people, when we come together, inspiring, encouraging, assisting, balancing one another, doing things His way, it absolutely proclaims and displays the praises of our God. These principles only work within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. Which means we have to have a clear understanding of how God’s government works. And the first thing we’ve got to accept is that He’s expecting His Kingdom to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. It’s never out of some legalistic approach, but functioning within the boundaries of God’s established government. In other words, operating under the instructions of the King. Luke 6, “Why do you call Me Lord, and not do the things which I say?” One of Jesus’ primary purposes since He arrived is establishing His Kingdom, getting His self-contained government operational. Matthew 6:33,AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” John 14:21,NKJV- “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” But until we stop seeing Christianity, more specifically the church as some religious organization and understand Jesus’ commands, were never intended to be a bunch of legalistic, religious rules, but commands from our King concerning the function of His Kingdom. This is why he tells all of us we have to put His Kingdom principles first. But when the influence of God is removed form the social and civil functions of any society, people are left to their own conclusions. This is why God gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelist, and teachers, to equip the body of Christ with truth pertaining to His kingdom. God designed us to be His anointed representatives of His Kingdom in our natural world. Make no mistake, Revelation 5 is absolutely bringing God’s original intent back into perspective, He made us kings and priests to reign on the earth. And even though Jesus is referencing a future date, He doesn’t mean that we’re subject to the kingdom of darkness until said time. But here’s the thing, possibly one of the biggest challenges the born again face isn’t so much the powers of the kingdom of darkness, it’s our refusal to embrace the world we’re born of, embracing a way of living that is beyond humanity. Philippians 3:17-20,NLT- Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Psalm 115, The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men. “Let them have dominion” is the fundamental principle of the Kingdom of God into this visible world God gave His creation. Colossians makes it very clear that God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. One of Jesus’ primary objectives was restoring God’s original creation to his God ordained position. Functioning as Kings and Priests in this foreign land. Establishing our Kingdom. God, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. As a matter of fact, Kingdom of Heaven principles can’t even be executed here without an heir of the Kingdom exercising dominion. Functioning with complete reliance on our King. As Kings and Priests

Thanks for all the response at the Get Plugged In table last week. Something very important to remember is that it’s just as important that you’re in service and not serving all the time. Also, as you’re trying different departments, if it doesn’t fit don’t get frustrated. Simply move on to something else. 1 Corinthians 12:27,MSG- You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. In Ephesians 4 Paul says it a little different way, Jesus fits His whole body together perfectly. And as each part does it’s own special work, it cause the whole body to grow. Get Plugged In is a simple invitation that allows anyone listening to become part of something Jesus is doing through His body, the local church. And studies have proven that one of the fastest ways for someone to experience God is by getting involved. God is constantly looking for those willing to come along side other believers to be part of what He’s doing on the local level, serving along side each other, creating our God anointed identity. Creating an atmosphere for anyone still discovering who Jesus is. CHRISTIANITY ISN’T JUST BELIEVING, IT’S BELONGING This is why we're continually trying to get as many as possible involved in serving in our church. According to Romans, serving is one of our greatest acts of worship. Romans 12, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. It’s one of our greatest acts of worship. This is why I love the heart of Jonathan’s amorbearer, “Do all that is in your heart. I am with you, according to your heart.” Talk about plugged in! So never underestimate the significance of God orchestrating personalities, giftings and talents in accomplishing His purpose, advancing His kingdom. And by design, He makes local churches unique because everyone he calls fits somewhere. The question every believer has to answer is, will we let Him plug us in. Acts 4:32,MSG- “The whole congregation of believers was UNITED as one. One heart, one mind!” Think about it, what if we were like these men and women in the book of Acts today? Remember the Psalmist makes it very clear how God feels about unity. Probably because it takes love to be unified, and that’s where He commands His blessing. And watching the church at it’s birth got me thinking of something Jesus said, “The harvest is great” Matthew 9:35-38,NLT- Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed every kind of disease and illness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.” Today, there are even more confused,deceived, harassed, lost people going through life not realizing that humanity is only the beginning. But for all of us that belong to Jesus, humanity will be the shortest, most difficult thing we do. And one of the things we do by coming together is create an atmosphere where those lost, confused, deceived can discover truth. Get Plugged In is simply an invitation to help others discover what happens when we come together for something much bigger than self. One of the greatest things about a local church is that Jesus gives us the opportunity to become part of something He's compassionate about. Throughout Jesus’ time here He was constantly calling His followers together, empowering them to finish what he started. And as each of us grows spiritually, we begin seeing things more and more from His perspective. Seeing that our own individual role in the body of Christ is for a much bigger purpose than our own spiritual satisfaction. But here's the thing, in order for this to happen, you've got to see yourself the way God does. See yourself chosen by Him. See yourself as a person the adds value. See yourself as a person of influence. And when it comes to influence, don't be deceived into thinking influence is always to one with the title or position, even age. Make no mistake, if you belong to Christ, He has every intention of using you, not just you're voice, but your hands, feet, personality, your gifts and talents, your money, all that you bring to the table. Remember the 3 T’s The key to changing this world for God is understanding that every time we change one person's world, we're making changes in the world. I hope this talk encourages all of us to make sure we're never the one standing on the sidelines saying, "somebody should do something about that." Think about it from a sports perspective, it's always the ones in the stands doing the complaining and blaming. Get in the game, stay in the game,

Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV- They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” This phrase kings and priests is not just the future assignment of God’s people, it’s a reminder that God’s original design was and is for the church and business, education, and government to function as one. God is counting on Holy Spirit anointed men and women, occupying as kings in their field of business, education, and government. And God has filled our OT with pictures of His original design to not only inspire us, but strengthen us to translate this truth into our culture today. Exodus 19:3-5,MSG- As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the people of Israel: “You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep My covenant, out of all peoples you’ll be My special treasure. The whole Earth is Mine to choose from, but you’re special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” 1 Peter 2:9,NKJV- “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” As God’s special people, when we come together, inspiring, encouraging, assisting, balancing one another, doing things His way, it absolutely proclaims and displays the praises of our God. Kings and Priests flowing as one. Throughout the OT, on every occasion, when kings knew their role of secular, civil, and governmental affairs, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed. God’s plan is and always has been that all spiritual and civil structure of any society be led by Him, to function under His ordained positions of the king and the priest. We simply have to be able to interpret this kings and priests revelation in light of Jesus’ New Covenant. His design has always been for the church, His body to be at the center of all civil, social, and governmental affairs. And I do think the NLT’s view, “priest kings” is a great description from the perspective of how God designed us to flow together. But the function of each does differ. Being submitted to God’s kingdom doesn’t mean unhooking from the world and going into the ministry. Don’t forget God deliberately plants the righteous in certain places in this fallen world. This is why Jesus prayed for us this’d way, “Father, I have given them Your word; because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” This is Peter’s point that we are to be these royal, priestly people representing God. 1 Peter 2:9,NKJV- “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” But because we have allowed division between the kings and priests, the enemy has gotten his foot in the door. And one of his most successful tactics of distractions is manipulation and fear. But the church is waking up! I believe what the prophet Ezekiel said is unfolding. “This desolate land will become like the garden of Eden.” Think about it, what if the ascendency of the righteous became so dominant that all the affairs of the nation were under the hands of the righteous? Genesis 1:26,NKJV- Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” The Kingdom of Heaven, God’s government is His ordained system that He’s expecting to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. These principles only work within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. Which means we have to have a clearer understanding of how God’s government works. God is calling kings and priests together for the advancement of His kingdom in these last days. These principles are superior principles from a supernatural position. Accessible only through faith and obedience. Remember our OT examples, every time kings and priests flowed together, obedient to the Lord, everything they did was blessed. It’s never out of some legalistic approach, but functioning within the boundaries of God’s established government. In other words, operating under the instructions of the King. The centurion soldier understood this reality perfectly. Luke 6, “Why do you call Me Lord, and not do the things which I say?” Colossians 2:6,NKJV- “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” One of Jesus’ p

1 Corinthians 12:27,MSG- You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. In Ephesians 4 Paul says it a little different way, Jesus fits His whole body together perfectly. And as each part does it’s own special work, it cause the whole body to grow. I personally don’t think God’s plan for His church has ever changed.Obviously we change culturally as a society. And yes, without question, we have to change to maintain relevance, but never who we are as heirs to our Father’s Kingdom. That being said, as His body, His church, then we should still look like Him, sound like Him, respond like Him, represent Him. Now when it comes to the local church, a popular question is, do I have to be part of a local congregation? Truth is, we don’t have to, we get to. It truly is Gods design that we be called out and together. Your local church family is a place where we worship together, grow together, we laugh together, hurt together, discover who we are together. Your local congregation is a save place you can get plugged in. Get Plugged In is a simple invitation that allows anyone listening to become part of something Jesus is doing through His local church. And studies have proven that one of the fastest ways for someone to experience God is by getting involved. God is constantly looking for those willing to come along side other believers to be part of what He’s doing on the local level, serving along side each other, creating our God anointed identity. Never out of some competitive agenda, but from a heart of a servant. Christianity isn’t just believing, it’s belonging. And one of the coolest things about belonging is that’s where we usually discover our next steps. The journey is the preparation. Here’s the thing, being a part of Victory means being part of our identity and personality that God has graced us with as one of His local bodies. Romans 12:4-5,NLT- Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. When you get plugged in, you’re simply advancing our purpose as part of His body in the earth. I love how God describes His church in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.” This is why we’re always encouraging you to get plugged in, regardless of how small it may seem, serving in your church is the on ramp to discover some of the gifts God has already graced you with.Because at the end of the day, it’s all,about people. This is why we're continually trying to get as many as possible involved in serving in our church. According to Romans, serving is one of our greatest acts of worship. Romans 12, So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. It’s one of our greatest acts of worship. So never underestimate the significance of God orchestrating personalities, giftings and talents in making a local church unique. You ever wonder why Jesus set up His church the way He did? Think about it, we are these frail, fickle, flawed people. But because God created us to be like Him, His grace allows us the privilege of discovering who we can be when we come together. Psalm 133, How good and how pleasant it is when believers come together in unity! It is like precious anointing oil that was poured on Aaron, covering his entire body. Being unified is like the dew that covers mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing. Remember Ephesians 4, We are all one body, with one Spirit, called to the same glorious future. God never stops calling believers together to love one another, pray for each other, and serve along side each other for Christ. Remember what the Holy Spirit said in Ephesians, “I’m building a home, using all of you, irrespective of how you got here.” Ephesians 2, Truth is, we are His workmanship, recreated in Christ to do those good works He predestined for us. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! Our part is trusting Him enough to let Him do it. His plan from the beginning was for us to join Him in His predestined work through Jesus. I can’t help but wonder how many of us honestly look at what we do for His body, the church as part of that predestined work? You’ve heard the old saying, “God’s not interested in your ability until He has your availability.” Availability=Humility And here’s the kicker, more times than any of us want to admit, availability, willingness introduces itself as change. There’s a great picture of this with Jonathan and his amorbearer. I love the heart of his amorbearer in 1 Samuel 14, “Do all that is in your heart. I am with you, according to your heart.” Talk about plugged in! This one faithful act, unbeknownst to them at the time was about to become a key part in God positioning King D

Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV- They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” Isaiah 48:17,NKJV- Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” This phrase kings and priests in its simplest form is a reminder that God’s original design was and is for the church and business, education, and government to function as one. According to Isaiah, God will lead us in success, but we’ve got to do it His way. The church inspiring businesses, and God using them to supply the church. Kings and priests, priests and kings. The Holy Spirit anointing men and women as kings in their field of business, education, and government. Some of the more modern translations of Revelation 5 call us “priest-kings” or a kingdom of priest. Ultimately, as with any subject pertaining to the Kingdom of God, our true source has been and always will be God’s word. Ultimately, everything about this talk is driven by and centered around the Kingdom of God. So for true clarity on the revelation of Kings and Priests, our OT pictures of God’s original design is what we have to rely on for us to translate this truth into our culture today. And as we become successful in following the Lord, what He spoke through Isaiah starts coming to pass; Isaiah 11:9, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” So as we unpack this, the first and consistent truth we see is that in every account that kings and priests worked together, they were a successful, blessed nation. OT Kings- ruled over God’s people, led them into battle. They were land and business owners. They oversaw all trade and commerce, and managed the nations economy. They were the government of the day. OT Priests-Levites, offered prayers, intercession and sacrifice for the people. Took care of all temple duties, all liturgical functions, widows and andorphans. They pronounced God’s blessing on the king and the people. Even for told God’s upcoming plans for the king. Amos 3:5,NKJV-"Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” On every occasion, when kings knew their role of secular, civil, and governmental affairs, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed. 2 Chronicles 15:1-4,NLKV-"Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.” God’s plan is and always has been that all spiritual and civil structure of any society be led by Him, to function under His ordained positions of the king and the priest. Example: church and business, government, education, working hand in hand. Now when I use the term church, I’m in no way referring to any one denomination or organization, I’m referring to the spiritual reality of the body of Christ in the earth functioning through those He has called. Priests and Kings working together. And moving into the NT, God ordains the apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor to bring forth revelation for His people. Acts 8:29-31,NKJV- Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” One of our primary focuses today is to interpret this kings and priests revelation in light of Jesus’ New Covenant. His design has always been for the church to be at the center of all civil, social, and governmental affairs. And I realize that in light of the born again nature of every believer, revelation from the Holy Spirit does flow to anyone born again. But God implemented the Kings and Priests principle as a kingdom partnership, a covenant alignment for the advancement of His Kingdom. And He highlights this truth for us in the book of Revelation, reminding us that His OT principle was never supposed to go anywhere. Example: If the majority of the kings (leaders, owners, teachers) time and energy go to their duties, God anoints priests to give the king inspired guidance. As a matter of fact, every OT Godly king relied on the anointed guidance of the the priest. “It’s not good that we should leave the word of God to go a serve the people.” 2 Chronicles 20:14-17,NKJV- Then the

