“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts”  “Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one”  A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

2 Corinthians 13:14 (Message) “The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” Holy Spirit My Best Friend

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

The Nicene Creed “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorfied, who has spoken through the prophets.”

Westminster Confession of Faith “The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son, of the same substance and equal in power and glory, is, together with the Father and the Son, to be believed in, loved, obeyed, and worshiped throughout all ages.”

D. G. Dunn “A church that seeks to restrict and control the Spirit, as too dangerous and unpredictable, may be safe, but it has signed its own death warrant. A church that seeks to follow where the Spirit leads will have to expect the unexpected and be prepared to be shaken to the core. But that’s life, the life of the Spirit.”

John Calvin “As long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us.”

D.L. Moody said:  “You might as well try to hear without ears, or breathe without lungs, as try to live a Christian life without the Spirit of God in your heart.”

Holy Spirit Is A Person

Acts 10:19 “While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are seeking you.’”

John 16:7, 13 “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ... However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you 
into all truth;...” 

Kenneth Hagin “They thought they got an experience. They kept trying to get another experience like that one … it was Someone – a Divine Personality – who came to live in them. He is a Heavenly Being: 
the Holy Spirit”

John Crowder “The only interaction you have ever had with God has been through the agency of the Holy Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:18 “For through Him (JESUS) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

Personality:-- The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person. (A Soul)
What Is A Living Soul? Mind:— thinking. Will:— desires Emotions:— feelings

God the Holy Spirit has a soul.

Hebrews 10:29, 38 “...and insulted the Spirit of grace? ... Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

Omniscience:- All Knowledge Thinking Mind
Omnipotence:- All Power Will - Exert His influence
Omnipresence:- All Present
He is felt and He feels
1 Thessalonians. 1:6 “…the joy of the Holy Spirit.”

1. Holy Spirit Thinks
1 Corinthians 2:10-16  “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” What are you thinking?

2. Holy Spirit Exerts His Will
Acts 16:6  “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden (To exert will) by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.” What do You want to do?

3. Holy Spirit Has Emotions
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” How do you feel?

What are you thinking? What do you want to do? How do you feel?
These are all relational questions.
Communication is vital to a healthy relationship. You have to be very well acquainted with His voice.

Hearing The Voice Of The Spirit Is:

1. Innate — In your DNA

2. Learned — Use your words!

3. Matured — Revelation Knowledge 

4. Attacked — Mark 4:15 “Satan comes immediately and takes away the word.”

5. It’s A Lifestyle — Proverbs 3:6 (MESSAGE) “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Proverbs 8:34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.”

He is speaking to you right now!

Tell the person next to you what He is saying to you right now.

I’ll tell you what most of you just heard. “He Loves You!”

Americans spend over $30 billion annually on Mother’s Day.
That’s more than Valentine’s Day and Halloween!

Helicopter Mom — Hovering. Go Go Gadget Mom — That purse
Ninja Mom — Suddenly appears Bear Mom — Cuddly and sweet … until!
Amazon Prime Mom — I want it now. Google Mom — Answers Answers …
Coffee Mom — Caffeine and prayers. Holy Spirit Mom — Felt I should check in

“An ounce of Mother is worth a pound of priest.” Spanish Proverb
“Let France have good mothers and she will have good sons.” Napoleon
“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” Milton Berle
“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”Theodore Hesburgh
“I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” Abraham Lincoln
“All I have ever accomplished in life I owe to my Mother.” D.L. Moody

Note From School: “Your child is dumb we can’t do anything for him.”
Mrs Edison: “You don’t understand him. I’ll teach him myself.”  
“My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me.” 
  Thomas Edison

“I can’t turn this off, I’m a Mother!” Cheryl Thomas

Romans 16:13 “Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.”  

Matthew 20:17-28 “… Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him … ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom’ … ‘You do not know what you ask.’”

Matthew 15:21-28 “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, 'Send her away, for she cries out after us.’ But He answered and said, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!’ But He answered and said,
'It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.' Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Matthew 8:10 “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

Faith of Centurion: “Great”:-- (tos-oo'-tos) of quantity, so much, so large...

