Wisdom Part Two

Comment

Wisdom Part Two

BUILDING GOD A HOUSE


Ezra 4:4 Then the people around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.

Ezra 4:5 They hired counsellors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.


Hag 1:2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'"  3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 

Hag 1:8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 

Hag 1:13-14  Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God,


Hag 2:9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

The Cure Part 2

Comment

The Cure Part 2

THE CURE PART 2

A child is no different to a poor person even though they have billions in a trust fund.  

Galatians 4:1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 

In other words, nothing ever changes until you understand how loved you are. Until you know it, you are no different to someone who isn’t loved.  

In the law a child doesn’t get access to a trust fund till they are 18. 

  1. Because the law thinks that until that child is 18, they aren’t mature enough to handle their inheritance properly
  2. But even more so they could be susceptible to the manipulation of older adults to give away their inheritance.

1.   The way you feel is different.  

2.   The way you approach PAIN and Injustice changes.

3.  The way you pray gets better results.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the very first word was the word Father.  Prayer means nothing and does nothing if you aren’t really praying to your father.   The whole of Jesus teaching on prayer depends on the Fathers love.

The bible says that Whatever you pray for….. believe and you will receive. Maybe he’s not just talking about the thing you are believing FOR, but the person you are believing IN.  

The 2 times God speaks audibly that is recorded in the NT, he says the same thing. He leaves nothing on the table. It’s not I love you if…or I love you because.  

Matt 17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.  5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

It was a revelation of God’s love for him that created unreasonable trust. A trust beyond the normal.  

Paul takes up the concept again in the book of Romans where he is trying to explain the grace of God.  Where he is trying to explain the radical concept that God your Father loves you.  

11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.   12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children

Now we call him, “Abba, Father. 

NOW……we call him……and he writes Pater, which is greek for father. But then he stops. I can imagine him sitting there after he has written the greek word for father and his mind is in a spin so after much thinking and praying, Right in the middle of his greek text, he inserts an Aramaic word called ABBA which was used by a child in that culture calling out to his Papa, his Dad.

I love what one dictionary says about Abba. Whereas Father expresses an intelligent apprehension of the relationship, Abba is the word framed by the lips of infants and betokens unreasoning trust.

We have to stop praying to G.O.D and start praying to D.A.D

4. The fullness of God comes to those who know they are loved

I want you to turn in your bible to Ephesians 3:14 and read what Paul wrote about this:

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family£ in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp(it’s something you have to grasp and grab hold of)  how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—unto you are filled with all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!


Coming up at Influencers..

Comment

The Cure

Comment

The Cure

THE CURE PART 1

What is our biggest problem? TRUST! Why? Because we don’t know that we are loved. We don’t live in that revelation and therefore it’s all on us.

You can only live a high level of Christianity if you trust because you KNOW that you are loved.  

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 

The truth is that we ONLY love him, because he first loved us.

The story of the last supper is packed with suspense and filled with powerful principles. How to treat others, how to respond in pressured situations, what to say and when to say it. It reads like a Hollywood film script. It shows what keeps friendships together and what separates them. It shows how betrayal destroys a community and how to respond to acts of treachery. It’s a bird’s eye view of the heart and actions of Jesus at his most vulnerable moment. It contains principles and power on how to love and to live.  

Interwoven amongst the main characters of Judas and Jesus are the characters of Peter and John.  2 men whose understanding of Christ is divided by one seemingly insignificant yet life changing point of difference. 2 men whose point of reference represents the 2 points of view about Jesus of the people in this room today. Peter the disciple who focussed on his love for Jesus and John who understood Jesus love for him. These 2 perspective are about to take these 2 men down different pathways and their lives are about to change forever. Jesus has just finished washing the disciples feet and teaching them about loving each other and greatness in God’s kingdom.

John 13:21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

Notice that in verse 23 John calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved.

John wrote that about himself!

Jesus loved all of his disciples, but John knew it. Jesus cared about all his disciples and loved them all but it was John who had a revelation of Jesus love for him.

Peter on the other hand throughout the gospels constantly professes his love for Jesus. Peter had a revelation of who Jesus was, but John had a revelation of who HE was to Jesus. Peter tried his best to love Jesus, but John knew Jesus loved him.   