Ruth 4, So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and the LORD gave her a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Boaz is the great grandfather of King David, who is the seed of our Lord, King Jesus. Ruth is a simple story, only 4 chapters, but this young women’s faithful, loyal heart brought honor to God and according to the prophet Samuel, “Those who honor the Lord, He will honor.” So often we fail to see what God is doing in our lives when we’re right in the middle of Him doing it because it’s not always pretty. This side of Heaven we face a real enemy, not to mention this fallen world we live in, that we’re created to be light in, presents its own challenges. But Ruth’s heart brought honor to God. She was determined to honor Naomi, not leaving her, not letting things like selfishness, pride and fear distract her. Think about it, this everyday, average person lands in the Holy cannon of scripture. And it all hinges on the faithfulness of one individual, because of her faithfulness, loyalty, simply the honor she displayed toward her mother-in-law. This Mother’s Day, let the heart of this one humble, faithful individual inspire everyone of us to rise to our call, to fill our spot in the scope of the Kingdom of God. And it all starts with the heart of the individual. 1 Samuel 16:7,NKJV- But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. Here’s the thing, a humble, reverent heart alway brings honor to the Lord. What we have to realize is that honoring the Lord with a right heart positions us for honor. Once again, as with everything that pertains to God’s Kingdom, it always comes down to faith. It’s truly the only way a human accesses or functions within God’s kingdom. Proverbs 3:5-6,NKJV- Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Some of the things Naomi told Ruth to do could not have been easy. In Thessalonians Paul reminds us that as we grow in our walk with God, not only does it bring honor to the Lord, but it impacts those that are around us that may not be there yet. When it comes to our life in God, He never gives us the complete picture because He created us to be people of faith and if He were to give us every detail, then no faith is needed. This is why Paul says, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Here’s one of God promises that will help, He told us that if we’re willing and obedient we would enjoy the good of the land. But Ruth still had to go out and do the things that positioned her to encounter Boaz. Joshua told the people of Israel: “How long are you going to sit around, putting off taking possession of the land that God has given you?” Jesus makes it very clear that He’s got something wonderful in store for all those willing and faithful. Don’t think for a second the people that want nothing more from Jesus than to escape hell are going to be in the same class as those willing and faithful in serving Jesus. Remember, todays talk is all about the heart. Listen to Samuel’s words again, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. Here’s another mom lesson for all of us today about the heart; Matthew 20:20-23,NKJV- “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” Jesus repeatedly made this statement, “The greatest in the Kingdom will be a servant.” And possibly one of the most noticeable characteristics will be humility. Remember what Naomi told Ruth, “Go out into the field and pick up scraps.” Make no mistake, clothed in humility, God is absolutely looking for those willing and faithful

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Psalm 23:5 NKJV What is overflowing out of you? Is it the things of God? Or the things of this world? Make no mistake about it we will not stay empty we will be filled; the question is it’s what will we be filled with? Is it His will and His ways? Or yours and the worlds? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 NKJV I got to be honest, I need some work here. I know I don’t always as the scripture puts it, hunger and thirst for righteousness. Sometime me and my flesh, just wants to be right, or make it right. Hey I like that eye for an eye thing…. But if we take that approach and we give into that hunger, we will get filled and eventually consumed by anger, bitterness, un-forgiveness…. Like I shared before we will get filled, but what is occupying that space? What are we allowing in? The great thing is if we are full of Him (and not ourselves) there is no room for the other stuff. The more we allow Him to occupy the less, junk that can fill in the gaps… Jesus wants you to live filled with His ways, His will, His desires Think of yourself as a hotel and each room can hold something different, you want that hotel to be booked out “No Vacancy” sign lit up bright… What are we renting space in our heart to? There is no room for anything other than God in our hearts…. But I continue to get caught up on the Overflow piece, isn’t Full good enough? I mean you don’t Overfill your gas tank, or a cup of coffee. That would just make a mess or be a waste. Overflow Milk cup…. Now don’t get me wrong, when we talk about overflow, I am good with overflow in the bank or in the pantry, we won’t talk about that like its ever too much or a waste… How often do we come to Church on Sunday we fill our cup and expect that to sustain us all week? We get ours and then go home? Saturday comes and we are parched Living a life of Overflow makes us change this mentality and our approach on how we should operate. Let’s dive in - When you break up overflow you have Over and FlowOver - More, greater, abundance, above and beyondFlow - Steady, moving, stream In my study time, and as I broke this word up, for where God showed Himself, Over and more than enough. Now there are many many examples of this, but one of my favorites is found in Kings 4:1-7. You have a widow here who is about to lose everything. When we think lose everything in todays world when we lose things it is not like this situation where she was going to lose her kids to a debt collector. But God shows up, through His people. A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 NKJV I love this story and it shows God is not a God of not Enough , or God of just enough, but He is the God of more than enough. He is the great multiplier. He works in abundance. He works in the OVER… She asked for money to pay off the debt collector, but now her bank OVERflows to live off of. Many of us want that blessing, but we come to God with a thimble and say ok give me my fill for the week Lord… Notice in the story Elisha told her Go borrow jars for everywhere, DO NOT just gather a few!! I think we can take that advice. God is pouring out, God is freely giving, but if we show up with a single Coffee Cup and wonder what gives. Next time show up with a dump truck… Here I am LORD I am READY! Lets show up everyday, not just Sundays with an increased expectation, lets show up with as many jars as we can and a knowing in our heart, that he is the God of more than enough and that He will fill everything we bring to him. You might need to share what you get… Actually at some point you WILL have to share what you get We are those vessels and He will occupy and fill everything we bring to Him. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

Matthew 13, When Jesus returned to his hometown, He made a real hit. They had no idea he was this good!” But in the next breath they were cutting him down: “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. Who does he think he is?” And he didn’t do many miracles because of their unbelief. Psalm 78, How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, they continually turned back and tempted God, limiting the Holy One of Israel. Here’s the question we’ve looked at throughout this talk; can our unbelieving, our ungodly thinking limit what God wants to do in our lives today? As a man thinks, so is he. This is why we have to be proactive with our thinking. Making ourselves available to God, to His word, to the realities of His world, isn't something that comes natural to our human nature. Here’s the harsh reality, as long as we continue living, thinking, responding solely out of our human nature, we absolutely limit Him. Romans 8 makes it very clear, those who live spiritual, set their minds on spiritual things. Psalm 46 gives us very simple instructions, calm down, be still and know that He is God. Practicing Psalm 46 will absolutely keep us from ever getting an “oh yea, I know Jesus” attitude of familiarity allowing for complacency. Once again, it all comes down to faith. It’s truly the only way a human accesses or functions within God’s kingdom. Faith is simply trust! Psalm 37:3-5,NKJV- “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Proverbs 3:5-6,NKJV- Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. God sent the children of Israel into the promised land to stretch their vision, but instead of seeing from His perspective, all they could see was from their natural, logical, human perspective, limiting what God had already planned for them. As a believer, we have to ask ourselves what a story like this is even in the Bible for. You think just maybe, God wants to lead all His children into the supernatural He has for each of us.. Let’s not kid ourselves, there will be times in our faith journey that following God will not cooperate with our logic. Remember we asked this last week, are you willing to let what God reveals to you get in the way of your current beliefs? Ultimately, it’s making room for God’s thoughts in our lives, to the degree that we don’t leave any room in our thinking for unbelief. Let the Holy Spirit inspire your thinking, which influences your believing. Here’s a great example of a Holy Spirit inspired attitude;THE BEST IS YET TO COME!! God never intended for His people to simply accept whatever humanity serves up and call that life, nor simply grow comfortable, or should we say complacent hanging out inside the church building. As part of His body in the earth today, He's actually counting on each of us to make the most of the life He’s designed for us. He will always be sending the righteous among the lost. God needs anointed, favored, confident, intentional followers in every profession. After all, that's where you're going to connect with the majority of people He's wanting to impact through you. In Ephesians Paul writes: We should make the most of every opportunity. This means getting rid of wrong thinking, especially things like, why would God want to use me? And the enemy’s favorite, “why’s all this bad stuff happening to me?” Why do you think its called a fight of faith? 2 Timothy 1:7,AMP- For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice, fawning fear. He has given us a spirit of power and love, of a calm, well-balanced mind with discipline and self-control. Let’s remember, we belong to a supernatural God, who designed us to participate in the supernatural. Acts 4:29-30,NKJV- Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. Let's get a little more intentional with our expectations from God. Using our faith to let God enlarge our vision? FAITH GETS READY!! What if God wants to bless you, favor you, advance you in such a way that everyone will know that He's who did it? What if you're the one God's wanting to take to a higher level, maybe not so much for you, but for those He's planning on influencing through you. Start letting the Word of God shape your thinking, your imagination.Imagination is meditation. King David said, blessed is the one who delights in the Word of God, whatever they do will prosper. There's only one person who can stop you from becoming who God intends on you being, and that's you. But we’ve got to be willing to let the challenges we encounter stretch our faith instead of dictate un

Matthew 28, MSG,CEV- God authorized and commanded Me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. Now as with everything pertaining to Jesus and His Kingdom, the only way any of this is a reality is through faith. We have to believe this stuff!! Think about it, Jesus commissioned each of us, given each of us an assignment. This assignment is ultimately about creating disciples that openly acknowledge our allegiance and reliance in Christ. I believe that everything Jesus did with His life on the planet was not only pointing to what He was about to accomplish on the cross, but showing us what humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like. Matthew 18, Who’s the greatest in the Kingdom? v.4, Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom. v.11, The son of man has come to save that which was lost. v.21, “Lord how often do I forgive my brother that sins against me?”When Jesus said up to seventy times seven, He isn’t actually giving a specific number, He’s really insinuating limitless forgiveness. Chapter 19, Jesus counsels the rich young ruler; v.21-24,NKJV- Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22, But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23, Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24, And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Chapter 21, Jesus cleanses the temple, then once again He heals al that come to Him.The lesson of the fig tree v.21,NKJV- “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.” At the end of the day, we’ve got to believe this stuff!!Matthew 22, The parable of the wedding feast. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like...” A king who arranged a marriage for his son. Everyone invited all had excuses v.11-12, How dare you come in here with no wedding garment. In other words not clothed in righteousness. Matthew 23, Jesus hammers the Pharisees about their hypocrisy. Matthew 24:3,NKJV- Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” This is a private teaching from Jesus to His disciples. (Jewish disciples)Many of the signs Jesus describes are religious deception, social and political turmoil, disloyalty, persecution... In 1 Corinthians Paul reminds us that there are 3 groups of people throughout the scriptures, Jews, Gentiles, Church and there are times that discernment will be necessary. Chapter 24, Jesus is talking about His return to the Jewish people, not the church going to Him. Read Revelation 6 along with this chapter. Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. Daniel 12:1, At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. v.15, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),” In 2 Thessalonians Paul actually gives us a little further insight concerning the coming of the Lord and our gathering to Him, he says I don’t want you to be shaken,That days will not come until the great apostasy and the man of sin sets in the temple showing himself to be God. Ive always with struggled with the “falling away” commentary on this passage, and after watching the documentary on the Galilean wedding, I was absolutely convinced. Think about it, it just doesn’t make sense that Christ would be returning for a bride that has fallen out of love with Him, not prepared for Him or looking for His return. I have a very old Oxford dictionary and this phrase falling away in the Greek is the word apostsia, is translated 2 ways, rebellion and departure. v.3, Geneva bible, Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come,except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition. Before the Geneva bible, William Tyndale”s first translation also used the word departure in this passage. The Wuest translation, “Unless the departure of the church came first...” And I get it,