Gentile Woman’s Faith: “Great”:-- (meg'-as) excellent, mighty, abundant, violent, intense, off the chart

Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (NKJV)

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

1 John 5:4 (ESV) “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

1 John 5:4 (TPT) 'You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. '

Megas Faith Observations:
1. Passionate “…’cried out’ ... Have mercy on me, ... My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
This Must Change!!! 

2. Knowledgable “O Lord, Son of David!”
Desperate enough to be aware. She got herself informed. Get the WORD on it! Shared Knowledge.

3. Resilient “He answered her not a word ... ‘Send her away’ ...It is not good ... little dogs.”
Refused to get offended! Offence attacks faith.

4. Extreme “...dogs eat crumbs...”
Extreme, Unconventional, pioneering, innovative, cutting-edge, radical, breakthrough!!!!
There is a way!

5. Rewarded “...Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed ...”
(Message) “...your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!”
Faith that penetrates any and all boundaries and gets results.

The new covenant changes the location of God.
Pentecost turned followers into carriers.
The New Covenant believer does not beg for victory from a place of distance.
We enforce Christ’s victory from a place of union.

Karl Barth “In Jesus Christ, humanity is exalted to participation in the life of God.”

Andrew Murray “The believer is called to live in the full consciousness that Christ’s victory is his victory.”

Irenaeus “Our Lord Jesus Christ… became what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.”
1 John 4:17b “…because as he is so also are we in this world.”

Before the Cross: people reached toward Jesus
After Pentecost: Jesus reaches through His Church
The New Covenant believer ministers from union, not distance.
We are commanders not beggars!

“Oh, woman, your faith is something else. (MEGAS) What you want is what you get!”

Numbers 11:29 “Then Moses said to him, Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!’”

1 Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:”
1 Corinthians 14:31 “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.”

Acts 2:18-19 (ESV) “Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show …”

Isaiah 48:6-7 (AMP) “…I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things [kept in reserve] which you have not known. They are created now [called into being by the prophetic word]”

John16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Matthew 16:19 (AMP) “I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”

If you’re serious about the Bible as the Word of God then you have to let it speak.
The Bible says the clearest form of communication is Jesus.
Mount of transfiguration … Moes and Elijah disappeared and Jesus only. “Listen to Him.”
“Sola Scriptura” (reformation) misapplied leads to a powerless church.

Reducing “the Word” to “the Bible” is too small.
Scripture is witness. — Christ is Word made flesh.
The page can testify. — The Spirit must illuminate.
The letter can point. — The living God must speak.

John 21:25 “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

The Word was never meant to be trapped on a page. — It was meant to become alive in you.
When the living Word is heard in your heart the letter becomes a doorway instead of a cold tool.
A proof text to bludgeon with.

Scripture was never given: 
To replace the voice of God. To end personal encounter. To reduce relationship to reading.
Scripture was given: To reveal Christ. To sharpen discernment. To anchor in truth. To protect from deception.
So Scripture is not the enemy of encounter. It is the framework that keeps encounter pure.

What Jesus does on the road to Emmaus is not just explain Scripture.
He DECONSTRUCTS THEIR VERSION OF GOD. 
This is where many people resist. Because we don’t mind learning.
But we do mind LOSING THE VERSION OF GOD THAT MAKES US COMFORTABLE. 

Eisegesis:— the process of interpreting a text by introducing one's own subjective assumptions, biases, or personal agenda into it. Reading into a text.

Exegesis:— the critical interpretation of the biblical text to discover its original intent and meaning; Examining context, usage, and setting. Drawing out of a text.

Year 367- Canon of Scripture Complete 
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”
False assumption — With His Word defined we don’t need extra biblical manifestations.

Cessationism is the view that the “miracle gifts” of tongues and healing have ceased—that the end of the apostolic age brought about a cessation of the miracles associated with that age. Most cessationists believe that, while God can and still does perform miracles today, the Holy Spirit no longer uses individuals to perform miraculous signs. 

