The dove that remained

The dove that remained

 

John 1: 29 – 34

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

 

We had talked about last week how the Old Testament prophets longed for the Kingdom of God and prophesied of its coming…Jesus launched it by beginning His ministry, and He launched it through the power of the Holy Spirit

 

Matthew 10: 7

Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

Matthew 12:28

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.

Matthew 18:4

So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The kingdom of God was established in many ways by Jesus through healing, deliverance, of course, love and faith as these scriptures show, and many other ways there are at least 82 other places in the Gospels where this is mentioned.

 

As we read earlier, John was told to look for the one on whom the dove rested and remained. The dove comes on everyone who comes to Christ, but it doesn’t always stay.

 

The Holy Spirit is often represented by a dove Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32. He is also depicted as fire, water, wind, oil. The dove is gentle, but it is wild and cannot be domesticated.

 

A couple was sent to be missionaries. When they had set up their home, a dove came to roost in the eves of their house. They took this as a sign of the Holy Spirit’s confirmation of them being in the right place following the Lord’s call on their lives. Most of the time the dove would be roosted in the eves however they noticed whenever they slammed a door or began to argue the dove would leave. They realized if they wanted the dove to stay they needed to adapt to the dove because the dove would not adapt to them…the Holy Spirit is exactly that sensitive in our lives we must learn to understand how sensitive He is and adapt to Him!

 

The Holy Spirit never leaves us, but it is the anointing of God that leaves us…we don’t lose our salvation it is just His anointing lifts

 

The Holy Spirit is extremely sensitive…like the dove he will not adjust to you, you must adjust to Him, the Holy Spirit gets His sensibilities hurt easily because He is the Spirit of truth and guiding. He is pure and holy.

 

Ephesians 4:30,31

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

Let me touch on one example, so you understand what I mean

 

Bitterness – resentment, anger, annoyance, impatience and irritation…

 

When we grieve the Holy Spirit, you lose the anointing. However, with the Holy Spirit ungrieved the Word of God come alive, your prayer time is exciting, you gain insight and understanding quickly and easily, joy, love, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control flow easily through you and in you. You will feel God nearer and you will be easier to live with.

 

When the Holy Spirit lifts, because of being grieved you will get little to no insight into the Word of God, you will not be so easy to live with, you will be miserable inside

 

The reason why the word comes alive is the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible it is his word (2 Peter 1: 20,21)….the Holy Spirit is in you as a Christian

Romans 8:9

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)”

 

But it is not that he is always in you ungrieved. He remains but the anointing that breaks bondages, gives wisdom, insight, understanding allows the fullness of the character of God to be manifest in us through love joy, peace, etc. is suppressed…the scariest part is that you can grieve the Holy Spirit and the gifts will still function.

 

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

 

But the Holy Spirit can pull away the anointing if we grieve him, this is not a salvation issue but an anointing one

 

We can easily grieve Him and not know it because like Israel we do not really know Him.

 

Hebrews 3:10 people did not know His ways

Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’

 

Hosea 4:6 people destroyed for lack of knowledge his word and his ways are what is needed to understand how not to grieve Him

 

Time in prayer…more time getting to know God’s ways and growing in a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit so we will know when we grieve him.

 

For now, one of our greatest problems is we grieve the Holy Spirit, and we don’t know that we have because we don’t know him as we should because we have not spent time with Him to know His ways.

 

His presence can be easily counterfeited if we don’t know Him.

 

Pigeons and doves in the same family

 

Pigeons – trained, domesticated, belligerent boisterous, pigeons are disloyal at any opportunity.

 

Doves- can’t be trained, wild, loving, gentle, loyal always.

 

Once again the difference between the moving of the Spirit and a counterfeit can be the grieving of the Spirit.

 

If the Gospel is not preached, chances are you are in a counterfeit service

 

Can you imagine what the church corporate would look like if all of us were to walk in the fullness of the real Spirit of God free from the counterfeit and free from grieving Him, loving Him and each other and walking in the freedom that comes with that first the dove comes and then the fire

 

We also need to look at how many times we pray for revival, asking God for a fresh outpouring but don’t take a good look at our personal lives, the grudges we bear, the resentment or unforgiveness we carry, the gossip.

 

The devil wants to flourish when we grieve the Spirit.

 

Let’s briefly look again at what grieves Him so we might live free from grieving him in all the love, joy, and so much more of the Spirit.

 

Ephesians 4:30,31

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

Bitterness – seems right justified because we have been mistreated, maligned, hurt or betrayed especially when we feel like we are upholding what is true but there is one other ingredient in bitterness is self-righteousness…this is often the cause we feel we are so right we may feel no conviction of sin…bitterness is the result of unforgiveness.

 

Always pray the for conviction of sin because Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our hearts are desperately wicked and it is easy for a sin like bitterness to sneak up on us, and we would grieve the Holy Spirit 1 John 1:9 he is faithful to forgive us when we come to confess and ask.

 

Wrath, rage, anger – show a lack of control in your life…if these things are alive in you then the fruit of the Spirit is not there, and the Holy Spirit is grieved

 

Clamor and slander – shouting, the wisdom that comes from below are fleshly James 3:13-15 a shouting match shows the devil has gotten in. Slander is making false and damaging statements about someone

 

Malice – ill will, it is wanting to see someone punished, caught, exposed or hurt, wanting to see them get their “come upin’s.” This does not have any root in love. Vengence belongs to God even if someone is intrinsically evil, allow God to do what He does best

 

Romans 12:19

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

 

 

or you may find yourself wishing ill will on someone and having it come back to you whatever a man sows that he shall also reap Galatians 6:7

 

The Kingdom of God was announced by Jesus and proclaimed through a release of the Holy Spirit.

 

However, if we aren’t daily in the word and prayer, it is easy not to know the ways of God and even easier to grieve the Holy Spirit.

 

It is easy to walk out of the anointing and not even know it…it would be just as easy to find ourselves in a pigeon situation rather than a dove because we are operating out of pain, rejection, fear, anger, wrath, malice and think that we are there but the love joy, peace, patience, meekness, kindness, and self-control lack in our lives prove otherwise.

 

BUT….we overcome this by the next verse in Ephesians 4:32

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 

As we choose to do this walking free of grieving the Holy Spirit becomes easier and easier…the Kingdom is reflected in our hearts and lives…people see the difference in you and their lives are forever changed

 

If we are not grieving the Holy Spirit, then the character of God shines in us and through us…we change, and we change the people around us. We are not resisted by God. Instead, we are empowered by Him

 

These points of grieving the spirit are not only about what we do to each other as brothers and sisters, I believe that to be few and far between in this church but think about the way you have talked about your boss, neighbor, children, parents, president, congress, mayor…yes, we can stand against evil and point it out, but we need to be very careful by knowing the Lord that we are not grieving the Spirit.