Matthew 13:55-58,NKJV- Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?56, And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”57, So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”58, Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. MSG, “We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. Who does he think he is?” They got their noses all out of joint.” Familiarity really does breed contempt (Scorn, disdain, depreciate, disrespect) It’s a heart thing. In our culture today, information is a very slippery slope. We assume because we’ve acquired a little info that we know what we’re talking about. No humility = unteachable Think about it, because of the people’s familiarity with Jesus they allowed contempt instead of faith, they couldn’t see Jesus for who He was, because they had already concluded who He was and it limited what He could do miraculously. Let’s not kid ourselves, we will all be loyal to our conclusions just like they were. Here’s the thought we introduced last week, can the all powerful, almighty God be limited? Psalm 78:40-41,NKJV- “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.” KJV, “they turned back” When God's people continually disregarded His guidance, not only does it grieve Him, but when we rebel with unbelief, we actually limit Him. Here’s the question we all need to consider; could our unbelieving, our ungodly thinking limit what God wants to do in our lives today? Secondly, are we even willing to let what God tells even get in the way our current beliefs? Seriously, since we serve a limitless God, maybe the first thing we should address is a change in our thinking. What would thinking limitless thoughts look like? I promise you, God wants to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask or think. I believe God is patiently waiting for believers that will not only acknowledge the promised life He has for us, but be willing to take the necessary steps of faith to possess it. Philippians 3:12-14,NKJV- 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. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I realize we talk about our thought life a lot, but the reality is, our faith goes the way of our thoughts. And according to our Psalm 78 and Matthew 13, one sure way we limit God is simply with wrong, unbelieving thinking. And the best way to change our thinking is by improving our relationship with Him and His word. Seriously, listen to what God says to us through His prophet Jeremiah, "The thoughts I think toward you are of peace, hope, and success, giving you an expected end." Think about it, what if God actually expects us to live beyond our humanity, to actually live supernaturally? What if we honestly, faithfully started praying for this kind of life? Believing God to help us to be more confident in the fact that something happens in the spirit world when we honestly, intentionally start believing God. This is why Jesus made statements like, "Whatever you ask for believing, you'll receive it." So back to one of our key points, the only way a person starts believing differently is by thinking differently. And make no mistake, this kind of limitless, God inspired thinking is a direct result of time with Him and His word. Remember, never out of an, “oh yea, I know Jesus” approach, but one of reverence and humility. Any of you like me, you find yourself so busy, so occupied with the every days of life that it limits your ability to hear Him? Thing is, when we can't hear from our Father, it absolutely limits our faith, which once again results in us limiting Him.Keep in mind, it’s not that God isn’t speaking and leading, Jesus told us, His sheep know His voice. Most of the time it’s simply other things interfering. 1 Kings 19:11-12,NKJV- Then He said, Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, A STILL SMALL VOICE. The normal revelation from the Lord isn't dramatic and spectacular, but subtle and simple. "A still small voice." Psalm 46 tells us, The Almighty is our protector and strength. The God of Heaven’s army is our fortress. Calm down, be stil

Matthew 28, MSG,CEV- God authorized and commanded Me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. Now as with everything pertaining to Jesus and His Kingdom, faith is the constant. At the end of the day, you’ve got to believe this stuff!! And it starts with this, we’ve been commissioned, entrusted with supervisory authority by Jesus Himself, for a specific action. This assignment is ultimately about creating disciples that openly acknowledge our allegiance and reliance in Christ. I believe that everything Jesus did with His life on the planet was not only pointing to what He was about to accomplish on the cross, but showing us what humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like. As we go into chapter 13, Jesus begins revealing one of the foundational principles of how the Kingdom of Heaven operates in the parable of the sower. Matthew 13:10-13,NKJV- “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” As Jesus explains this parable, in Mark’s version He says this, “He who has ears to hear, let him. Then He goes on to say, if you don’t understand this parable, you won’t understand any of them. Luke’s writing of this account lets us know that the seed is the word of God. Matthew 13:19-23,NKJV- “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. v.20, But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; v.21, yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. v.22, Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. v.23, But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Throughout this chapter Jesus repeatedly tells us through different parables about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. Then in chapter 14 He once again displayed the Kingdom in operation. Matthew 14:16-20,NKJV- “But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.” Jesus walks on water as well as Peter. And once again, “As many as were brought to Him were healed.” Matthew 15:11,NKJV- “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Matthew 15 also shows us the only other account Jesus referred to as “great faith.” v.28,“Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Once again in chapter 15, Jesus heals all the sick that came to Him.Matthew 16, Pharisees seek a sign. Jesus warns disciples about Pharisee’s teachings. Matthew 16:15, “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” v.19,NLT-“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” v.23,NLT- Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus once again reminds everyone that when He returns He will reward each person according to their work. Matthew 17:1-3,NKJV- Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. V.5, “THIS IS MY SON, HEAR HIM!!” Matthew 17:14-20,NKJV- And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15, “Lord, have merc

Matthew 13:54-58,NKJV- When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55, Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56, And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57, So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58, Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Familiarity really does breed contempt (Scorn, disdain, depreciate, disrespect)Think about it, in our culture today, information is a very slippery slope. We assume because we’ve acquired a little info that we know what we’re talking about. No humility = unteachable I can’t help but wonder how many of us are guilty of this very thing when it comes to Jesus? Let’s help each other to not confuse information with faith. Let’s stay teachable. Think about it, because of the people’s familiarity with Jesus they allowed contempt instead of faith, they couldn’t see Jesus for who He was, because they had already concluded who He was and it limited what He could do miraculously. Here’s where I’m going with this, can the all powerful, almighty God be limited? Listen to Paul’s instructions from 1 Corinthians 10, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, but with most of them God was not pleased.Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Psalm 78 makes it clear that those of us that walk with God are to tell the next generation of His wonderful works so they won’t be like this stubborn, rebellious generation, that refused to trust God. In spite of all the miracles. It also reminds us of God delivering His people from Egyptian bondage, only to take them through the wilderness. The wilderness is that place where unbelief is sent to die. And at the same time, it’s the proving ground for our faith. Psalm 78:40-41,NKJV- “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel.” KJV, “they turned back” When God's people continually disregarded His guidance, not only does it grieve Him, but when we rebel with unbelief, we actually limit Him. Here’s the question we all need to consider; could our unbelieving, our ungodly thinking limit what God wants to do in our lives today? Obviously we all do this to some degree in our faith journey. v. 42 tells us that God's people simply forgot about His power that rescued them. Familiarity = contempt What if we started asking God to show us areas where we limit Him? Then believe Him for a new level of boldness and confidence to step into new areas of faith that He shows us. For most of us, this revelation starts with a willingness to change how we think. We serve a limitless God, so start thinking limitless thoughts. I promise you, God wants to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask or think. Just like any parent with their children, God wants His children to succeed in their lives. These great examples we read of in the Bible weren't written just to show us what God use to do back then. Remember Acts 10:34, Peter says, "I see very clearly that God does not show favoritism." Truth is, God is counting on every one of us being more of a reflection of His greatness. King David said, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made." So let's make our minds up that we're going to believe that God will stretch us, or in the words of Jabez; 1 Chronicles 4, Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory... and God granted him his request. Our key text in Psalm 78 clearly shows us that God wanted to do more than His people allowed Him to. Think about it, He wanted to bring them into the promise land that first year, not forty years later. But because of their unbelief it limited God from bringing them into the promise land. Listen to Hebrews 3, Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, and they tested me in the wilderness. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Remember, the wilderness is where unbelief is sent to die. Unfortunately, the children of Israel show us that when unbelief doesn't die, it thrives. And the result is still the same today, it limits God. Numbers 13:1-2, 26-33,NKJV- Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them. 26, Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showe

Matthew 10, Jesus sends out His first disciples. “You go preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” 10:37, “He who loves father or mother, son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who loses his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The legalistic, religious system of that day was a severe burden, but Jesus is introducing a brand new way of living. Let's be honest, we've all experienced stress, anxiety, worry, and fear. And the world we live in thrives on whatever will add to these. The real question we've all got to be honest about is, are we willing to make the necessary changes to not get trapped in these unGodly emotions? Let’s face it, staying focused on the negative is a guaranteed path to just the opposite of, “My yoke is easy, My burden is light.” Don't misunderstand me, I realize making a change in your thinking doesn't automatically change your situation. But until there is a change in our thinking, overcoming any obstacle will continue providing stress, worry, and anxiety. Let me ask it like this, how big of a role would you say our thoughts play when it comes to stress, anxiety, and worry? 2Corinthians 10:4-5,NIV- “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” God designed us so that His word will transform our thinking, which will transform our faith, which is how we're designed to live. But when we're in the middle of things not going right, that’s where stress and worry try taking over. Because when we're stepping out in faith, following Jesus, discovering our new life of faith, usually it's the challenges, the difficulties that trip us up. How many can related to this, you're running your race, you’re stepping out on your faith, you're focused on Jesus, and your motive is for Him to change you circumstances, but His motive is to CHANGE YOU!! Hebrews 12:1-2,NLT- Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. I can't help but wonder how many of us have been guilty of allowing whatever we've been going through to define us instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus? The faith question is, are we going to come to the place where we trust Him in the middle of the storm, the challenge, when everything isn’t going the way we wanted? Could it be, that if we continually stress and worry over something that it's actually revealing an area in our own life that we've haven't completely given to Him. Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” But the minute we come to the place where He actually becomes our shepherd, things like stress, anxiety, worry, and fear stop having the same kind of influence over us. Once again in Matthew 12:15, a great multitude followed Him and He healed them all. Later in the chapter Jesus is still teaching about the Kingdom and He says things like: A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. And a tree is know by its fruit. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Just kidding...) v.36-37, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” As we go into chapter 13, Jesus begins revealing one of the foundational principles of how the Kingdom of Heaven operates in the parable of the sower. Matthew 13:10-13,NKJV- “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” As Jesus explains this

1 Corinthians 15:12-14,NLT- Tell me this, since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.Everything about eternity, heaven, Christianity, Jesus, all hinge on this one reality, there is a resurrection. JESUS IS ALIVE! *And the second a human chooses to believe Jesus is alive and exercises faith to be born again, they are raised with Christ. Their new life begins.The first thing humanity has to come to terms with is the fact that God designed everything connected to Him to be discovered through our beliefs. That’s what free-will is. “All things are possible...”Acts 4, Let it be known to all of you, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. And there’s no other name among men by which man can be saved.Easter, resurrection, Christianity, is all about acknowledging this one reality, Christ left His world and took on humanity, born of a women. His name is Jesus. And He became the sacrifice for humanity to have a way back.Philippians 2, Jesus, even though He had equal status with God refused to cling to the advantages of that status. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and became human! Having become human, He stayed human. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death.THEN HE GOT UP!! All anyone has to do is take a step of faith and choose to believe this simple message about Jesus.Here’s the thing, because humanity has been separated from a relationship with God because of sin, God sent Jesus into the human race, sacrificed Him and raised Him from the dead.It had to be this way because of eternal law. God couldn’t just make up a new exception for His new creation because eternal beings are subject to spiritual law just like we are. So by following spiritual laws already in place, He sent a sacrifice to atone for humanity’s sin.What the prince of darkness didn’t know was that from the beginning, God’s plan was to raised Jesus back up.This is why in Ephesians, Paul prays that we grasp the utter extravagance of God’s work in us who trust in the fact that He has raised Jesus from the dead. Ephesians 2, God, immense in mercy and with incredible love, embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. Then He raised us up and sat us down in the highest heaven, in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us right where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. All we have to do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. Jesus is God’s gift from start to finish!Remember las week as we were following Jesus, He’s recruiting His disciples and after calling Matthew, He goes to hang out with Matthew and his sinner friends, where He makes this radical statement from the prophet Hosea, “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”Luke 15:1-2,NKJV- Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were openly critical of His association with sinners. And the fact that Jesus recruited one to be a disciple really frustrated the religious of the day. (Not much has changed.)But Jesus makes it clear that He will always be going to and calling the ones that are away from God.Sometimes I think the enemy isn’t so concerned about us coming in here, but when we start going out there, he’s gonna do everything he can to distract and disrupt.In Luke’s view from Jesus’ time at Matthew’s house, Jesus makes His point very clear with 3 different parables. (The lost sheep, lost coin, lost son) “He came to seek and save those who are lost.”Today’s title, “Running Back To You” was inspired from the father’s perspective about his son, from the parable of the prodigal son.This revelation of restoration absolutely releases the Kingdom of Heaven into humanity, and by design spark revival.There was a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, I want my inheritance right now. So the father divided the property between them.The younger son packed his bags and left home. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt.He signed on with a citizen there who sent him to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corn-cobs in the pig slop.Luke 15:17-19,NLT- When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, at home even the hired servants have foo