I’m believing that as we approach the conference, as we approach this spiritual encounter, this intentional spiritual retreat, that we would have a revelation of God’s love for us, instead of striving to get his love or love him.

Peter typifies every believer who rely on themselves and their love for God, whereas John typifies the Christian who lean on God’s love for them.  

When everything depends on your love for God, you will be constantly up and down.  One moment pledging allegiance, the next moment failing.

1.  Stability comes into your life

2.  You become an overcomer

Matt 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him.”

a) Before Jesus ever did a thing for God, God showed him his love.

b) This revelation released power in his life to be effective for God.

c) This revelation empowered him to win the battle over temptation.

d) The devil tried the only ploy that could have possibly worked: Make Jesus forget that he was loved.

 

Coming up at Influencers..

Comment

Embrace the Grace for the Race

Comment

Embrace the Grace for the Race

EMBRACE THE GRACE FOR THE RACE!

ISAIAH 43:18-19 18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Moses can’t speak, so God gives him the grace to run the race. 

The stick is God’s grace for the first part of Moses Race. It’s powerful.  

Then after all these amazing years, God brings Moses to a pivotal time, just like he’s brought you and I.

READ NUMBERS 20

In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.  2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here?5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” 6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.  12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

So why did this disqualify Moses from entering the promised land?

Moses can’t speak, and has lots of problems, so God gives him a reminder that he is with him and every time he reaches for the grace of God, amazing things happen.  The stick has been a powerful weapon.  It’s been his X factor.  It’s made it possible for function without overcoming his weaknesses.  He hasn’t had to speak at all.  He’s got his stick.  God has anointed Moses past and used it.  God grace your past so you can enter the race but there comes a new thing that God wants to do.  

And in order for Moses to run the next part of his race, he needs new grace and he has to lead differently. It’s one thing to take people out and help them survive, it’s completely another thing to take people in and possess their promised land.

It’s time to let go of yesterday’s grace… the grace that got you to this place. You got here by his grace, but now it’s a new season, a new thing is springing up and you need new grace.  

  • If you are a giver, then thank you so much. If you aren’t, then leave behind just being a recipient and become a contributor.
  • Leave behind rejection and it’s poisonous hold on our spirit.  
  • Leave behind being tentative and not being all in.
  • Leave behind being an observer and get involved.
  • Leave behind being a church goer and become a passionate church builder.
  • Leave behind doubts and get all in. 
  • Leave behind not know what to do. 
  • Our Memories
  • Our Anger
  • Our Inconsistency
  • Our Time management excuses
  • Our Fear
  • Our Over-analysis 
  • Our Lack of submission
  • As a church there is a new grace to train and release and raise up champion men, champion women, great leaders in business, great leaders in family, great leaders in life.   
  • As a church there is a new grace to release the worship of this house. 
  • As a church it’s time to come aside at Conference and get filled with God’s spirit.

Our new race involves raising up:

  • Marriage specialists who can help people with their marriages.
  • Parenting specialists who can help people parent. 
  • Business specialists who can help people win in businesss.
  • Young families dept
  • Single and single again communities.  
Isaiah 60:1 Arise Shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  

Arise:  Action

Shine:  Do actions that allow Jesus to shine to the city.  

It’s our choice to let it go. To let it go promotes us, to hold onto it prevents us. 

God’s wanting to grace a different part of your life. He’s wanting to breathe into your leadership, into your abilities. Let the memories go…of church involvement.  

God’s grace had become Moses crutch, instead of a bridge between his weakness and his success, his past and future.

Sometime we use God’s grace in a way that allows us to stay unwell, not healed, poor, overcome by the past, unable to cope. God’s grace can be used to perpetuate the state of unwellness we have inside. And it’s because a measure of God’s anointing is on everything he creates.

I’m asking you to engage.  Engage with your whole heart.

God is wanting to replace your stick with a sword.  From survival to conquest.  From grace that covers, to grace that conquers.

CHOOSING to be ALL IN.

  • Choosing to invite someone for their sake and yours
  • Choosing to be generous and tithe
  • Choosing to get connected in Koinonia and attend a House Party.
  • Choosing to pray and fast
  • Choosing to disciple someone else and be mentored yourself.
  • Choosing to be a member and builder of this house
  • Choosing to grow in grace and take your next step.  