 

I bring this all up today to advance the Kingdom, to get you to where to where you need to be…to help you discover why you are struggling and to end all of that and bring you back into the anointing and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

 

If we want the Holy Spirit to stay with us to remain with us we have to change to suit Him he will not change to suit us.

 

Move!!!

Move!!!!

If we have taken seriously the last two weeks teachings and are applying them, then we should be growing deeper in God and unity as a Body of believers

If we are working intentionally to tear down the walls of gender, race, impossibility, sin, and our limits on the presence of God…

If we are choosing to lay a foundation of really being the church, allowing the Lord to give us vision and following it and truly guarding our hearts against attitudes, fears, rebellion, complaining, gossip, anger, in general, a lack of love, peace, and faith. If you missed those teachings they are online please listen to them they are critical for your success this year and our success as a family.

We live in a world and culture that is broken and divided…God is looking to us to be Jesus to the world…if we have allowed Him to heal us by tearing down the walls that divide us and if we lay the proper foundation then it is time that we get moving.

But the question is where? Where do we move to? What do we do…how do we make a difference, the problems are so big.

Allow me to talk to you for a moment as if this is one on one  (Pull up stool and sit down)

You have heard me repeatedly say something the Lord gave me several years ago

“We are not the victims of an anti-God society; we are the heroes the world is waiting for to bring them to freedom.”

In fact Daniel 11:32 strengthens this expectation

“the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”

tearing down the walls and building the strong foundation should get us from a victim mentality

It is a mentality that makes us feel like “they” should give us this or that or someone owes us …Jesus told us that when we lend we should not expect in return (Luke 6:35) owe no man nothing but love Romans 13:8

we live in this nation as a privilege, we have the ability to work as a privilege, Jesus also said if you want to be the greatest in the Kingdom you must be the servant of all….serving means expecting nothing in return

If you have a victim mentality every time something happens to you, you look for someone to blame, someone to yell at, rather than to look for God’s hand to move on your behalf

Understand?

So am I saying we should just be doormats that allow people to just walk over all of us and everything we own and all of our rights

First, we have no rights as servants of the most high except the right to love, and until we learn to love purely by tearing down the walls and laying the firm foundation we will be useless in the Kingdom despite all of our platitudes that strive to make us look differently

Our demanding our rights is because we are hurt, wounded, or insecure our focus is wrong…we have to let stuff go and pursue the Kingdom and the King.

Luke 9:62

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Our focus must be on the King and His kingdom we can’t allow this world system in all of its failed attempts at successful living, the wounds from the past, limit us or our own insecurities limit us…learn from the past but keep looking forward  being part of the Kingdom…look to the King

Paul put it this way Philippians 3:13-15

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

We have no rights because we don’t need them…we are children of the most high God…we have all the power, authority, and everything we need, always if we will just believe it.

Our world is lost and broken we need to model unity and love we need to model the Kingdom…we must MOVE forward

We are the victors; we are the answer, we know what is, real love, joy, and peace.

Let me talk to you about the Kingdom.

Jesus mentions the kingdom 61 times in the gospel it is mentioned 85 times overall in the Gospels.

Something mentioned that much needs to be recognized.

The kingdom of God is two-fold it is both now and to come.

Old Testament Kings and prophets longed for its coming and Jesus established it.

It is both tangible and beyond our present grasp.

Jesus, in teaching us how to pray began this way Matthew 6:9,10

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We live and move and breathe His will being done on earth the way it is being done in heaven establishes the Kingdom here and promises of the fulfillment to come.

If we are in the Kingdom and our Father is the King, then we are all princes and princesses in the Kingdom not victims of a world system.

Paul tells us it is a process to recognize this, but it will happen as we recognize who we are 2 Corinthians 3:18

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

As we tear down the walls as we strengthen the foundation, we begin to move in the love God has given us, and we see the reflection of our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us we are transformed into being Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit

You can not be a victim and be Jesus at the same time. You can not stand idly by while the world collapses, your friends and family fall away, drug addiction, hatred, prejudice, fear, divisions, and insecurities overwhelm everyone around us. You are Jesus to your world; you are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  You are the answer to the problems, and you are a servant of all that God can lift up, defend, protect, and empower and fill to overflowing with His love…

We must take seriously the call to the kingdom, stop looking at our past, move from a victim mentality and move toward a servant/prince, princess of the Kingdom mentality.

Here is the work of the present Kingdom remember the Kingdom is both now and yet to come when Christ fulfills, and the earth and heavens are changed.

Let’s understand this by definition – A kingdom is not a place but a rule of a King. Throughout history, kingdoms expanded and contracted the kingdom was not the land but the rule of the King.

If the King is ruling your heart and life you are not a victim, people and circumstances don’t control how you feel, His Spirit does you are a victor, you are secure, and you are a prince or a princess who is a servant.

The Kingdom of God according to Paul is Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

But let’s look at this in context verses 18,19

18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

We serve Christ and also become acceptable to God and men meaning We impact God and mankind and are meant to impact both of them by actively choosing the Kingdom living as a person of peace, joy, and right living….your language, your attitude, a victim mentality, insecurities all must fade away you are a champion and you are to build up one another even if they let you down or hurt you or ignored you…you are not a victim.

You can’t be proactive if you are afraid if you are insecure about your faith if you don’t believe you are a servant prince or princess in the Kingdom

So the Kingdom is peace, joy, and right living but we are in a position of strength when we are Kingdom thinking and living.

The kingdom is bringing hope and freedom to others through:

Healing, deliverance, victory over sin, freedom from addiction, pain, rejection, a release of the gifts, fruit, and power of the Spirit

It means having victory through

Trials, tribulation, difficulty, rejection and against impossible odds

It means we live in expectation of a future hope.

Our changing daily into His image

Our hope of Christ return

Our expectation of living with Him in glory

Our end of suffering, pain, and corruption on leaving this world

I will go into this more in the future, today all I am asking is that:

  1. you accept that you are part of the Kingdom of God
  2. You realize that you have had a victim mentality and you are walking away from it
  3. You choose to be a servant prince/princess
  4. Begin to expect great things as you understand your role in the Kingdom

 

 

 

Building a strong foundation

Building a strong foundation

 

Before 1 world trade center (freedom tower) in Manhatten could be built a foundation of planning and preparation took 4 years then another 18 months went into the construction of the physical foundation before anything could be built.