Matthew 28, MSG,CEV- God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. Now as with everything pertaining to Jesus and His Kingdom, faith is the constant. Remember, we’ve been commissioned, entrusted with supervisory authority for a specific action. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, it’s creating disciples that openly acknowledge our allegiance and reliance in Christ. I believe that everything Jesus did with His life here was not only pointing to what He was about to accomplish on the cross, but showing us what humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like. Remember, Jesus told His first disciples to go and teach others to do everything He told them. In Matthew 9, Jesus goes back to His home town and right away, guess what’s the first thing He does? He heals a paralytic. I like Marks version of this passage. Mark 2:1-12,NKJV- And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘ Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” —He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Then He calls Matthew to be a disciple and immediately goes to hang out with Matthew’s sinner friends, where He makes this radical statement from the prophet Hosea in v.13, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Matthew 9:17 Jairus comes to Jesus about his daughter and is interrupted by the women with the issue of blood. Once again Mark gives us much more detail. Jesus tells Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” v.29, He tells two blind men, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” Matthew 9:35-38,NLT- Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 10:1,NKJV- And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. v.7-10,“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” He warns them of persecution, He also tells them they’ll be brought before kings as a testimony.v.25, It’s enough that a disciple be like his teacher. v.27, Then he says whatever I tell you in the in the dark, speak in the light and preach from the housetop. Don’t be afraid, I know the number of hairs on your head. 10:37-40, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” In chapter 11, John the Baptist asked if Jesus was the Christ or do we look for another? v.4-5, “Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Remember, Jesus told the 11, it’s to your adv

Over the years, something I've recognized is that many wonderfully born again Christians are simply not comfortable praying. Especially publicly. And until we take some steps of faith and try, not only prayer, but anything pertaining to the world of the Spirit is something we'll always be uncomfortable with. In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with the Almighty, our Father. But at a closer look, it’s how a human, born of the spirit, navigates that world. So, wherever you're at currently in your faith journey, wouldn't you agree we should all stay open to what God has for us? And because God designed us to believe, faith has to be at the center of everything we do, especially in the area of prayer. Hebrews make it clear, it’s really the only way we can even come to God. According to Jesus, Moses, and Paul, it’s how we’re built to live our new lives in Him. I’m talking about functioning in a world beyond our natural one. The just shall live by faith. 1 John 5:14-15,NKJV- “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” John 15:7,MSG- If you make yourselves at home with Me and My words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. And a big part of our prayer life is learning how to navigate the world of the spirit. A world you and I have been born into. This is why Paul tells us in Romans that those who live according to the spirit set their mind on things of the spirit. Hebrews 3:12,MSG- Watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. Remember these words from Jesus, “All things are possible to him that believes.” I know I probably come back to this point in almost every sermon, but if faith isn't a functioning part of our Christianity, chances are, our Christianity is pretty shallow. I can promise you this, you will continue being uncomfortable with a world you constantly question the realities of. Not to mention the fact that human nature can't help but fight against the things of God. The NT reminds us that they actually war against each other. This is why Hebrews tells us that our faith in God is the foundation under everything that makes life worth living. Proverbs 3:5-6,MSG- Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to GOD! A big part of a life of faith is accepting the fact that God's never going to ask us to do something we can't, or that He hasn’t already grace us to do. This is Paul's point to us from Galatians, "I live my new life, still in my humanity, by the faith in Christ." And the more we keep our eyes on Jesus, the more we are transformed into His image. Here's a revelation, what if we asked God to help us with our prayer life? And just like we develop natural communication skills, Christians can develop spiritual communication skills. To the point of spiritual language. But because of false teaching, unbelief, religious opinion, not to mention the stereotypes that exists, there is so much confusion on this subject. So talking about spiritual language is something we’ve got to get into. Here’s something to keep in mind, God is not a God of confusion.So when it comes to any biblical truth that we're unsure of, here’s God’s basic rule;1 Corinthians 13:1,NKJV- Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And when it comes to spiritual language, unfortunately there is so much confusing on the subject, that a big part of the body of Christ simply neglects its realities. Here’s the thing, as the born again, we are a new creation, a speaking spirit, currently confined to our humanity. At the end of the day, it's just like any other truth from God; it can only be appropriated by faith. Think about it, God is the designer and creator of His church. And I find it interesting that on its birth, He introduced spiritual language at the same time. And from that point there's not one scripture indicating that He changed His purpose for spiritual language, or that it's no longer necessary. The same Holy Spirit that came to empower The Church at its birth is still here and hasn't changed. Spiritual language is simply another dimension of communion with God and His creation. The Holy Spirit doesn't speak through you. You speak, inspired. Understand this, spiritual language is voluntary participation with the Holy Spirit. Every biblical account of tongues was done through the cooperation of believers. But for the sceptic, even if you refuse to put away the religious unbelief; listens to Paul's words in 1 Corinthia

Commissioned- Entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action. Matthew 28, MSG,CEV- God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. As a disciple, at what point do we embrace the fact that everything Jesus told His first disciples is just as much a reality for us today. When you’re open to His guidance, never underestimate what He'll do through you. So don't underestimate yourself. Here’s something we all need to take a closer look at as part of His body here and now; because the minute Jesus started His ministry, He stared with teaching, preaching, and healing. And when He’s commissioning His first disciples, He tells them to train everyone they meet to do everything He told them.And one of the first things He shows His disciples is teaching, preaching, and healing. But as we look at today’s church, we’re good at teaching and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom today, but what’s up with the healing part? Did Jesus change His mind? Did He change His will? Is healing just for certain people? Did God give the modern day church doctors to replace His power? Was it just for the early church? Did it go away with the last apostle? Was it just to prove who Jesus was? What is the Christians final authority of truth? So if we go strictly according to scripture, what’s it teach us concerning teaching, preaching, and healing? So why would He train His first disciples to live and minister a certain way,Then command them to train everyone they discipled to live the same way,Then He move back to Heaven and expect us to live a different way and not even say anything about it to His closest followers, not to mention something in His Word? Now as with everything pertaining to Jesus and His Kingdom, faith is the constant. Matthew 8:1-3,NKJV- When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I AM WILLING; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:7,NKJV- Jesus told the centurion, “I WILL come and heal him.” We’ve got to understand that repeatedly God reminds us that He shows favoritism or partiality to no one. The scripture also makes it clear that Jesus and His word doesn’t change. Matthew 8:14-17,NKJV- Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses. Remember, we’ve been commissioned, entrusted with supervisory authority for a specific action. And that action is to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all things Jesus told them. So does that include healing? When we follow the life of Jesus, why do you think He healed everywhere He went? John 6:38,NKJV- For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. He even said, "if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." And according to the leper and the centurion, Jesus said, “I am willing”And God repeatedly lets us know in His word that He shows favoritism or partiality to no one. Not to mention the fact that neither Jesus or His word change. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, it’s creating disciples that openly acknowledges our allegiance and reliance to Christ. I think it’s important we have talks like this because there are so many different views on the life and ministry of Jesus, especially healing, unfortunately to the degree that we leave it out of the gospel message. Matthew 8:13, Jesus tells the centurion, “As you have believed, so let it be down for you.” Remember, Jesus told us, "if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." So the whole if it be God’s will thing is out. I believe that everything Jesus did with His life here was not only pointing to what He was about to accomplish for all on the cross, but showing what humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like. Remember Matthew, You go and teachthem to do everything I have told you. Matthew 8:23-26,NKJV- Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Then they land in the region

In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with the Almighty, our Father. But at a closer look, it’s how a human, born of the spirit, navigates that world. It’s so much more than simply asking God for something. Remember, our English word prayer is used a number of ways in the Hebrew and Greek language: intercede, petition, fellowship, worship, meditate, communion. Over the years, something I've recognized is that many wonderfully born again Christians are simply not comfortable praying. Especially publicly. Here's just a few reasons: I'm not use to it. It doesn't make sense. I don't know what to say. I'll do it if things get to serious. Everybody's listening to me. What if I mess up? God knows my heart. Truth is, until we take some steps of faith and try, we'll always be uncomfortable with the unknown. And when it comes to the subject of prayer, it's going to be very difficult to be successful at something we're not sure of. So, wherever you're at currently in your faith journey, wouldn't you agree we should all stay open to what God has for us? This why we all need to continue growing in our prayer life. It's how we entered our new life in Christ. And it's how we're suppose to live our new lives in Him. Think about it, according to Hebrews we're told to come boldly to the throne of Grace. And because God created us to believe, faith has to be at the center of everything we do, especially in the area of prayer. Hebrews make it clear, it’s really the only way we can even come to God. According to Jesus, Moses, and Paul, it’s how we’re designed to live our new lives in Him. 2 Peter 1:12-13,MSG- Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. Until we get the faith part of our new life settled, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, like prayer, we will constantly question it’s realities. I cannot over emphasis maintaining a confident faith attitude in our prayer life. And make no mistake, our enemy knows this, and will be relentless at distracting us. This is why it is absolutely vital we have a clear understanding of the fact that we are 100% righteous in Christ. I believe Paul is giving us an excellent example of a proper faith attitude for an effective prayer life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16,NKJV- REJOICE always, PRAY without ceasing, in everything GIVE THANKS, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Philippians 4,MSG- Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!So don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. Think about it, if our prayer life is established on faith, then we should be rejoicing because faith already has the answer. And if we know we’ve already got the answer, then why wouldn’t we be thankful? Why wouldn’t we celebrate? Now just like this natural world exists according to natural law, the spirit world exists according to spiritual law, according to God’s divinely instituted order. In other words, His Kingdom. And when it comes to anything pertaining to God’s Kingdom, including a healthy, successful prayer life, faith is the only way! Remember, Paul tells us, “the same way we got in is how we live in this new world.” Mark 11:22-25,NKJV- “So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Remember, unforgiveness hinders faith. Unfortunately, out of habit and religious tradition, instead of accepting our God ordained instructions, too many of us continue going to God about things He told us to deal with. v.23, For assuredly, I say to you, WHOEVER says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that those things HE SAYS will be done, he will have WHATEVER HE SAYS. “Believe you receive it” this is faith, a heartfelt conviction based on the fact that we trust what God says. v.24, Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask WHEN YOU PRAY, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Now I’m not talking about some kind of mind game where we’re pretending something’s real that is

Commissioned- Committing or entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action.Matthew 28:16-20,NKJV- Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, but extending His Lordship through us, His Spirit empowered church. It’s creating disciples that openly acknowledge our allegiance to Christ.Embracing the fact that all the commands Jesus gave His first disciples are just as much a reality for us today. Remember, Jesus said, anyone who believes in Me and the works I do, they will do also. Then Paul adds to that by making this statement in Corinthians, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” It’s important that we understand we’ve been commissioned by the Lord to carry on His mission, to do the things He did, to follow His example, to imitate Him. Now, as with everything pertaining to God, Heaven, eternity, etc... the principle that governs this new world of Christianity, is faith. And the foundation it all has to be established on is God’s word. In Acts 17, there’s a group of believers that received the word of God with all readiness, and search the scriptures daily to make sure what Paul was teaching was truth. 2 Peter 1, God has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature... One of the most foundational truths about the Bible is that it is a living, continual unfolding of the revelation of Christ to His redeemed. God knew that without inspired revelation directly from Him to His people, we would be left with just human intelligence. But if we'll allow it, His word will transform our soul. How we think. Change the way a person thinks, change the way they believe, change the way a person believes, changes their life. That’s what repentance really is. We have to yielding to His Divine guidance. And one of the most amazing things about God's plan is that He chose from the beginning to use everyday people like you and me to advance His Kingdom. He commissioned us, supervisory authority. When we're open to His guidance, never underestimate what He'll do through someone who will dare to believe Him. So don't underestimate yourself. God knew that because of free will, humanity would have to have a point of reference that truth stems from. Living Word, written word. And because we've been created to live by faith, faith is the only way the bible, a spiritual book can ever be comprehended by a human. Hebrews makes an interesting statement, the word they heard didn’t profit them, not being mixed with faith. Remember when Jesus appeared to His first disciples giving them final instructions, commissioning them? Some worshiped, but some doubted.I believe this is God’s point in Hebrews, we’ve got to add our God given faith to the things Jesus tells us. Let’s go back to His instructions in Matthew, teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you. It’s very important that we approach our discipleship with this kind of faith filled attitude, “all things are possible to him that believes.” So as we go back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, one of the first things we see is Him getting baptized, showing every follower the way. Remember, He’s the first born.Luke tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God. He’s the first born. Matthew 3:16,NKJV- When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. Here’s the thing, why would Jesus have to have the Spirit come upon Him? Think about it, He’s the first human born of the Spirit. And just like He had to have the Spirit on Him to do the things of the Kingdom, so does everyone else born of the Spirit. And in chapter 4, right away the enemy comes to tempt Jesus. Hey, if satan tempted Jesus, don’t think for a second you’ll be exempt. Matthew 4:4,NLT- But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” A key point here is to understand Jesus didn’t start His ministry until after the Holy Spirit came on Him. And the first thing he says is, “repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Change what you’re doing. Then He starts His recruiting plan for His first disciples at the same time that He’s establishing Kingdom realities. Matthew 4:23-25,NLKV- And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, pre

