Psalms 118:24 The Psalmist said, “This is the day (appointed time) that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” 

I looked to Webster for a definition of time…. Webster says 

“Time is an allotted, available, use of your life”. “Time is that which separates the finite from the infinite” And Webster defines a “Lifetime” as a period of apprenticeship” …    

In each day there are 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds-and every one of them is a precious gift from God.                                                                If the average person lives to be 70 years of age, they spend 20 years sleeping; 20 years working; 6 years eating; 7 years playing; 5 years dressing; 6 years on the telephone; 3 years waiting for somebody; 5 months tying shoelaces; and only 2½ years left for other things.

Time is something we feel we never have enough of, yet we give it away far too easily. Someone once said, “Time is free, but it is priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it. The present moment you’re in, is the only one you can call your own and it is gone in the batting of an eye”

Psalm 39:6 “We live our lives like those living in shadows. All our activities and energies are spent for things that pass away. We gather, we hoard, we cling to our things, only to leave them all behind for who knows what”.                                                                                                                     As I was preparing, I came across a poem by an unkown author, it says    ”I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day! I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t take time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task. “Why doesn’t God help me?” I asked, He answered, “You didn’t ask!” I tried to come into His presence; I used all my keys at the lock. God gently and lovingly chided, “My child, why didn’t you knock!” I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak. I wondered why God didn’t show me. He answered, “But you didn’t seek.” I woke up early this morning, and paused before entering the day. I had so much to accomplish, that I had to take time to pray.

                                                                                                                                     Over the past month, there were times after the shock from hearing that Winnie would not just need therapy but she would need a hip replacement, we felt that we had been hit by a Mac truck. 4 days after getting this information, she was in surgery. I felt that our situation had placed us in a huge interruption to all our plans and our responsibilities. I call it “The day the world stood still”….(We’ve had a few more of those days since then)

It was as though we had been blind sided and put on a detour away from the main flow of life. We have been through many things together and now we were joined at the hip! Our lives were now centered around a hip joint. (by the way, have you met my new wife?) She’s really HIP!                                  Any way, in the midst of the shock of it all, we found that the bible still is relevant as always, regardless of the situation which we find ourselves in. One of my anchors in all of this was…..

Romans 8:28 which still says….”And we know that  God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are  called according to His purpose. v29  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to (continually) become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. v30  and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also  justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. v31 What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

The word “predestined” has to do with our Father God being in charge of our destiny, in hours and days as well as our life time!!! It declares that He always operates in and through the precise time which we must live in, and yet He is timeless!

We also recognize that this word “predestined”, in Romans, existed before what we now know as “time” and will continue to operate long after time has ended. It is before and beyond time!

Time has not always been and it will not always be, but God’s predestination has always been and will always be present and active, in the comings and goings of mankind.

Little Johnny was dealing with some comings and goings…

After church service, little Johnny told his parents he had to go and talk to the minister right away. 

They agree and the pastor greeted the family and Johnny says, “Pastor,

I heard you say today that our bodies came from the dust."

"That's right, Johnny, I did."

"And I heard you say that when we die, our bodies go back to dust."

"Yes, I'm so glad you were paying attention. Why do you ask?"

"Well you better come over to our house right away and look under my bed 'cause somebody is either comin' or they’re goin’under there!"

Long before Adam and Eve were created Time was created. Time is a created object… So before you start stressing, and digressing about time, and time pressure, and time deadlines… be clear that it is just another created thing, made for our use and given to us as a blessing….

Tell someone…. “He makes all things beautiful in His time”…..

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. v4 And God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. v5 And God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And the evening, and morning—were the first day”.…

”morning and evening were the first day”, those are time markers set up by almighty God. Each day is an amazing gift and everything can change in a day… As we are dealing with our own time markers, we need to remind ourselves that with God, everything can be changed. It doesn’t always have to be the way it is.                                                                           Every today is the tomorrow that God promised yesterday. And His promise will not return void, because He has sworn His promises by His own name!

Psalm 105:8–9 “For though a thousand generations may pass away, He is still true to His word. He has kept every promise (every appointment) that He has made.”

Tom, was a busy, upcoming executive, and Tom was about to get a new “Time Marker” in his life. As he rushed to work in his new jaguar with the radio blasting, suddenly a brick crashed into his driver door. He slammed on brakes and grabbed the kid who threw it, while yelling and pointing at the dent in his bumper. The boy was apologizing and said, that his wheelchair bound brother had fallen out of his chair at the curb, and he was scrapped up and bleeding, and he was too heavy for him to pick up. He said he couldn’t get anyone to stop, and was desperate, so he threw the brick to get someone to stop and help. Tom regathered his senses and picked up the boys brother, making sure he was OK. But he never fixed the dent in his bumper He left that “Time Marker” to remind himself that God shouldn’t have to throw a brick at him to get his attention. God was giving him a time out to reset his priorities.

Adam and eve, got a brick thrown at them when they weren’t paying attention as God told them… “If you sin, you will die”…. (There was no death before then, no one died, and no one got old). Ageing and death didn’t begin until they sinned. Sin opened the door for death and the destroyer to enter into the earth realm. Far too many have found that short cuts are not always the best or quickest way to get somewhere…

Sometimes Shortcuts will get you a time out! Time outs, werecreated by God. The prodigal son had a time out….Job had one, so did Lot, and what about Jacob and then there is King David, and Elijah by the brook. Take advantage of the time outs that you find yourself in and don’t waste them. God may be resetting your priorities. Some folks get their time out in the hospital, some folks get a time out in the sudden death of a loved one, some folks get a time out when they are suddenly faced with divorce and children get caught in the middle, and there are some folks that God gets their attention when their career falls apart or they face the senior citizen syndrome. Grace and favor still waits for us in those places where we have time out.        

God has scheduled a big time out for planet earth to reset it’spriorities! Scripture tells us that during the time when Christ returns to the earth to reign for a 1000 years no one can die. If people come into the millennium at 60, at the end of the millennium they will be 1060 years old, If they were 6 they will be 1006 at the end. There will be no sickness, no wars, and no death. This lets us see time as a dispensable commodity. It tells us that God can sovereignly do what He desires to do with death, sickness, war and time.

                                                                                                                             There will come a moment, when God says “No more”…. And all those things will pack their bags and disappear!                   

Revelation 10:6 And (the angel) swore by Him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it, and the earth, and the things that are in it, and the sea, and the things which are in it, that time shall be no more.”

But notice before He turns it off, He will manipulate it, and use it for His purposes, as He accomplishes His will through us as long as the earth remains. Time is just another tool which He has in His tool box of unlimited resources.

So we must re-think time in terms of Nevertheless!!!.

I love the words “Nevertheless” in the bible. It means that for the child of God everything is up for negotiation by God! You might even call it the 
“Spirit of Nevertheless”….It sees and believes a greater reality

Psalm 129:2 "Many times I have suffered attacks from the enemy, nevertheless, he has not prevailed against me”.

When Peter was tired from fishing all night and Jesus said.. “go back out and let down the nets….Peter said “Nevertheless at your word I will”.. When Daniel faced the lion’s den, he said “Nevertheless I won’t back down”….When no one would listento Noah, He didn’t back down, but said “Nevertheless” God has shown me what I must do, and he did it.                                         When Jeremiah’s family turned against him… When Jonah didn’t want to do it…When Joseph was wronged… When Paul went through shipwreck, imprisonment, stoning, beating, and being left for dead….When Abraham didn’t even know where to go….When David was just bringing lunch to his brothers and ended up facing Goliath….It was a “Nevertheless” that turned everything around and redeemed and reset the situation and many times a Nevertheless changed all of history!

Someone may say, “My marriage has not worked out the way I planned – Nevertheless – I will trust Him with my future and my outcome”!                           My health is not improving like I have prayed – Nevertheless – I will still serve Him with the time and strength that I have!                                                       I am all alone – Nevertheless –He is with me always!                                                 Someone has badly hurt me – Nevertheless – God will bring me through the healing and forgiveness which is needed.                                                                 My life has not turned out like I had hoped – Nevertheless – My future is secure and He has a plan for me.                                                                                      I am in the midst of crisis – Nevertheless – I know that everything must pass through my Father’s hands!

Ephesians 5:15 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, v16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. v17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”.       

It’s clear that the will of the Lord in Ephesians 5, is that we have been given a mandate to redeem the time! It’s God’s mandate to each of us. Notice He tells us to “redeem the time, because there is a lot of evil, which wants to make decisions about your life and your timeline. So if we don’t choose, it will choose for us!

If you have had a strong impulse to pray for someone, that they be given safety, or that there is an urgent need and then you found out that they were in a dangerous or even life threatening situation, but because folks prayed it was turned around, and they came through it without harm…If you were awakened at the mid-night hour to claim healing or believe for miracles in someone’s behalf, you were being called upon to redeem the time. 

Lola Elliott was moved by God to take an unwanted child into her heart and home and introduce him to Jesus and teach him to the truth of God’s word. God used her to redeemed a life and change the future and alter time. MY TIME, MY LIFE, MY FUTURE!She didn’t just think about it or pray about it, she did something about it and she redeemed my life. 

Nothing happens until we do something…

Someone wrote…..If you have work to do—do it now. 

If you have a witness to give—give it now.

If you have a soul to win—win them now.

If you have an obligation to fulfill—fulfill it now.

If you have a vow to pay—pay it now.

If you have a wrong to right—right it now.

If you have a confession to give—give it now.

If you have a preparation to make--make it now.

If you have children to train—train them now.

Remember, time is passing and now is the best time.

Thank God, “He is the restorer”….

Joel 2:25 “I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, and the gnawing caterpillar has destroyed ”  

He not only shortens time, redeems time, but He restores time that you have lost. Lost time which wants you to live your life with the “If onlies, and the “what ifs” of regret”, beating yourself up, thinking I should have done this or that.

He is the restorer and can bring you back on the right path, and realign you, so you can reconnect with what you’ve lost, and regain what you thought you had missed forever.

He will restore the children to the parents, He will restore marriages, He will restore lost health and mend broken hearts. This goes beyond what He can do and moves into the arena of what He WILL DO!!!

As I think of the God of all times…. I think of Phillip who went from a village in Samaria where he was seeing God bring revival, to immediately find himself in the desert place near Ashdod, to keep a divine appointment with a Etheopian eunic, which means in an instant, he traveled 700 miles, in no time at all. God needed to get the gospel to Etheopia, so He canceled time and space and got His messenger to the right place at the right time with the right person. 

Psalm 37:34 “So don’t be impatient for the Lord to act; keep moving forward steadily in His ways, and he will exalt you at the right time. And when he does, you will possess every promise, including your full inheritance. You’ll watch with your own eyes and those who oppose you will no longer be”.

When the Lord gets ready, He will move heaven and earth to accomplish His pleasure. God is in charge of what He has created. Time is no exception. He can do in a moment or a day, what other wise might take weeks or months or years!

In Mark chapter 6, When the disciples were in the boat on their way to Gadara, where Jesus had sent them, and they were there because He told them to go over to the other side. They didn’t understand that the storm couldn’t stop them, if He told them to go over to the other side!    But what I want us to see here is, when Jesus rebuked the storm, and it calmed, it says “immediately they were on the other side”….

THEY WENT FROM TOILING ALL NIGHT AND MAKING NO HEADWAY, TO IMMEDIATELY FINDING THEMSELVES ON THE OTHER SIDE!

God can get you to where you should be, no matter how late you think you are, or how behind you might think you might be.

Please listen to me, We will always have all the time we need to do everything that God has destined and appointed us to do!!

Know that God can make your efforts multiply beyond what you could ever do on your own. Know that little is much when God is in it. Your mustard seed, as little as it may seem, can still produce something greater than you could ever imagined.

The story of Joshua, fighting in the valley of Aijalon. Tells us that God can make time stand still while he does what is His purpose, and accomplish what He has planned for His people. Sowhether God made the entire solar system stand still or just the earth stop rotating, on its axis, either way it’s a pretty big deal, (wouldn’t you say) 

Joshua 10:12 “On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” v13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. v14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man”.                         Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

The Lord’s prayer factors into this truth of the God of all time.Jesus taught us to pray, what is known as the Lord’s prayer. But it is actually the disciple’s prayer. In that prayer it says “Give us this day (this appointed time) our daily bread”… God is telling us to believe that on any given day, in our daily time line, our supply for that day will be made available to us, If we understand that He is in charge of our days and our time.

“Our times are in His hands”… Oh, church, to live, knowing that there is one who can change time, stop time, or turn time back, is to live knowing that He makes the impossible possible every day!!
Here’s the good news…. If you are a born again child of God, you are timeless, you are an eternal being. The moment you received Christ, time lost it’s hold on you. But it’s your choice, to live as a slave to time, or to take charge of time, in your home, in your marriage, in your work place…. And Redeem The Time…. 

God used an Esther to redeem the time for the nation of Israel, when it looked like Haman was going to succeed in his evil plan… God used a Samson, with all his flaws, to redeem Israel from the Philistine nation… God used rebellious lot, by way of a great fish that offered him room and board for a cruise to Nineveh to redeem that evil nation from distruction.. So just think what He can do through you if you’ll make yourself available.

CS Lewis said, “You can’t go back to the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending”…

Isaiah 38:4  Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, v5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. v6  “I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.” v7  “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken”v8  “Behold, I will  a cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go backward ten steps.” Sothe sun’s shadow went backward ten steps on the stairway upon which it had gone down”.

If we can find out what God has done, then we can find out what He can and will do….He has His way in the whirlwind and the storm. He makes a way where there is no way.                                                                                       Time after time, we have found that at the end of ourselves, and it is then that we step over into the beginning of Himself. It’s not just an ending, it’s His new beginning. We don’t have to be stuck at the devil’s level. With the dead end, and the endless maze with no way out 

Isaiah 60:22 “The least will become a thousand, and the smallest will become a powerful people. When the right time comes, I will make this happen quickly. For I am the Lord!" 

Let’s believe for time redeemed, restored, reset, renewed, and redirected, in the name of Jesus! God is letting us know that He can and will reset time for you. He will restore the years that have been devoured and destroyed. I believe God is shaping and redirecting some things, it was going one way, but now it is going another. It wasn’t working but now it will. New ideas, new contacts, new information, and new opportunities are beginning to spring forth!

Let’s believe together as we take Him at His word, that He is the God who rules over time, and our times are in His hands….Weserve the God of all time….

Say it with me…. (He Redeems, He Restores, He Resets, He Renews and Redirects)

Here’s someone’s definition of a father... "A father never feels worthy of the worship in his child's eyes. He never feels that he’s the hero his daughter thinks he is, and never quite the man his son believes him to be, A father is a man who carries his children’s pictures in his wallet where his money used to be. Fathers are those guys who give their daughters away to other men who are never good enough, so they can have grandchildren that are better than anybody else’s.”

Mark Twain said, "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to be in the same room. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned."

I would certainly be very negligent if I didn’t thank my kids for all the wonderful sermon material they have provided me! As a matter of fact whatever it was that happened, they had a common saying as they were growing up and it was …”We’llhear about this in dad’s next sermon”!!!

In the early days of the building of Notre Dame University whenthey were still clearing the land. A superintendent asked one of the workmen, what he was doing. He said, “I’m digging a ditch”.. The next worker he asked said “I’m gathering stones to build a wall”… But the third workman he asked, who was mixing mortar, said, “Sir, my wife and I are mixing this mortar, because we’re raising up a great cathedral” 

Folks, we’re not called to build junk, but we are raising up great cathedrals through the lives of men, women and children….

When the angel appeared to the father of John the Baptist, he realized that this was not just another ordinary Jewish childwhich he would father, but a special gift that God was placing in his care…   

Luke1:16  “And he (John) will turn the hearts of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. v17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him (Jesus) in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

I’m sure we have all heard the saying that the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that shakes the world. But that is certainly true of two fathers, one was named Joseph, who was called upon to be the earthly father of Jesus, and Zachariah who was called upon to be the father of John.

We declared over all of our children, that they would be soul winners and bring others to Christ. I’m celebrating as a Dad today, that God has allowed me to see the day when they all were living that out…They’re all soul winners and they’re bringing folks to Christ!  

Prophesy over your kids every day according to the word of God….Theword of God is the spirit of prophecy…

For strength, speak Philippians 4:13 “They can do all things through Christ who strengthens them”.

For Courage and boldness, speak Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”. 

For Peace and freedom from worry, speak Philippians 4:6 “They shall not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving may their requests be made known to God. 

For provision speak Philippians 4:19 “My God will supply every need of theirs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. ~ 

For Direction and right choices speak Proverbs 3:5-6 “They shall Trust in the Lord with all their heart, and not lean on their own understanding. In all their ways they acknowledge him, and he will make straight their paths”. 

For Protection, speak Psalm 91:1-2  ” They shall dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty. They will say of the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”.

For Joy, speak Psalm 16:11 “You make known to them the path of life; in your presence they find fullness of joy; at your right hand they havepleasures forevermore”. 

For Compassion speak, Ephesians 4:32 “ They shall be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave them”. 

For Justice speak Isaiah 1:17 “They shall Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and plead the widow’s cause”. 

For Wisdom, speak James 1:5 “If any of them lacks wisdom, let them ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given them”. 

For Hope, speak Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill them with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they may abound in hope”.

For Love, speak 2 Corinthians 13 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends”. 

One father wrote this in a letter to God…                                                                  “He calls me Dad and I call him Dude, With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh. He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you" I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight, Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light, and I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see, He's got a father in God, 'cause he's seen Jesus in me. Lord, I want to be just like You, 'Cause he wants to be just like me.