The Westminster Confession Of The Faith — Section 1 (Of The Holy Scriptures) “… those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.”

Continuationism is the belief that all the spiritual gifts, including healings, tongues, and miracles, are still in operation today, just as they were in the days of the early church. A continuationist believes that the spiritual gifts have “continued” unabated since the Day of Pentecost and that the demonstration of “signs, wonders, and miracles”, as witnessed in the apostolic era, should be a hallmark of today’s church as well.

Ephesians 2:19-20 (NIV) “… members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; … they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Acts 5:12, 16 “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people … Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

Romans 15:19 (NLT) “They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.”  

1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in word (logos) but in power (dunamis).” :— God's inherent, miraculous strength active in believers. 

Forthtelling:— Proclaiming the revealed Word. Calling it into manifestation.  
Foretelling:— Predicting events before the happen, calling forth a present day revelation.

The Gospel is not complete if it is only explained—it must also be demonstrated.
If the Gospel stays in words, it stays distant—when it moves in power, it becomes present.

We’re not called to explain fire. We’re called to carry it.
We don’t just preach what God did. We demonstrate what He’s doing.
A preached Gospel informs. A demonstrated Gospel transforms.

Mark 16:20 “They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through accompanying signs.”

4 Basic Forms of Revelation
1.General Revelation – Nature 2. Specific Revelation – Jesus 
3.Spirit Revelation — Holy Spirit. 4. Biblical Revelation — Word

The Bible was not given to man so that he could fix his story.
The Bible is His story and how you can find your place in it.
You don’t find 10 steps to a better life in the Bible. 
You get to read about a God who through His Son took 10,000 steps to get to you.

John 5:39-40 (Message) “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want.”

The Bible:  
2 Testaments - Old and New / 66 Books 31,102 Verses / 1663 Commands 40 Different Authors 
3237 Different characters. / 31 guys named “Zechariah.” / 1 STORY

SO IMPORTANT:
John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
New Will, the Old one is null and void. Will comes into affect at my death.
Jesus died and lives to enforce His will.

If you’re serious about the Bible as the Word of God then you have to let it speak.
The Bible says the clearest form of communication is Jesus.
Mount of transfiguration … Moes and Elijah disappeared and Jesus only. “Listen to Him.”
“Sola Scriptura” (reformation) misapplied leads to a powerless church.

The Word was never meant to be trapped on a page. It was meant to become alive in you.
When the living Word is heard in your heart the letter becomes a doorway instead of a cold tool.
A proof text to bludgeon with.

John 10:37-38 “If I’m not doing the beautiful works that my Father sent me to do, then don’t believe me. But if you see me doing the beautiful works of God upon the earth, then you should at least believe the evidence of the miracles, even if you don’t believe my words! Then you would come to experience me and be convinced that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

Reducing “the Word” to “the Bible” is too small.
Scripture is witness. Christ is Word made flesh.
The page can testify. The Spirit must illuminate.
The letter can point. The living God must speak.

Scripture was never given: 
To replace the voice of God. To end personal encounter. To reduce relationship to reading.
Scripture was given: 
To reveal Christ. To sharpen discernment. To anchor in truth. To protect from deception.
So Scripture is not the enemy of encounter. It is the framework that keeps encounter pure.

There is a misunderstanding that it is our responsibility to be the pursuer in our relationship with God.
God is always and forever engaged in an passionate pursuit of us.

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;”
raw-daf':— pursue, chase, hunt, follow
Genesis 14:14 “and went in pursuit”. FIRST USE
“We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts”  “Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one”  A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

William Barclay’s commentary describes these two guys on the road as, “ones withfaces twisted by grief” 

Luke 24:13-35 “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.  And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”
Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 
Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.  When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.”