 

Without understanding all of the needs of the building the building would collapse, without a physical foundation prepared to handle the building it would take very little vibration, wind, or weight to cause a collapse no matter how great the idea without a firm foundation something that is not seen but is the core to the strength of the building…nothing will stand for very long

 

Last week I talked about tearing down the walls of gender, race, impossibility, sin, and the presence of God. This week I want to share three keys to having a strong foundation

 

  • Be the church God wants you to be

 

The church is not a building…the church is you and it is the gathering of believers too!

 

It is easy for us to feel, hurt, alone, rejected or complacent about being with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Elijah got caught in that trap

 

Elijah felt afraid, exhausted, alone he had just defeated the prophets of Baal, but the enemy had convinced him he was a failure so he ran away and hid in his cave

 

Don’t be critical of Elijah many do this, they get hurt by someone in the church, they get too busy with things with the kids, they either begin to believe they don’t need others, to be in church that they are better off without it….In Elijah’s case, God catches up to him

 

1 Kings 19:1

 

But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

 

18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

 

Yes, God uses great men and women of God but it is always the whole church that he uses

 

Everyone who wrote our New Testament was grounded in a local church they had their roots deep and were connected in order to grow to feel connected….nothing lasting is built on a shaky foundation

 

Hebrews 10:24,25

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,

 

The early church gathered every Sunday together and sometimes everyday…we need each other…we are quickly picked off by the enemy if we are not in fellowship with other believers

 

If children are not in church the possibility of their coming to Christ drops to less than 5%

 

Gathering together is

 

– Brings healing and strength from the previous week’s walk

– Gives us what we need for the next week’s walk

– Enables us to use our skills and talents to minister to others

– Enable us to receive from others

– We need community to grow (can can’t stir up ourselves)

– Worshiping together is powerful

– God says we should

 

 

2) Vision –

 

Proverbs 29:18

 Where there is no vision, the people perish

 

– if you don’t know what you want, what you are pursuing, if you have no vision…. you will settle for what you can get…a job you hate, a relationship that is bad, even a bad meal at a restaurant

 

– if you have a vision – it pulls you through trouble, heartache, problems, and pain…it keeps you moving forward

 

– it can be broad or narrow but whatever it is you must know it and believe it

 

– rules don’t create discipline, vision does

 

when you are pursuing a vision it drives you to do what you need to, to accomplish it

 

whether it is vast like being all Christ has called you to be, or raising Godly kids or smaller like learning a new skill, developing a new hobby it doesn’t matter… having a vision will cause you to discipline yourself to fulfill the vision.

 

Paul challenges us with this simple verse from Colossians 3:2

 

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

 

What has the Lord spoken to you about?

 

Your answer might be will the Lord will just lead me

 

He has already said without a vision you will perish? God desires for none to perish so He has given you a vision start following it

 

Would you fly on a plane if the Pilot came over the intercom and said we don’t know where we are flying today we are just going to let the Lord lead…I suppose that’s Ok if you don’t have a destination but if your destination is London and he doesn’t felt lead you aren’t going to get to your destination

 

What has the Lord placed in your heart and mind?

What have you been created to do, look at your skill set, your personality, what the Lord has been training you to do all along!

Our destination is freedom, anointing, Father’s heart as individuals and changing the world for Jesus’ sake as a church corporate

 

3) Guard your heart –

 

Matthew 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

 

Jesus is telling us that we build a world around us, a future and a foundation based on the purity of our hearts

 

Where you are today is where your heart has gotten you….the choices you made to be where you are have been based on your heart, the successes the things you feel are strengths, and the fears and rejections you battle, the confidence or defiance you feel because of all that is in your heart

 

Cynicism, sarcasm, pessimism rule our culture, poison it, and have helped to create the extreme negative environment we live in today

 

It is easy for those things to invade our hearts and create disillusionment, wound us, and create a hopelessness

 

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

 

If your heart is sick you can not help others

If your heart is sick your focus is only on you either wallowing in your misery or on the positive side focusing on getting better

 

If your heart is sick you can’t fight battles

 

If your heart is sick you can’t effectively minister to others

 

Neither will God ask you to engage in battles to stand for other

 

However, if your heart is good

 

God opens doors and you prosper

 

You will come under attack, disappointment will try to come your way but we will be able to fend it off

 

You will shine in all you do

You will overcome, conquer

You will see things through God’s eyes

 

You will even remain healthier because the Lord promises

Proverbs 17:22

“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

 

How do we guard our hearts? Love, faith, peace

 

– Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, Israel hardened their hearts many times in rebellion against God, His word, or His purpose. They hardened their hearts because of a lack of love. It is like cholesterol, it hardens the arteries of our hearts this lack of love is rooted in pride, hurt or other things…ask the Lord to reveal where your heart is hardened and why!

 

Ask Him to flood you with His love and heal you before you have a spiritual heart attack. Love covers a multitude of sin and keeps your heart soft, and heals it even when it has been hurt

 

– Heart murmurs are abnormal flow patterns due to faulty heart valves. Values prevent the backflow of blood. Having a lack of faith in what the Lord can and will do causes spiritual heart murmurs of complaining, gossiping, grumbling these things cause our spiritual hearts to have their flow disrupted because we have forgotten what God has done and can do. We act as if he either isn’t real, doesn’t care, or isn’t there

 

Ask Him to remind you of all He has done for you. Let Him show you that He is in charge and has our world, our communities, our church, and our lives in the palm of His hand when we return to him with a heart of repentance for our lack of faith in Him!

 

– Congestive heart failure is due to the weakening of the heart and surrounding vessels due to things like high blood pressure and others the heart is unable to pump blood the way it should the kidneys begin to work less efficiently and water is retained. Blood is still moving through the heart but at a much slower rate. A lack of peace causes this in the physical and so it does in the spiritual, anger, surrendering to temptation, and pride are keys to this condition spiritually there is a general lack of peace. Each of these acts like a poison on the body, both physically and spiritually, and makes a believer more vulnerable to the temptation to hurt others with our actions and words.

Ephesians 4:31,32

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Being aware of these things and choosing Love, faith and peace will cause your heart to be protected and lay a firm foundation for your growth.