I want to be a holy example, For his innocent eyes to see.

Help me be Your living word, Lord, That my little boy can read.

I want to be just like You, 'Cause he wants to be like me.

Someone has said that the best thing you can do for your children, is to love their mother totally and completely!

Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

But one thing for sure, you can’t be a couch potato dad and raise the kind of kids God has called you to raise!

It reminds me of the little boy who was playing on a Sunday morning while his Dad was in a recliner reading the paper. And the father said, “Son, get yourself ready for church.” The little boy asked, “Are you coming with me today Dad?” The man replied, “No, I’m not coming. But I want you to hurry up and get ready so you can go with your momma.” The little boy then said, “Did you used to go to Sunday School when you were a boy, Dad?” The father proudly replied, “I most certainly did!” Then the little boy smiled, “Yeah, I bet it won’t do me any good either!”

1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, (and that includes spiritual provision) and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”.

The shame is that there are homes where dad is uninvolved in anything spiritual in the home and if mom doesn’t do it, it doesn’t get done…..

Every Father needs a tool box… In that box, he needs to have an Adjustable Wrench - Fathers must be flexible and adaptable to any situation that arises.

Every Dad needs a Level - Fathers must be fair, balanced and level-headed.It’s not easy to love and apply discipline at the same time.

He needs a Staple Gun and Clamps – Cause God knows that Fathers will be called upon to hold things together and keep them together.

He needs Shop Towels - He must be ready to clean up some messes heencounters, wash some feet, and keep the talk clean.

Fathers need an Extension Cord – Cause Fathers must be able to stretch a bit and be able to connect to the source of power at all times.

And we can’t forget to put a bottle of Cologne in the tool box- when everything stinks, and our attitude gets stinky.. put on some of the sweet cologne of His presence! Sweeten up the atmosphere!

And what about some Pliers - Fathers must be able to keep his grip when everyone else is losing theirs. 

And Oh, how about a Rubber mallet – because fathers must be able to do some persuading, without doing damage to whoever he’s persuading!!! 

What does your tool box look like?

WORD OF GOD, SPEAK, SPEAK TO US, TODAY!!!

1 Corinthians 2:6 For we speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away. v7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages for our glory. v8 It is wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood, for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, v9 but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND IT HAS NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

There are no perfect fathers except the Father in heaven, with all capital

Letters! And God doesn’t expect perfection, just a teachable spirit! Chuck Swindoll said, "A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living."

One young woman was talking to her counsellor and describing her dream husband… She said, “he has to be handsome, funny, entertaining, smart, keeps me interested, romantic, doesn’t interrupt, let’s me be myself, doesn’t expect me to do all the house work, and never insults or belittles me”….. The counselor pauses for a moment and says, “My dear girl, what you’re actually shopping for a 70 inch flat screen TV”!!!

No man is going to be the TOTAL man or FATHER, but we have the total father in Father God, who will give us wisdom and Holy Spirit counselling as we need it and are open to it!

1 Corinthians 2:10 For God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. v11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. v12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, v13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. v14 But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”.

One day a father was watching his young son play in his sandbox. Someone had placed a very large rock in it. The young boy tried to pick it up but it was too heavy. He tried to roll it but couldn’t. He even laid on his back and tried to push the rock with his legs, but that didn’t work either. The had given up, and the dad thought it was time to teach his son a life lesson.

The boy said, “Dad I have tried everything and I can’t get this rock out of my sand box. I tried to pick it up, I tried to roll it and I tried to push it and nothing worked.”

The dad bent down and lifted the rock out of the sandbox and said, “You see son, you didn’t try everything. You didn’t ask me to help you!

We all have some rocks in our sand box that we have a hard time moving. Our families and friends need to see us and hear us calling on the one that can do what we can’t do ourselves. 

There are relationship rocks, those pesky work problem rocks, the rocks of circumstance, and those physical health rocks, that we’ve pushed, pulled, kicked and prodded, and we’ve tried everything, but we haven’t really tried everything until we call on Jesus. Have you knelt before Him with your spouse, with your family, with your friends?

We will always stand tallest on our knees! 

Jesus came to show us what a father’s heart looked like…

He shared three stories that reveal the Father’s heart. The story of the lost sheep, shows us the length He will go to for just one person who has gone out and become lost and disoriented.(leaving the 99 in search of the one, doesn’t really make sense until you are that one!)

The story of the lost coin, reveals how much the Father cares about any area of lack or lost opportunity we may suffer. And He will be diligent until it is recovered.

The story of the lost son, clearly reveals how the Father’s heart is so connected with every son who is struggling and disillusioned, and will faithfully draw them back to the Father’s heart.

It reveals a God that is approachable, and is not out to condemn us but to continually draw us to Himself.

The bottom line is that it tells us that lost things can be found!

There is a story which I had intended to share last week, but because of time, I cut it out of my sermon. But it seems to have found it’s place in the message this week. Some of you may have seen it on Facebook, but I believe the principal is vitally important.

A warehouse property was for sale. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and thrown trash all around the interior. As the owner showed a prospective buyer the property, He made it clear that he would replace the broken windows, fix the doors, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out all the garbage. The prospective buyer said "Forget about the repairs, When I buy this place, I'm going to tear it down and build something completely different. I don't want the building, I’m buying the property rights ." 

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse that is going to be demolished anyway…. (old things are passed away). STOP SWEEPING! God is not as interested in what you have built as He is in having the property rights, so He can build what He wants to build!                                                          

It is so important that we all give the Lord our property rights. All our titles and positions, and influence are nothing if He doesn’t have the rights to it all. 

Growing up, I’ve sat through altar calls and did not respond because I was holding on to my property rights. 

Over my lifetime, I’ve heard the Spirit’s voice and struggled to obey, because I was holding on to my property rights.

I know that it will be a continual thing as God’s Spirit deals with those places in me that He wants to work in, and I will have to yield the property rights to Him, again and again.

When we hold back and hold onto what God is asking that we give to Him… When we stop when He says to go… or charge ahead when He says stay… When we make choices, even though the tender voice of the Holy Spirit is raising red flags all over the place… When we move into our day without consulting His wisdom and His counsel… Isn’t the real issue that we don’t want to turn over the property rights to Him!!!?

The old hymn says it so well…. “Just as I am, without one plea, but as Thy blood was shed for me, and as Thou bid’st me come to Thee, oh lamb of God I come, I come”….

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will fellowship with him, and he with Me. v21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to rule with Me on My throne (place of authority), as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. v22 He who has an ear (that is able to hear), let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Bob Pierce founded World Vision in 1950. His heart of compassion was birthed out of the terrible suffering of the little children which he saw first hand in Korea, during the Korean War. Pierce wrote in the flyleaf of his Bible…"Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God."… He returned home, knowing what God wanted him to do…. He gave God the property rights…                                                                 Acts 9:1 “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest v2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way (followers of Jesus), whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem”.

Saul was a devout Pharisee (a religious person). He was a man who knew the Law as good as anyone. The first 5 books of the bible (the books of the Jewish law) were his standard for living.

He was sincere. He had a form of godliness but he denied its power source, which was Christ. The problem was, you better not disagree with him, because he put down anyone that didn’t live the way he lived and believed the way he believed. (they’re still in the church today)

The word says he breathed out threats and murder against the disciples. That means it came from him as often as the breath in and out.

Listen, whatever you breathe out is a byproduct of what you breathe in.

The person whose always sour, has a bad disposition, is always copping an attitude, they’re pessimistic and grouchy, and cannot be pleased no matter what… 

That is a person who is constantly breathing in some bad stuff.

But if you’re a person who has…Joy on their lips, A pleasant attitude, 

A “we can do it” outlook, A “look what God is doing” attitude, and always has a word of encouragement…

That’s a person who has given their property rights over to the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 6:17 “Anyone who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. v18 Therefore, flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. v19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? v20 For you have been bought with a great price, therefore glorify God in your body”.

He paid a tremendous price in order to have the right to bless and prosper your life. Turn it all over to Him and receive His blessing, the wisdom of His Discipline, the promises of His Word, The plan He has for you, and the connections which He is setting up with those who will bring you there. 

And when you do turn it over to Him, you will become a well-spring of blessing to everyone you meet.

How about it, is there something….some area that you’ve struggled with…. Some person you can’t let go of… we’re going to take a moment and let Him finish what He has begun in you….

The song says “leave it there, leave it there, take your burdens to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave it there”

To be pre-approved, is only possible as we realize we must be qualified. The blood of Christ is what qualifies us, and it is the grace of God which pre-approves us! I don’t need to convince God I am valuable enough to receive it, I am already welcomed “just as I am without one plea, but as Thy blood was shed for me, I come…..(as the timeless old hymn says)…

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

We cannot be good enough, holy enough, or righteous enough. That’s why it is a gift, because it is Free! If we had to earn it, it wouldn’t be free, if we had to deserve it, it wouldn’t be grace!God so loved the world that He gave…. That’s who’s included!                                            

When we lived in Ramrod, we received a notice in the mail that we were pre-approved for a 50,000 dollar loan. The pre-approval agreement involved putting my home up as collateral… This meant that if we defaulted on the loan, they would be able to take our home in payment. I was taking all the risk, they were taking none. So, I was assured that this money was available to me, based on having something of much greater value than what it was that I was receiving.

I see this as a picture of pre-approved grace, which is available to anyone and everyone today… 

Heaven has sent each of us a notice that we are Pre-approved beginning with salvation, also for deliverance, for health, for finances, for daily supplies, for all of our needs, based on assets of much greater value being provided as collateral., We are pre-approved because our Father God has provided something priceless and of greater worth as collateral so I can receive what I need!                                                              God’s unmerited love and grace, doesn’t just secure eternal salvation—it assures that grace is there for me every day that I live!                              An astronaut was being interviewed by a reporter just moments before he was to blast off into space. The reporter asked, "Now tell me, do you have any grave doubts about your success?" The astronaut said, "Please don't use the word 'grave.'" "Oh, I'm sorry" said the reporter. "Then tell me, what do you think you'll feel when you leave earth and pass on into space?" "Please sir", said the astronaut, "Please don't use the words 'pass on.'" "Oh, I'm sorry," said the reporter. "I have one last question: do you have any fear about this undertaking?" He said, "do you have to use the word 'undertaking?'"                                                                                 Listen, there is no avoiding it. One of these days you are going to be ushered into eternity. And He has a supply of grace for that moment that we pass from eternity here to eternity there…. (we’re eternal now, not just when our body dies)

But until that time, I am here and now, an heir and joint-heir in Christ!

(come on, say it with me) Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

Our supply of grace is based on His “riches in glory” that has already been offered as collateral which more than covers the value of all of our needs and above and beyond!!

If God has provided something priceless, it more than covers what it is that you are needing today, next week and next year! 

Don’t let the devil or any of his messengers talk you out of it!

We are told in Romans 8th chapter, that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit….

Condemnation is an attempt to control your outcome in a negative way, to diminish your potential, to label you as unacceptable and unworthy…

I read a list of some things you should never say.. here’s a few..

While visiting someone on their way to the electric chair….Youdon’t say “More power to you”…

If you’re a doctor giving pre surgery counsel, you don’t say,“Please be patient, with me, I’m new at this”…

You don’t ask a woman if she has gained weight…. (or you might have other problems)….

And at a job interview you don’t say “I’ll have your job”

I think you get the idea, there are things that are just unprofitable and out of place!!!

Paul tells us that because of pre-approved grace, those condemning things that are designed to diminish, belittle, and intimidate us will all fail, because if God is your source, they can’t diminish His worth and value and your value is now rooted and grounded in Him. They can’t undo what has already been finished in your behalf, now and forever. They can’t undo what He has signed, sealed, and delivered!

Notice that Romans 8, goes on to talk about walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. Think of it this way… If we are producing the fruit, then the flesh is the source of what is produced. But if we are bearing fruit, then the Spirit is the source through us, of what is being produced.

If we become the delivery system to what is birthed by the Spirit, then it will reflect that source, and have the anointing and impact of it’s source! (Which is The Holy Spirit)

(If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, then it’s a duck)

(But if it looks like a dove, moves like a dove, and sounds like a dove, then it’s a dove!)

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? v33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. v34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. v35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? v39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

This is constant and unceasing grace…. Jesus is at the right hand of God’s favor, so that we may receive grace and favor. He is called “our High Priest”… He is called “our mediator”… He is “the Lamb of God”…. He is our “Sabbath rest”

He places Himself as our mediator, who has already won the battle you and I are fighting. He has already received of the father what it is we needed before we needed it. He has already made the crooked ways straight and given us the winning advantage in our circumstances and situations, before the circumstances even existed. 

To intercede means “to come between”, to present yourself in place of someone else, to take the place of someone else.

Child of God, you can know that you are accepted and have the petitions you ask, because Jesus is taking your place before the Father, and the Father will not, cannot deny Him.                                                             Ephesians 1:3  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”.

How we walk with the broken, speaks louder than how we sit among the great and influential….                                                                                What would it mean for you to see people as God sees them instead of only seeing them by their outward appearance? Can you see them as they would be thru the work of grace, or only according to the flesh?                    None of us are good enough, but we are pre-approved by grace!           Perhaps instead of asking if we are good enough for God to use us, we should be asking if we are broken enough for Him to use us….

Noah was a drunk. Abraham was too old. Isaac was a daydreamer.

Jacob was a liar. Leah was ugly. Joseph was abused. Moses had a stuttering problem. Gideon was afraid. Samson had long hair and was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. David had an affair and was a murderer. Elijah was suicidal.

Isaiah preached naked. Jonah ran from God. Naomi was a widow.

Job went bankrupt. John the Baptist ate bugs. Peter denied Christ.

The Disciples fell asleep while praying. Martha worried about everything. The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once.

Zaccheus was too small. Paul was too religious. Timothy had an ulcer. AND...Lazarus was dead and the Lord used him!

God uses broken and hurting people like us to reach broken and hurting people like us!

I remember evangelist D.L. Moody, sharing that he was staying at a family friend’s home while he was in one city and was sleeping on the sofa in the living room, when at 3:00 in the morning, the lights came on, and he was awakened by the noise of drawers being opened and shut, the frig opening and slammed shut, bottles and utensils clanging. As he watched, the 5 year old was making a sandwich and getting a drink, then he was off, back to bed, leaving a big mess!  As he watched, he was very aware that as a guest he could never do that, but for the son… the run of the house was his. He could come and go as he pleased and enjoy all that was in the house. The Holy Spirit spoke to Moody’s heart and said, “All that is in the Father’s house is yours to enjoy as well”!!!                                                                                        Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Instead of being overwhelmed by this problem and that problem, we should be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the Father’s grace and favor, shown towards us in Christ, that we will want to dedicate our lives in seeking to do whatever is pleasing unto Him.  Grace is not a license to live as we please, but instead, it is a privilege which we should be so grateful for, that we will deny the flesh, and let our life be lived as an act of worship unto Him.

This is clear in John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”.

The Father will never demand that you worship, or honor Him, because He knows that all He will get by demanding, is fear or hypocrisy… Obligation will never truly produce worship and it will never render sincere praise. The problem with religion is that it can easily become obligation and it can become a “do as I say, not as I do”, system of hyprocrisy….                                                                                                                                                 Someone has said when it comes to the flesh… if you mix holy water with castor oil, you’ll get a religious movement……

Another guy said, in order to make Holy water, you are required to boil the hell out of it.

We can be committed without surrendering. 'Here is the difference between commitment and surrender. When you make a commitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to. You can commit to pray, to study the bible, to give your money, to making car payments, or to lose weight. What you choose to do, you then make a commitment to do. But surrender is different. We love commitment because we are still in control, but with surrender, we are no longer in charge! Surrender is where consistent Christ-living occurs. We yield ourselves to the power and grace of the Lord. We surrender all we are and hope to become. We surrender our pain and our joys. We surrender our wills to the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. We surrender to the One who holds us in his palm in the darkest of days and deepest of nights.

Just a side note…There are dolls in Russia that are called Matryoshkas dolls also referred to as nesting dolls. They were created in 1892 by a Russian toy maker. Each doll fits inside the next doll until they all fit in the largest doll. On the outside they appear to be one doll. The largest doll is called the “mother”, the smallest doll is called the “seed”…. Each Matryoshka is unique like each person. They say that each person has their own unique Matryoshka and in Russia they say that what’s inside you is a choice, not just chance.  

Matryoshka can represent the uniqueness in each of us. We are like the outer doll with other dolls inside which represent our stories, our relationships, and our experiences. We are one person with different layers. The seed represents our core values, which is the source of our motives and our actions. It is our core values which are the real essence of ourselves.

God’s Grace, brings us through the “taking off” and “putting aside” process, which brings us to our center, so that true transformation can take place through the inner working of the Holy Spirit. 

Peeling an onion will bring tears to your eyes, and as God by His Spirit, peels away the outer layers which we have allowed the sinful world we live in, to form around us, there will be tears because it’s uncomfortable to go through the process of laying aside the weights and the sins that beset us….

Listen friend, not everyone is coming into your life to love you, some are coming to teach you. The lessons may not be comfortable, but learn them anyway….

The more we allow this process to take place, the more we are able to offer pure worship and true praise unto Him. 

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. v2  And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. 