Embrace the grace for the new race.  


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

RelationSHIFT

Comment

RelationSHIFT

THE GREATEST RISK YOU'LL EVER TAKE

“My friends tell me i have an intimacy problem but they don’t really know me."
Matt 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The goal of this series to discover the secrets of great relationships, to challenge you, and above all equip you, to grow in your ability to conduct healthy, loving, lasting relationships and get your energy back.

Our TV series try to mirror our society or what our community wants to be. In the first 30 years of TV, it was about the family.  

Then in the 90’s as families faltered the focus became friends. Then in the 2000’s, it was reality TV relationships that took center stage. It was at once sensationalist but also comforting as these average people were more broken than we felt about ourselves. 

In 2017 we’ve gotten tired of the shock value of reality shows and now it’s about something safer, something that is more connected but less intimate. Facebook has offered us a safe way we can connect with real people all over the world and share our lives and conversations with. It’s not deep, but it’s safer.

Over 50 years we have moved from the nuclear family to friends to facebook.

Despite the change what relationships look like and what a “normal family” looks like there has been no change to the deep cry in people who long for meaningful and intimate relationships.  

RELATIONSHIPS are enticingly attractive and yet at the same time potentially hazardous!  

Today I want to talk about the risks you will need to take and shifts that will happen if you do.   

THE RISK OF BEING HURT

  • The risk of being hurt keeps us defensive

  • It makes us reject before we are rejected.

  • It makes us keep things surface deep.

  • It makes us keep our options open at all times.

  • It stops us committing for life.

THE RISK OF EXPOSURE

Great relationships demand openness and transparency.  We don’t want people to see into our souls...

  • So we wear masks
  • We pretend to be what we aren’t
  • We carefully manage our image.
  • The risk of exposure keeps us distant

Adam and Eve: it all started with them. Guilt and fear caused them to cover themselves and hide and we have been hiding ever since.  

THE RISK OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD

I think the biggest issue with the speed of life misunderstanding.  We don’t want the details, we want the headlines.  We don’t dive in deep because it takes too long and it’s risky and the result is that we get misunderstood.

THE RISK OF REJECTION

PROV 18:24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

One of friendships biggest predators is the fear of rejection. Rejection is powerful because its roots are in our self-esteem. How we see ourselves ultimately determines whether we can power through the rejection that will come as a part of life. 

I want to give you three RelationSHIFTs you can make today to start to improve your relationships

RelationShift #1

Understand that happiness is your responsibility

RelationShift #2

Understand where your anger is coming from.

There are 2 states in which we create our emotions from. One state is love and the other state is fear. Everything else is a variation on the continuum between these two states. Anger sits on the ‘fear’ side of the continuum.

RelationShift #3

Make decisions that are in the highest interest of the 3rd entity – the relationship.

In a relationship, there are 3 entities. There is the entity of you. There is the entity of the other person and then there is the entity of the relationship. When making decisions, if you make decisions that serve the relationship, you will find that power struggles subside.

Despite all the risks, why is the hunger still there? The answer is that God has made us that way.  You are wired genetically for a relationship. Your chromosomes are saturated with the need for friendship. Deep in your soul is a need to be close. It’s an unchangeable universal law. A law that you can’t ignore.  Woven deeply into the fabric of each persons spirit is this need to be interdependent and have strong relationships. God made it this way from the beginning of time.  We are not independent beings. We are not created to be alone.

We are not created to live superficial, or isolated existences without others. We were created for interdependence; in fact, the entire universe is wired with interdependence.


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

Confidence to Ask

Comment

Confidence to Ask

Hebrews 10:35

So don’t throw away YOUR CONFIDENCE, it will be richly rewarded. (AMP) “Do not therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward”

Don’t throw away your confidence…..WHY? Because God’s word says it has great rewards, the meaning of the word actually means that it pays good wages!

What are the wages of trust and confidence in God?

Hebrews 10:35-36

Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

The wages of confidence in God are carrying away to the FULL ALL THAT HE HAS PROMISED

 

1 John 5:14

 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
  1. THAT IF WE ASK

  2. ANYTHING……ACCORDING TO HIS WILL

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

This is the part of the verse many people wish wasn’t there! You knew it was too good to be true, you knew there would be a catch!