 

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

 

Make the foundation strong

 

– making a commitment this year to be in church as well as be the church and become part of it and grow with us

– follow the vision the Lord has given you even if it is just a beginning you will watch the Lord keep opening doors as you walk by faith following His vision

-Guard your heart keep it in line with his heart don’t allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking certain attitudes and things are OK they will harden or stop your heart and limit your prosperity in the Kingdom

 

 

Reasons for “going” to church (Note for the screen just app and notes)

 

The biblical pattern for church is this:

  • Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus with other believers weekly (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 2:42; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Rom. 16:5; Acts 20:20; James 2:2; Ps. 84:4; Ps. 37:17; Ps. 92:13).
  • It is also good to meet for smaller groups of the Christian community in each other’s homes regularly (see Acts 2:46).
  • It’s good to have leaders oversee the work and needs of each local church. Not all of us are called to church leadership, and so we should submit to and serve whoever God has called to lead at the place we find ourselves (see Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Phil. 1:1b; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Acts 20:17).
  • If there are believers who are unable, for physical reasons, to attend a church weekly, they should find a church or believers who will gather together with them regularly for worship in their own home (see James 5:14; James 1:27).

Here are four powerful reasons you should attend church weekly, and why church attendance can change your life:

  1. God says so.

God tells us in his Word to “not give up meeting together” (Heb. 10:25). Paul even goes so far as to call the church the “bride of Christ.” If you love Jesus, you will love the things that he loves—and he loves the church like a husband loves his bride. The church is important to God, so it should be important to us.

God didn’t call us to gather and worship to burden us but to bless us. Church attendance can become one of the greatest blessings in you and your family’s life.

  1. Worshipping Jesus together is powerful.

Jesus lives inside of us by his Spirit when we believe in him. This is a profoundly incredible truth! But there is also something biblically powerful about gathering together with other believers to worship. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). So he not only lives in us by his Spirit, but he is in the “midst” of us when we gather to worship him.

  1. We need Christian community.

All of us long for community and connection with others. God has given us this gift in gathering together for church, and in smaller groups in each other’s homes. It fulfills something inside of us to do life with, encourage and be authentically involved in each other’s lives.

Christian TV, podcasts, books, and conferences are wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, but nothing can take the place of consistent Christian community through the local church.

  1. We grow more together than alone.

It can be messy when we step into each other’s lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect. So it requires effort and intentionality and grace from God to do life together, even as believers.

Gathering regularly with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to want to follow Christ more wholeheartedly. It is a beautiful thing.

Don’t let any excuses stand in the way of what you know God is calling you to do. God will strengthen you and empower you to do what he has called you to do. If you have encountered past wounds from leaders or from church members, I’m praying for you—that God would bring healing and grace to you as you seek to follow him and love his church.

 

 

 

 

Tearing down the walls

Tearing down the walls

 

As I have read about revivals and renewals in history I have understood their uniqueness and the purpose of their time and place…

I am trying to understand what made them work and what made them fail or end

Some ended because it was time for them to end but others ended or failed because of human mishandling of the things of God

I know the Lord is doing a very gentle sweet thing here and I don’t know where it is going to lead but my heart burns to see this region, our state, our nation, and the world on fire for the Lord…not just saved but discipled and growing to impact the lives of others.

 

We have begun by being open to Him in every way that we know how Biblically

 

We have moved to a place of humbling ourselves, putting the Lord first in a heart of fasting…I believe I have two keys that will prepare us for whatever is next with the Lord…this week I want to talk about one

 

Tearing down the walls

 

Our culture has tons of walls built up to separate people from one another and we have to begin by tearing down those walls in this church.

 

We have walls of gender, race, impossibility, sin, and the presence of God

 

I know I have recently preached about this story but I need to revisit it from this perspective today because Jesus deals with these walls

 

John 4:6-9

Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

 

Gender

 

Women at this time were considered less than ½ of the value of a man at times women in our culture feel that way

Women are not less then men and men are not greater than women we have different roles to function in and are called to function in those roles

None of us had anything to do with whether we were born male or female but we certainly have everything to do with whether or we shine with the character of God.

 

God’s character requires us to

– value one another as gifts from God

– honor one another

– challenge one another to growth

 

Young men need to learn respect for women from a young age

 

Gentlemen these are our sisters in Christ and we will answer to our Father for the way that we treat them.

 

The weakest whimp in the world is the one who verbally, emotionally or physically abuses a woman. No Man of God would ever do that!

On the flip side ladies, not every man is the one that jerked you around, not every man desires to hurt you or abuse you…please be careful in your relationships with men but please don’t treat us all like we are abusers…find some real men of God and women of God and allow them to help you to learn to trust again.

God created both sexes for different roles and different reasons and he created them perfectly in those roles don’t belittle either role either sex we are all created in the image of God.

In this short passage we see that Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman and he addressed her with courtesy saying “please” in this culture that was not necessary he was a man and a Jew he could have demanded the water but he went the extra mile to honor her as a woman and then as a person of a different race

 

Racism and Cultural differences

While Jesus and the woman were both Israelites the Samaritans are half African (Egyptian) as they are the descendants of Joseph and of a different culture completely.

We need to be careful to not dishonor each other’s culture we spend too much time talking about “them” or “those people” when in the church the only people we should be titling as “them” or “those people” if any at all should be those who don’t know Jesus yet.

We are all learning to walk in God’s grace and mercy, our cultures are different and some things we can appreciate and others things are OK to just be different. We don’t all have to enjoy all of our cultural differences to be in unity but we need to be aware that we are not to be critics of the cultural differences…Biblical differences yes, in love, but cultural differences no! Cultural differences are just different.

On the flip side, we can’t raise any of our cultural things above Christ. We can be loud or quiet, we can eat all kinds of different foods, and like different styles of music but none of these to be raised above the name of Jesus we can not allow our cultural difference to keep us from unity in Christ

 

Jesus put it this way Matthew 5:46-48

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

 

We are to tear down walls by love even with people with whom we feel we have nothing in common.

 

One of our greatest challenges in our culture even as a church is to believe for the impossible

 

John 4:10-15

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

 

Too often we get caught up in the immediate and miss the eternal.

 

The woman was wanting the embarrassment and hard work of fetching water in the afternoon to end but Jesus wanted to give her what she really wanted…freedom from guilt and shame and a relationship with God.

 

As I mentioned last week we need to begin believing God for bigger things and expect what really is our heart’s desire rather than settling for the crumbs from the table.

 

When we grasp that God really loves us and it is a real love, not an ethereal one, then we can believe for the impossible

 

– the healing we need

– the job we need

– opportunities we need

– salvation and freedom for our family members

– peace, love, joy we need

 

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Let’s tear down the wall

Sin

John 4: 15-18

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

 

Jesus is wise here…he doesn’t start out and accusing her of being a sinner but instead helps her to see the damage her sin has done to her. She is without a husband she begins to feel the weight of what sin has done to her life

 

God is calling us to tear down the walls of sin. Let me try to do a Jesus here.

 

In all of your decisions, actions, and speech today did you act like Jesus?