Luke 6:47-48,NKJV- “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” Everything pertaining to the Kingdom of God has to be established and supported by God’s word. It is the believers source of truth. And when it comes to an effective prayer life, it is our play book. And the longer I walk with the Lord, I am convinced that the most important reality of prayer is how we experience a divine relationship with our Father. It’s an avenue of fellowship with our King, it’s also a direct line of communication with the Holy Spirit living in each born-again believer. In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with the Almighty, our Father. At the end of the day, it’s how a human, born of His world navigates that world. And by design, faith has to be a central part of the born again life. Hebrews actually tells us its how we’re to come to God. Until we get the faith part of our new life settled, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, which prayer is, we will constantly question it’s realities. A clearer understanding of a healthy prayer life is embracing that reality that it’s simply how a born again human navigates the Spirit world. Remember last week, we talked about Adam, what did he need as far as provision? So what do you think his prayer life was about? What if God’s main thing He’s looking for is exactly what He lost with Adam, and that is simply a relationship with His creation. The Apostle Paul takes us a little further by giving us some excellent insight into a better perspective on prayer. Think about it, he’s actually praying that we’ll be able to recognize things God has already ready done for us in the spirit. Ephesians 1, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS BLESSEDus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... 2 Peter 1, His divine power HAS GIVEN to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which HAVE BEENgiven to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. This is where faith plays it’s most significant role in the life of a believer. Bottom line, we have to believe the things God tells us in His word, before we see anything happen. I cannot over emphasis maintaining a confident faith attitude in our prayer life. And make no mistake, our enemy knows this, and will be relentless at distracting us. This is why is is absolutely vital we have a clear understanding of the Love our Father has for us. Seriously, His love for each of us is so incredible, think about it, He took ALL SIN!!! God only sees us in our spirit, not in our sin, not even in our humanity. We need to become more Son conscious than sin conscious. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. The righteous are as bold as a lion, and we are to come boldly into His throne of grace. And sometimes for nothing more than to just fellowship. What if we put fellowship with our Father right in the middle of our daily routine? I can promise you this, the more we practice fellowship, the more His nature, His personality, His attitude becomes ours. But if we’re always looking to our intellectual, human nature, not to mention, this fallen world to confirm something that makes no sense to our humanity, then faith and prayer will always be that mysterious, if it be God’s will kind of thing we’re always a little unsure of. Remember, Jesus told us that as we practice putting the things of the Kingdom first, many of these worldly things we want will simply come our way. Here’s another key Kingdom principle concerning prayer:1 Thessalonians 5:16,NKJV- REJOICE always, PRAY without ceasing, in everything GIVE THANKS, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Rejoice, Pray, Be Thankful— This is the will of God. Even though all three of these are all very significant qualities of the Christian life, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Holy Spirit put prayer between rejoicing and thanksgiving. Think about it, if our prayer life is established on faith, then we should be rejoicing because faith already has the answer. And if we know we’ve already got the answer, then why wouldn’t we be thankful? I personally believe Paul is simply establishing the proper faith attitude for an effective prayer life. Going back to Matthew, I want us to take a closer look at Jesus’ response to His disciples about prayer. Now the very first, most important truth around this passage is that we have to read it, think on it, interpret it in light of our new covenant. Second, Jesus was giving us a model for prayer, not something that was to be recited from some religious practice. Matthew 6:9-13,NKJV- “In this manner, therefore, pray:

Commissioned- Committing or entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action. Matthew 28:16-20,NKJV- Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, but extending His Lordship through the Spirit empowered church. It’s creating disciples that openly acknowledge our allegiance to Christ.Embracing the fact that all the commands Jesus gave His first disciples are just as much a reality for us today. In John’s gospel Jesus actually tells us that we can do the things He did. Then Paul adds to that by making this statement in Corinthians, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” It’s important that we understand we’ve been commissioned by the Lord to carry on His mission, to do the things He did, to follow His example, to imitate Him. And for every believer, the word of God has to be our only source of truth. It’s a light for our path. It’s flawless and forever settled. Jesus tells us His word is Spirit and truth. Paul tells us the word shows us the difference between natural and spiritual. And will transform our soul. 2 Timothy 3:16-17,NKJV- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Here’s the first thing, even though it may be hard to accept, the Bible was written for the people of God. Yes, anyone can read the Bible and get information, but revelation (a line upon line uncovering) only comes to the born again. Something else to remember, the Bible is 100% a spiritual book. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14,NLT- “And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” The scriptures tell us the word is alive, flawless, perfect, forever settled, the word will enlighten our path, it framed the worlds. The written word reveals the living word. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, Mt of transfiguration, “hear Him” The number one confirmation of the OT is how much Jesus quoted it. What we know as the NT started as letters being circulated from church to church. But was over 200 years before a complete collection of what we call the NT was compiled. Something we have to keep in mind is that at the birth of the church, they had the luxury of having eye witness accounts from those that walked the planet with Jesus. They had first hand, anointed information from those who walked with the Living Word. And as local churches were being launched around the world; God inspired holy men, by the Holy Spirit to write these prophetic letters that would become, the Lord’s Written Word to His creation. 2 Peter 1:19-21,NKJV- “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Keep in mind, every writer of one of these letters except Paul walked with Jesus on the planet. Paul was actually taken to Heaven and was taught by Jesus Himself. Now as these letters began to be circulated, copies had to be made which are known as manuscripts. A manuscript is an exact copy of an original.Not one word could be written from memory.Every word had to be referenced to exact placement of an original.Each writing had to be checked forward and backward.From these manuscripts a NT was compiled. From there we moved to a translation, which is taking the scriptures from one language to another. Which finally resulted in the versions we have today. A version is primarily translated thought. Here's one example of the thoroughness of detail to accuracy. KJV, completed in 1611. Ordered be King James of England.Took 54 men, 7 years. Now that Jesus (living word) lives in Heaven, by His Holy Spirit, He has left us His written word to build our lives on. John 1:1,14,NLT- “In the

So as I was asking God what to share with you I always want it to be inspiring, uplifting, and exciting. So I was putting this talk together and well, I’m not so sure this talk is those things. I believe it’s definitely needed, but it felt more like one of those “Pastoral” messages than a fun one. I mean I hope it inspires and challenges you to make some positive change because it sure has in my own life. So ask the Holy Spirit to open your hearts this morning and receive what He wants to speak to you!Intro – Phil. 1:6 - And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.Is Jesus back yet? Then we are not done, it is not over, we still have God, his promises, and hope. Things may not look good right now. Let’s be completely honest our world is a wreck, but we don’t walk by what we see, we walk by faith. This is not the end, the way things are cannot stay this way, because God is not done with us.Nehemiah is a real life reminder to never believe in your circumstances more than your Heavenly Father.God’s people (that’s us) were scattered (alone), broken, and felt helpless because the walls of their city were down, no protection from the outside world. Today many feel helpless and alone due to covid, fear, financial loss, burdens, life, etc.Anyone that wanted to could attack them, steal from them, and hurt them. Often how we feel like it’s one thing after another in life– not looking good for God’s people.Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t give up, aren’t’ you glad that God wasn’t done with them and He is never done with us. Their situation was about to change and so is yours because God WILL continue until His work in you is done! (pray)I’ve heard the story of Nehemiah told a several times. Great story. The walls of Jerusalem were destroyed for 152 years. God’s temple destroyed, city in ruins for 152 years. Nehemiah, not even there, hears about his people and how broken their lives are and in 52 days, unites a divided people and rebuilds the wall. He changes a world that was broken for 152 years in 52 days! I have heard this story preached several times, but I have never heard anyone talk about how they got there.Funny right – it’s what we do. We talk about our issues, our problems, our impossible and unfair circumstances, but we never talk about how we got there.We talk about how it makes us feel, we update our social medias, post a pic of how hurt or stressed we are, but never think about why we are facing what we are. We even ask God, why are you letting this happen to me, why aren’t you fixing this?Preachers talk about the brokenness of God’s people and how tragic it isLike God is letting better yet causing all of the bad happen to teach us a lesson?! NOThere is a reason we are going through what we are and its not because of God, the majority of the time it’s because of us. Ouch right!God’s people, as we have a bad habit of doing, find other things to worship instead of God.God is good, but this God is more fun (they were worshipping idols and neglecting all of God’s instruction)Sound familiar?? Our world today!Worship music is cool, but listening to morgan wallen is more fun.Honesty is cool, but lying gets me there faster.Having an amazing marriage is awesome, but sneaking around online or flirting with others makes me feel alive.Loving my neighbor is nice, but telling them how I truly feel is just easierAll things other than GodGod’s plan was and is protection – The wall that was destroyed – that means God had told them to build a wall, God showed them how to protect what was valuable.God’s plan is always for good – we just think we know better.Jer. 29:11 “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – this was written to these exact people and us.They were slipping and God tried to warn them, tried to keep them safe, but they did it their way. Anyone ever do it your way?? Yeah we all doThe walls came down and the city fell. Not because God let it happen, but because God’s people made it happen by their choices. There are and will always be choices and consequences.This is the place we often find ourselves – broken, hurt, not sure how to move forward because our walls have crumbled and cities fallen(the situations we are in).For 152 years they just allowed bad things to continue happening to them.Pretty dumb right – why didn’t they just ask God to forgive them, change and make better decisions? – Why don’t you? I know we don’t really want to hear that because that puts the responsibility on usMany times we don’t change because we think we messed up to bad for God to use us!I don’t deserve someone or something amazing so ill just settle for average. We are good at settling for whatever life throws at us. This isn’t my passion, but it’s a paycheck so it’ll do, we don’t really get along but I don’t want to be alone

Prayer is a subject of great debate among Christians, driven by opinion, religious tradition, experiences, and emotion. Way to often considered an optional, or something we turn to in difficult situations. But what is it, really? Bottom line, as with every other reality concerning the realities of God’s world, there’s only one true source to go to and that’s His word. Luke 6:47-48,NKJV- “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.” And the longer I walk with the Lord, I am convinced that the most important reality of prayer is how we experience a divine relationship with our Father. It’s an avenue of fellowship with our King, and a direct line of communication with the Holy Spirit living in each born-again believer. In its simplest form, prayer is fellowship with our creator, the Almighty, our Father. At the end of the day, it’s how a human, born of His world navigates that world. Let’s start with this, the word prayer is used a number of ways in the Hebrew and Greek language: intercede, petition, fellowship, worship, meditate, communion. And by design, if faith isn’t part of our life, when it comes to the things of the Spirit, which prayer is, it will be an area we’ll stay uncomfortable with as long as we constantly question it’s realities, and refuse to make it a part of your life. Let’s look at prayer from a natural perspective for a second, maybe from the viewpoint of a parent and a child; When children are young and immature, their primary communication is getting their needs met. But as they grow and mature, the relationship dynamic changes to one more of fellowship. Seriously, just like our natural communication has to be developed, spiritual communication is no different. 1 Corinthians 13:11,NKJV- When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. A clearer understanding of a healthy prayer life is embracing the reality that it’s simply how a born again human navigates the Spirit world. And as I said earlier, the most significant aspect of quality prayer is centered around our relationship with our Father. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount He begins laying out Kingdom realities, and prayer is one of those realities He highlights. And one of His most challenging statements is when He tells us to pray, “God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Matthew 6:31-33,NKJV- Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Keep in mind, a big part of this conversation is in response to His disciples asking Him to teach them how to pray. According to Jesus, if we’re seeking His Kingdom, the things will simply be added to us. For example, if we look at what Jesus is saying through the book of Genesis, it becomes very clear that God’s intention from the beginning is to be El Shaddai for all His people. Think about Adam, what did he need as far as provision? So what do you think his prayer life was about? What if God’s main thing He’s looking for is exactly what He lost with Adam, and that is simply a relationship with His creation. The Apostle Paul takes us a little further in Ephesians by giving us some excellent insight into some of the things we should be praying about. That God give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. That you may know what is the hope of His calling. That you walk in the riches of the glory of His inheritance. That you operate in the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Ephesians 1:20-23,NKJV- ...according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Notice the Holy Spirit led Paul to pray that they would be able to recognize what He’s already done. In that same chapter He also says this, The Lord Jesus Christ, HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... Peter adds that God has given usexceedingly great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of His divine nature. In order for this to happen we’ve got to be more God inside minded. Consistently practicing His presence. Make it a lif