“You can only ask things that are his will” How do you know if what you are asking is “according to His will? Is there any point in asking at all?

So many people struggle to know the will of God, they complicate it and think that it is something that is hard to find, a narrow path that is so hard to find and stay on or a tiny target that is so hard to hit.

God’s will is more like a field

To Know God  

To Trust God

To Obey God

To Follow God

=relationship

You are either IN the field or OUT of the field, you don’t have to FIND the field.

FINDING THE WILL OF GOD implies that you have lost it, or that it's obscure. It is not task orientated, it's relationship based!

God wants you to have that kind of relationship with Him, one that gives you confidence to ask because you know that what you are asking lines up with His will for your life. His will is for you to live in blessing, obedience. Those two are always linked.

3. HE HEARS US

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Now in this day and age, it's not often that we have the confidence that we have been heard!

Psalm 34:17

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.
 

4. And if we KNOW that he hears us

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 

The idea of this verse is that if we have asked and we believe that He hears us when we do then we can rest knowing that even if we don’t presently SEE whatever it is we have asked for we know its as good as done.

That doesn’t mean that every time we pull the prayer lever all the goodies instantly come out of the chute.

  • Sometimes we have to wait (like Abraham)

  • Sometimes we have to persist in asking (Matthew 7)

He wants you to ask for yourself

He actually WANTS us to ask, it proves we trust Him and is a sign of relationship.

He wants us to ask according to his will, and that his will isn’t hidden it is easy to find within the boundaries of relationship.

Understand that HE hears YOU!

When you understand he has heard you can be confident even though you don’t have the evidence right now that you have what you have asked for.

Anything that you could ask for, is going to be less than what he has already given you, so ask with confidence.


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

Shields Up

Comment

Shields Up

#SHIELDSUP

  1. Jesus said in Matt 22;14 Many are Called Few are Chosen.

Why do we go to College to do our degrees? To prepare ourselves to be chosen by a company.  

- Being prepared means developing yourself on purpose.
Constantly have conversations with leadership about your growth. 
Attend the Dream Team Intensive.
Being prepared means being Healed

The book of Ephesians is the book about the great struggle of life. The war of perception. Will I believe what God says, or will I believe what others say. 

Throughout the book, Paul outlines the great blessing and favor, rights and privileges you have as a child of God. 

After 5 chapters of Powerful and life changing statements, the apostle Paul turns his attention not just to a declaration of truth, but to declare that you must prepare yourself for war on unbelief.    You see it doesn’t matter how true something is it is only true if you accept it, believe it and act on it. 

In Chapter 6 he tells us that even though many are called, few prepare themselves.  

Every day the people of Ephesus would see Roman Soldiers walking by, prepared for war.  So he uses a metaphor they understood to explain what you have to do to prepare yourself.  

Ephesians 6: 10

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Why was it so important to take up the shield of faith.

The rest of the armour was put on the body and designed to prevent fatal injury.  But it didn’t stop you being wounded. 

SOLDIERS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE WOUNDED. 

The armour protects you from dying, but the shield protects you from even being wounded.

The greatest problem in the church is wounded people. 

In America there are 5.7 million people with chronic wounds. Wounds that won’t heal. Over 20 billion dollars is spent annually on wounds that won’t heal.  

Getting our wounds healed is part of preparing to be chosen. 

WHY DON’T WOUNDS HEAL

  • When wounds don’t get relief from constant pressure, there is a breakdown of tissue.  
  • When there is not enough blood getting to the area.
  • Debris in the wound
  • Some wounds have to be healed from the inside out

WHOSE AT RISK OF BEING WOUNDED

  • Those who don’t know what they believe.
  • Those with a history of being wounded. 
  • Those who let stuff get inside.  

HOW DO WE TREAT WOUNDS

  • Get to the underlying problem
  • Get the Blood to the area so it can heal
  • Take out the debris in the wound so it can heal.  

Comment

Why Worship

Comment

Why Worship

Why Worship

1. Worship puts the things we treasure in their rightful order.  

a)  Worship comes from idea of worth.  What is of great worth is worthy of admiration and honor.  Worship is about consciously giving great worth to someone. 

b)  It’s also the act of saying I’m not God.  I’m not the most important being in my life.  When we sing and when we speak of God in worship we are saying I’m not God, but Jesus is. 