His joy knew no bounds, you see concert violinist, Peter Cropper was told by London’s Royal Academy of Music, that he could use the Academy’s258 year old Stradivarius for a series of concerts. But the unimaginable happened. As Peter entered the stage he tripped, landed on top of the violin and snapped the neck completely off. The priceless, one of a kind masterpiece was destroyed! In desperation, he took the violin to a master craftsman in the slim chance that he might be able to repair it. And repair it he did. So perfect was the repair that the break was completely undetectable, and more importantly, the sound was as good as before. The Academy was impressed and allowed him to continue using the Stradivarius. And so night after night, as he drew his bow across the strings, he was reminded of the fact that what he once thought irreparably damaged had been fully restored by the hand of a Master craftsman.                                                                                                                God created us in His image and in His likeness… and when we get broken, we are never beyond repair….God’s grace and favor are working to restore that original blueprint in each of us, which was the Father’s purpose for us from the beginning. 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are becomenew.”                                                                                               1 Corinthians 3:21: “Let no one boast in men, (of their wisdom, wealth or influence) because all things are yours.”                                                                                                                    This is not a patch on an old garment, this is a new garment, with a new design from the master designer, who knows us better than ourselves…                                                                                                                  The question we all must ask is, “Does all things mean, all things, and does it include YOUR THINGS”!!!

How long Adam and Eve were in the garden before sin entered, we won’t know until we get to heaven. Before sin entered, there was no measuring of time, there were no clocks, it was timeless. They enjoyed the image and likeness they were made for.                                                      But when they sinned the image was marred and the curse came into the perfect creation which God Himself had said “was good”…

The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's church session by the children’s director. And following the story, the children were asked to draw some picture that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby was listening closely and he drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front seat, behind the wheel was a man and in the back seat, a man and a woman. The teacher wasn’t sure what she was looking at and what it had to do with the story…. But little Bobby was quick to give an explanation. "Well teacher, you told us that God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden!"

What does it take to drive you out of the garden of His likeness? If people’s words or actions upset you and cause you to react, then anyone at any time can control you… God’s word should be more powerful in your life than the words of any person or group. As those made in His image, allowed other things to control them, they walked away from the likeness they were created for.

For thousands of years, only a few people enjoyed the kind of authority and power which the first man and woman were created for. We know of a few… Abraham, Moses, Elijah and Elisha, Ezekiel, and some others. 

But something amazing called redemption took place, that changed everything…and as Jesus hung on the cross, it became redemption’s epi-center for the restoration that God had planned from the beginning. To have new creation men and women, who would experience old things passed away and all things become new!!!

For us to get to the new things….. Jesus came in the flesh to walk through our old things. He walked through, fear, lack, pain, rejection, abandonment, betrayal, loneliness, insecurity, despair, injustice, …”Hewas tempted in all ways as we are” So, He walked through our “Old things”…. so He could break their power over us and allow us to walk intoGod’s new things!!!

The song says, “Jesus of Nazareth passes by, stretch out your withered arm, the blind receive their sight, the deaf begin to hear, when Jesus of Nazareth passes by”…. When Jesus of Nazareth passes by!!!!

By the way, fear has two meanings, “Forget everything and run” or “Face everything and rise”, the choice is ours... and we are making that choice all day, every day!!

I believe this is why Jesus said in JOHN 8:32 “YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”

Somebody say “Hello new things, Here I come”….

Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and thrown trash all around the interior. As he showed a prospective buyer the property, He made it clear that he would replace the broken windows, fix the doors, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out all the garbage. The prospective buyer said "Forget about the repairs, When I buy this place, I'm going to tear it down and build something completely different. I don't want the building, I’m buying the property rights ." 

Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse that is going to be demolished anyway…. (old things are passed away). STOP SWEEPING!

We live in a world where men can say they identify as women, and women can identify as men. Men can now use the women’s restrooms and the women’s showers because they say that they identify as women…(That’s just messed up) A guy identifying as a girl won the marathon on a girls team…. A teen identifying as a 6 year old hit a triple in t-ball and won the game for his team….(where will this stop) SERIOUSLY!

Well, hello, I identify as a new creature in Christ… I have been redeemed, from old things and all things are made new!                                           We are no longer identified with Adam. We are no longer identified by the old person we used to be. We are no longer identified by the world system. We are now identified with Christ.  

(In the world but not of the world) is our new identity!!

Galatians 3:25:27 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under [the control and authority of] the world system. v26 For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus. v27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and His values].

SO, WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU BELIEVE, WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU RECIEVE… I WILL BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD….

He is the final word and the final authority!! We are the redeemed, the anointed for purpose, the delivery system of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord’s appointed ambassadors in the earth….

Put off the old, and put on the new…. Welcome to His image and likeness… Welcome to “all things are possible”.. Welcome to the place He has prepared for you!! …..Give Him Praise!!!

Just for clarity’s sake…, I’m not talking about how you like your steak, or how you like your eggs cooked…

One guy was furious when his steak was cooked too rare. He said, 'Waiter, I told you "well done"… Oh yes, I can't thank you enough, sir,' replied the waiter. 'I hardly ever expect a compliment when I’m still serving a customer.'

But today, I want to deal with the fact that who and what you are, is God’s gift to you, and what you do with it is your gift back to God. And should we get that right, there is a “Well Done” from the Father….                And it all starts when we receive Christ as our savior!

In the parable which Jesus shared about the talents… the bottom line is not how much you have received, but what you have done with what you received, that is the real issue.

Some questions that many have struggled with, can be asked here…. Does success look the same for everyone? Should lazy people receive the same pay as the hard worker? Should a person with more talent have greater success than a person with less talent? Do those who produce more deserve more? Should everyone share equally in everything as the socialist advocate? Should our differences place us above or below one another?

In our scripture today, Jesus has left Tyre and Sidon and is headed back to Galilee. It is a journey that could have taken as much as eight months on foot through very mountainous territory. But, Jesus and His men do not go straight back to Jewish country, they went to “Decapolis”. This is where he cast the demons out of the man of Gadara and the people rejected him. But listen, He went back to give them a second chance. He is the giver of second chances. He keeps on loving; He keeps wooing; He keeps drawing; He keeps calling. He won’t write anyone off as long as there’s a chance!

(He shares this parable)

Matthew 25:19“Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. v20 And the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have [made a profit and] gained five more talents.’ v21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’ 

v22“Also the one who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have [made a profit and] gained two more talents.’ v23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’ v24 “The one who had received one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping [the harvest] where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 

v25 ‘So I was afraid [to lose the talent], and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is your own.’ v26 “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap [the harvest] where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed. v27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my return I would have received my money back with interest. v28 ‘So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

In the parable which Jesus told of the talents, the master didn’t divide the funds evenly between the three servants. He gave five talents (about $150,000) to one, he gave two talents (about $60,000) to a second one, and about half of that to the third. It says that he had a reason for the way he parceled out the money. He gave to every man according to his individual ability. The more trustworthy the men had proven themselves to be, the more they were entrusted with.

Each of those in the parable, had a job to do. The key to the parable is not how much return each of them had on their investment, so don’t miss the point. The key is the attitude of faith or doubt which they approached their task with. The rewards were based, not on the return they gave on the money they had, but on the level of faith and obedience they exhibited as they invested and used the gifts they were given to do something with. 

Remember also that the money was not theirs, it was the master’s, which he gave them to invest…He was returning to see what they had done with what was his….

Sheriff Joe Arpaio says, “Those who would like to be in a place where everybody is equal, and has guaranteed employment, free comprehensive healthcare, free education, free food, free housing, free clothing, free utilities, and the only ones that have guns are law enforcement … Well we have that for you, It'scalled Prison. " 

In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible,                                         Revelation 22:12 Jesus said, “I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done”                   Let this truth motivate you to live each day for Jesus Christ.  Trust me, you won’t be sorry!  

Somewhere in the process, have we begun to think that what we have is ours, or have we remembered, that we are stewards who are called to invest it for our Lord?

The two who invested their gifts were told the same thing, even though the results were different. They were given a congratulation and a commendation…. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things”.

We are not created equal. Some folks are more appealing, more charismatic in their personalities, some are more talented in their abilities than others. God knows that. He made us. He is not comparing us with one another, He is commending us based on what we do with what we have. So important was it that we get that truth, that He said to us, “To whom much is given, much will be required”.                                     What we do is important, but it is secondary to our Christian character!

Paul warns the church not to compare themselves with others….                                                                                 2 Corinthians 10:12 “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise”.

Also consider 1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. v7 So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters but God that gives the increase.  v8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. v9 For we are God’s fellow-workers.”

Time magazine decided that once a year they would give us the "Man of the Year" the person who, for better or worse, had the most influence on the course of history over that particular year. From their "Man of the Year" lists they have put together a book titled “Great People of the 20th Century”. These are people who because of what they have done or accomplished are considered great in their area of influence around the world.

The book lists the following outstanding people who have each contributed in a significant way to their individual field of endeavor…

Computers - Bill Gates

Generals - Douglas Mac Arthur

Inventors - Henry Ford

Entertainment - Walt Disney

Scientist - Albert Einstein

President - Franklin Roosevelt

Preacher - Billy Graham

Writer - Leo Tolstoy

Jesus recognized spiritual greatness in people. His list would have included..

The woman with the issue of blood, in Luke 8:43, who pushed through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment. She stopped Him in His tracks, as by faith she pulled the virtue out of him…. (Well done)

He would have been included, the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, who believed Jesus had the authority to heal his son just by speaking a wordand it would be done. Jesus was amazed at his faith and commended him for it. (Well done)

Another person who Jesus praised for his spiritual greatness was

John the Baptist because of his character which was revealed in how he lived and his ministry which placed the kingdom above his comfort or popularity. (Well done)

He would have honored the widow woman who only had a little oil and a little meal, but gave them to the prophet at the word of the Lord. (Well done)

He would have honored Stephen who saw the Lord as he was being stoned by Paul… and refused to back down….(Well done)

I believe Paul would have been on the list because He forsook all to follow the Lord…(well done)

John the beloved would be there, who boldly took a stand at the foot of the cross, and who Jesus committed the care of his mother, that is no small honor…(well done)                                                                                                                                Others are listed in Hebrews 11, as God gives tribute to the faithful… Your opportunities are unlimited. They are as far-reaching as the power of the Spirit who lives in you. Your success in the kingdom will not be measured by someone else, but by how you too, use what you have been given by the Lord.

When Paul describes the 5 fold gifts to the church, he didn’t place them all in one person, but each gift was placed in the church for the benefit of all of us….I am here for you and you are here for me, and all of us together use our gift in building the kingdom….

Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. v12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. v13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”. 

A school teacher was taking her first golf lesson. She got to the green and was given instructions about putting. She asked her instructor if it was spelled “PUT”… He said “well, let me put it this way… “PUT”, means to place something where you want it. “PUTT”, is a useless attempt to do the same thing” !!

Well, we are not putting, we are going to put all the honor on Him, all the glory and all the credit! It’s all His, so we ask that He would guide us a direct us in using what He has given!

How many times are we tempted to gauge our spirituality by what others think of us, rather than by what God thinks of us. God looks on the heart. The praise of people can be deceitful and lead you down a path where God stops getting all the glory and the honor. Every time someone applauds your work in the kingdom or your abilities in the church, be sure that you offer the compliment to Him, and give all the credit to Him.                                                                                                             Dr. Choe who pastors a 100,000 member church in Korea says that people actually throng to touch him, but it’s up to him to quickly pass the glory and the credit to the Lord. 

If you are one who has a great deal of time, but you don’t have time to pour your life into others or into Gods work, you need to be a faithful servant. If you have been gifted with prosperity, but you are slow to invest it in eternal things, you need to be a faithful servant. If you are hesitant to do anything that will make you take a risk and become vulnerable, even though God has called you to do it, you need to be a faithful servant. If you have time to use them for your own desires or your business or your hobby, but cannot find the time or take the risk to use them for the kingdom, then you need to be a faithful servant..

We long to hear, “Well done,” because that means we have brought joy to His heart. And one thing that thrills Him, I am convinced, is when the character qualities only He can produce in us: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control, are so manifested in us that they are reproduced in those we invest our lives into. What joy that brings to His heart. And oh the joy thatcomes back into ours.

As parents, or siblings, or coworkers, we usually underestimate the power of a timely “Well done”….We all want significance and we want to be relevant. There are plenty of things to knock us down and wear us out, and a timely “well done” can go a long way to lift the spirits and validate a person’s efforts….                                                                                                                               Students and  teammates love to hear it, Golfers love to hear, "Well done" when they sink a putt. Baggers in the grocery store love to hear it from the customers. Husbands love to hear it from their wives and wives long to hear it from their husbands. Executives love to hear from employees. Preachers love to hear it after a sermon. Doctors love to hear it from their patients, and patients love to hear it from their doctors. Writers love to hear it from readers, and on and on….

Listen to this encouragement from the apostle Paul in                 Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God will not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. v8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap the harvest if we do not faint and quit”..

For those Christians who have served Him week in, week out, for many years, obediently, sacrificially, but have seen so little results.. this is your message… “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s joy” We don’t give up, because there are rewards waiting in this life and the life to come! The unfaithful servant got so focused on the risks, that he lost his reward….

Being faithful may mean that we will do things and go places we never dreamed we would ever do or go to … But God always has rewards for the faithful…. Look at his list…

“Blessed are those with a servant heart, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who are contrite, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”. 

Notice that as Jesus shares the parable of the talents, when he gets to the servant who did nothing with his talents, he tells us of the servant’s response…. “I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you”.

In the parable, Jesus describes a bighearted master, who entrusts all that he has into the hands of his servants.  The amounts Jesus mentions stagger the imagination!  By conservative estimates, just one talent in His time was worth twenty years of daily labor.  Yet the unprofitable servant imagined a different sort of master—one whom he describes as a ―hard man, harvesting where [he] had not sown and gathering where [he] had not scattered seed. Because of His misconception of the master, he allowed his fears to override his trust.

We were on a trip through Alabama and I was having a hard time finding an attraction we wanted to see, so I turned on the GPS and it told me to take a turn which seemed to go in the opposite direction from where we wanted to go. I took the turn anyway and it took me right there. I had to trust that someone had gone before me and mapped out the area. How many times have we felt God was allowing us to go in the opposite direction from where we needed to go, but He had gone before us and prepared the way. We just needed to trust Him!

What are the fears in your life that are overriding your trust in the Master? What are the fears that are holding you back from using your gifts? What fears are keeping you back and holding you hostage, but deep inside you so want to hear His “Well done, good and faithful servant”?

That’s why the bible tells us to “cast down every vain imagination and all knowledge that exalts itself against the knowledge of God”….

A revolutionary Christian chooses to believe in spite of what they see or feel– They are obedient In heart – They are Christ like In character - In relationship they are sons -- In conflict they are warriors - In the world they are pilgrims - In the darkness they are light – In society they are salt - In example they are living epistles - In expectations they are heirs - At all times they are sold out for Christ.

Someone said that there are three kinds of people in the church.. Booers, gawkers and doers. Your life will always be a sufficient explanation of what you believe…. No other explanation is needed.              Be the person who breaks the cycle. If you were judged, choose understanding. If you were rejected, choose acceptance. If you were shamed, choose compassion. Be the person you needed when you were hurting, not the person who hurt you. Vow to be better than what tried to overwhelm you. Bring healing instead of becoming bitter, so you can live from your redemption, not your pain!! 

A man went to heaven and the angel says follow me and I will take you to the area where people who share your faith are gathered. As they’re walking, they pass one door where there is a lot of shouting and the place is really rocking. The angel tells him that those are the Charismatics, they make a lot of noise but they’re fairly harmless. They think they’re the only ones here. They walk by another door and wonderful assortment of delicious smells are coming out into the hall. He is told that these are the Methodists and they are always having church dinners… They think everyone should be here. A little further down they come by a room that is very quite and He is told that these are the Holiness folks. They don’t bother anyone and pretty much stick to themselves. And they are really surprised that they are even here”!! 

It’s just a joke folks… I have no authoritative source for that…..

(If you laugh at yourself, you’ll always have something to laugh about!)

The apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:10-11… “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God‘s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

One Christian lady, who knew that her time was short upon this earth wrote the following verse….

“My prayers have all been answered, I’ve finally arrived. The healing that has been delayed, has now been realized. No one’s in a hurry, no schedule to keep. We’re all enjoying Jesus, just kneeling at His feet. 

If you could see me now, I’m walking streets of gold, if you could see me now, I’m standing tall and whole, if you could see me now you’d see the pains erased, if you could see me now you’d know I’d seen His face. You wouldn’t want me to leave this place if you could see me now”.

May we be able to say with the apostle Paul….2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”.

I want to read the lyrics to a Christian song that I’m hearing everywhere lately…

“I'm waiting my whole life for that day, I will live my life to hear You say

Well done, well done, My good and faithful one. Welcome to the place where you belong. Well done, well done, My beloved child, You have run the race and now you're home. Welcome to the place where you belong, Well Done”!!

`Well done, good and faithful servant! Rejoice and share your master’s joy, now and forever!’                                                                                                                                                                              PRAYER….. 

“Lord, help us to fix our hearts and minds on Your eternal and unchanging truth and to wash ourselves daily in the cleansing water of Your Word. May we endure joyfully the hardships that we may be called upon to face. Develop in us a true attitude of praise and worship, no matter what the circumstances, and help us to build ourselves up in the most holy faith, looking for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior. Lord, by Your grace may we help many others to come to the saving knowledge which your sacrifice on the cross has made available. May You be lifted up in the hearts and lives of many who we see and know each week. Lead and guide us by Your spirit in bringing about a deep longing that will result in an intimate knowledge of You. Lord we declare that this is the time of seedtime and harvest, and we ask that we may seize the opportunity to see them redeemed and transformed. Lord I ask that You would give me a wise and understanding heart –a heart that discerns Your will so that I make the best choices for my life and be able to give the best help to those in need. Give me an obedient heart - a heart that is ready and willing to say “Thy will be done” and not to insist that my will is best.Open my heart I pray to listen to Your still small voice and give me discernment to know when to speak and when to remain silent – direct and govern my steps I pray in the name of Jesus Christ”.