1 Corinthians 13:4-8,NLT- Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. According to the New Testament, “love always wins” but if you think for even a second that our carnal, un-renewed human nature is simply going to walk in love because Jesus tells us to, make no mistake, there’s going to be a battle. Last week we talked about how human nature wars against our born-again nature. You see, the good fight of faith, many times is that war that wages in our soul. 2 Corinthians 10, We do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not worldly. We have divine power to demolish strongholds, and take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Galatians tells us that for the born again, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Remember our faith confession from last week? “Lord, I commit to living a life of love. To be passionate and surrender excuses. I refuse to do nothing!” Ultimately, love has to be expressed. This is why we’re always saying, love is a decision, not an emotion. Unfortunately, a decision to do nothing is still a decision. And deciding to do nothing only make our influence weaker. 1 John 4, The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love.” John 13:34-35,NLT- “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Would God lead you to someone that He knows needs a touch of His unconditional love, specifically from you? What if it’s the one you’ve concluded doesn’t deserve it? You know, the one that did something specifically to you... Tell me love isn’t a battlefield! 1 Peter 4:8,AMP- Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins, it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others. MSG- Most of all love each other as if your life depends on it. Jesus didn’t wait for us to measure up, He didn’t wait until we got our lives straightened out, He refused to hold all our sins and failures against us. He started with love. This is why we repeatedly see commands throughout the NT telling us, above all things put on love. Remember, love isn’t an emotion, it’s a decision. At some point, those of us that confess to belong to Jesus have to stop assuming someone else will make sure the world encounters God’s love. God’s plan for every member of His body is for each of us to be an expression of Him with those He sends our way, or He sends us to them. And it starts with each of us, right inside these four walls. John 13:35,MSG- This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other. Thunk about it, it was Jesus who said, we would know a tree by its fruit. Psalm 15 says, He honors the Lord who holds to his own hurt and doesn’t change. In other words, keeps his word even when it hurts. He wants His love, His mercy, His nature, flowing through us. And He will grace us to be the person He knows we can be. John 17:21,NLT- I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. At the end of the day, there's always going to be someone He's leading us to, that's away from Him. Someone hurting or maybe confused about Him. Just like when Jesus showed up in people's life and said, "I've come that you may have life" This is why God graces us, gifts us, anoints us to introduce someone else to this new life in Him. Listen to how Paul encouraged, even challenged Timothy to embrace those gifts. 1 Timothy 4:14-15,AMP- Do not neglect the gift which is in you, that special inward endowment which was directly imparted to you by the Holy Spirit... Practice and cultivate, meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them as your ministry so that your progress may be evident to everybody. I believe he’s saying? "God, use me to be an expression of You every where I go." I truly believe that any of us willing to walk closer with Jesus, acknowledge His nature in us, embrace our giftings, it’s going to evident toward other people. Listen to Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 4, Now that you’re learning the truth about Jesus, it’s time to let go of your old nature. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, righteous and holy. As Christians, as part of His body, Jesus is counting on us influencing those along our journey. Thing about it, someone has to take the high road. Someone has to go first. This is why

“We are strong, no one can tell us we are wrong. Searching our hearts for so long, knowing, love is a battlefield.” According to the NT, “love always wins” but if you think for even a second that our carnal, un-renewed human nature is simply going to walk in love because Jesus tells us to, make no mistake, there’s going to be a battle. Human nature in and of itself is selfish. Think about it, we think self preservation first, until what? Someone comes into our life that matters. Until love shows up. Paul actually tells us that human nature wars against our born-again nature. You see, fighting the good fight of faith, that war that wages in our soul is where the battle is won or lost. According to John, God is love. This is why love always wins, but it’s also why our enemy is relentless against us understanding these truths. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5,NIV- For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Peter reinforces the truth, reminding us that this world isn’t our home. And human nature constantly wages war against the soul of the born again. James 4:1,MSG- Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. Galatians tells us, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. So I’ve got us a confession of faith that hopefully will help us become better stewards of a little God inspired love. “Lord, I commit to living a life of love. To be passionate and surrender excuses. I refuse to do nothing!” Knowing that love can be battle. Let’s ask ourselves this, am I willing to be part of the solution? Remember what Jesus told us, if we see Him, we see the Father. And the Father is love, so if we keep our eyes on Jesus, following Him, what do you think you’re going to see? And for those that don’t think love is a battlefield, that sometimes, it’s literally a war in our soul, you try and stop judging the one you’ve already concluded that their failures are way worse than yours. I’m not talking about any of this, sooth our conscious with this, love’m from a distance junk. On purpose, extend some God love to that person. This might mean that we’ve got to let Jesus set us free from ourselves.Make no mistake about this subject, love is costly. Just ask Jesus. John 3:16,CEV- “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die.” Remember, we’re made in His image and likeness. And His likeness is love. In our last series we talked about being light, but in that same story in Matthew, Jesus said this, “We are the salt of the earth, but if it loses it’s flavor, it’s good for nothing.” Loving people adds a little seasoning, a little flavor to their life. Something Tracy has told me before is, “It’s easy to love the lovable.” But what about the one you know that you’ve concluded doesn’t deserve it? You know, the one that did something specifically to you... right? Tell me love isn’t a battlefield!! 1 Corinthians 3:4-8,NLT- Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love always wins! Are you ready for this? When we show love, we’re showing others who God really is. 1 John 4:8,MSG- “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love.” Would God lead you to someone that He knows needs a touch of His unconditional love, specifically from you? And you don’t think love is a battlefield? You really want to find our where your faith is? Let’s make this our prayer today, “God use me to be an expression of You.” I want you to listen to these prophetic words from Jesus that I personally believes should be part of the great commission. Luke 4:18-19,NKJV- “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor

Matthew 5:13-16,MSG- Let me tell you why you are here... You’re here to be light... God is not a secret to be kept...If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—SHINE!! Here’s the thing, being light comes from an assurance that God will be exactly who and what He told us He would. So if he says, shine, shine. What every believer has to come to terms with is the fact that God is absolutely sending each of us into this broken, corrupt, confused, deceived world for one reason!! Don’t think I’m going to hide you under something, I’m putting your out there to shine. Daniel is one of my favorite example of this. Especially right now, with the climate of our world. Daniel 1:6-7,NKJV- “Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.” Babylon wanted to erase all trace of God from the earth. This is where God inspired hope comes in. Remember, hope is this fixed, confident expectation. And according to Romans, we are to be bubbling over with this kind hope. This is why the book of Hebrews reinforces the reality that our faith is substance, assurance, the confirmation of the things we HOPE for. Here’s one thing for certain, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us, the brighter our hope, our confidence in Him shines. Understand, God is sending each of us into the world, but we will never change the world being conformed to it. Paul quoting the prophet Isaiah says, “Come out from among them a be separate” (Remember Moses) Daniel 6, King Darius places Daniel over all the nations affairs because God gave Daniel an excellent spirit. But all the corrupt politicians tried setting a trap for Daniel. They changed the laws of the land. Please understand, satan hasn’t changed, he still wants desperately to erase all trace of God. And in the natural it all looked like their plan worked. They threw Daniel in with the lions. Everybody say, “But God!” There’s not one time in scripture where there’s great victory without great challenge. So, hold fast your confession of hope! Because we are light! The enemy knows all he’s got to do is shake our feelings just a little, so lets prove him wrong. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5,CEV- “We are sure about all this. Christ makes us sure in the very presence of God. We don't have the right to claim that we have done anything on our own. God gives us what it takes to do all we do.” Zechariah 4:6,NKJV- So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” Stop worrying about what’s going on around you. Stop looking at the things that are seen, and get focused on the things that are unseen. Hebrews 2, paraphrase, It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. God didn’t put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we’re dealing with here. He made us like Him with the brightness of Eden; Then He put us in charge of His entire handcrafted world. Ephesians 2, Because of His great love for us He made us alive together with Christ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 2 Peter 1:3-4,NKJV- His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. Until we embrace this revelation concerning who we are, this world we’ve been born into and the realities of it will remain some mysterious, out of reach idea that’s really not for us to understand. From the beginning, God’s original assignment to Adam is still His plan; “I’ve given you dominion over all the earth.” Understand, we’re not just citizens of Heaven, we’re heirs to the Kingdom, appointed ambassadors of our King, assigned here to establish the very same dominion our Father gave to Adam. Empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is why Peter tells us in the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit shows up and infills the believers, “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” Joel, The day of the Lord is upon you. Ahead of you lies a land as beautiful as Eden.The Lord says, Turn to Me, give Me your hearts, for I am merciful and compassionate, filled with unfailing love. Look, I’m sending you new wine and oil, enough to satisfy. Don’t be afraid. Instead be glad and rejoice in your God! I will restore all that was lost, stolen, or destroyed. And you will know that I am the Lord you God. Isaiah 43, paraphrase, Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon, and bring your enemies dow

Matthew 5:13-16,MSG- Let me tell you why you are here... You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—SHINE!! Jesus says this in John’s gospel, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me walks in that light." I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but light never tries to be light. If I make you light-bearers, you didn't think I would hide you under a bucket, did you? This is why our hope has to stay fixed on Him. Here’s the thing, if you're born again, you are light, and people will be drawn to it. God designed it this way because He created humanity. He knows that in the heart of every human lies the desire to be connected to Jesus, even if they don't realize it yet. And regardless of your style, or personality, the power of the gospel will work through anyone who will trust in it more than their own abilities. So be light. And I really think the fire that keeps our light burning is God inspired hope. Vines dictionary, HOPE- a favorable, fixed, confident expectation. The happy anticipation of good. Think about it, what if you were overflowing with hope? I know I would much rather hang around those kind of people. Hebrews 10:23-25,NKJV- Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Remember, hope is this fixed, confident, expectation. But I can’t help but wonder of there are some who may have lost their hope, either in the middle of the storm, or for some because things have gotten nice and comfortable. Maybe this is why in v.35 the writer reminds us to hold fast our confidence. Why God? Because your My light in this dark world. And your hope in Me keeps your light burning. Remember what Jesus told us in Matthew, If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—SHINE!! For the born again, this kind of hope, or should we say expectation, allows us to see into God’s world. After all, He is the God of hope. Romans 15:13,AMP- May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing, through the experience of your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Story about a survivor of a shipwreck. He found himself stranded on some small island. After several weeks, discouragement set in. Heaven seemed silent and he was on the verge of giving up. As he set there distraught and broken, seemingly hopeless, a small thunderstorm rolled through and lightening struck the roof of his thatch hut and it caught fire. As he sat on the beach crying a coast guard boat pulled on to the beach."How did you find me?""We saw the smoke from the fire you built signaling for help.” Here’s the thing, even when it looks its worst, never forfeit your hope. This is why it’s so important to have people around you that will encourage you. God asked Abraham, is anything to hard for the Lord? Let this truth settle into your thinking, we are people of God. And of all people, we should be the ones overflowing with a confident anticipation of good. Bubbling over with God inspired hope. What if we were a little more intentional about helping one another stir up a little confident anticipation that God is still the Almighty. Here’s one thing for certain, the more we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us, the brighter our hope, our confidence in Him shines. A major key to keeping this kind of God inspired hope up in our lives is by allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire our thinking. Remember what Jesus told us, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me walks in that light." In Matthew and Luke, Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye, and if the eye is single, the whole body will be full of light.” Our challenge today is that we’re so double, triple, minded. Seriously, who knows how bombarded our minds really are with everything but Him. This is why Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4, “Stop going along with the empty-headed, mindless crowd.” We have to make room in our thinking for some God inspired hope. After all, it’s only God inspired hope that faith can actually be the substance of according to Hebrews 11. Romans 4 reminds us that when everything was hopeless, Abraham believed God anyway, choosing to live his life solely on what God told him. This is why He inspire us to be transformed. To get our expectations up. Seriously, today’s the day the Lord