First time the word worship is used in the bible is Genesis 22:

Genesis 22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

2. Worship cleanses you.  

3. Worship uncaps the presence of God

Ever opened a jar of coffee beans? Wow that smell. It’s so good. It fills the atmosphere. It’s not till you take the lid off that you experience it.  It’s there but not unwrapped in a way that affects you.  

4.  Worship Creates Great Success in your life. 

David was so committed to worship because he understood it’s power that he appointed 4000 singers and worshippers to worship around the clock day and night just so the presence of God would rule his kingdom.   

He appointed 288 skilled musicians to play 24 hours a day and they did it for 33 years straight.  

1 Chronicles 23Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.

This atmosphere of worship helped him win every battle, defeat every enemy, prosper in all his business, helped him write the great psalms we all read today.  

David’s era was known as the Golden era for Israel.  A time of great prosperity even in the midst of conflicts and war.  

Church we are in the beginning stages of experiencing a revival.

This is why we are writing our own worship and releasing it to the world.  Because I believe God wants to bring to Atlanta and through Atlanta and Adelaide a move of God that transforms the darkness into light.


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

Behold!

Comment

Behold!

IT'S NEW!

As we stand on the eve of a new school year and a new church year, this is the word God put in my heart and it’s BEHOLD I DO A NEW THING. If only you knew what was coming, you would gladly get rid of the old things. Old ways of thinking. Comfort Zone thinking, protective thinking, small thinking, old victories, that seem so big, but are nothing compared to the future.  

ISAIAH 43:18-19 18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

The Prophet Isaiah Is talking to the people of God and he is encouraging them in the midst of their season, to understand that God is at work creating a new season.  

They had had massive victories in years gone by, but right at the time of this writing they were facing massive challenges and Isaiah starts to prophecy over their lives with stunning language about God’s plans for the people.  

Chapter 43 is filled with some of the great verses in the OT>  

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; 

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.  6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’  and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ 

Before me no god was formed  nor will there be one after me.  11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.  When I act, who can reverse it?”

16 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,  18 “Forget the former things;  do not dwell on the past.  19 See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

16 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,  18 “Forget the former things;  do not dwell on the past.  19 See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

1. Forget the former things and do not dwell on the past.  

It is fascinating that the prophet, having gone to so much effort to invoke the past, continues in verse 18 with the injunction: “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old!” The command is surprising and serves as an effective rhetorical device to get the people’s attention, for the prophet is not content to have the people wax nostalgic about the “good old days.”

2. Behold

This means to come and see something that is remarkable and impressive.  

3. I am doing a new thing.

As good as I was in your greatest triumph, I am doing a new thing that will be better and bigger than the greatest victory of your life. 

4. NOW it springs forth. 

The Hebrew word "spring" is the word for "sprout." In other words, before we see the blade above the ground, there is the sprout beneath it.

5. Don’t you perceive it.  

When the Lord asks, "Do you not perceive it?" He is saying, "Do you want to open yourself to My new thing? Are you willing to embrace it?"

This verb "perceive" in the Hebrew language is far more than insight. It is the total giving of yourself, as in the husband-wife relationship within marriage. This "knowing" is a full embrace

Psalm 65:11 You crown the YEAR with your GOODNESS (harvest) and your PATHS drip (overflow) with ABUNDANCE

SOMETHING NEW TO CONSIDER

Leadership Prep School Module 1 and 2 through Influencers Leadership Collegeinfluencers.school

Conference. Get the Early Bird pricing!

The launch of the new single; Imaginations.


Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

The Encouragement Series Part 2

Comment

The Encouragement Series Part 2

THE PROMISES OF GOD PART 2

PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT GOD PROMISES THINGS

Joseph and his dream: God PROMISES him a huge promotion in life

Solomon’s dream: God promises him financial success

Samuel: God speaks to him about his leader and a nation

Moses: God’s speaks to him about his plan to use make him a great leader who leads others out of slavery

Abraham: God PROMISES him an awesome place to live

David: God PROMISES him great promotion and great success in his job

Hannah: God PROMISES her a child

Hezekiah: God PROMISES to heal him 

Jacob: God speaks to him about his past and his future

Elizabeth: God PROMISES her a child

Mary: God speaks to her about her child and his destiny

Joseph: God speaks to him about marrying Mary

Noah: God speaks to him about the future of the world and promises to save him and his family

WHY DOES GOD GIVE PROMISES

1.     To motivate and inspire you to fight for your destiny.

Psalms 91:4 He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

2.     To give you a reason to work hard today.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

3.  To make my Today Bearable and keep my Present positive.  

4.  To give me great Confidence about tomorrow. 

Ps 119:162I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.