What Jesus does on that road is not just explain Scripture.
He DECONSTRUCTS THEIR VERSION OF GOD. 
This is where many people resist. Because we don’t mind learning.
But we do mind LOSING THE VERSION OF GOD THAT MAKES US COMFORTABLE. 

1. He Joins Himself To Us
“He drew near” engidzo-— to join one thing to another. (Gorilla Glue)
He has chosen to forever be in union with humanity.
Paul used this phrase in one form or another 164 times. “In Christ”

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

2. He Journeys With Us
The process of getting there. The changes. The challenges.
ENGAGES — “Why so sad?” INSTRUCTS — “Shows Us Himself” Even when you think you’re alone.

3. He Restores Us
“so they returned to Jerusalem”
God is committed to putting Humpty Dumpty together again. He refuses to leave you broken.
Jesus could have ended the whole conversation in seconds.

 He could have said: “It’s me” and everything would have been resolved instantly.
But He doesn’t. Why?
Because nothing changes when there’s: 
INFORMATION without TRANSFORMATION
EXPLORATION without ENCOUNTER

Luke 24:36 “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’” 
You announcing your story of recovery will cause Jesus to show up for others. 

—

Go From Shared Lies To Shared Life.”

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has

made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen.”

Romans 4:25 (TPT) “Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was

raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!”

“Sin-induced separation is ‘real’ to us, but is itself the delusion that continues to fuel our darkness.

Jesus did not pay off God by dying for our sins. He is God. He became our sin and brought it to

death in order to liberate us from sin and death. Jesus wasn’t changing God; He was changing you.”

John Crowder

Hebrews 9:8-9 (AMP) “By this the Holy Spirit points out that the way into the [true Holy of] Holies is

not yet thrown open as long as the former [the outer portion of the] tabernacle remains a recognized

institution and is still standing, Seeing that that first [outer portion of the] tabernacle was a parable (a

visible symbol or type or picture of the present age). In it gifts and sacrifices are offered, and yet are

incapable of perfecting the conscience or of cleansing and renewing the inner man of the worshiper.”

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered

Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Conscience:— an inner faculty that judges the moral quality of one's motives and actions, acting as

a sense of right and wrong.

Etymologically derived from Latin conscientia ("joint knowledge"), it suggests a "sharing of

knowledge" with oneself. It acts as an internalised moral compass.

Literal Meaning:— "With-knowledge" or "knowledge shared within oneself".

It is a translation of the Greek suneidesis,"together-knowledge".

Conscience:— The inner agreement system.

The lens through which you interpret God, yourself, and reality.

The place where truth or lies become “normal”.

You don’t live from behavior—you live from what you are convinced is true.

The Conscience is more a “Window” than a judgement mechanism.

Biblically, it functions more like:

It lets light in. It frames reality. It determines what feels true.

Your conscience doesn’t create truth, It reflects the light it’s been exposed to.

If it’s shaped by:

Fear — God looks distant. Shame — you feel unworthy. Religion — you feel never enough

Shared knowledge builds authoritative voices in your head.

“You’re not enough.” “God is disappointed.”

“You’re still distant.” “Try harder.”

The battle is not about behaviour. It’s about your conscience, what you’ve come to accept as truth.

“If you don't recognize that a conscience is the key to freedom, then you'll try to change behaviors.

Changing behaviors is the fruit of a defiled conscience.” Tommy Millar2 Corinthians 1:12 (NIV). “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted

ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We

have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.”

1 Timothy 1:5 “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good

conscience, and from sincere faith,”

Matthew 16:16-17 “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not

revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

1 Corinthians 15:50 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of

God;” You cannot embrace God’s way of life if your base of shared knowledge is in ADAM.

Hebrews 2:14 “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise

shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the

devil,” (prone to accusation)

Genesis 3:11 “Who told you that?” It was a question of conscience.

Adam chose to embrace shared knowledge from the serpent.

From that moment humanity lived from shared knowledge with the lie.

Shame, fear, and separation became the new normal.

Living out of Adam cannot reveal to you the things of God.

You need to be re-fathered.

The blood of Jesus does that.