The picture on the screen appears to be a red car parked beside a white van, but it is actually a red car painted on the side of a white van….

Other things we could mention….A banana tree is not a tree – it is an herb… A cucumber is not a vegetable – it is a fruit… A shooting star is not a star – it is a meteorite… A koala bear is not a bear – it is a marsupial….   A firefly is not a fly – it is a beetle…. A horned toad is not a toad – it is a lizard…. A lead pencil does not contain lead – it contains graphite…. A prairie dog is not a dog – it is a rodent … Chop suey is not a Chinese dish – it was created in California… A Mexican jumping bean is not a bean –         it is a seed with a larva inside… And that is just a few…

Speaking of things not being as they appear….

I am reminded of Billy Graham’s statement that in order to tell the difference between counterfeit money and the real thing, Federal agents don’t have to study all the counterfeit currency that has been printed, they only need to study the real thing, and when theyknow the real thing, they will be able to spot the counterfeit and will never be fooled again. The word of God, breathed by the Holy Spirit, exposes deception and lies….and to anyone who takes the time to know the truth, it will reveal all that is false….(Things are not as they appear)

If you know that water causes light to slow down and bend whichcauses it to magnify anything in it, then you understand why things appear larger under water… In the same way, the carnal mind with it’s carnal logic, also bends the light of truth, so that negative things appear larger than they actually are in reality! We must have our minds and eyes recalibrated by the truth of God’s word, in order to see and perceive things accurately!

If we went by appearances, we would think that the Holiday which we celebrate this weekend, was National Play Day… but it is a lot more than that. It is not as it may appear…. On May 5, 1868, the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo—first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866 and was recognized because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which all businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flagsand honored them with special tributes. Originally the nation was asked to take time at 3 pm on that day to offer prayer, for all who are affected by those who gave their lives.                                                Let’s take time to place flowers on monuments today or tomorrow and get back to honoring those who gave their lives for our freedom to worship God according to our personal convictions, in a moment of prayer….

Next, as we consider things that are not as they appear, look with me at,

Mark 12:41 “Jesus sat down across from the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. v42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. v43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. v44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

There were many who thought that giving more meant that God would bless them more, but Jesus watched some folks put more in the offering than the widow, but He elevated the poor widow’s small amount above    all the others. Jesus was letting us know that He did not judge by the amount that people gave, but what percentage their giving was,   compared to what they had…. She gave all…. 

The Lord was praising the fact that she sought first His kingdom and His righteousness with all that she had and all that she did…..

When we give our voices, our time, our service, kindness, compassion   and we give the best we have… (God knows what our best gift should look like)…..He also measures our motive in giving…. He measures a generous heart and spirit… He measures the faith that is behind the gift…. He measures with the measurement of faithfulness… Give generously, Give   in faith, Give faithfully, and it shall be given unto you!!!!

Sometimes the things that happen in our lives are not what they 

appear to be….

There was once a man who was ship-wrecked and stranded on an island. Every day he prayed, asking God to send someone to rescue him, but to his disappointment, no one ever came. Months passed and this man learned how to survive on the island. During this time, he accumulated things from the island and stored them in a hut that he constructed. One day after hunting for food and returning back to his hut, much to his dismay he saw that his hut was on fire along with everything else he owned! The only thing he had left were the clothes he had on. Initially he was in shock, and then he was consumed with anger and rage! In his anger he threw a fist into the air and began cursing God and yelling,  “God, how could you let this happen to me? I’ve been praying every day   for months about being rescued and no one has come, and now everything that I have is on fire! How could you do to this to me! Why did you let this happen?” As the man was on his hands and knees weeping, he happened to look up and a boat was headed in his direction. The man was rescued and the captain told him that they were out in the ocean when they noticed a column of smoke going up. When we checked it out, that’s when we found you!” (Things are not as they appear)

Matthew 16:24  “Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny(surrender) himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”. 

This tells me that our victory will sometimes come disguised as a cross… So, keep in mind that what the devil has meant for evil, God has intended for your good! What looks like a disaster, can be a blessing in disguise. What looks like a huge mistake can line you up for miracles. 

I call this “How to keep releasing the victory that is in embedded in       your challenges”…

1. Give more than you receive and do it cheerfully.

2. Don't believe everything you hear, 

3. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

4. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

5. Don't judge people by their relatives or their appearance.

6. Instead of complaining, quote a scripture.

7. Say "God bless you" often and sincerely.

8. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

9. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

10. When you lose, don't lose the lesson you needed to learn.

11. Spend time alone, just listening to God each day.

12. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and    Responsibility for all your actions.

So you just learned that your new job is not exactly what you thought it would be?  Maybe you learned that one of your friends is much different than you thought they were?  Or, maybe you discovered that your savings account has more zeroes than numbers….. and the zeroes are in front of the numbers and not behind them… Do you add labels to names and  steam and fret and rehash it and obsess over it? 

Well Poopsi, welcome to a sin cursed, fallen world, with fallen people. 

What do you do when like Moses, you felt that you were following God’s leading and you were hearing His voice and putting the plan He   gave you into action, but you have come to the Red Sea at flood stage….

Well take a look at it…..The people are placing all the blame on Moses….. The people voiced their longing to just go back to Egypt and call the   whole thing off . But Moses cried out to God…..and God  showed up, and He showed up big.  God graciously made the impossible possible by parting the waters and leading His people victoriously over those who were opposing Him. (You see we often make it about us, but it is really God’s plan that He’s working through us, that they are opposing). Satan doesn’t just want to stop you, he wants to kill you and everyone who believes in you…

And why did that all happen? 

So that God would receive glory (Exodus 14:18 “And all Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten honor upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen”. 

God placed you there to get Him the glory, when things went side-ways, and weren’t the way they appeared to be…He was setting you up to see diamonds made from lumps of coal!!! 

What is it in your life that is not what it appeared to be? Who is it in your life that is not what he or she appeared to be? God has allowed you to be in that situation to bring him glory…. He wants to show up and He wants to show up Big!!!GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU, THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD!!

Let me submit to you a scripture in Romans 4:17, "As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations, (Abraham had no children yet) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls those things which are not as though they were." 

Notice that God says, "He makes alive the dead, and calls those things that are not, (are not in existence yet,) as though they were already in existence.

He says we are to call things that do not yet appear….as though they were…

That tells me that we are not to go by the appearance of things, but call things that do not yet appear! OR CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF THINGS!!

Mark 11:22-24 (Bible in Basic English" translation), "And Jesus, answering, said to them, Have God's faith. Truly I say to you, Whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and be put into the sea; and has no doubt in his heart, but has faith that what he says will come about, he will have his desire. For this reason I say to you, Whatever you make a request for in prayer, have faith that it has been given to you, and you will have it." 

Notice that the Greek meaning here can be expressed, "to have the God kind of faith," or "use God's kind of faith." Now if Jesus is teaching us that we should actually use God's Faith... and make no mistake, He is saying to do that... then, we should use God's faith in the same way that God uses it.... by speakingand declaring! 

Let's look at the rest of the verse... notice He says, "whoever will say." 

It IS to anyone that will "say!" The qualifier is that you be willing to speak God's Word over the situation! And, notice, He is not saying talk ABOUT the situation, He is saying rather to talk TO the situation, or thing! You must "say to the mountain"what you want it to do! 

A lot of people are simply not willing to "say it!" They won't speak their faith, because of Satan’s intimidation tactics…

2 Corinthians 4:13 makes this clear as well, "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore we speak." 

We believe, therefore we speak!

We speak in a manner that changes the appearance of a thing, and brings Glory and Honor to God!

Opportunities are not entitlements; they are privileges to be used for God’s glory….

Things may not happen instantaneously, but they will happen at the right time for maximum results…. What we must understand is that when we refuse to go by how things may appear, but we speak words of faith which are founded upon God’s word and His will. We set in motion a process which can then bring it to pass….Things begin to appear, that had not appeared before….    

Consider James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, among our members, and it sets on fire the course of nature”…

In the original Greek, this is translated, (it sets in motion the cycle of natural events).                                                                                                Just as Satan uses the very power of your own words against you, so likewise God uses the power of your words to work in your behalf to set things in motion to bless you and fulfill His plan in your behalf!  

The problem with so many is that they see their need to follow Christ, but they never make the decision to allow that challenge to affect the way they live their lives….

There was a large group of people gathered. They were divided by a fence which ran between them. On one side of the group stood Jesus. On the other side stood Satan. Both Jesus and Satan had each had gathered a group of people.

But many had climbed on the fence and were content to sit on it and not make a commitment. Satan and his group were about to leave, when he suddenly stopped and looked straight at those on the fence and said “You can come with me now." They said, "But we have chosen to sit on the fence. We didn’t choose to follow anyone." And Satan said, "But what you didn’t understand is that I own the fence." Many have thought that sitting on the fence in their Christian walk was being neutral, but no action is the same as the guy who drove the car while the thieves went in to rob the bank. He can try to say he didn’t rob the bank but he didn’t do anything to stop it either. 

We cannot be neutral when it comes to abortion… We cannot be neutral when it comes to things that are clearly contrary to the bible…. We cannot be neutral about issues that are anti-familyand anti-God… 

The enemy wants to convince us that good is evil and that evil is good.

True faith is spelled A.C.T.I.O.N … Faith is not a doctrine, IT IS A HAPPENING! Faith and belief are synonymous.. Faith is about speaking into existence what you believe, and then believing it will come to pass.   

Mark 11: 19-22 “And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which You cursed is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” (or … “Have the God kind of faith.”)

Peter was excited that Jesus had spoken to the problem (the fig tree) the evening before. And to Peter’s amazement … by the next morning  the tree had dried up from the very roots. When Peter drew this to the Lord’s attention, Jesus then began to instruct His followers concerning how to develop this “God Kind of Faith.” Jesus is telling us to “talk directly to the problem” in our life, and “not talk to God about the problem”.

We can also see that not only did these faith filled words speed up the natural process which brought it to pass! It can also mean that the natural process is over-ridden and superseded… 

Scripture calls this “The quickening”….

Ephesians 2:1“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins”

Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (for by grace you are saved;)

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you”.

So to hold sway over the course of nature, we need to speak quickening words that will re-direct and hasten the natural process.

What are you saying about your life?  What are you saying about your job, your spouse, your children, your family, your friends, your co-workers, your health or your finances?

In the spiritual world the faith filled confession of God’s word releases containers of power that can change your life, direct your future, and allow you to get your life in line with God's Will! 

These Word containers can carry God's Power to literally heal your body, bring financial blessing to your circumstances, and bring the promises of God's Word into this natural realm to bless you and your family!  

We need to be saying things such as…

”I am a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new”…. “ I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ”… “I have been delivered from the power and dominion of darkness”… “I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”…” I AM FREE! And whom the Son sets free is FREE INDEED!”

I am free from all generational curses, known and unknown.

I am free from fears, anxiety, stress, and worry.

I am free from depression, oppression, grief, and guilt.

I am free from all unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, hatred, and unforgiveness, 

I am free from all fatigue, tiredness, insomnia, and weariness.

I am free from all addictions, self- abuse and destructive habits.

I am free from all spirits of infirmity, sickness, and disease.

I am free from poverty, lack and debt. I loose prosperity, and declare

I am debt free in Jesus’ name.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (natural), but mighty through God (supernatural) to the pulling down of strong holds (barriers or obstacles); Casting down imaginations (mental images of something that is not real), and every high thing (that we give authority and prominance) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (bringing your thoughts in line with God’s Word and kingdom values and principles).”

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” .. In another place Jesus told the disciples that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak…

Luke tells us in his book..Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching ”

Matthew goes on to tell us the story of ten virgins, which is all about being in a spiritual state of readiness…. Five had oil and five did not. It is a visual reminder about maintaining our vigil.

Sadly, could it be that we are more aware of the latest movies, the play-offs, the party/entertainment scene, or the latest political special report, than we are about spiritual warfare, or engaging in spiritual battles over our families, or our loved ones or our city….

We have a generation like no generation who are isolating themselves from reality and who are buried in their video games, social media, and the latest pop cult movement.. (I for one, am very concerned)

And I’m concerned that they have exchanged entertainment for responsibility, personality for character, and instant gratification for eternal values and purpose….

Watching includes staying alert, being on guard, being informed, and being prepared….

There was once a spider who lived in a cornfield. She was a big spider, and she had spun a beautiful web between the corn stalks. She got fat eating all the bugs that would get caught in her web. She liked this home and planned to stay there for the rest of her life. One day, the spider caught a little bug in her web, and just as the spider was about to eat him, the bug said, "If you let me go I will tell you something important that will save your life." The spider paused for a moment and listened because she was amused. "You better get out of this cornfield," the little bug said, "The harvest is coming!" The spider smiled and said, "What is this harvest you are talking about? I think you are just telling me a story to save your hide." But the little bug said, "Oh no, it is true. The owner of this field is coming to harvest it soon. All the stalks will be knocked down, and the corn will be gathered up. You will be killed by the giant harvest machines if you choose to stay here." 

The spider said, "I don't believe in harvests and giant machines that knock down corn stalks. How can you prove this?" The little bug continued, "Just look at the corn. See how it is planted in long, straight rows? It proves this field was created by an intelligent designer." The spider laughed and mockingly said, "This field has evolved and has nothing to do with a creator. Corn always grows that way." The bug went on to explain, "Oh no. This field belongs to the owner who planted it, and the harvest is coming soon." The spider grinned and said to the little bug, "I don't believe you," and then the spider ate the little bug for lunch. 

A few days later, the spider was laughing about the story the little bug had told her. She thought to herself, "A harvest! What a silly idea. I have lived here all of my life, and nothing has ever disturbed me. I have been here since these stalks were just a foot off the ground, and I'll be here for the rest of my life, because nothing is ever going to change in this field. Life is good, and I have it made." 

The next day was a beautiful sunny day in the cornfield. The sky above was clear, and there was no wind at all. But that afternoon, as the spider was about to take a nap, she noticed some thick dusty clouds moving toward her. She could hear the roar of a great engine, and she said to herself, "I wonder what that could be?"…..

Things are not always as they appear to be on the surface….Things may look great on the surface, but fall short when we see them below the surface. We’ll know them by their fruit….Inspecting fruit, is not judging, and we can’t judge spiritual things with carnal measures…But we inspect that we may bring healing and restoration!

We are going to be on this earth for just a short time, but we will spend forever in eternity, so while we are here, we are called upon to see the invisible and hear the inaudible, so we can do the impossible…   

Closing Prayer….

Lord, you told us to pray for Your Kingdom to come here on earth and we know that your Kingdom is in us, so, we pray that we will be able to surrender to you in such a way that your Kingdom may be revealed through us, throughout our world. You also told us to pray for Your will to be done so, we pray that You will give us Your Mind and Your heart and Your eyes so that we may know Your will and bring it into our circles of influence, right here where we live our lives each day.

May Your will be done in myself, my family, my church, my work place, my neighborhood, and my city.

Father, we thank You that Your kingdom has come to our own personal sphere of influence. Your kingdom is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

We come before you and humble ourselves in prayer and we seek Your face and turn from our unprofitable ways. We turn from our self-centeredness, pride, selfishness, jealousy, envy, and we ask for Your forgiveness as we ask for Your Kingdom to come in greater measure in our lives.

We thank You that Your Kingdom has come to our city by Your being in us.

We thank You that every place the souls of our feet shall walk, through outour city You have given to us. We thank You that Your will is being done through those who believe in and follow you. We pray that the Holy Spirit would call more of His servants into the harvest.

let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in our lives, our families, ourchurch and our city! 

In the mighty and precious name of Jesus….

The dictionary defines a wilderness as “an inhospitable region…

an uncultivated region… a neglected or abandoned area… an undeveloped area… a no-man's-land…. We might say this would be an undesirable place…. 

When God really wants to bless us, with miracles, signs and wonders, He will give us a wilderness… an unfamiliar, out of the ordinary, undesirable, place less trod…(Your blessing is waiting there)

Matthew 3:1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, v2 And saying, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. v3 For this is the One that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. v4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his waist and his meat was locusts and wild honey”. 

I don’t care how much honey you put on them, grasshoppers are not going to appeal to me! Here comes John with a grasshopper leg stuck in his teeth and honey in his beard, dressed in camel skins, marching out of the wilderness! John was shaped by God in the wilderness!!!

(Sometimes we come to that place...when we just need a fresh vision,       or it's time to expand, take on a new task, or get a now word from God,                  Yesterday's inspiration can become today's frustrating exasperation! 

Something new becomes something old…and you know it’s time to launch out further… But you're still not there yet! So God in his wisdom, breaks you out of your patterns and your old norms, so you’re open to what you weren’t open to before. You’re ready to accept what you couldn’t before!

Every TV show solves the case, catches the bad guy, comes to a final conclusion, and figures out the mystery in an hour... and that's how we    sometimes feel life aught to be!  

We're hooked on sound bites and Sports high lights... We know the jingles  and we bought the clep notes, instead of reading the book..

HEY, we’re on a fast track here!!

But, it's the in-between times, those times of transition, that mess us up. wear us out and cause so much frustration in our lives….. What am I doing here, why isn’t this over by now, I want it and I want it now!!!?

Could it be that we were so focused on where we wanted to go that we   failed to even prepare for, when we get there!?

Is there a clear vision of where you’re going....have you seen it by faith ... have you touched it and handled it... walked in it.... experienced it....  prepared for it!?