Matthew 28:16-20,NKJV- Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Commissioned- Committing or entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, but extending His Lordship to all of humanity through the Spirit empowered church. Creating disciples that openly acknowledges our allegiance to Christ. Matthew 4:23-25,NLKV- And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Chapters 5-7 is what’s called the sermon on the mount. He covers beatitudes, that we’re salt and light, that He’s the fulfillment of the OT law, deals with issues of the heart, love your enemies, don’t worry, don’t judge, put the Kingdom first, and lastly, build your life on everything He says. And what’s the first thing He does when He finishes preaching again? He start healing people. Matthew 8:1-3,NKJV- When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I AM WILLING; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. I think it’s important we have talks like this because there are so many different views on the subject of healing, unfortunately to the degree that we leave it out of the gospel message. Matthew 4:23,NLKV- And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Matthew 8:7, Jesus responding to the centurion said, “I WILL come and heal him.” v.13, Jesus tells the centurion, “As you have believed, so let it be down for you.” Heres a very important point, God repeatedly reminds us that He shows favoritism or partiality to no one. The scripture also makes it clear that neither Jesus or His word change. Matthew 8:14-17,NKJV- Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses. Commissioned- Committing or entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action. All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Therefore go make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. So why would Jesus train His first disciples to live and minister a certain way,Then command them to train everyone they discipled to live the same way,Then move back to Heaven and expect us to live a different way and not even say anything about it to His closest followers, not to mention something in His Word? When we study the life and ministry of Jesus, why do you think He healed everywhere He went? John 6:38,NKJV- For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. He even said, "if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." I believe that everything Jesus did with His life here was not only pointing to what He was about to accomplish for all on the cross, but showing what humanity, anointed by the Holy Spirit is supposed to look like.Remember Matthew, You go and teach them to observe all things I’ve commanded you.” Matthew 8:23-26,NKJV- Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Then they land in the region of the Gadarenes and some demon possess men met Jesus and said, “have you come to torture us before

Keep in mind, one of our major points from this talk is our willingness and faithfulness here and now, because it does influence our life in the next dispensation. According to Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, there is reward for what we do here. This is part of what Jesus was referring to when He said, “Lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven.” We have to understand, for the born again, there’s more to life than humanity. Think about this, which way of life is more of a reality to you right now? Natural or spiritual? Here’s the deal, living a spiritual life only happens one way. Living spiritual, living a life of faith is very intentional. Remember Paul’s words, “The same way you received Christ, walk in Him.” And that way is faith. Hebrews 11:1,MSG- The fundamental fact of our existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. And I know statements like this sounds crazy, but make no mistake, we’re designed to live by faith, and it won’t happen on accident. A key to a life of faith is keeping our focus on the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus knows all to well the dangers of vision drift. Hebrews 2:1,MSG- It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. Remember last week out of Hebrews we talk about not losing our confidence. Real faith simply chooses to accept that when God tells us something, we accept Him at His word. What if the reason the Bible teaches us that we’re to live by faith, is because God designed our born-again lives to function a different way? As a matter of fact, faith is the only way into His Kingdom. This why Jesus talked about the Kingdom more than any other subject, to the degree that He laid out in detail exactly how it functions this side of Heaven. And this is why he makes this radical statement in Matthew. Matthew 6:33,NLT- Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. MSG, Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. This chapter is right in the middle of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, covering serving, prayer, fasting, laying up treasure in Heaven, not worrying, but here’s one point I want to highlight: Matthew 6:22-23,NLT- Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! This is why its so important the born again has firm grip on the realities of the Kingdom of Heaven. John 17:15-18,NKJV- “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” Being sent like Jesus, starts with a willing and faithful heart. Isaiah 1:19,NKJV- “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;” Make no mistake, willing and faithful to an unseen world demands faith. Hebrews 6 reminds us that we receive God’s promises through faith and patience. Hebrews 11 tells us that all those that are in the hall of fame of faith obtained their promises through faith. And this is why Paul repeatedly reminds us about living by faith. And in the world we live in today, much of society considers this way of living a little unrealistic, imaginary, according to Paul, foolish. But according to Jesus, the world has eyes but can’t see, ears but can’t hear, because their hearts are hard. The god of this world has blinded them. But God reveals His truth to our spirit. This means we have to stop letting the clutter of everything going on around us distract us. Remember, a faith life is very intentional. I believe God wants to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we imagination, so that people will see us and say, “that had to be God working in their life.” But we’ve got to get this one issue settled, for all of us that are born again, according to Jesus we’re no longer of this world. We’re built to live a different way, the faith way. Paul says, “It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going.” 2 Corinthians 5:7,AMP- We walk by faith, not by sight, living our lives in a manner consistent with our CONFIDENT BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES. Here’s the deal, actually living this kind of life will require that we become more God dependent

Matthew 28:16-20,NKJV- Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Commissioned- Committing or entrusting someone with supervisory authority for a specific action. This assignment isn’t just about telling people that Jesus offers humanity eternal life, but extending His Lordship to all of humanity through the Spirit empowered church. Creating disciples that openly acknowledges our allegiance to Christ. Mark 16:14-20,NKJV- Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Instruct all the new disciples in the practice of all that I commanded you. Jesus tells us in John that the things he did, we are to do. Paul actually tells us in Corinthians, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” So understand that we’ve been commissioned by the Lord to carry on His mission, to do the things He did, to imitate Him will require a higher level of faith and understanding.And for every believer, the word of God has to be our only source of truth. It’s a light for our path. It’s flawless and forever settled. Jesus told us His word is Spirit and truth. Paul tells us that the word is what transforms our soul, and Hebrews lets us know that it’s God’s word that shows us the difference between natural and spiritual. 2 Timothy 3:16-17,NKJV- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, one of the first things we see is Him getting baptized, showing every follower the way. Remember, He’s the first born. Matthew 3:16,NKJV- When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. Here’s the thing, why would Jesus have to have the Spirit come upon Him? Think about it, He’s the first human born of the Spirit. And just like He had to have the Spirit on Him to do the things of the Kingdom, so do the rest of us born of the Spirit. And in chapter 4, right away the enemy comes to tempt Jesus. Hey, if satan tempted Jesus, don’t think for a second you’ll be exempt. Matthew 4:4,NLT- But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” A key point here is to understand Jesus didn’t start His ministry until after the Holy Spirit came on Him. And the first thing he says is, “repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Then He starts His recruiting plan for His first disciples. Matthew 4:23-25,NLKV- And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Chapters 5-7 is what’s called the sermon on the mount. He covers beatitudes, that we’re salt and light, that He’s the fulfillment of the OT law, deals with issues of the heart, love your enemies, don’t worry, don’t judge, put the Kingdom first, and lastly, build your life on everything He says. And the first thing He does when He finishes preaching is start healing people. Matthew 8:1-3,NKJV- When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Th

Revelation 22:12,NKJV- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Matthew 16, Jesus says He going to return in the glory of the Father and He will reward each one according to His works. 1 Corinthians 3, paraphrase, The work of each one will be shown for what it is, for the day of Christ will reveal it, and if his efforts survive, he will get his reward. Here’s the wake up call, our willingness and faithfulness here and now, not only effect our reward from Jesus, but it has significant influence in our life in the next dispensation. This means as a new creation in Christ, we’ve got to be open to a completely new way of living that is not limited to just the here and now. Philippians 3, Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine. For I have told you often before, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. And they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. So while we’re here let’s remember Jesus’ instructions occupy. And even though we’re talking about being rewarded for our work we do for the kingdom, and make no mistake our Father wants to reward us, He wants to distinguish you! (Gideon) Our motives should never be the reward. Think about this, which way of life is more of a reality to you right now? Natural or spiritual? Here’s the deal, living a spiritual life only happens one way. Colossians 2:6,AMP- “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.” And a person only receives Christ one way, by faith. And living a life of faith doesn’t automatically happen anymore than our natural living happens. Hebrews 10:35-38, 11:1,NKJV- Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Living spiritual, living a life of faith is very intentional. Remember Paul’s words, “The same way you received Christ, walk in Him.” And that way is faith. Faith- Strong’s concordance, persuasion, confident, belief, trust, reliance. Hebrews 11:1,NLT- Faith is the reality of what we can’t see. MSG, The fundamental fact of our existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. And I get it, just listening to a statement like this sounds crazy, right... Faith is the reality, our handle on what we can’t see. Basically, according to Dr. Strong, living by faith is living by this divinely inspired belief, this trust, it’s a confident reliance on everything God says. Keep in mind, we’re designed to live by faith, and it won’t happen on accident. You see, vision drift is real thing, and I honestly believe this is the primary reason Jesus asked, when I return, will I really find faith on the earth? Hebrews 2:1,MSG- It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. Listen to Isaiah instructions, “Keep your mind stayed in Him.” To the degree that what God says becomes more of a reality than anything in this natural world. Romans 8:6,NLT- So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Seriously, we’re going to be thinking about something; why not think on the things God says about us? Remember, “I’m coming quickly” A real life of faith isn’t trying to get God to do something, but actually discovering and enforcing a reality God has already created. This is why Ephesians teaches us to pray, Lord, open the eyes of my soul so I can comprehend what you’ve already done for us. The challenge is growing to the place where our soul no longer relies on this physical realm to confirm spiritual realities. Truth is, the biggest thing standing between an obstacle and an opportunity is an attitude. The right attitude keeps things in the right perspective. It's all in how you see something. Think about it, it’s our attitude that determines our approach to any situation. Let’s take on the attitude that we're just one step of faith away from victory, promotion, breakthrough. Let’s keep a faith attitude. The prophet Isaiah said, Wrap your mind around this. I am GOD, and from the very beginning telling you what the ending will be. Assuring you, I’m with you. Assuring you I’ll do exactly what I set out to do. I’ve said it, and I’ll most certainly do it. Real faith simply chooses to accept that when God tells us something, we accept Him at His word. Our biggest battle isn’t really the devil, it’s our re

“I thought 2020 would be the year I get everything I want. Now I know 2020 is the year I appreciate everything I have.” What if we all had a little more of this kind of attitude as we take on the new year? Here’s something else to keep mind as we step into a new year, God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble. One thing I’ve discovered over the years is that willing and faithful are always associated with humility. So our prayer is that this talk inspires our thinking, inspires our faith, challenges every one of us to embrace the reality that our lives here and now are not all there is to a life in God. Seriously, get this settled in your thinking, our eternity is underway right now. And while we’re still here, each of has an assignment for the Lord. Remember, everything around our new talk has to be centered around this truth, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NEVER BE BASED ON WHAT WE DO, OUR REWARD IS. As we move into another year, let’s help each other refocus our attitudes, refocus our faith, be an encourager, and according to Jesus, “OCCUPY TILL HE RETURNS.” Another translation of this word occupy is to do business till I get back.I really believe this is a word from the Lord for us for 2021! This statement Jesus made, “OCCUPY TILL HE RETURNS.” is from the parable in Luke about the minas. Revelation 5 tells us that Christ has made us kings and priest, and we shall reign on the earth. Take a second, you ever think about what kind of role the next chapter of your life will be? Remember, Jesus makes it very clear that He’s got something wonderful in store for all those willing and faithful. Revelation 22:12,NKJV- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and MY REWARD IS WITH ME, to give to every one according to his work.” What I’ve discovered is that Jesus actually talks about reward a lot, so maybe we should give a little more consideration to this reality. 1 Corinthians 3, paraphrase, The work of each one will be shown for what it is, for the day of Christ will reveal it, and if his efforts survive, he will get his reward. Here’s the wake up call, our willingness and faithfulness here and now has significant influence in our life in the next dispensation. Moody was right, what we do here and now is simply training for our next chapter. Luke 16, Abraham told the rich man, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. Stop thinking simply from this 3 dimensional world. You are a brand new species of being. Made in the image of your Father. Corinthians 2, We have received God’s Spirit, so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things we aren’t using words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them, they can’t understand it. Make no mistake, embracing the reality that we are these brand new creations in Christ. We’re living, thinking, free willed spirit beings, made in Christ’s image. So thinking other dimensional demands transformation of the born again soul. Here’s a major key, the moment someone gives their life to Christ and becomes this new spirit being, it comes with an assignment. Remember, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NEVER BE BASED ON WHAT WE DO, OUR REWARD IS. Don’t let anyone deceive you, people that want nothing more from Jesus than to escape hell, will not be in the same class as those willing and faithful in serving Jesus. Listen very carefully, God is not a man that He can lie, and He does not change, His ways and His word are forever settled. When we follow Jesus through the gospels, the thing He talks about more than anything was the Kingdom of Heaven. A major part of His assignment was making access to His Kingdom for the born again. Restoring what Adam gave away to satan. Making us heirs to the Kingdom. And according to Paul, as long as the heir remains a child, he’s no different than a slave. Even though he’s master of it all. And Matthew 6, Jesus goes into great detail about how things in His Kingdom function. Matthew 6:1,3-4,6,16-18,NKJV- Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. v.3, But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Later in this same chapter Jesus makes this radical statement, Don’t lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. v.4, And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assure