You are re-fathered through the blood of Jesus and given a pure conscience.

You can now walk in the shared knowledge of the Godhead.

We were brought into a new covenant and a new family with new lineage, new DNA.

We were born from above.

We have a new father.

John 3:7 “You must be born again.”

2 Timothy 1:12 “…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I

have committed to Him until that Day.” My shared knowledge is personal!

The single most important question you may ever answer is: Who told you that?

Your life is framed by shared knowledge.

2 Corinthians 5:7. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

The blood of Jesus didn’t change God’s mind about you, it changed your capacity to know God.

Complete recalibration.

“The gospel is not about getting you to behave—it’s about waking you up.” John Crowder

“Jesus has done something to humanity itself, not just for it.” Baxter Kruger

Whatever you partner with, you experience.

That experience frames and shapes your reality.

That reality becomes what people experience when they encounter you.

Dead works are not just sinful actions, they are sincere efforts disconnected from the life of God.Prayer is good —until you use it to get close to God.

Fasting is good—until you use it to get God to move.

Bible study is good—until you use it to become acceptable.

Sons feast. Slaves negotiate.

The heart break of religion is that it can take the most precious, holiest things and make them

instruments of self-righteousness.

The tabernacle said: “Stay out.”

The blood of Jesus says: “Come all the way in—and bring your mind with you.”

You are no longer:

Living from borrowed lies

You are now:

Living from shared knowledge with God

Living “works” flow from union.

Not for acceptance — from acceptance

Not for identity — from identity

Not to get close — you are close

Grace doesn’t eliminate works—

it resurrects them.

Revelation 12:10-11 “…who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And

they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not

love their lives to the death.”

Mark 16:1-15 “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?’
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 
But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.’ So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’" 

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

True redemption is found exclusively through the blood of Jesus.
A working revelation of the blood of Jesus will give you ongoing access to the glory of God.
Where the blood of Jesus flows the Holy Spirit goes.

“The flesh is the hinge of salvation.” Tertullian
Salvation is grounded in real human experience.
The brutality of the cross isn’t incidental. It is essential for total healing to be realised.

4 Truths Regarding The Blood
1. It Has To Be Blood. 
2. It Had To Be Jesus Blood.                                                                   
 3. Jesus’ Blood Had To Be Shed. 
4. The Blood Must Be Applied

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Corinthians 15:17,19 (NLT) “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. … we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

“A dead Christ I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything for me.” Andrew Murray

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  make you complete in every good work to do His will,…”

Hebrews 12:24 (TPT) “And we have come to Jesus who established a new covenant with his blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat; blood that continues to speak from heaven, ‘forgiveness,' a better message than Abel’s blood that cries from the earth, ‘justice.’”

Abel’s blood cried from the ground. Jesus’ blood speaks from the throne!
Abel’s blood said, “Something is wrong.”
Jesus’ blood says, “It has been made right!”

Colossians 2:12 (TPT) “You were co-buried with Him and then raised to new life because you were united with Him.”
(synegeirō) — raised together with (symphytō) — grown together, fused into one
You are not watching Jesus win. You are inside His victory.

Colossians 3:1 (TPT) “Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too.”
You are not trying to become something — you are awakening to who you already are in Him.

“In Jesus, humanity has been carried into the very life of the Trinity.” Baxter Kruger
Ephesians 2:6 (TPT) “He raised us up with Christ… and we are now co-seated with Him in heavenly places.”
(synekathizō) — seated together with You’re not trying to get there — You’re already enthroned with Him.

Romans 4:25 (TPT) “Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!”

The FOR US Of Resurrection
Romans 8:31-39 (NLT) “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If (SINCE) God is for us, who can ever be against us?:”
Vs 32 “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”
Rhetorical Question. Make a statement rather than to elicit information. Argues from greater to lesser.

Vs. 33 “Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.”

Vs. 34 “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” 

Vs 35 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?”