We like to point out the big thing, lying, cheating, prejudice, stealing, drugs, alcohol abuse…but we have to stop sinning, in general, the idea of just getting away with stuff steals from us a deep, powerful relationship with the Lord that robs us of peace, joy, contentment, love, wisdom, grace and so much more.

Think before you speak, act, or decide is this something I would do, say or decide if Jesus were right here, right now

 

Proverbs 28:13

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

 

1 John 1:7-9

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

 

Let’s tear down this wall of sin…the time of games are over

 

Presence of God

 

John 4:19,20,24

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

 

This may be the toughest wall of all

 

We depend so much on the right atmosphere, the quiet devotional time, or the perfect song, or the most dynamic preaching because we choose to build a wall of emotion around our worship

 

Jesus told the woman that God can’t be contained in a building or location he is everywhere…but He is deeply personal and must be related to not by mere emotion alone but reason, intellect, will and must depend on the depth of your intimate personal truth with Him.

 

We have to tear down the wall that says god can’t be here or there and it takes this or that for him to show up…we must begin to expect that wherever we are, He is there, in whatever situation we find ourselves He is there and even if our emotions are not there He is there we must worship him not based on our feelings but instead based on the knowledge of our intimacy with him

 

Let’s tear down this wall

 

What walls need to come down in your life today…God wants to move in great ways through you but if you insist to keep these walls up you will miss out on all God has for you

 

Do you have an attitude about the opposite sex that must be healed?

Do you have an attitude about some other culture or race

Have you given up on your dreams or seeing the impossible become real?

Are you comfortable in your sin? Are you tolerating your own sin rather than living completely for Jesus?

Do you live in the presence of God or does it need to happen to you?

 

Can we please tear down these walls and allow the Lord to build us back up?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wrapping up the Christmas story…What Child is this?

 

Isaiah 9:6 answers that question for us

 

….And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

If we understand even this verse it changes our view of Jesus immensely.

 

He is wonderful – we take this word to mean something somewhat normal, as when we say, “that meal was wonderful, this gift is just wonderful,” but in this context and in the Hebrew it means so much more.

 

Isaiah is telling us that Jesus is…

 

– incomprehensible

– filling us with “awe” in every way

– beyond any words or action, our human tongues could describe

 

How is this a blessing to us?

 

Isaiah is prophetically saying “don’t put God into a box,” you think He can only do this or that, there is no limit to what He is and what He can do. If we will let Him He will blow your mind every time. He can and will accomplish for us things that are beyond words.

 

He raises the dead, feeds thousands with a few loaves and fish,

 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

 

Counselor – were portrayed as wise Kings such as Solomon they could guide their people into freedom and wholeness

 

Isaiah is prophesying that Jesus will give us all the wisdom, guidance and understanding that we need to not only make it through the day but have great success for a lifetime

 

Colossians 2:3 tells us this

“in whom (in Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

 

There is never any reason for us to fail for the long term because he will give us the wisdom we need…just a little hint you will have failings on the short term if not you are probably not walking by faith…you are too comfortable or too safe

 

Our wonderful counselor is there to always give us the wisdom we need even when we fail or even if we blow it and go against Him

 

The entire Old Testament is replete with stories of Israel failing God, them repenting then God working it all out for their good even punishing those who hurt them while they were walking in rebellion.

 

Hebrews 4:15,16 shows us that He truly understand what we are going through and longs to help us through and out of it.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Our counselor guides us always if we are willing to listen and guides us through the fruit of our failures when we have blown it. He has already judged this world and has chosen us to bring the light of hope of what we have learned to bring others to freedom.

 

Mighty God –

 

First we have to recognize Isaiah is saying without a doubt that Jesus is God…not a God as Jehovah’s witnesses, and new age philosophers would like us to believe but truly equal with God in every way unlike what Mormons, Muslims and others would have us believe.

 

The Hebrew word for God here means simply “God”

 

John 10:30 I and My Father are one.”

John 8:58 “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

 

The use of the phrase “I am” is saying He is God, “I am” is God’s name

 

Isaiah using the word “mighty” is simply saying Jesus is powerful and strong but the intensive form of the word is used here meaning he is more powerful and stronger than anything period. There is nothing more powerful or stronger than Him.

 

He is the greatest fighter and he can not be defeated

 

To us this child is God and we have a personal and intimate relationship with Him who always was and will be, the one who created everything and there is nothing that you will face that he can not defeat and overcome…if you will allow Him!

 

Everlasting Father – Jesus as the Father? While they indeed are one this verse is not taking away from Father-God it is merely stating some attributes of Christ that we need to understand

 

– He is forever…he was in the beginning and will be in the end

 

John 1:1-4,14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

He possesses the heart of the Father he will always protect and provide for His Children and enable them to grow. As any good Father does

 

He will love, protect, and provide for us without end!

 

For us, it means we can depend upon Him forever to supply what we need as long as we allow Him to

 

 

Prince of peace – in a world of chaos and war it doesn’t seem as if this is true until you understand what this means

 

His being our prince of peace means he is the one who brings us restoration with God

 

Remember this passage John 14:27,28

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

 

He is the prince of peace over you and I and anyone submitted to Christ.

 

– He will deliver us through the storms and floods

– He will give us strength and peace through everything and anything the world and this world system can throw at us

– Your peace is inside of you not based on external circumstances

 

This peace is a contentment, a unity with the family of God, and understanding of God’s divine purpose and most of all a resting and trusting on the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit in your life daily!

 

This world system is a failure there is no hope for it. We are to expect trials and tribulation Jesus told us to, John 16:33, Paul told us to, Romans 5:3-5, James told us to, James 1:2 but

 

No matter what we face we have the wonderful, counselor, mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace with us and for us…He wants us to bring the light, the freedom, the joy, and the love that we know to a world void of all of this

 

Philippians 4:6,7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

God has not only got every problem you may face and your entire future in His hands

 

He is

– more than you can imagine

– has all the wisdom you need

– is God in every sense of the word

– more powerful than you can imagine

– your protector and provider always

– your contentment always

 

This is why we need to pray and fast so we can grasp all the Lord has for us we need to understand we need this power, strength

 

 

 

 

What Child is this? Part 4

What Child is this? Part 4 The most wonderous miracle

 

When we sing the song “what Child is this? All the characters of the story have some kind of mention but one….Joseph

 

In Joseph we see reflected something wonderful and unique that the world had never known before

 

Let’s look at his story

 

Matthew 1:18-25

 

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

 

We don’t hear much about Joseph we see his character here…a man of integrity even though his world has been destroyed, his reputation assassinated he still loved and was willing to lay down his life for a woman who he thought had betrayed his love and trust

 

We see Christ reflected in this action in this heart…how often do we break the Father’s trust we sin we blow it, we choose to not trust God but he continues to love just the same

 

This is one of the areas the devil beats us up about often we feel we have blown it and God won’t love us or get us through it but in Joseph we see the love, care and compassion of our heavenly Father revealed

 

Lets Hear from Joseph himself*********

 

Integrity – simply believing God at his word and living it…something we need more of…he have the advantage of knowing all of the stories…we Know the way it will turn out Joseph didn’t but he trusted the Lord with all of his heart mind and soul

 

He had to put up with a lot. The religious leaders in n effort to tear down the authority of Jesus thought Jesus was an illegitimate baby….when Jesus had a confrontation with the Pharisee in John 8 he said You do the deeds of your father.” Their immediate response was telling of what the people believed about Jesus

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

 

They were still believing Jesus to have been born of illegitimate means.