As I grow in my own relationship with Jesus, one thing that’s becoming more and more prevalent is my understanding of spiritual clarity. You look at every generation of people throughout the Bible and you’ll see that God is always looking for that group He can work through supernaturally. And as we dig into things, at the top of the list has to be us making our minds up about the fact that God and His word never change. Malachi 3:6, I am the Lord, I do not change. Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Psalm 18:30,AMP- “As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.” MSG, “What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every GOD direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it.” The thing about a spiritual life, just like our human life, it has to be developed. But one big difference is that spiritual living requires faith to access. Which means that each of us will have to make ourselves available to His word and His Spirit in order to access a world we can’t see. For example, right now would you say you’re a spiritual person? Are spiritual realities a consistent part of your life? How would you describe your spiritual clarity? 1 Corinthians 2:10-14,NLT- It was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Make no mistake, embracing the reality that we are living, thinking, free willed spirit beings will absolutely require some spiritual clarity. And it starts with the understanding that giving our lives to Jesus means we’ve become a new creation, a new type of being. 2 Corinthians 5:17,NLT- “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a NEW LIFE has begun!” And the God ordained foundation of our new spiritual life is His word. God sent us His word to show us our new life in Him. He makes it very clear that’s what our new lives are to be built on. I cannot stress enough the importance of a healthy, consistent relationship with your bible. Truth is, the Bible is how our intelligence learns to recognize His voice, His leading, His nature. It truly is the window, not just into the spirit world, but more specifically, His Kingdom. But without a foundation in God's word, we only have human reasoning to resort to. Truth is, the unrenewed soul will always be at the mercy of human reasoning. But, if we're willing to grow, according to Proverbs, God's Spirit will enlighten our spirit to spiritual realities. On the other hand, if we continue refusing to take the time to renew our thinking to what God is saying, putting spiritual realities first will always be challenging. Let's keep this in mind, since "old things are gone" God will be communicating, He'll be leading our born-again spirit, not our intelligence or our emotions. Romans 8:16 actually tells us that the Holy Spirit will bear witness, communicate, lead our spirit. Which means that our mind is going to have to process all that. It’s why the mind has to be renewed. So remember, it's God's word that gives us clarity between the natural and the spiritual. It's His word that enlightens our path, and His Spirit leads by it. John 6:63,NLT- The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. As we continue our spiritual development we will actually come to the place where our spirits will see things our intelligence still has to catch up with. Think about it, that's how it is with God's word, there'll be things we'll read and our intelligence doesn't comprehend, but in our spirit, by faith we choose to accept it as truth. This is why God created us and instructs us that we are to live by faith, not intelligence. But because our intelligence processes everything we do, it has to be transformed in order for us to get better at recognizing spiritual realities. The reason the Holy Spirit leads the way He does is because we are free will creations. And as we mature in Christ, He knows we're going to make more and more Christ-like decisions. He knows as we continue our spiritual maturity that we'll make the same choices He would. The spiritual life we've been given all hinges on our transfo

When it comes to our life in God, He never gives us the complete picture because He created us to be people of faith and if He were to give us every detail, then no faith is needed. This is why Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Being able to live this way comes out of time with God and His word. It’s the things God promise us that develop the faith that is in us. Here’s one of God promises that will help, He told us that if we’re willing and obedient we would enjoy the good of the land. So our prayer is that this talk inspires our thinking, inspires our faith, to move past thinking that our lives here and now is all there is to a life in God. Seriously, this is the shortest thing a believer will ever do. So as we say goodbye to 2020! Let’s help each other refocus our attitudes, refocus our faith and according to Jesus, “OCCUPY TILL HE RETURNS.” Listen to the apostle Paul, he makes it very clear that we are to redeem the time we have here because the days are evil. “Joshua addressed the People of Israel: “How long are you going to sit around, putting off taking possession of the land that GOD, has given you?” So what do say? Let’s make 2021 the year we’re more about the Master”s work. After all, this portion of what we call life is going by quicker than any of us give thought to. Jesus makes it very clear that He’s got something wonderful in store for all those willing and faithful. Revelation 22:12,NKJV- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and MY REWARD IS WITH ME, to give to every one according to his work.” I truly believe 2020 was a wake up call for God’s people. Statements like, “Behold, I’m coming quickly” should take on a fresh meaning for us all. And I know in my own life, a time of reward from the Lord wasn’t always something I gave much consideration to. But the more I began to dig into this subject, there more revelation God was giving me on this subject. Jesus actually talks about reward a lot, so maybe we should give a little more consideration to this reality. 1 Corinthians 3:13-14,AMP- The work of each one will become plainly, openly known (shown for what it is); for the day of Christ will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation, any product of his efforts whatever survives, he will get his reward. Here’s the wake up call, our willingness and faithfulness here and now has significant influence in our life in the next dimension. Here’s the revelation every born again has got to come to terms with, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NEVER BE BASED ON WHAT WE DO, OUR REWARD IS. A big part of our reward is absolutely connected to our position in the Kingdom of Heaven. Moody was right, what we do here and now is simply training for our next chapter. Revelation 5 tells us that Christ has made us kings and priest, and we shall reign on the earth. Take a second, you ever think about what kind of role the next chapter of your life will be? (Parable of minas in Luke) God is counting on those that have accepted this truth and are making themselves available for it, embracing the reality that we’re actually in training right now. Stop thinking simply from this 3 dimensional world. You are a brand new species of being. Made in the image of your Father. Remember, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NEVER BE BASED ON WHAT WE DO, OUR REWARD IS. Don’t think for a second the people that want nothing more from Jesus than to escape hell are going to be in the same class as those willing and faithful in serving Jesus. Listen very carefully, God is not a man that He can lie, and He does not change, His ways and His word are forever settled. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy. And without a doubt, God is not a socialist! The fact is, the more Jesus can trust you with this life, the more He will entrust you with in the next dispensation. When we follow Jesus through the gospels, the thing He talks about more than anything was the Kingdom of Heaven. (150 references in the gospels) The crazy thing is, the majority of todays church gives little consideration to the things of the Kingdom. But here’s something we should consider, Jesus talked about it so much that some His closest disciples tried securing their positions right then. Matthew 20:20-23,NKJV- “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am b

Isaiah 9:6,NKJV-“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And HIS NAME will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus told us that He would do whatever we ask in His name, He will do anything in His name, that every knee will bow at His name. There’s no other name under heaven by which man can be saved. Mark 16:17-18,NKJV- “And these signs will follow those who believe: IN MY NAME they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Jesus was God’s plan from the beginning, He is the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world. So knowing the power of free will, God wanted a family that would willingly choose Him. This is why Christmas still remains our greatest celebration we take part in, so lets make sure Christ stays at the center of our celebrating. But without a doubt, CELEBRATE! Remember, the whole reason Jesus came to the planet was for us to have a life with Him beyond humanity. To have and enjoy the good life in Christ with the blessed assurance of eternal life. And even if the world around us drifts further away from the real reason we celebrate Christmas, let’s make sure we help each other, not only acknowledge but share what Jesus did for us. Think about it, Jesus wants to use your style, your personality, and as long as we're connected to Him, He said He would make us stand out like a city on a hill. Like a light on a lamp stand. Because of the way God designed us, He knows that in the heart of every human lies the desire to be connected to Jesus, even if they don't realize it yet. So never underestimate the power of the gospel working through anyone who will trust in it more than their own abilities. This Christmas, let the people you come in contact with experience Christ in you. Things like peace, joy, love, God’s goodness and blessing. Deuteronomy 28 tells us that when the people of the earth see the goodness of God on our lives, they will know that we are called by His name. Listen to what Peter says, Because Jesus we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven, and the future starts now! This is why Christmas still remains our greatest celebration we take part in, so embrace your life in Him. John 10, “...I came that you may have and enjoy an abundant, excessive, extraordinary life.” He left His world and came to ours, giving His life that we could not only become citizens of His world, but joint heirs of His kingdom. This is why it’s so important that every believer stays aware of the fact that God has predestined us to be conformed to Jesus' image. So, the next time you start thinking you’re not whatever, you can't make it, or you can't overcome this, remind yourself of who's you are. Remind yourself, you’re born of Heaven, heirs of the throne, sons and daughters of the Almighty. And to top it off, called by Jesus Himself to represent Him in the earth now. Ephesians 1:5,MSG- Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. This Christmas, let the Holy Spirit inspire your thinking. After all, we are celebrating the fact that the Savior came for us. 1 John tells us, embracing a life with God, us living in Him, and Him in us, means our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. Think about it, what better time than Christmas to be an expression of our Savior. After all, it was Jesus that told us we’re a light on a lamp stand, a city on on a hill, anointed to inspire others. A Christmas inspiration! Remember, Jesus didn’t come to our world to condemn it but to save it. Regardless of how you may celebrate Christmas, ultimately there's only one reason this holiday even exists. Christ left His world to come to ours to make a way for us to go to His. Jesus actually told us, "I came so you could have life like me." Christmas is above all things, a Salvation Celebration. A celebration of a brand new life. Listen to the angels words out of the gospel of Luke. I'm telling you the greatest thing humanity has ever heard. And it will bring great joy to all who receive it. The Savior, ourLord, has been born today in Bethlehem! And the incredible thing about this new life Jesus made for us is that just like a Christmas gift, God's abundant grace and gift of righteousness only has to be received. 2 Corinthians 5 paraphrase, When we look inside, we see that anyone united with Christ gets a fresh start, they become a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life is underway. This is why Christmas will never be just another holiday for the Christian because we know that Christmas proclaims we have a Savior. The Psalmist wr

Luke 19 discusses the parable of the minas, and when the master passes out the minas, he makes this statement, “OCCUPY TILL I RETURN” Occupy, do my business, exercise dominion, run thingsTill I return, there is a day He’s coming back Here’s two key statements Jesus made about His return, Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him, then He said, Blessed is the servant that’s busy about the master’s work when he returns. Matthew 24:36, The day and hour no one knows, not even the angels, only the Father. Just like Jesus expected the people of that time to be able to recognize His first time coming, He absolutely expects the people of this time to be able to recognize the time of His coming. This being said, we should absolutely be watching for Him at the same time busy about His work. You heard me say this so many times, “The new is in the old contained, the old is in the new explained.” 1 Corinthians 10:32,NKJV- “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,” We introduced our talk last week with Paul’s revelation Jesus specifically gave him for the end time church. Galatians 1, I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation from the Lord to Paul for every born again was pinned to the church of Thessalonica. So as saints begin to pass away and the Lord still hasn’t returned, the church had questions, especially when different teachings began to circulate. Think about it, they’re just grasping this new revelation of the resurrection from the dead. So Jesus calls Paul to Heaven and teaches him. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4,NLT- “I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” In 2 Peter he actually acknowledges Paul’s revelation contained things hard to understand. They hadn’t heard Paul’s revelation yet since he had just received it from the Lord. So the Holy Spirit is going to use this churches concern about saints that have already passed on to the other side, as well as for the saints that will be on the planet at the time of this special event. Now as we get into this remember what Jesus told us in Luke, blessed are the one that’s busy about the master’s work when He returns. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,NLT- “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14, For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 15, We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17, Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18, So encourage each other with these words.” And I know there are different views on this subject, and I can take some scripture and partially support some of those beliefs, but I can only support one with 100% confidence from the scripture, and it is this same revelation God gave the apostle Paul. So when it comes to this event that we call the rapture, there are types throughout the Bible. But God’s children going through the great tribulation, we can’t find them. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:21, There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. Remember, even though we’re talking about His return, Jesus was very clear, occupy till I return. Blessed is the servant the master finds watching for Him and busy about the master’s work when he returns. He wouldn’t have told us to be watching and busy about His work at the time of His return if it wasn’t important. I believe He wants us to use this revelation God gave Paul as an evangelistic tool, not some religious scare tactic. But if we cant have a confident, intelligent conversation about these truths, people will be just like they were in the days of Noah when God delivered his people from the wrath to come. Jesus actually tells that it will be as it was in the days of Noah when this event takes place. They went about they’re business, ignoring, mocking, even coming against what Noah was doing, until the day the Lord shut up the ark. Here’s what we’ve got to stay open to, this revelation stands along side all other Ho