The bible says, “whatsoever our hands find to do, do it with all our might”    but it also says “Without a vision, the people perish”… It is the vision that gives value to your journey….

If people never applaud, it is God’s applause and heaven’s stamp of    approval, that we value most…and should be seeking…. 

Romans 4:20 “And Abraham staggered not at the promise of God thru unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And was fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him 

(deposited in his account) for righteousness”. 

God wants to make some big deposits in your faith account! So, Getready      to do some expanding!

Your alignment is as important as your assignment….. Your gifts, your   actions and your character must line up with your vision for your future...          or you may get there and then lose it because of a lack of alignment.         Your gifts can take you where your character can’t keep you….

James 2:20  Do you not know, O you dreamer, that faith without works is  dead (or is not effective)? 

Winter passed, you knew summer was coming... you didn't work out,you   didn't watch your diet... now it's time for the pool and the beach, you were going to show them all your great body….

now you’re hiding in your two piece….and refusing to come out of the  dressing room… and all you can do at this point, is the old "suck it up"…      One hour at the beach and you're starting to turn bluefrom holding your stomach in!                                                                                                             

How often have we had a "suck it in" Christianity, that only appears     good on the surface... but nothing has changed.... It's the whitewash that   hides the rotten wood but never gets rid of it... it's the sweep it under the carpet maneuver, that gets it out of sight and only delays the inevitable cleaning which must come eventually!....It’s the denial which ignores good hygiene until you’re now facing the dentist’s drill!!!!…. (OUCH)                                           Ready or not, someday all of this, will come to an end. The clock will    stop, it’s hands…frozen in time. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days…no more second chances… All the things you and I have collected, will pass on to someone else…..Your wealth, fame and temporal power will all beirrelevant….It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed by….Our grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally lose all their importance and your unfilled hopes, failed ambitions, uncompleted plans and the things I still need to-do will expire.

The wins and losses that once were so important will fadeaway.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.Short, tall, young or old, your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

How will the value of your days be measured, when the clock stops?                                        What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.What will matter is not your success, but your significance…..What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught…..What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many felt         they were better people because they knew you…..What will matter is not   your memories, but the memories that live in those who love you…. 

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not about circumstances but the choices and the priorities we make as we’re going through it all  .

So let us make that commitment now, to live a life that truly matters.

I have to hand it to the disciples, when they were in the midst of the storm, they stayed in the boat, going across, where Jesus told them! In spite of all that they experienced, on that early morning trip of terror! They didn’t turn back, but they may have been thinking....Here I am battling for   life in this storm, God.... 

and there are folks somewhere on the shore having beach parties and picnics...and playing games….  GOD, WHAT'S WITH THAT! 

(Sometimes that's what it feels like. I'm here dying and they're living the      life of Riley!) Why do I have it so hard and they seem to have it so easy….?

But I'm going to stay where you put me, Lord, regardless, because You don’t just count the number of apples on the tree, you count the number of apple trees in the apples that are on the apple tree! 

We're not where we used to be, but we're not where we're supposed                                   to be either! Most of us won’t leave the dance with the folks who brought us, because folks make connections for a reason, some for a season and some may be for a lifetime….(God is saying “honey, you’re a keeper)!!!

Your alignment is as important as your assignment, 

(would you tell someone that please…)

It would be great if you could just go into the phone booth as Clark Kent, and come out as Superman... and just muscle your way through, and get there, (where ever there is) in your pretty blue tights and red cape!

Ooooh, We'd like that... 

but God wants to reveal His strength and power in you as Clark Kent, not as Super Man!...(He said, “His strength is made perfect in our weakness”) That way He gets all the glory!!!

HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU FOR IT!

HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU FOR THE ANOINTING?

HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU TO SEE YOUR FRIENDSTRANSFORMED?

HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU FOR YOUR HOME TO BE TRANSFORMED

HOW DESPERATE ARE YOU FOR THE FAMILY HE SAID YOU COULD HAVE?  What are you willing to do to have it?

Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message Bible)… “Do you understand what this (alignment) means, all those pioneers who blazed the way, all those veterans who are cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down for the race, start running, and  never quit! No extra fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began  and finished this race we’re in. So, study how He did it”.

So often Satan succeeds because he distracts and confuses us from our God given purpose….white becomes black, yellow is brown, green is blue and purple is pink…. 

The point is that we must keep coming back to our point of clarification if our alignment is to bring us success in our assignment…. That point of clarification must be God’s inspired word of truth, not our feelings, what other’s think, or even the company policy….

The challenge is to become the change we want to see around us

The wilderness is about moving through hurt, fully believing that the power of God's love is greater…. It's about moving through sorrow, fully believing in the joy of the Lord… It's about moving through lack, fully believing in the reality of God's abundance… It's about moving through sickness, fully believing in the reality of Divine health… It's about moving through failure, convinced that we truly can prosper and succeed even as our soul prospers....Those mean fellows want to stop you cold….

The person you will be, when you get to where you're going, will not be the same person who began the journey….When we choose who we should be now, we are setting the vision for where we will be, later on, and further down the road in life's journey of twists and turns......

Moses had to deal with some folks that were grumbling, complaining, whining.... For 40 years.... he heard the same thing…"ARE WE THERE YET" (are you sure we're goin the right way.... I don't like this manna stuff.. We're all gonna die!)…….They finally get to the promised land and ....

Numbers 13:2 God told Moses..."Send some men to check out the land ofCanaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel. Send one leader from each of Israel's tribes." v3 So Moses sent them out from the wilderness of Paran. He sent them as the LORD had commanded. For, all of them were leaders of the people of Israel. (skipping to Numbers 13:8 there is a list of all the men who went in to spy out the land)

(I want to focus on this name)....

Numbers 13:8 There was one named Oshea, or (one who saves) from the tribe of Ephraim. ...(Skipping now to Numbers 13:16)  

" Numbers 13:16 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore  the land. And Moses changed the name of Oshea son of Nun to the name Joshua. ("Yahweh saves.") This man Oshea, could no longer be called that... because the wilderness would so alter and change him, that he would now be called a name fitting for his new transformed identity, JOSHUA!.

We can't get there and we can’t do it in our own strength or skill set…. because our destiny is a lifelong process, and not a point in time…To look at any single position, location, or event, and make it all about that, is to miss it entirely….(we refer to it as putting all your eggs in one basket)

Susie rushed home from school and told her mother that little Johnny had kissed her after class. "My goodness," exclaimed her mother. "How did  that happen?"…"Well, It wasn't easy, Mom," Susie explained. "It took three of my friends to help me catch him and hold him down!"

(Susie was determined to get what she wanted, regardless of what anyone else thought about it)! She wanted what she wanted and she wanted it now!

It has been well said, that we should thank God, that He doesn’t give us everything we asked Him for!!!!

The process that God is working in us is bigger and more far reaching than any one of us could ever comprehend! It's more than any one of us deserves, so He does it by His GRACE, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T  DESERVE IT!....He wants it for us, far more than we deserve to have it!

Grace took 5 loaves +2 fish and made it enough to feed 5000 plus!

That Grace chose a demoniac who had a legion of demons, set himfree  and then sent him to evangelize his own city!

It's the Grace that allowed a prostitute named Mary to be the first to tell   the message of the resurrection!

It's Grace enough to transition you and me from the kingdom of darkness  to the kingdom of God's Son, from judgment to blessing, from Hell's  torment to Heaven's glory!

Certainly it is true today, as it has always been, that this world has yet to see what God can do with a person completely sold out to Him"!                                                     

(Would you TELL SOMEONE) “The world has yet to see”….

“The person you will be, when you get to where you're going, will not be  the same person who began the journey, you might not even recognize yourself”.

The bible calls those who are on this journey, the advance team, the forerunners, and way markers, they are helpers, and givers, and resource personnel, singers and musicians, teachers, skilled laborers, intercessors, evangelists, pastors, prophets and apostles….for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, that we might all come more and more into the image of Christ….

Our wilderness is like a revolving door, we will keep going through it until we learn the lessons it has for us….

Job 23:10 "It's enough that He knows the way that I take and when I am tried, I shall come forth as gold" (that's His guarantee)

I know I’ve shared it before, but, I'm reminded of the story of the little sparrow who decided to not fly south for the winter. However, the weather suddenly turned so cold that it changed it's mind and reluctantly started   back north. 

In a short time, ice began to form on it's wings and it began to freeze in mid-air. It's wings got heavier and heavier and 

soon it fell to Earth, landing on a dairy farm, in a field of cows that were grazing nearby, and the little bird was nearly frozen solid. A cow was passing near where it had fallen 

and laid a cow pie on the little frozen bird. The little sparrow thought it was surely the end. It would die, buried under a cow pie, in darkness, with no one to ever know of it’s demise... but instead, the manure warmed the bird and thawed him out!. Warm, happy, and knowing it would live and not die, the little sparrow began to sing at the top of it's voice while still underneath the cow pie. 

Just then, a large cat that was walking by, heard the chirping, and it came over to investigate... 

Realizing that dinner was now being served, The cat quickly dug the bird   out, and ate it! …..And the moral of this story actually is... 

That everyone who poops on you is not necessarily your enemy. 

That everyone who gets you out, is not necessarily your friend. 

And last, when you're up to your eyebrows in cow pie, you may just want      to keep your mouth shut.

When the three Hebrews went through the fiery furnace, they were careful about what their mouth did! They praised God in the midst of the flames    and came out without the smell of smoke on them!

- Paul watched his mouth when he was chained in the dungeon....

- Job, refused to sin with his mouth, no matter how bad it got in the ashes!

Psalms 84:4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are everpraising you. Selah v5 Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on the journey. v6 As they pass through the Wilderness of Baca, they make it a place of wells and springs; the autumn rains also fill up it's pools. v7 And even in the wilderness place, they go from strength to strength, understanding, that each of us must appear before the Lord”. 

The wilderness will force you to answer certain questions......

How much progress am I making in my Christian life? 

Am I still in the same place I was a year ago?

What are the things that hinder my progress?

Am I still fighting the same battles that I fought a year ago or two? 

How much do I obey God’s Word in my daily life? 

Do I take God at his word even when it would seem foolish to do so? 

At what points am I tempted to compromise in my Christian faith?

Our answers to these questions will show us where we stand and will     pretty much determine what we're about to encounter in ourwilderness. Because God will arrange the wilderness experience, to get us up to par      on every one of those issues, that we just didn’t get to yet!

Some great men in the bible are known for the fact that they spent some   very significant years of their lives “being prepared and purified in the wilderness experience.” (so you’re among good company, friend!!!!)

For Abraham -- The wilderness path would lead to a city whose builder and maker was God and a people that would fill the whole earth.

For Moses -- The wilderness experience would reveal to him new principles for life, a pattern of worship, and God’s shekinah glory.

For John the Baptist -The wilderness would be the birth place of spiritual revival, located strategically between old and new testaments 

For David – The wilderness is where he would learn to be the worship      leader of Israel, the slayer of giants and the friend of God.

For Jesus -- The wilderness test would affirm His power over His flesh, the world, and the devil, thrusting Him into a place of exaltation and honor.    

Several years ago, I wrote this poem, entitled “The conductor” as I was reflecting upon God as the conductor of the sound track to our life, which          we are all a part of…

“Father God is conducting the orchestra,

His priceless Instruments, are we.  

He brings forth our worth and value, For, He knows us perfectly

He tunes and repairs each instrument, and Breathes Life intoeach one 

His baton is raised to guide us, Till we have finished playing, His song. 

We are blessed to be His instruments, Chosen Of Father God!

We present the score of His perfect plan, 

As the angels approve with a nod 

Every note inspires the Spirit, Oh, how the movement stirs the heart

The sound sweeps through out all creation, 

As each member plays their part

The lyrics flow from eternal truth, Through God in flesh who came

With a rhythm drawn from the ages, 

Which gives glory and honors His name

Lord, you'll weave this glorious melody, 

Till the setting of the final sun 

Father God is conducting His orchestra, 

And He'll finish when the music is done”.

In the wilderness, Israel had to deal with nations greater and mightier than themselves.  It was necessary so God could train and prepare a nation to trust Him and know that what He was doing was best for them. How very important it was for them to get it right! …Or they would  certainly have been eaten up by the wilderness. 

The wilderness is where we train to reign! That difficult, hard, unmovable thing you're dealing with, is where you start your reign! 

How important it is, not to waste the wilderness experiences with regrets and "what ifs" and "if only's", Or "why me's"…. Focusing only on the discomfort or disappointment, or hurts. But it is so important to benefit from and to maximize those times and convert them into profitable    wisdom and strategy for the future. 

The reason Oshea was renamed Joshua, was because he didn't let the pain of the wilderness Identify him, for he chose instead to allow the wilderness process to be the potter that shaped his clay!

Benoni became Benjamin, Jacob's son from Rachael...would no longer be “son of my sorrow”, but now means “the strength of my right arm”

“Foot in your mouth” Simon, became Peter, the rock

Saul the persecutor, became Paul the great apostle of the New Testament

1. So, Embrace your possibilities! Almost anything is possible if we're willing to exchange our limitations for His omnipotence.

2. Pay attention to your difference! What is it that makes you stand out from all the rest. Develop it and expand it...That's the funnel your success and abundance will flow through.

3. Explore your passion! What makes you excited about life, what fulfills you, THAT is what will lead you to your purpose.

4. Practice makes perfect! The more you do it the more you'll excelat  doing it, and the more proficient you'll become.

5. Persevere until the break through! Don't quit just before the answer comes and the blessing is released. 

Psalms 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Know today, that your greatest days are just around the corner, 

John the Baptist, was shaped and prepared in the wilderness, and as he  stepped forth, because of that wilderness preparation, he was able to         reveal Christ to others, and to announce “Behold the lamb of God, that         takes away the sins of the world” 

You step forth from the wilderness understanding the joy of the Lord.

You step forth from the wilderness and revival is released…..

You step forth from the wilderness, realizing you're not the same person         that went into the wilderness ...

We're not there yet, but we're not where we once were either....

So be encouraged, and be strengthened in the journey....

He who has begun a good work will be faithful to complete it....

Tell someone, “You’re coming out strong, capable, prepared and   anointed”

Let us join in a Prayer, as we close…

“Father, we realize our need for Your direction and guidance,for, we are prone to second guess ourselves. You said that we could boldly come to Your throne of grace and let our petitions be known. I know that You have a divinely chosen path for each of us and in Your will, we are each predestined before the worlds were formed. I ask you to lead me because You have brought me to this place and prepared me to receive, what I could not receive before.  

I know that the path may not be clear and straight, and that there are many detours and delays along the way. But no matter what, MY TRUST REMAINS IN YOU! I am determined to press in and never give up until Your perfect will is accomplished in and through me. Send me where I can be used, Lord, choose the path that I am to walk, and guide my footsteps. Show me where I am needed not just where I want to be. Though I may make mistakes, help me to accept criticism and correction. 

May I be Your willing servant even when my friends and family try to influence me otherwise. Give me insight to discern who is trying to help from those that would hinder me in my service to You. Let me be content wherever You plant me so that I may bloom and flourish there, for Your glory, not mine. I pray for a right-mind, where I can hear Your Voice of wisdom and truth and know what to do. May the witness of Your Spirit saturate my heart and mind in all that I do and say. 

Father, thank you that your constant presence in my life, is a faithful witness, giving me insight, and guiding me in making wise and compassionate decisions. Thank You that You promised never to leave me or forsake me and to be with me always, even till the end of the age. I know that nothing can touch my life without Your permission. I choose to resist the enemy of my soul and submit myself to You. I know that You only desire what's best for me in everything, at all times, and that it is planned by the Father, purchased by the Son, and sealed by the Holy  Spirit….In Jesus' name I give praise, Amen”

I want to open with a poem which I wrote a few years back 

which could be from every son and daughter, 

I have titled it….“The Mother Inside of You”

Your Mother is the place you came from, your first home here on earth...

She's the guide you follow, as your life takes shape 

and you discover your values and worth. 

She's the first love you experienced, the first heart entwined with yours,

No one can take that special place, In the eyes of a child, so adored. 

As time goes by, with it’s shifts and turns, your love grows ever strong and true, 

And the mother who carried you inside, now, you carry inside of you.

I was not carried in the womb of the woman I call mother, but I was loved as any child given birth by a mother. I always knew that I was her son, not her orphan child. She stepped out of her comfort zone to offer her heart so one more child, could be raised in a home with family, instead of an institution. She led me to Christ as a new Christian herself and we came to know and love the Lord together. She changed my life and gave me a second chance, so that I could offer a second chance to many others throughout my life… 

Yes, I can say that I have experienced the miracle of Motherhood, through the love of a Mom who accepted me as her own, and the wonderful wife, who took me to the next level of healing and gave our home, 3 beautiful children.

A mother’s love cannot be measured. Motherhood is about the place in every woman’s heart to love what is unlovable, to hope when it’s hopeless, to believe the unbelievable and see the invisible things which are part of every child’s journey.

When our first born son, David was born, he was one of the ugliest new born babies I had ever laid eyes on. My first thought was, who has the ugly gene in our family gene pool. He truly had the face that only a mother could love. He looked like a shriveled up little old Indian. We called him Geronimo… But to Winnie, he was the most beautiful baby ever born! An angel in the flesh! I believe her love made him beautiful and brought out the beauty day by day, till he lost his nick name… finally!He went from Geronimo to Gorgeous!!! 

Proverbs 31:25 – 28  “Strength and honor are her clothing and she shall rejoice in the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to the ways of her household and refuses the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed”….                                                                                                                                 

Thank God for mothers who never stop loving, never stop giving, never stop caring, and never stop mothering even when it’s not their own child or their own children!