 

Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt knowing that this is what Religious leaders actually believed?

 

We know Joseph came to the temple looking for Jesus

 

Luke 2:48

So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

 

Jesus was known as Joseph’s son to the people in the community

 

John 1:43-45

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

 

John 6:41,42

The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

 

I know you are saying… “enough already about Joseph being recognized as Jesus Father”

 

  • we have to understand God wanted it that way, remember what the angel said to Joseph Matthew 1:21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”….The naming of the child was the job of the Father…God through his proxy the angel was telling Joseph you will be my sons Father
  • In the tradition of the Jews, when Jesus was born, Joseph would have taken him and laid him across his lap signifying he was recognizing this boy as his son
  • Everyone but the religious leaders calling him the son of Joseph

 

This is all very significant because it shows us through the eyes of Joseph the love and power of adoption.

 

God wanted a family so he sowed a seed of a son into the world…he prophetically showed us through Joseph the acceptance and love of a son of adoption

 

Paul explains this in Romans 8:15-17

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,

 

Then again in Galatians 4:4-7

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

Why is this adoption thing so significant? Paul was writing to an audience under Roman rule. They understood the power and impact of adoption the power we see prophetically through Joseph of what Jesus did for us.

 

What child is this? The one who made it possible for our adoption Here is what that means

 

There were four main consequences of adoption four separate things that have real meaning for us today

 

  • The adopted person lost all rights to his old family, and gained all the rights of a fully legitimate son in his new family.  In the most literal sense, and in the most legally binding way, he got a new father.

 

– Because of Jesus, the rights of our old family; the world, the flesh, and the devil, have been broken….please hear this when we came to Christ and received Him fully every legitimate right the enemy had over us was broken, dissolved, destroyed…your old Father the devil has no right in your life your new Father God is legally and bindingly your Father

 

 

  • It followed that he became heir to his new Father’s estate.  Even if other sons were afterward born, who were real blood relations, it did not affect his rights. He was inalienably co-heir with them.

 

– Paul calls us Joint-heirs with Christ. A joint heir is given equal parts of the inheritance. Here is what we need to get everything that Jesus has access to we too have been given access to…we have an inheritance that is beyond measure

 

  • In law, the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out.  For instance, legally all debts were canceled; they were wiped out as though they had never been.  The adopted person was regarded as a new person entering into a new life with which the past had nothing to do.

 

Everything from your old life, prior to Christ, no longer exist you have been set free from the weight of sin debt…you are no longer the person you were…you were granted freedom from everything that had hold of you from your pre-Christ life…nothing of what you were prior to Christ matters you have been adopted as a new child of the King

 

  • In the eyes of the law, the adopted person was literally and absolutely the son of the new father.

 

There is a legal and binding covenant between you and God…everything that is His is now yours

 

Do you understand all that this means? I am still learning

 

You may say if this is all true why do I feel the way I do? Why am I in such bondage? Why am I living so far below my own expectations let alone God’s expectations

 

It is a matter of application… if you were given 10 million dollars but you never received it because you simply ignored or rejected it you will still be the owner of 10 million dollars but it is useless to you because you aren’t making it part of your life

 

Joseph prophetically has shown us that we have been adopted into a great kingdom run by a King who is our Father…he has all the power we need but we must choose to accept it.

 

This child in the manager made it all possible for us!

 

What a most wondrous miracle that we were born slaves and have now become royalty joint heirs in the Kingdom with Jesus

 

 

 

 

 

What Child is this? Part 3 Mary

Fast 21-day

Christmas Eve Services and offering

 

What Child is this Part 3 – Mary

 

In the song, it goes like this

 

“What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping?”

 

We saw the prophetic importance of the shepherd’s story two weeks ago, last week the wise men, and this week Mary’s story here is where it begins

 

Luke 1:26-38

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom, there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

 

Great story think about the practicality

– small village where everyone knew everyone else – gossip central

– Had a pre-arranged marriage with Joseph her dream and his

– could have cost her, her life

– this would have been a mark against her whole family not just her

– who would believe her?

 

To Mary that day, this baby was merely going to be her child a miraculous one, one she could not fully understand, but her child all the same

What do we know about Mary that also reflects the nature of Christ?

  1. From this passage, we see she was committed to God so much so of all the women in Israel she was the one who “found favor with God.

Jesus – Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

 

– This child, like us understands growing pains, understands the difficulty of growing up and going through stuff. Sometimes it is hard for children to relate to God but our God grew up going through all of the things we have gone through and understands

 

2) She was a woman of integrity wanting only to honor God – “How can this be I have not known a man”

Jesus – Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

– This child grew so much so and went through so much that he was tempted in every way like we are. He understands what you are going through the fears, struggles, concerns, misunderstanding he understands completely all of our weaknesses and overcame them maintaining his integrity

 

3) She was a humble servant – “Let it be according to your word”

Jesus – Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

– This child is so humble that He was willing to lay down His own life for ours how much more do you think he will do whatever it takes to reach you where you are going through whatever you are facing

 

As we look at this child through the eyes of Mary this week…there is another aspect of God’s nature I want us to understand

 

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them

 

Many of the things we attribute culturally to women are really a reflection of God

 

This is extremely important in our age because so many cannot relate to a loving Father, they have suffered abuse at the hands of a Father or other male role model and assume that is all there is to our Father but even though He is our Father, He is our protector, defender, provider, guide he loves nurtures and cares better than any mother ever could.