Vs 36, 37 “As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’
No, despite (IN) all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

This word is used only once in Scripture.       
hypernikaō :– overwhelming victory, super conquerors, to vanquish beyond. “hoop airrrr ni  kah ō”

Vs 38 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, …”

Vs 39 “…nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 4:25 (TPT) “Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!”

John 12:12-13 “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”

Palm Sunday — On this day:
The lamb was brought for inspection — Leaven was removed from homes
Jesus enters Jerusalem as the Lamb of God — He cleanses the Temple
This is not random—this is divine timing. God is setting the stage for justice.

Exodus 12:3-15 “…a lamb or kid for each house… Your lamb or kid shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; you shall take it from the sheep or the goats… The blood shall be for a token or sign to you…remove leaven from your houses. ” 

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

True redemption is found exclusively through the blood of Jesus.
A working revelation of the blood of Jesus will give you ongoing access to the glory of God.
Where the blood of Jesus flows the Holy Spirit goes.

“The Bible is a book of blood and a bloody book. When we are accused of preaching a Gospel of blood we proudly plead guilty, to the charge for the only thing that gives life to our teaching and power to the Word of God is the fact that it is the blood which is the very life and power of the Gospel.” M.R. De Haan

“The blood and the Spirit always bear testimony together. Where the blood is honored in faith or preaching, there the Spirit works; … He always leads souls to the blood. The Holy Spirit could not be given until the blood was shed. The living bond between the Spirit and the blood cannot be broken.” Andrew Murray

Jesus is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. 
Redemption through His Blood was always His eternal plan!
1Peter 1:20 “… he was chosen and destined for this before the foundation of the earth was laid, but he has been made manifest in these last days for you.”

“O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer.” Ambrose of Milan
felix culpa (Happy Fault)
The covenant that the Father made with His Son took me from from sinful to SONFUL!!!

The fall didn’t defeat God’s plan It revealed something greater: GRACE
Revelation 13:8 “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Before there was a fall — there was already a Lamb.
God didn’t just solve sin—He outplanned it.

Ephesians 1:4-5 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

“The death of Christ was not an afterthought. It was the centerpiece of God’s eternal plan.”  
John Piper
Before God ever said, “Let there be light” — There was already a conversation about the cross.

Adam: {aw-dawm‘} a compound of two words; Blood and Ground. God designed man to be a blood creation. He put the life in the blood. He did this because of His eternal plan of redemption.

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

“Scripture teaches … that life lies in the blood. Blood, therefore , is the mysterious link between matter and spirit. …certain it is that this is the mysterious link which unite these apparently dissimilar things together, so that the soul can inhabit the body, and the life can rest in the blood”
  C.H. Spurgeon

1 Peter 1:19  “…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 
Acts 20:28 “… the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” 

Hebrews 9:7,22 “…not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:”
“…without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.”

Hebrews 10:14, 13:20-21 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” “…through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ;…”

1 Peter 2:24 “…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (NLT) “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. … For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

Hebrew 4:15 (AMP) “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.”

Jesus as a man overcame every trial and temptation. 
He alone was a completely righteous man, fully manifest.
You are righteous by grace through faith. It is a gift of God.
The blood of Jesus isn’t God fixing a Jewish problem—it’s God healing a human one.

Ephesians 2:11-13 “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh… having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

The Father does not inspect you He inspects His Son. “The Lamb of God”
He is PERFECT! You are PERFECT!

“The Holy Spirit never brings condemnation He always reveals the blood.” Smith Wigglesworth
“His blood is so powerful that to mention it in prayer is the equivalent of placing dynamite under Satan's fortifications and blasting them to pieces." Dick Mills

Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem to condemn the world:
He rode in to reclaim it. Not with a sword, but with surrender.
Not to destroy sinners, but to destroy sin.

This is the justice of God:
Love refusing to leave us broken. Love burning away everything that is not love.
Love conquering the world, one heart at a time.

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

True redemption is found exclusively through the blood of Jesus.
A working revelation of the blood of Jesus will give you ongoing access to the glory of God.
Where the blood of Jesus flows the Holy Spirit goes.