During a visit to India in 1995, Shah-la Ette-fagh was so moved by seeing children living in extreme poverty that she vowed to come back to India to dedicate her life to helping poor children and families, especially women. You see, during her 1995 visit, while she complained about the smells, the filth, and the poverty all around that no one seemed to care about…she was having an expensive meal and sipping her tea, away from the squalor, but a very thin 3-year-old girl entered on a cold India day, wearing a short-sleeved dress with a broken zipper in the back and no shoes. Her hair was knotted and matted to her head. She had a beautiful face and her big black eyes radiated innocence. She came right up to Shahla and pointed to her chaitea. She thought the girl wanted to drink the chai, so she gave it to her. But she didn’t drink it, she just held the hot cup close to her body for warmth. Then she sat on the floor right next to Shahla feet and snuggled up to her legs to share her body heat.                                                                                                                                         Those motherly instincts kicked in as she felt the girl’s tiny shivering body, and she bent down to hold her inher arms and give her tiny body a little relief from the cold.That was it. With her eyes closed and her arms still around the girl, she entered into a tunnel with a bright white light at the end. Scenes from her entire life of priviledge flashed all around her. She saw herself skiing in Switzerland, then on a yacht in France, then shopping in Paris, and eating at a casino in London. Even though she was a single woman, she saw the image of her 3-story, 4-bedroom house located outside of San Francisco, with its 4 walk-in closets full of designer clothes and shoes, many with the tags still attached because she never had time to wear them.                                                                                                                         Through these flashing images, shesuddenly woke up to the realization that she had been carelessly wasting her money on jet-set traveling, partying every night, drinking and shopping! One question came to her mind: “why should I have so much money that I can waste it, and this child should be so freezing cold to need my cup of tea to warm her fragile body”?                          

She vowed to come back to India to dedicate her life to helping poor children and families, especially women. In 2002, she fearlessly sold her house, business and personal belongings. She said goodbye to her family, friends and the boyfriend who was the love of her life. She ripped up all her photo albums to avoid the temptation of returning, and she moved to India to start a new life without ever looking back. Since that time, 1000’s of children have been given a second chance and a bright future. Every year since 2015, Shahla has received an award for “Outstanding Achievements” for her Mother’sMiracle School by the Government of India, and in 2018 she received the “Mahatma Gandhi Award” at the English Parliament.

If you’ve ever held a new-born baby in your arms, then you know that you are holding a miracle and you are experiencing a living, breathing, in the flesh miracle!! It’s been a joy having David, Vickie and Karen here, over the last 4 weeks, and I know Chris would be here if he could. To see what began as just the two of us, now becoming 24 eternal souls, all living for the lord, serving others, and putting Christ at the center of their home, is truly a miraculous thing in the day we’re living in. The fact that it is a miracle, says it all…. It says that God has done exceedingly abundant, above all that we could hope or ask for. We’re standing in faith that every family in this church body, will have that miracle to celebrate for eternity…..

In Acts 16:31 When God opened the prison doors for Paul and Silas, they spoke to the jailer… “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and all your house. 

And that’s exactly what happened… the jailer and all his house were saved!                                                    

I believe, as we share this message that there is a household blessing upon every Godly mom and every Godly dad… Let me tell you why…

1Corinthians 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, otherwise your children would be unclean, but now are they holy”. This is a promise for your household and for your children’s households!!!

Let me give every mom a declaration and a decree to confess each day, for your family….

It’s found in John 17:19 “And for their sakes I sanctify myself(I dedicate, and commit myself to this) that they also might be sanctified through Your truth”. (ladies, declare it)

Men, one of the things we cannot do, is be a mother.  We cannot be mothers.  No matter how hard we try and no matter how in touch we are with our feminine side…we can never be a mother.

But we can live and confess John 17:19, every day! So, I want the men to make this decree with me… (Let’s repeat it together)

I can tell you that if it wasn’t for my mom, I would not be the person I am today.  My dad was an example of manhood. He showed me what being a man meant, what it was all about, and how to do it.  But my mom—taught me how to be a human being.  She taught me how to feel.  She taught me how to laugh and cry and she connected me with many other parts of my humanity that frankly, I think my dad would have had a hard time doing, because he was busy being a man. Those first years of our lives are very impressionable years and mothers play an enormous role in those early years and in shaping us into the people we eventually become.

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud. The door of his wife’s car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of her. He moved on into the entryway, andfound an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was covered with toys and various items of clothing, and his youngest daughter and the dog were there in the think of it.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, and dog food was spilled all over the floor.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a stream of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, soapy scum and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.

He looked at her bewildered and asked, ’What happened here today?’ She smiled and said, ’You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?’ after a brief pause, She continued and said, ’Well, today I didn’t do it.’

More times than not, mothers are taken for granted.  Their love and devotion to us is so constant, that we come to expect it, to feel entitled to it.  We know it’s always going to be there no matter what we do or say or how bad we mess up—our moms are always going to love us.

That’s true, right up until the moment that they are no longer there.  Suddenly, there comes a point in life when you find yourself without a mother. And no matter how tough or awesome or successful you are in life, when your mom dies, a piece of you goes with her. There’s a blank spot that only she can fill. That one constant source of security you have known since you were born, is now gone.                                                              

Someone wrote that: “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but they hold their hearts forever”.

I’m talking about this today because I think it’s important, that we all acknowledge our mother’s, and all the other mothers that were around us as we grew up and are now grown. 

The mothers of the world do more for the advancement of our society than any other force on earth.  Each one of us, regardless of our circumstance owes our life to our mother.  Even if you happen to have a really lousy mother, you still owe her your life, and that isn’t a little thing.  That’s part of the amazing miracle of Motherhood! A Godly mother can believeand know, that as SHE asks in faith God will meet the needs of her family.                                                                                                                                                                  As Philippians 4:19 promises us: “And my God will liberally supply (and fill until its full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. …

There was a name that was known around the world. Crowds flocked to his church to hear him preach, and everywhere he went people couldn’t get enough of the printed editions of his sermons. When he died, 60,000 admirers filed past his casket and 100,000 lined his funeral route. Even today, people visit his grave to pay tribute. Even more read his books and are inspired by his sermons. Yet before Charles Spurgeon was The Prince of Preachers, he was a young boy in the arms of a godly mother. He was one of 8 children. And with all his success and all his fame, he would not forget his first and best *…..instructor. “I cannot tell,” he said, “how much I owe to the solemn words and passionate prayers of my Godly mother. She was the starting point of all the greatness and goodness any of us, by the grace of God, have ever enjoyed.”

It’s difficult to pour out of an empty cup…. Just as an expecting mom is now eating and doing all she does for two people…because she knows she has a little one on board who is counting on her to eat right, rest, exercise, and make the right choices. And it doesn’t stop when the baby is born. Mom and Dad must understand that they are now living for someone besides themselves. They are feeding others, physically, emotionally, and spiritually….

In the bird world, the parents will gather up and eat more than they need, so that they can bring it back up and place it in the mouths of their hungry brood of babies. They can’t feed their babies if they themselves are empty. They can’t say “I don’t feel like it”…. Or “I’m too tired”…. They know that only if they are full, can they feed their babies. The same is even more true for every believing mom.

If you are a parent, please know, It’s no longer all about you. You fill up on the word, you fill up in prayer, you fill up on the answers to things they will be asking… you fill up on everything that you need to impart to them, because you’re not living just for yourself.

Luke 11:11” If a son shall ask bread of any of you, will you give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will you for a fish give him a serpent? v12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will you offer him a scorpion? v13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him”?                                                                                                     I find it interesting that God compares His giving to how a parent gives to their children. It causes us to ask our selves what and how we are giving to our families. It is addressing the basic parent child interaction and quality of care that we can expect of God and that He expects of us. How many parents give everything to their children except a spiritual heritage, a foundation in the Word, and example in prayer, Christian service and attending the house of God….

I want to direct your attention to the occasion when Jesus turned water into wine… He had just told the disciples to go and get water because they were out of wine…. You can almost see the big question *…..marks over their heads as they wonder what filling the pots with water has anything to do with providing wine for the wedding celebration!!! But Jesus mother comes into the picture and his mother makes a statement that is foundational in the training program for any parent, as they raise their children….Look at it with me….

John 2:1 “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there v2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. v3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine. v5  And His mother said unto the servants, Whatsoever he says unto you, do it”.

What better way to raise your children than to teach them the word of God and then to tell them, “Whatever He says to you, do it”…. Wow… what a novel idea!!!!

Because you will be wrong sometimes. You will make mistakes, you will misjudge situations, you will fail to have the right answer at the critical time…. But Jesus will never be wrong!!!

Jesus had to respond when His mom called upon Him because earlier He had told His disciples… “Honor your father and mother”….. She wanted a miracle… she got a miracle…. She wanted wine, she got the best wine…

Listen to me Mom, no one has God’s ear like a God- fearing, God chasing mother… No love goes deeper than a mother’s love, No care goes further than a mother’s caring, and no connection to family is more powerful than a mom’s connection….. When Mothers trust Jesus enough to impart “just do whatever He tells you” to your kids, your grandkids, your nephews and your nieces: they will do well in this life and in eternity”… They’ll see some amazing miracles in their lives.

Matthew 25:40 “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one   of the least of these, (little ones) you have done it unto me”.                                                           Luke 18:16 (message bible) “But Jesus said, Don't get between me and the children, These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. 17 Know that unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."                                             Jesus gave the greatest tribute to mothers when He chose to come to this earth and be born in the womb of a young mother named Mary….  But let’s go further into the next levels of motherhood. Look at the words of Paul to his spiritual son Timothy….and you will see a generational blessing which can be claimed in….                                                   2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”                                                                                                                         SoPaul has connected Timothy’s faith with what he received from his mother and grandmother.                                                                                      Mom, don’t back off, don’t let up, don’t even think of quitting…. It may happen when you’re a mom, a grand-mom or when you’re a great, grand-mom… but God’s word will not return void…. It will come to pass!!!                                                                                                          Monica, who was the mother of St. Augustine, prayed for years that her brilliant but rebellious son would be saved. When she sought the counsel of her pastor, he listened as she poured out with tears, her heart of love and her intercession for this prodigal. At the conclusion, the pastor said, “Go on woman! Leave me alone. Live as you are living, and I can tell you, It is not possible that the son of such a mother’s tears should ever be lost.”                                                                              (I think when a mother’s prayers arrive in Heaven, they go right to the head of the line). 

When Hannah, who had been barren, gave birth to her son, she was so thrilled that God had heard her prayers, she brought him to the priest to be raised in the temple for the work of God. She named the child Samuel—literally, in the Hebrew, it means: “Heard of God.” His very name proclaimed that God had heard this mother’s prayers!                                                                            I want to read a letter from an 80 yr. old woman on her birthday: “To all my children: This is a good time to tell you that what I truly want are things I can never get enough of, yet they are free. I need your patience when I don’t hear what you say the first time. I know how tiresome it is to always be repeating, but sometimes I must ask you to repeat. I need your patience when I think too much about the past, with my slowness and my set ways. I want you to be tolerant with  whatthe years have done to me physically. Please be understanding. I spill things. I lose things. I get unduly excited when I try to figure out my bank statements. I can’t remember what time to take my medication, or if I took it already. I take too many naps. Sometimes sleep helps to pass the day. Well, there you have it: your Time, your Patience, and your Understanding. Those are priceless gifts that I want. You’ll be where I am too soon, so remember to give what you hope to receive when that time comes.  Being old is just another place you come to and another adjustment we all have to make! I have and will always love you with forever Love, Your Mom”.                                                                                                               To those who have given life both in birth and in the care of those who are not your own, to those who have lost a life before birth and before old age…

To those who have faithfully done what only mother's love can do, 

To those who have been "the perfect mother" and to those who may be living with regrets… To those who are close to their children, and to those who feel like they are a million miles away… We bless you today, on this Mother’s day. 

To those women who have given birth to a child, We celebrate with you the gift that God has given. 

To those who have experienced miscarriage, failed adoptions, and kids who have pushed you away… We come along side of you today. 

To those who have longed for children, but for whatever reason have been unable to have them, We love you and we apologize for the times that we have failed to be sensitive to your journey. 

To those who have been "mother's" to others who are not their children, We need more people like you both in the church, and in the broken world in which we live.

To those who have close and meaningful relationships with their children, We celebrate this day with you and thank God for His amazing grace.

To those who have complicated, hurtful or painful, relationships with their children, 

We hurt with you and thank God for his grace, while we pray for redemption and reconciliation.

To those who have close relationships with their own mother, We thank God for that intimacy. 

To those who lost their mothers whether recently or so many years ago, 

We join with you and stand by your side today.

To those who will soon have an empty nest, We both celebrate your job well done and feel the separation with you. 

To those of you who long to be better mother's, we pray that God's grace will provide all you need and beyond. 

To those who long to make things right with your children, we agree with you that God's redemptive power can rise above any boundary, any brokenness, any pain. 

To those who struggle with their children today, We are here to share our stories of successes and failures as well as our encouragement…your investment is never in vain, and God is using your faithfulness to change the world.

For those of you who struggled through pain to get out of bed this morning and be here, We love you and we are encouraged by your faithfulness. 

We pray that all of us may be more sensitive and more active in being a blessing to you and yours, this Mother’s day and always!

Bless these moms and may they truly see the miracle that is motherhood!!

I said last week, that between the Resurrection and the Ascension Jesus was conducting an Apostolic bootcamp, and His teaching centered around three things 

The end times, the Holy Spirit’s ministry and our purpose as His ambassadors in the earth. So, today we are looking at our purpose…

They wanted to know what was ahead for the future. So, Jesus used their question to teach them about the Holy Spirit’s work through them and their purpose in it all. Their priority was to wait in the upper room to receive the power to fulfill their purpose.

Act 1:8 “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. 

It’s not about how much of the Holy Spirit you have, but it’s about how much of you the Holy Spirit has…and that is an important difference….

When the deciples came out of the upper room, with the power of their purpose, 5,000 were saved and brought into the church. They quickly saw that they were the delivery system for the power of the Spirit that had come within them. (Know that you are the delivery system for the gifts that God desires to give to others)

The sick received a gift… the gift of healing,. Those who facedimpossible situations, received a gift… the gift of miracles... Those who needed direction, received a gift….the gift of prophecy or wisdom, knowledge and discernment….They saw that their purpose was to be the delivery system for the Holy Spirit’s power.                                                                             John Wesley said “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field”. 

A sign was taped to the front door of a business which had closed. It said simply,  "Gone out of business. We forgot what our purpose was." That can happen to churches and to individuals….   

Paul and Peter were take charge guys who were accustomed to being in control, as well as the two disciples whose nick-name was “Sons of Thunder”….These along with some of the others,experienced some head butting, and conflict, which caused them to realize that *……their purpose could not be fulfilled without allowing the nature and character of the Holy Spirit to be reflected through them. 

Having the power without the nature of the Holy Spirit, would be like having a great doctor, who can’t stand people! He’s good but he has no bed side manner!

Gandhi, was quoted as saying that the only problem with Christianity was the Christians who claimed to follow it!                                                                                                                           The Holy Spirit’s fruit are about His nature and character, and the Gifts are about His 3 levels of power… It has been well said that People don’t care what we know until they know that we care….

I want to read that scripture again which we read last week….

Galatians 5:22 (amplified bible) “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, v23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. v24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put off the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. v25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct is now empowered by the Holy Spirit]. v26 We must not become conceited, provoking or competing with one another, or envying one another”.

Just as a house is no better than it’s foundation, the Christian life is no more effective than the successful integration of the Spirit’s nature and character…

Sometimes the Lord takes us outside ourselves, and sometimes He takes us within ourselves, but both journeys can be totally amazing!!!  

Before Pentecost Peter cursed and denied Jesus 3 times. After Pentecost Peter preached to the very crowd who crucified Jesus and three thousand of them believed, received and turned to the Lord.

Oh, Yes, you may make mistakes and errors in judgment and say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time – but you will experience a new effectiveness, new power to live the Christian life, and you will have a new purpose in life, as He equips you and reveals Himself to you through the Holy Spirit.

God gave you an eternal spirit with eternal potential.

Sin robbed you of that potential, but Christ has redeemed your eternal potential through His atoning death, and resurrection.

Peter had resigned himself to fishing the waters of Galilee for the rest of His life, but Jesus gave his life new purpose and new direction, which he could never have imagined before….                                                     Paul thought his life mission was to be the hatchet man for the religious leaders of his day…His mission… to stop the upstart Christian faith, but God re-purposed his life on the Damascus road..

Thomas would have remained a doubter and sceptic until Jesus

re-purposed him, by revealing Himself to Him as his risen Lord!

Christ takes lives that are lived one dimensionally and brings layers of purpose and potential into them. Lives that were lived on the basis of what they feel obligated to do, now find the joy of what they love to do and want to do, and are thrilled to do, because they’ve found their purpose!

    Not only will the Lord show you the direction in which you are to move; He will also reveal to you His timing, His methods, and His reasons.

There was an inscription on a cemetery headstone in England

It said…”Remember man, as you walk by, As you are now, so once was I, as I am now, so shall you be, remember this and follow me.

Someone couldn’t leave it without replying, so they wrote on the tombstone….To follow you I'll not consent, until I know which way      you went.

I like what Robert Logan posted over the entrance of the church he pastored, “Our purpose is to glorify God by making disciples of all people and multiplying His church, so that believers worship God, win unbelievers to Christ, and continue to become more like Him”.  