 

Scripture verses about what our culture would call the “feminine nature of God”

 

 

 

  • God comforts his people like a mother comforts her child (Isaiah 66:13)
  • Like a woman would never forget her nursing child, God will not forget his children (Isaiah 49:15)
  • God is like a mother eagle hovering over her young (Deuteronomy 32:11)
  • God seeks the lost like a housekeeper, trying to find her lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
  • God cares for his people like a midwife that cares for the child she just delivered (Ps 22:9-10, Ps 71:6, Isa 66:9)
  • God experiences the fury of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hosea 13:8)
  • Jesus revealed this heart in many ways with his care and compassion for people and we see it very clearly in Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”

 

It is important that we understand that all of the nurturing, compassion, love and care that is intrinsic in most Mother’s comes naturally from the Father

 

Today if you struggle with the idea of God as “father” because your Father was not very loving or compassionate, you can see that every mother gets her ability to nurture, love and care from God as well…let Him heal you and show that part of who he is to you

 

Last but not least the greatest way we see Jesus through Mary is she willingly gave up her life to do the Father’s will

 

Jesus lived doing the Father’s will…

 

– he did only that which he saw the Father doing John 5:19

– He was such a reflection of the Father that when asked “show us the Father he said you see him when you see me John 14:9,10

– In Gethsemane, he made the ultimate decision to reflect the Father

not my will but yours be done Luke 22:42

 

What child is this?

 

Today he reveals to us the tender nature and nurturing side of the Father through a Mother’s heart

 

All of your brokenness he wants to heal

Every tear and wound he wants to wipe away

Every bit of encouragement that you need

 

He reveals to us to be a true Christ-follower you must be willing to lay down your life, your agenda, your future for Him

 

In order to win, to overcome, to be a success in this life…His dreams for you are bigger than you could ever imagine

 

You need to be willing to say, as Mary did “whatever you want Lord” and as Jesus did “not my will but yours”

 

Exchange the best you can do for the best He can do through you today!

 

 

What Child is this? Part 2 Wise men

What Child is this? Part 2 Wise men

 

Once again the Famous Christmas Carol tells the story. Although wise men or magi specifically are not mentioned as characters in the carol, their actions of worship and generosity lead the lyrics of the third stanza.

 

“So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh…”

 

Here is the scripture Matthew 2: 1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

 

As we look at the wise men today I want us to see why God had wise men come.

 

Lets look at the wise men a bit. Have you ever wondered where they came from Matthew reports that they were from the east. To the Jews anything beyond the Jordan river was considered the east but their gifts tell us most likely where they came from and then the scripture prophesied where they came from.

 

The gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

 

Gold was found on the Arab peninsula according to scripture 1 Kings 9:28; 10:2; 1 Chronicles 29:3-4; Job 28:16

 

However more of an indicator of where these men may have come from is in the other two gifts: Frankincense and Myrrh are both harvested from trees grown mainly on the Arab peninsula.

 

Still more importantly to understanding the origin of these men is the prophecy in Isaiah 60 1-6

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord

 

Let’s here from one of them today

 

This prophecy about Christ’s birth talks about camels coming from Midian, Ephah and Sheba all areas on the Arabian peninsula.

 

“They shall bring gold and incense”

The birth of Christ brought Isaac and Ishmael together. Isaac being represented by Mary and Joseph and Ishmael by the wise men sons of Arabia

The wise men show us that the messiah was not just for the Jews but for the whole world…”the gentiles will come to your light”

 

What child is this?

 

The wise men story is a prophetic one for us I want us to look at their story from this perspective today

 

First the wise men indicate to us that God does love the whole world

 

so much that he spoke to Gentiles (anyone that is not jewish).

We need to always understand the Lord is always reaching out to us.

 

Jeremiah 31:3 tells us

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

 

He came after you….

 

Romans 5:8-10

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

 

Jesus was born, lived, died on a cross then rose again so we might have relationship with God reconciled

 

Reconciled means a debt was owned…because of our sin, our rejection of God in fact Paul states that as long as we don’t accept God’s gift of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross we were enemies of God…we owed a debt because of our sin but Jesus came after us by dying on the cross he paid that debt for us so we could be reconciled (our debt of sin totally paid)

 

Second they followed a star

 

Have you ever thought why was a star important? Of course it is magnificent and majestic and what better way to proclaim the birth of a King but let me share something that is very important for us to grasp about God’s great love.

 

I share with people all of the time God knows them…he knew the wise men, he knew how to reach them, he knew what they would be looking for…he cared about these particular wise men

He knows how to reach you

He created you and every one you know in a very special way so He knows what will reach you

 

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

 

He formed you, your family members and friends and He knows what will reach them…you are sitting here today because He knew how to reach you and he loves your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers just as much

He knows you…exactly…he knows your heart, your joy, your pain, nothing escapes Him

 

Luke 12:7

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

 

That is pretty intimate

 

Don’t give up on anyone trust that the Lord did create them and with that a way to reach them with His love which kind of leads me to my next point

 

Third he even reached out to the most hardened desiring even for them to repent

 

Matthew 2:3

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

 

Herod was a political hack. We was not for the Jews or the romans but for himself. He was an egomaniac and a narcissist. He had no faith but in God’s grace and mercy he sent the wise men to him

 

This is another reason God chose the wise men they would have the freedom to get an audience with the King.

 

Think how much planning God put into reaching out to Herod

 

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

The wise men reveal God’s loving nature and character for even the most despicable

 

I don’t care if you like our president or not but God loves him I don’t care if you like Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi or not God loves and wants to reach them to for us to have hatred for anyone violates what Christ did on the cross. We can hate what they do, the decisions they make that are ungodly but we pray for and believe for the person.

 

If God would send these wise men to Herod we get a better understand of Christ mission to the world and ultimately our mission to the world.

 

Last insight I want us to grasp from the wise men today is they brought gifts.

 

The wise men’s gift were practical in that Joseph could easily have used them to cover the cost of their exile into Egypt

 

Isn’t interesting how incensed people become when they reject the Gospel…immediately after the wise men left, Herod sought to kill Jesus

 

Jesus came as to bring and be a gift to us

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Galatians 1:3-5

 

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16,

 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” John 14:27

 

“I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

 

We have at our disposal everything we need because of Christ being a gift to us

 

 

Today here is what we can take away from knowing the prophetic insight of the wise men

 

  • God loves you and every person you know and wants you to know that
  • He knows you well enough that he knows how to reach you, specifically and he knows how to reach your family and friends but I want to encourage you he will show you how to do it…whatever you are going through he knows how to get you through it
  • Even those you are the most worried about or are the most grumpy in your life he wants to reach out to and he will most likely use you
  • He is a gift to you…all that you need He is there for you

 

 

What do you need today?

 

Is there someone unsaved that you are concerned about come let’s pray for them perhaps the Lord will use you and this season to reach them

 

Are you going through something that you don’t think anyone else understands? God knows and He knows exactly how to get you through it

 

Have a need that seems impossible? With God nothing is impossible!