Psalm 105:8He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations,

1.  Comes with conditions that no-one else can break except you.

2.  Comes with tests  

Hebrew 11:17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring£ will be reckoned.” 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

A test tells you that a promotion is coming.   

3.  Comes by faith

Romans 4:16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE PROMISES OF GOD FOR YOURSELF.

  1. Creating a promise environment for your life.
  2. Solitude
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.

3. Seek after them with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

THE PROMISES OF GOD ARE YES AND AMEN.

Joshua 23:14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
1 Kings 8:56 (Solomon’s prayer) Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 
Psalms 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD’S promises prove true.

Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

The Encouragement Series

Comment

The Encouragement Series

THE PROMISES OF GOD

Sarah’s life changed when God gave her a P__________. 

A promise is God’s G _______of an outcome. 

Romans 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace.  

GOD WANTS US TO LIVE OUR LIVES BASED ON HIS PROMISES.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The whole of our connection with God and our born again experience is based on a promise.  

Have you ever wondered why it’s called the P_________ land?

THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE PROMISES OF GOD

WHY GOD GIVES PROMISES

1.     To motivate and inspire you to F_____for your destiny.

1 Tim 1:18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they give you the confidence to fight well in the Lord’s battles.

2.     To make my Today Bearable and keep my Present P__________  

Psalms 119:50 My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise p_________ my life.
Psalm 119:116 S_________ me according to your promise, and I will live;
Psalm 119:147   I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.  148    My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your p____________
Psalm 119:170  May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

3.     To let you know there is someone looking over your shoulder

God wants to show you that he wants to look after you and one of the ways that he convinces you of that is to give you promises.

Heb 4:2 We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with F______.

Coming up at Influencers...

Comment

Comment

The Atmosphere of Faith

Atmospheres are important because they maximize the God moments of our lives.

Mark 5:21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.  A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.  30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”  31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.  33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”  35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”  36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”  37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.  After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

I want to talk about how to create and maximize a faith environment in your life.

5 Things you need to do to create an atmosphere of faith

1.  A Posture of openness and faith

22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.

 2.  Stay close to Jesus for the whole journey.

Sickness and pain is a great leveler. 

It doesn’t matter how rich you are, if you are sick it hurts.  Divorce hurts whether you are rich or poor.  

The woman was healed before Jairus.  It’s not fair.  It’s not right.  He was In line first.  He approached Jesus the right way.  

Sometimes Jesus stops moving in your life, just before he’s arrives.

He stops just before he gets to Jairus house.  Just when there was hope that everything was going to be ok and they would get there in time, Jesus stops moving.  Sometimes Jesus stops moving just when you thought it was going to be ok.  WHY?

Jesus did this for many reasons but one that we miss is that he did it to strengthen Jairus’s faith. 

Often we are so focussed on our problems that we don’t take the opportunity to be strengthened in our faith by the experiences around us.

There are people getting touched and saved every week in our church.  Get encouraged by them, instead of getting jealous of them.

3.  Deal with the enemies of a faith atmosphere.

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Ever been laughed at when you made a declaration of faith?  Ever been laughed at when you tried to do something brave and big for you?

4. Keep Thomas at home

I can imagine Thomas wanting to be there.  But it says that Jesus only took Peter, James and John.  He wanted the people around him who would help create an atmosphere of faith.

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 

There are Thomases in your life that are great people, but won’t help you believe.

5.  Shut the door and speak to it.  

When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 

Sometimes when you first shut the door, the only atmosphere is an atmosphere of death.  

Take someone with you.

Jesus took Peter, James and John.

Close the door and get focused on the God of the situation.  Create atmospheres in your car, and in your home.  Atmosphere that help you believe.

You need to drown out the voices of fear with the voice of faith.

Jesus took the little girl in his hands and spoke to her.

You’ve got to speak to it.


Coming up at Influencers

 

 

Comment