Someone here today has heard that inner voice which is saying… “You were meant for more than this…Your life has a greater purpose”…. You are designed to accomplish far more than you have yet seen or that you have yet experienced….                               

I have 3 scriptures for you today….

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. v6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct Your paths”.

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Mark 11:23 “Whoever says to their mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart, but believes that those things they say will be done, they will have whatever they say”. 

I’m reminded of the professor, who invited some of his fellows to his home for the holidays. He filled the counter with coffee cups and no cup was the same. Some were plain and others were fancy. When everyone had settled down with their coffee, he asked why each had chosen the cup they were drinking coffee from. After their responses, He said, “If you were focused on the cups then you missed what this was all about, it was all about the coffee in the cup. The coffee is the purpose and the reason for the cups. All the cups may be different in size, color and substance, but we are all drinking the samecoffee”. Some like cream and sugar and some don’t, but it’s the same coffee!

1Corinthians 12:4 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. v5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. v6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which is working all in all”.

We are His people, who partake of the same Spirit and who have received the same Lord and serve the same God. 

The cups may be different… different preferences, different perspectives, different skills and abilities…. But the same coffee!!!  

And before Jesus ascended, he addressed this sameness in diversity….

Romans 8:11 For if the (same) Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the (same) Spirit that dwells in you”.

A child receives the same Spirit as the senior citizen… The pastor has the same Spirit as the janitor… 

The African, the Chinese, the Haitian, those of every culture, and race, receive the same power, the same gifts, the same fruit…. Hallelujah!!

Mark 16:15 “Go ye (with your sameness in diversity) into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. v17 And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues. v18 They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”. 

When the disciples were caught in the storm, they had the “Go Ye right” but they got in trouble when they forgot their purpose. Jesus had said to go over to the other side, and until they were on the other side, they had not fulfilled their purpose in being on the water…Jesus showed up to keep them in their purpose!

Find your mission, know your purpose, be under orders, get on your assignment, and you need not fear the powers that might try to overwhelm you.....

In the fairy tale story of Alice in Wonderland, a conversation took place between her and the Cheshire Cat. Alice asked, "Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the cat. "I don't much care where I go" said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you should go" said the cat.When you have no purpose, any way will do!!!

We can only access the level of authority which we are willing to acknowledge and accept as part of our purpose! Your purpose gives you a lot of power to enable you to accomplish it.

Can you imagine how ineffective you would be if you went to work every day, without knowing the purpose of the business that employed you to do a job…?

And yet, how many attend a church week after week , and never really grasp the purpose for which Christ created the church….

I believe a great scripture concerning our redeemed purpose is 1Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, that you are called unto, and continue to profess a good profession before many witnesses. v13 I give you charge in the sight of God, who quickens (gives inspiration and impact) to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate maintained a good confession.. v14 Keep this commandment without spot and remain uncompromised, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

George Carlin said "I have as much authority as the most powerful person on earth, I just don't have as many people who believe it". 

Shakti Gawain....When we are constantly doubting our own authority, because we are always looking to others for validation, and approval, we give our personal power away.

The Merriam-webster dictionary defines authority as, "The ability to determine things, to lead by permission, to delegate, and to enforce something that has been previously agreed.

We have received the mantle of Jesus.. (Think about it)!!

Revelation 1:6 “He has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”. 

We have received the Holy Spirit that we might be anointed to fulfill our purpose in this earth. 

We must guard that anointing. We must guard the thought gate, the heart gate, the eye gate, the ear gate, and the mouth gate. These are all places of entrance into our spirit. It is so easy in this day we live, to allow your spirit to become confused by all that is taking place in the world around us. As the old saying goes, "the smallest boat can cross the biggest ocean as long as the ocean stays out of the boat"!

I’ll call the following story “The bookstore”….Jacob Brodzky, was a shy Russian Jew whose father owned a bookstore. When his father died, he buried his father, and married the love of his life, Lila. Then they moved into the apartment above the bookstore, and Brodzky took over its management. The life of books fit him perfectly, but it cramped her. She wanted more adventure -- and she found it, she thought, when she met an agent who praised her beautiful singing voice and enticed her to tour Europe with a vaudeville company.                                                                                                          Brodzky was devastated. At their parting, he reached into his pocket and handed her the key to the front door of the bookstore.You had better keep this," he told her, "because you will want it some day. You will come back, and I will be waiting." She kissed him and left. To escape the pain he felt, Brodzky withdrew deep into his bookstore and took to reading as someone else might have taken to drink. He spoke little, did little, and could most times be found at the large desk near the rear of the shop, immersed in his books while he waited for his love to return.                                                                                                                           Nearly 30 years later, at Christmas, she did return. But when Brodzky rose from the reading desk, he took the love of his life for just another ordinary customer. "Do you want a book?" he asked. It startled her, that he didn't recognize her. But she gained possession of her senses and replied, "I want a book, but I've forgotten the name of it.  believe it’s title is “The Book Store”….                                                                 Then she told him a story of childhood sweethearts. A story of a newly married couple who lived in an apartment above a bookstore. A story of a young, ambitious wife who left to seek a career, who enjoyed great success but could never relinquish the key her husband gave her when they parted. She told him the story she thought would bring him to himself. "You remember it; you must remember it -- the story of Lila and Jacob?" After a long, bewildered pause, he said, "There is something familiar about the story, I think I have read it somewhere. It comes to me that it is something by Tolstoi." Dropping the key, she ran from the shop. And Brodzky returned to his desk, to his reading, unaware that the love he waited for so long, had come and had gone forever.                                                                         Don’t forget your purpose…. And don’t leave home without it!                      Jesus said that He was giving us the keys to the Kingdom… what are we doing with those keys?

Let's take a moment and eavesdrop on a conversational prayer Jesus is having with the Father and we can see this process of the anointing for your purpose…..

Jesus is praying in John 17:21 “May they be one, as You are Father, in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us... that the world may believe that You have sent me. v22 And the glory which You gave unto me I have given unto them, that they may be one, even as we are one. v23 I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me. v24 Father, I will that they also, whom You have given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which You have given me, for You loved me before the foundation of the world".

Your anointed purpose is about alignment. It’s about coming into harmony with the will of God in all the circles of our influence and connections. It is about God bringing us into His right place, at His right time, with His designated people, for His right reason and purpose.  

When our lives become God centered, His will becomes our heartbeat and our daily quest and begins to align us with His deepest desires....

A news commentator had a single question written on post-it notes, which he placed on his locker at the gym, the refrigerator, his desk, and the dashboard of his car. It asked one question…“Is what you’re doing now, accomplishing your purpose”..

Jesus is calling and He's interceding at the right hand of the Father

We are being called from labor into His rest (Matt. 11:28) 

We are being called from death into His life (1 John 3:14) 

We are being called from bondage into His liberty (Gal 5:13) 

We are being called out of darkness into His light (1 Pet. 2:9) 

We are being called from bondage into His peace (1 Cor. 7:15 

And we are called from orphans into adoption as His own(Gal_4:5 )

The Kingdom of God is within you. Jesus came to build a kingdom within a kingdom. He came to raise up the kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of men.

This anointing for purpose, which Jesus said we were given, is a force, a God given ability, an abundance, a heaven sent value, with supernatural might, loaded with possibilities, with enablement, supply, and accompanied by mighty works which He alone can and will do through us....

Here’s a challenge for us all….If you were judged, choose understanding, instead of jumping to conclusions…If you were rejected, choose acceptance instead of reacting with the same….If you were shamed, choose compassion instead of retaliation…Be the person you needed when you were hurting… Vow to be better than whoever came against you….Instead of becoming bitter, bring reconciliation and healing…and live from your redeemed purpose and not your pain!

The desires God placed in you are always possible, but the path to getting there is not always predictable, which is why we must be led by the Spirit. 

The only real obstacle to personal power is ourselves, because we carry the baggage of our own insecurities and past experiences which tell us that it can't be done....

We must begin to rule with our own spirit.....and continue toBelong, continue to Believe, and continue to Become more like Him. We are an imperfect people, who are following His perfect example….

Would you lift up your hands and give thanks for this glorious sameness in diversity, which is called the church of the Lord Jesus, everywhere, in every place, tongue, culture and people group. His GLORIOUS CHURCH IN THE EARTH!!!

Song….All hail king Jesus, all hail Emanuel, King of kings and Lord of Lords, bright morning star. And through all eternity, I’m going to praise Him. And forevermore, I will reign with Him. 

And now, as we prepare for communion …

We are God's people, anointed for purpose, Let us take our place before God with someone around us and just stand in our priesthood, and for this moment, intercede in their behalf....

I am placing on the screen some possible areas you can agree with one another about… Let’s come into agreement….

for their family members, their life choices that need to be made, that their needs be met and the supply that God wants to bring to them would come to them, that their appointed connections would be made....stand for their physical healing, and that the souls in their circle of influence would come to Christ....In Jesus Name.....

If B.I.B.L.E stands for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” then the 40 days Jesus spent with them between His resurrection and His ascension was certainly all of that!                                                                                                                 Someone has said that we need the bible because there are some things that even Google can’t answer!

I want to open this presentation with a writing which is included in the book of acts by Luke, who is the author of the book that is still being written by the followers of Christ. The apostle John tells us that there are many other things which, if they should be written every one, I the world itself could not contain it…..

A few insights here….The letter is addressed to a man by the name of Theophilus, who most feel is a high ranking official in the Roman government, who has supported Paul in his missionary journeys.  He is most likely one of those that Paul refers to as “the saints in Caesar’s household”. Luke addresses him in the book of Luke as “Most Excellent” which would indicate a person of high rank and possibly a member of the Emperor Nero’s own family, referred to as Caesar.   There are historical records which refer to a man named Theophilus as “A Great Lord” from that same time period.

But the purpose of the letter is clear. Luke states it is “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Or that you may know that you have been taught the truth)

Acts 1:1 “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach v2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after He had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. v3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. v4 On one occasion, while He was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. v5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 

v6 Then they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” v7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. v8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” v9 After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight”.

For 40 days, after the resurrection, Jesus interacted with them in a one to one as well as in groups. In one incident he met with 500 at one time… He was not just a Spirit, He ate with them, they touched Him, Thomas put his finger in the wound in his hand and his side..  On one occasion, after he rose, it says He built a fire and had bread and fish prepared on the shore, so they could eat together… He walked Emmaus road with them and went to their homes.

Between the Resurrection and the Ascension Jesus was conducting an Apostolic bootcamp, and His teaching centeredaround three things, The end times, the Holy Spirit’s ministryand our purpose as His ambassadors in the earth.

They wanted to know what was ahead for the future. So, Jesus used their question to teach them about the Holy Spirit’s work through them and their purpose in it all. …let’s look at what Jesus taught us about what’s ahead. We are privileged to be witnesses of many end time prophecies of Jesus being fulfilled…..

Jesus told them to beware, because many would come in His name operating under an anti-Christ spirit, and lead many folks astray. The ultimate fulfillment of this will be in the form of the anti-christ, whom the world will follow after.  

Jesus said there would be wars and rumors of wars, (warring spirits loosed in the earth. Spirits of violence, greed, covetousness and murder) and that earthquakes and famines will increase in frequency, but the end is not yet. 

Paul described it as the whole creation groaning and travailing like a woman nearing child birth. 

Jesus told us that we would be persecuted to silence us but if we were faithful, we would stand before Governors and Kings to bear witness of the truth. He said that the Holy Spirit would give us what we should say and do. Jesus said that we would be hated for our faithful witness to Him, but be encouraged, “those who endure to the end will be saved.”   I read a report that currently… there are 270 Christians who become martyrs every 24 hours, of every day….

Does that frighten you or give you boldness and resolve? In the midst of all of this stuff taking place, the Lord promised that all the world would have a chance to hear the gospel and then the end would come.

That’s why we are part of “Faith Comes By Hearing” which is dedicated to reaching every tongue, every culture, and every people group. How exciting to be part of hastening the coming of the Lord!  

Three times Jesus tells them and us, “Be on guard”….                                     Nothing, I mean Nothing, is important enough to miss heaven for. Let’s finish what we’ve begun and do it joyfully with a smile on our face.. 

Big Dave was very negative about church, but he attended just to keep his wife from nagging him constantly. He would always fall asleep and snore during the Sunday sermon and his wife, Martha, was fed up and decided to deal with the embarrassing situation. The next Sunday when he fell asleep, she quietly removed some limburger cheese from a zip lock bag in her purse and smeared it under his nose. Big Dave sat up straight and blurted out, “This sermon stinks”…He moved to the back of the auditorium and said “This whole church stinks”… He went outside and yelled “The whole world stinks”…. 

Well, just maybe it’s the attitude of the stinking stinker, not everything and everyone around them!!!!

You’ll be a lot sweeter if you stay close to the great Shepherd, Strengthen one another, stay in fellowship, stay in the Word, and allow the ever present ministry of the Holy Spirit, to constantly renew and replenish your spirit….You’ll smell much better and be a better smeller!

You know, Jesus talked about His return before He had evenascended! Clearly, He wanted there to be no doubt concerning His coming back to this earth. After He had ascended, the church went everywhere declaring the message that He would return to gather His followers, both the dead and the living.Paul tells us that these were to be words of comfort to the church….

1Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first, v17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. 

Christ will appear in the clouds at the time of the rapture, 7 years before He actually touches the earth. This is when He gathers believers, alive and dead from the 4 corners of the earth.                             Some say He will appear before the 7 year tribulation, others say He will appear at the middle, and others say He will come back at the end of the tribulation…

Let me explain why I believe in pre-tribulation rapture. Understand that the tribulation is described as the wrath of God toward a rebellious and wicked world. 

1Thessalonians 1:10 “We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come”.

Once, when I was teaching about the rapture on Sunday morning, and after church was over and we were riding home, my son Chris (12 yrs old) appeared to be a little upset and he said “I don’t want the rapture to come”… He said “I haven’t done a lot of things that I still want to do”…. Even though we told him all the positives about going in the rapture, he could only see the things he would miss out on like girlfriends, marriage, children of his own, and getting to be a full grown man….(you are all thinking now of the benefits of going in the rapture)    

Well, Once we are raptured, we will receive the rewards forfaithfulness in His service during our life here. What have we done with what we’ve been given? Have we been faithful as soul winners, have we kept the faith and put the Lord first.

SPURGEON said “There are no CROWN-WEARERS there,who were not CROSS-BEARERS here."

2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing”. (This is the awards ceremony of the righteous)

Some of the crowns that are listed in scripture are,                                                         The CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS—2 Timothy 4:8                                            An INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN—1 Corinthians 9:25-27                                    The CROWN OF LIFE—- James 1:12                                                               The CROWN OF GLORY—1 Peter 5:2-4                                                         The CROWN OF REJOICING—1 Thessalonians 2:19

This event will be followed by the Marriage Supper of the Lamb… Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (No worries about your diet, or your cholesterol, or whether or not to have dessert)

Many talk about going to heaven as though that’s where we’ll spend eternity… but we’re coming back here with immortal bodies, riding with Him, to reign with Him IN THE EARTH, for 1000 years. That will take place at the end of the 7 year tribulation period, when He comes with the saints, to subdue the earth, and set up His 1000 year kingdom..

Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and His spoil shall be divided in the midst of the. v4 And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall be split and form a valley toward the east (the temple) and toward the west (the dead sea)…” 

We read that after this great battle (known as Armegedon) Satan and his minions would be bound and there would be no more death, or sickness, or wars and peace would reign in all creation. Beast of prey will lay down with what once was their dinner. A baby will play at the vipers den. What an amazing scripture prophecy….

Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion together; and a little child shall lead them. v7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. v8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the dragon’s den. v9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”. 

Second, during the 40 days, Jesus taught them about the Holy Spirit.

He said John 14:16 “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, (signifying that He was like himself) that he may abide with you forever. v17 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it doesn’t see him or know him, but you know him, for he dwells with you, and shall be in you”. 

He further taught them John 16:13 “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew youthings to come (revelation). v14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. v15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you”. 

Also look at…John 16:8  “And when he is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. v9 Of sin, because they believe not on me. v10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more. v11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged”. 

He showed them the 3 levels of The Holy Spirit’s working.                                                                                                    The first level deals with the fact that no one can come to Jesus or know and accept that He is the messiah, unless the Holy Spirit draws Him…. “He shall convict of sin”… He convicts and convinces… He is the revealer who brings us and introduces us to Christ.                               On the second level, The Holy Spirit enters the life when we receive Christ as Savior and repent of sin, which we all have in common, and we receive His forgiveness. We personally experience the Christ (Christos, the anointed one) and His Lordship.

Did you see that He judges the Prince of this world wherever you encounter Him. Deliverance comes as the Holy Spirit in us, judges the prince of darkness. The H.S. in us serves Him eviction papers!                                                                         Then, they were told to not do anything until they went into the upper room and experienced what Jesus called the next level,“the baptism in the Holy Spirit”….

Paul exhorts in 1Corinthians 1:5 “In everything you are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge. So that you come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

A Kingdom that is Spiritless is powerless. A life that is Spiritless is powerless….It’s not about how much of the Holy Spirit you have, but it’s about how much of you the Holy Spirit has, that is an important difference….

Act 1:8 “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. 

We can and do experience each of the levels today as they did then. He draws us and reveals Christ to us. He comes into our Spirit and we experience the work of Salvation and forgiveness of sin. He then we receive the boldness and inspiration which Holy Spirit brings to us. 

The outflowing of Spiritual gifts from our lives are listed as 9 manifestations…. 

3 for knowing, 3 for doing, and 3 for speaking…. 

The 3 knowing gifts are listed as Wisdom, Knowledge and Discernment.