 

 

What Child is this? Part 1

In 1865 an Englishman by the name of William Chatterton Dix penned a poem he called the Manger throne. A few years later the first three stanzas of that poem were set to the English folk tune Greensleeves and it become the popular Christmas Carol we know as What child is this?…One of my favorites because it tells the story

 

It is a question the shepherds must have asked that night and people are still asking today…many have no idea who He really is we need to be able to tell them who he really is not based on popular culture but on God’s word….We will talk about this from different perspectives of observers today we start with the shepherds

 

The story begins

 

Luke 2:8-18

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 

Why was the story of the shepherds so important for us?

 

For many reasons

 

  • Shepherds were the common working class people of the day
  • They weren’t the most stellar of people neither the wealthiest, poorest, brightest or the most challenged, the most religious nor the least religious… they were just people
  • Mostly because they were shepherds and He was a shepherd to his people

 

John 10:11 – 15

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so, I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

 

He came to the shepherds because he is a good shepherd…

 

The world needs to understand He is not a God to stands off and lets things happen like a shepherd with the sheep He is involved in our lives…Jesus came in the line of another great shepherd

 

David was the shepherd King

 

Samuel was sent by God to anoint a son of Jesse as the new King of Israel after Saul had fallen out of favor with God. Jesse called all the sons that looked like they were king material but none of them were then in 1 Samuel 16: 11-13

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

 

Scripture tells us David remained a shepherd for all of the time he was in direct service of Saul

 

Why like Jesus was it important that he be a shepherd King

 

David tells us the role of the shepherd in Psalm 23…Jesus’ role still in the world today

 

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

Jesus is the good shepherd who provides all of our needs.

– we can be at peace never worrying about will we have enough, know enough, have wisdom enough as our shepherd he provides all we need

Psalm 23: 2

He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.

He brings us and keeps us in places of peace and rest knowing that he is our protector…we don’t need to worry about what the future holds because the future is in His hands

 

3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

– As our good shepherd, he makes sure that we have what we need to grow stronger every day…remember sheep can be lead but they must choose to eat

– As our shepherd, He through the Holy Spirit will always guide us on the right path for life and in truth. Not always the easiest path but the right path for us

 

4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

We live in a very scary time in the world. Drugs, war, terrorism, all kinds of divisions in families and communities. Jesus is still the Prince of peace and the government is still on His shoulders and he will protect and comfort all along the way if we will allow him

 

What child is this? He is the good shepherd who

 

5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

The good shepherd did this at what we call communion he placed a table between us and the enemy by his body and blood. He sent the anointing for us because he went away in Acts 2:4 He has given us the power as the good shepherd to be in His presence always

 

6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

As our shepherd we have a relationship with him that stands against anything

 

He came to shepherds because he was the good shepherd

 

What child is this? He is what the world needs now

 

– provider

– bringer of peace and rest

– guide in life and truth

– peace

– protector

– filler of anointing

– eternal relationship that from His perspective never changes

 

do you know all this today?

 

Do you believe it for you today? Is there an attribute of who Christ is that you especially need today? Let us pray for you and let us show you!

 

 

 

Messes, Dirty Laundry and the Real Christian Life – Elijah

Messes, dirty laundry and the real Christian Life

Even great men and women of God had struggles and just because you struggle doesn’t mean you aren’t a real man or woman of God.

Elijah’s miracles 1 Kings 17 -19

The Lord decides to make a statement and He wants to use Elijah

1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

2 Then the Lord said to Elijah,

3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River.

4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

5 So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan.

6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.

Please notice, in verse one, Elijah is in the presence of the king. Imagine the palace, in the middle of the city,

He was a man that was recognized and respected.

Now, he is in hiding.

Time to rest. Time to spend Time undistracted, with the Lord.

The Lord will sometimes use the last thing that we could possibly expect to provide for us and bless us with.

7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

What happens to us when God takes us to a place and then it seems like he just drops us off?

What happens, when the brook that you are relying on shuts down?

It’s not all bad when the brook dries up. It may just mean God wants to do something different with us.

God alone is the source of our provision.

A dried up brook is not the end of the plan!

He wants to provide in a different way because his plan requires us to get up and move.

8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

God doesn’t send us into a situation that He has not prepared for.

10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.

14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

To experience Gods supernatural provision requires us to have faith. Faith in Him as the source of the provision.

Faith enough to take God at his word.

Faith enough to act like what God says is true.

17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. 18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

She let her grief blind her faith.

She lost sight of Gods Love for her.

19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. 20 Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”

22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! 23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”

Why three times?

God is always trying to draw us near to him.

1 Kings 18

1 Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!” 2 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab.

Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.

16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”

18 “I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.

19 Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.”

20 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel.

21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.

22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 23 Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. 24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”

26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

As followers we have a responsibility to take inventory of our lives and identify the things that hold us back from a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Those things, have got to go!

It may take a violent purging in our lives.

41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.

44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

45 And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.

46 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

Judah Ben-Hur Speed!!!!

1 Kings 19

1 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

Some revival this has turned out to be!

Welcome to burnout!

Burnout doesn’t happened because something became old or simply because we become tired.

Burnout happens when we do things for the wrong reason.

Elijah became burned out because he was focused more on his plan of how things should turn out rather than simply following God’s plan and allowing the Lord to Author the ending.

Burnout happens when our eyes are focused on the wrong goal.

Burnout is not an issue with our situation.

Burnout is an issue with our heart.

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.

This time, he did not wait to hear the voice of the Lord.

This time, he isolated himself.

4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

Once again God provides.

The question is does Elijah even realize the blessing of God on his life enough to see this miraculous work or is he still too focused on his situation?

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.

But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

Do you see the focus of Elijah’s heart in his reply to the Lord?

And then it goes farther and we can see that his focus is also on the people and what they are doing.

We can’t control other people, we can only control ourselves. And most of the time we are not even very good at doing that.

Our hearts and focus needs to be on the Lord, and we need to give control to him.

God met him in his despair

where he had isolated and insulated himself from everyone, felt no one cared, he was the only one, and was very afraid.

God met him in his fear, he fed him, cared for him

but didn’t push him until he was ready

Elijah complained and God answered him and helped him through his burnout, brokenness, and fear…

God meets us always when we are hurting.

He reaches down to where we are and sits with us until we are ready to hear…

He doesn’t leave us there he stays

but when He knows we are ready he speaks truth into our lives that sets us free

Burn out is only permanent if we allow it.

Take time to care for yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually…at the right time God will speak…listen then get back in the game