The 3 doing gifts are Faith, Healings and Working of miracles.

The 3 speaking gifts are prophecy, Diverse tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

I trust that we all understand that we don’t have gifts, we are the delivery system for the gifts which are to be received by others. The sick receive the gift of healing, that’s their gift to receive. Those who face impossible situations, receive the gift of miracles, that’s their gift to receive. Those who need direction, receive the gift of prophecy or wisdom, knowledge and discernment…. that’s their gift to receive…

The mailman just delivers the mail, he doesn’t choose where it goes!!!!  

For the Gifts to be the most effective, they are designed to work together with the fruit of the Spirit … scripture tells us that to have gifts without the fruit of the Spirit, is to become sounding brass and clanging cymbals… That would be like having a great doctor, who can’t stand people! He’s good but he has no bed side manner!

The fruit are about the Holy Spirit’s nature and character, and the Gifts are about His power… The world wants power and is willing to sacrifice character to have it… 

So in seeking gifts, we are instructed to seek first, to have the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives as demonstrated by Hischaracter flowing through us. 

Galatians 5:22 (amplified bible) “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, v23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. v24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put off the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. v25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct is now empowered by the Holy Spirit]. v26 We must not become conceited, provoking or competing with one another, or envying one another”.

Just as a house is no better than it’s foundation, the Christian life is no more effective than the successful integration of the Spirit’s fruit…

This is why one of the true measures of our faith, is the Holy spirit’s presence evidenced in our lives….People say, “Well that’s just the way I am”…. No, that’s just the way your old rebellious self is… the way your unyielded self is!!!

Well, I’ll have to get to the 3rd thing Jesus spent the 40 days teaching His disciples, next Sunday…          

I’ll close with a question… Did you know that when Jesus was speaking about the ask, seek, knock promise He made…, He was talking about the Holy Spirit….?

Look at it quickly… Luke 11:9 ”And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. v10  For every one that asks receives and he that seeks, finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. v11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? v12 Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? v13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him”?

The work of the Holy Spirit is so vital in all the circumstances and situations of life.. He helps, He guides, He teaches, He speaks, He reveals, He instructs, He testifies of Jesus, He comforts, He calls, He fills, He strengthens, He intercedes, He prophesies, He brings truth, He brings joy, He frees us, He casts out demons and dispels the darkness, He leads us to obedience, He sends out the call for Jesus’ return, He transforms, He renews, He releases gifts, He produces His nature and Character, He leads, He convicts and convinces, He sanctifies, He empowers, He unites us, He seals, He makes us acceptable, He enables and empowers.

Can you tell someone… “We need all of that!”

Prayer…. Lord You said to ask and we would receive. So we ask and we receive each level of the Holy Spirit’s working in and through our lives…. To bring conviction and convince of sin..To call us into righteousness and Holiness… To release the fruit and gifts of the Spirit and reveal Your nature and Character in us…. To judge the prince of darkness and evict him everywhere he is trespassing…. 

I open myself to His working in and through me all day, every day. 

I consciously invite Him to have His way and express Himself freely to me and through me. Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name… So be it!!! 

When you graduated, when you got married, when your first child came, when you moved into your new home, when you chose a life career, when you retired….for each of these, you could say…”That changed everything”…. 

Throughout history, there have been significant events in our world that humanity points to and says, "That changed everything." 

Go back to the days when fire was discovered. With the advent of fire, everything changed. It gave people a new way to stay warm, a new source of light, and new ways to cook food. No more huddling together for warmth in the cold dark of night and having to eat raw plants and meat. 

Likewise, the wheel changed everything. The invention of the wheel, made it possible for people to move heavy loads from one place to another. No more having to keep things in one place or needing a large group to move something heavy. They could go faster, as they found horses to pull this new invention. Many people could travel together along with their possessions. A new era in transportation had come.                                                                                                              Go back to the 1400s when Gutenberg invented the printing press. This finally made it possible to print the written word and to distribute it to large groups of people. The printing press changed everything. 

In the last century or so we've seen the discovery of electricity, the invention of the light bulb, the first car rolled onto a city street and we had the Wright brothers first flight. It's pretty obvious with these inventions…. "that they changed everything."

In some people’s lifetime, they've seen the rise of computers, internet, cell phones, and wireless communications. As we all know, these things changed our culture, our society, our world and how we do life forever.”                                                                                                            There was an article that says “Computers are Like Men” In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem. They have a lot of information but they have no idea what to do with it. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer you could have had a better model. They hear what you say, but very rarely do they hear what you mean. So there’s a lot of misunderstanding whenever you speak to it…

But then…”Computers are also Like Women”...No one but the Creator Himself, understands their internal logic and The language they use to speak with one another is completely incomprehensible to anyone else. 

Even your smallest mistakes, are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval. As  soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending your paycheck on all the accessories that it requires. You may have done the same thing the same way, for years, but suddenly it's all wrong.

Well, certainly we could say that the advent of computers, and all these other things we have mentioned, are all monumental events in human history, but none of them are as significant as the life, ministry, and death of Jesus. 

Our entire calendar is centered around Jesus. But the one event that makes Him so important, was His resurrection. Nothing else even comes close to so completely changing the world as Jesus' resurrection. More than anything else in all of history, we can accurately say… "That Changed Everything."                                                                                                  To all who believe, there is something wholly life-changing about the words: "He is risen!" The resurrection is the defining moment of history. 

Philippians 3:10 Paul expresses his new mission… “That I may know him, inthe power of his resurrection”. In a way, we celebrate Easter every daybecause Jesus changed the way we measure time….BC, (Before Christ) and AD, (Year of our Lord) Because of Easter, we now live in the “Year of our Lord” since He is still alive… The New Testament reveals that the early Christians began meeting together on a new day (that we call Sunday) as a weekly commemoration and celebration of new life in Christ, since that first day of the week was when everything changed. Every day becomes a new day of possibility, for the believer because of Easter…. 

There is a Cartoon of two Roman soldiers standing by the empty tomb. The stone is rolled away and one soldier says, 

“We’re in a heap of trouble, He did what He said He’d do!” 

But the other one is shrugging and he says, 

“Don’t worry about it. A hundred years from now, no one will even remember.” 

But after 2000 years people do remember. And millions of God’s people still gather and remember what was done that first Sunday, 2 millennia ago.

They remember that Fear was changed to faith….When you think about the disciples huddled in that locked upper room, the fear was real, it was paralyzing, and very disorienting, and understandably, they couldn’t seem to figure out what to do next.   

Jesus must have known that a group of faint hearted disciples who could only see the world through the limited lens of their own fears would never, ever change the world in that condition. 

So Jesus shows up.  The atmosphere needed to change, resurrection needed to become real for the disciples, so they could embrace the promise of what was ahead— and that promise was a whole world that would be changed by the Gospel message. And when they see him—a switch is flipped somewhere on the inside of their spirit man.  It was as if they had received corrective lenses and the disciples could see what they couldn’t see before. FEAR….heart-stopping, life-crippling fear—was miraculously transformed into faith. 

When the truth of the resurrection had sunk into their lifestyle, everything changed. The disciples saw the world in a whole new way; their perspectives radically shifted. It was enough to cause them to unlock the door to that dark room that had imprisoned them and compelled them to march out into their city. 

It was enough to turn insecure, unsophisticated fishermen into bold proclaimers of Jesus’ Gospel. It was enough that they gave up their very lives for this glorious hope! 

Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward. (36) For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise”.

Sorrow and Despair were Changed into Delirious Joy…As the women left the tomb on Friday, their hearts were heavy and their steps and attitudes as well. Their Despair was manifested as low self esteem, Sorrow, Suspicion, Anxiety, Lack of confidence, Poverty thinking, Mental imprisonment, and Distress of soul and spirit. But when they arrived early Sunday morning at the tomb, the message they heard transformed their spiritual climate. He is Risen!  And with that, they joyously ran to share the glad news with the rest of the disciples. 

When your sorrow and heaviness turns to joy, you can’t help but share it with everyone! You can’t keep the overflow to yourself, you’ve got to tell somebody!                                                 (CAN YOU SAY TO SOMEONE…, “YOU NEED TO TELL SOMEBODY”)

Weakness and Powerlessness were changed into Power and Authority! This newly stirred deep conviction, brought about by the resurrection, was not terrified by bonds, imprisonments, banishments, hunger, fire, attacks by wild beasts, or the refined torments of cruel persecutors. It boldly stood in the face of gladiators, lions, and the dangers presented on the foreign field, in the midst of political, social, and religious hazards and peril, it was content, in knowing that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. 

Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, from the dungeon of Rome…. There were no requests for an easier path, no requests for relief from persecution and opposition, no pleas for comfort and convenience….                                                                              Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, pray that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, v20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: for as long as I am here, that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”.

Friend, God will find a way to bless you, and turn things around so they work for good to the people who love and serve Him…. He will make a way.

Two friends were sharing their medical problems with one another. Fred mentioned that he had a case of the flu that seemed to drag on forever. Jim said that he also had the flue recently, but he went to the doctor and was told he would be back on his feet in no time at all. “So, did he get you back on your feet pretty fast”, asked Fred. “Oh yes, he got me back on my feet alright….the bill was so large, I had to sell my car to pay it”.

Easter is God letting us all know that He paid the bill so He could get the blessing to you!!!! He’ll find a way to bring you from fear to faith, from shyness to boldness, from sorrow into joy and from insecurity to confidence!And get you moving forward.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ”But we all, with open face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”. 

We go to a physical mirror in order to behold our physical appearance. We look in a MIRROR and see that we need to accomplish some CHANGES in our lives. We look and see…that spare tire, or that extra chin, or some sagging here or there, the grey hair is a little thinner…we take a long look,and then decide to make a change. 

By the same token, we go to a SPIRITUAL MIRROR in order to realize our SPIRITUAL appearance. 

But the spiritual offers a vision of the glory, and power and authority, that has been made available to us in the reflection of the resurrected Jesus.What is true of Him is true of us. If you want to know what is the true potential within yourself, look fully into the image of Jesus Christ, who sees us through the power of the resurrection.

Previously, when someone was sick, you may have pitied the person and you encouraged them as best you could. Having looked into the image of Christ, now you lay hands on the sick and command the sickness to go! You now believe that signs and wonders shall follow you and that devils will come out, in Jesus name!!! 

*…..There is always more to see in the mirror, as you look into the image of Christ Jesus!!!!  When we get impatient, we realize that there are things we have not yet seen, that God wishes to REVEAL and UNVEIL to us, in Christ. So you can mark it down -- you do not yet see all there is for you to see. His mirror, will always reveal the best is yet to come… (tell someone..”You ain’t seen nothing yet”)

3 people, a minister, a college professor, and a politician, walk into a tent at a circus. There is nothing inside the tent but a mirror….

There is a sign next to the mirror, which reads: "This is a magic mirror. Say what you think and if what you say is true, amazing things happen. if you lie, you disappear forever...."They all agree that they will take the chance with the mirror. The minister says "I think I'm the holiest person in the world." Poof, the minister is gone. The Professor walks up and says: “I think I'm the smartest person in the world" poof, he’s gone. The Politician walks up to the mirror and says" I think.............and " poof, the politician is gone! 

The bible tells us that A middle-aged man is having a tough time….Hisfather and mother are both dead now and he misses having them with him. He’s got problems with his teenage children. Economic problems and severe shortages, have hit the region where he lives. To make matters worse, it seems as if every time he accomplishes anything, someone else comes along and takes what he’s worked hard for all his life. It’s enough to make anyone want to give up... But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE.

A young man runs away from home. He knows that one of his own family members is out to kill him. He finds himself all alone and afraid in a place he’s never been before. Where there used to be friends surrounding him, now there are only strangers in a strange land. His future looks grim.FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

A sincere and honest employee works hard, he is honest and productive, and yet has to put up with constant sexual harassment from one of his bosses. After refusing these unwanted advances, day after day, this honest, hard-working employee is accused of sexual misconduct by the very person who has been guilty of the harassment. The employee is thrown in jail to serve out an undeserved sentence. And the outlook is bleak. But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING!

An elderly man is commanded by God to confront the world’s most powerful leader and demand freedom for his people. He doesn’t want to do it. He would much prefer staying in the quite, familiar, solitude of his home. He feels weak and afraid, and completely inadequate. But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING! There’s another man who just lost his best friend and the mentor who has been there most of his life, and now he is called on to take his place. He is filled with many insecurities, a sense of inaptitude and grief. He knows that his dead friend was the sort of man that he could never replace. How can he possibly handle the responsibility of it all? But FOUR WORDS CHANGED EVERYTHING!                                                        

These words that changed everything, are the words that transfer theamazing transforming power of the resurrection to us today!

They are “I AM WITH YOU” …Those four words changed everything for a middle-aged struggler named Isaac…. They changed the life of a frightened runaway named Jacob… They vindicated a wrongfully imprisoned employee named Joseph… Those four words changed everything for Moses, the timid 80-year-old……They gave strength to Joshua, the man who had to fill the shoes of Moses.  And the resurrected Christ, speaks them to us today…       

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. 

God has sent you this message today, to say to you….I AM WITH YOU!                                                That power is available everywhere we go and whatever we are dealing with. You see, this resurrection power is not about everything turning out OK, according to our felt needs and perceptions, it is about being OK, no matter how things turn out. 

How long has it been since you ran towards your challenge instead of away from it? How long has it been since you understood that Christ in you is the answer that is greater than the problem. Do you truly believe that the answer is in you…           

James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is confronted can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is confronted.”

Someone has said “Running away from your problems is a race you’ll never win”…

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7)  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

(8)  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (9)  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (10)  Always bearing about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh”.

Jesus arose and sat down at the right hand of God, that each of us could have access to that place of His favor and power. And by God’s favor, He has made it possible for us to rise above everything that would seem to ensnare, entrap and confine us. We are risen together with Him, that He through us, might show the world His resurrection power .

THE ENEMY KNOWS OF YOUR POWER, and he is actually more fearful of you than you could ever be of him….

He knows that God can Amplify our voice, Magnify our work, Glorify our endeavors, Mystify our enemies, and Multiply our labors!!

It’s the difference between a Thermometer and a Thermostat. A Thermometer tells you what the temperature in a room is, a Thermostat can determine the temperature in the room! A Thermometer tells you what has changed, a Thermostat makes things change. “Easter calls us to be thermostats and not just thermometers!

There was an e-mail about a longtime Kansas wheat farmer who had a terrible fight with his wife about getting rid of all their credit cards. He dies and finds himself in the devil’s living room. The devil says, "Pretty hot down here, isn’t it?" The old farmer says, "No, not really." The devil goes over to a thermostat and turns up the heat and says, "What do you think now?" The old farmer replies, "I was a wheat farmer in Kansas for more than 70 years. I know what hot is." This really ticks off the devil, so he goes over to the thermostat and cranks it all the way up. "What do you think now?" he asks with an evil laugh.

The farmer gets out his handkerchief, wipes his brow and replies, "It’s warm, but have you ever sat on a tractor in a Kansas wheat field, in the middle of August? Now that’s hot." Angrily, the devil storms over and turns the temperature all the way down. Suddenly, everything is freezing, with long icicles hanging from the ceiling. "Well what do you think of that!" roars the devil. All the farmer can do is laugh. "What’s so funny?" asks the devil. The farmer can’t answer because he’s on his hands and knees laughing so hard, he can’t speak. " I asked you, what’s so funny!" the devil roars. Finally the farmer gets up, wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes and replies, "My wife said she would cut up all of her credit cards when hell froze over!"

(Cute joke, but terrible theology)…..!!!!

When God told the prophet Jeremiah, to go down to the potter’s house and watch the potter, as he works with the clay, He was comparing each of us to clay in the potters hands.. Even when God is preparing a blessing, there is pressure and squeezing. So, keep a good attitude and stay soft and pliable to Him. Don’t become hard-hearted and allow the lumps of rejection, bumps of hurts, wounds of the past, hardness of injustice and unfairness and the blows of abandonment, settle down inside of you. When you do this, you are allowing them to build a wall between you and the preparations of God which are being done so you can be blessed.

He speaks to us now, on this side of the empty tomb what He spoke to Isaiahon the other side…Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not; for I am with you, be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you,  yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness”.

Prayer…

" Lord, You are the Potter and I am the clay, and  I am the work of Your hands". Thank you for Your resurrection power, which is working on the inside of me. You are causing me to be equal to the changes I am facing, my skills are strong, and growing stronger, each day.  As change comes, it is pushing me to learn. My mind  is receptive, my spirit is strong, and my future is bright. 

Any setbacks I experience are only temporary, and I am growing more confident, with each day. Help me to be willing to see the big picture in all things, so that I may act in harmony with Your best, and highest plan. May I come to understand, that there are blessings everywhere, if I will just look for them.

Lord, You are teaching me, that my attitude will affect the outcome….and the challenges I face, are gifts which come into my life in disguise. May I come to trust, that when I maintain a positive attitude, it makes for greater outcomes and possibilities.  May I use the skills and talents I have,  to make a positive influence on the lives of many others. 

May I always remember, that each relationship in my life has a special value. Let my mind be filled with understanding, my heart with trust, and may my spirit be open and accepting. Bless me with strength, health and vitality, as You open me up to all that you intend for me to be.

Lord, Bless the new choices  and changes which I am making, as I press forward into the best things which You have designed for my life. Open my spirit to accept new challenges, new people, new opportunities, and new experiences. Bless each new undertaking with winning vision, careful planning, good timing, clear direction, financial sufficiency, and Your favor. In every thing, I give you Glory, Honor, and all the Credit, 

In Jesus Name I pray and confess,  

Amen