“The blood and the Spirit always bear testimony together. Where the blood is honored in faith or preaching, there the Spirit works; … He always leads souls to the blood. The Holy Spirit could not be given until the blood was shed. The living bond between the Spirit and the blood cannot be broken.” Andrew Murray

Jesus is the lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. 
Redemption through His Blood was always His eternal plan!
1Peter 1:20 “… he was chosen and destined for this before the foundation of the earth was laid, but he has been made manifest in these last days for you.”

“O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer.” Ambrose of Milan
felix culpa (Happy Fault)
The covenant that the Father made with His Son took me from from sinful to SONFUL!!!

The fall didn’t defeat God’s plan It revealed something greater: GRACE
Revelation 13:8 “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Before there was a fall — there was already a Lamb.
God didn’t just solve sin—He outplanned it.

“The death of Christ was not an afterthought. It was the centerpiece of God’s eternal plan.”  
  John Piper
Before God ever said, “Let there be light” — There was already a conversation about the cross.

Ephesians 1:4-5 “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Day Of Atonement — Yom Kippur
Leviticus 16:1-34 “‘On that day offerings of purification will be made for you, and you will be purified in the Lord’s presence from all your sins … day of complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves …” “…This is a permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the Lord once each year.’ Moses followed all these instructions exactly as the Lord had commanded him.”

Passover: Every family participates. — Lamb for every household. Personal forgiveness, deliverance. — Repeat every year. — Temporary limited results. — Foreshadows Jesus.

Atonement: Only High Priest is working. — All others observe in rest. — Different sacrifice - bull and goats. — Corporate purification and union. — Repeat every year. — Temporary limited results.
Foreshadows Jesus.

ATONEMENT: the state or process of being at one, UNION. (W. Tyndale)
The doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

Atonement :— God’s dramatic victory in Christ over the enslaving powers of sin, death, and the devil, liberating humanity from bondage and reconciling the world to Himself.

1. The Work Of The Priest
Humbled in simple garments. Jesus — God becomes flesh
He works alone, heavy lifting!!! Jesus — Went to cross alone
He is a representative. Jesus — Substitutionary ministry
He returns in glorious garments. Jesus — Ascends Glory

Hebrews 10:12-14 (NLT) “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.  For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”

2.The Posture Of The People
Complete Rest. Deny yourself. Pay attention.
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

3. The Two Goats
A. The Sacrificed Goat — Propitiation.
1 John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Jesus didn’t start something you have to finish.

Propitiation is not God being reconciled to us — it’s us being reconciled to the God who never stopped loving us.
The cross didn’t make God love you, it proved He always did, while dealing with everything that stood in the way.

In Propitiation Jesus Became Sin
1 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Jesus became every sin, past present and future, to the fullest degree.

“ Jesus was cursed on the tree in our place and bore our sin in His own body. He did not bear our sin in His blood. It was just as holy on the cross as it ever was. As He offered the sin sacrifice to God, He was covered with pure, innocent, justifying, redeeming, sanctifying blood so that He was able to dismiss His spirit to His Father at death.” David Alsobrook

For Our Propitiation God Condemned Sin In Jesus Flesh
Romans 8:3 “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,” “KATAKRINO” :— to condemn decisively

B. The Scapegoat — Expiation
The removal of sin and restored union with God. Deals with GUILT!
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”
Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.”

Hebrews 9:14 “…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Our culture today in addicted to scapegoating!!!
Some have been conditioned to blame themselves for everything.
Some are experts blaming others for everything and anything else.

Scapegoating is humanity’s attempt to deal with guilt without transformation.
The gospel: Jesus isn’t a scapegoat we blame—
He’s our Saviour who willingly carried sin to actually remove it.
We scapegoat to avoid responsibility—but Jesus took our sin to restore responsibility and relationship.

Romans 4:25 (TPT) “Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins (Propitiation) and was raised back to life to prove that he had made us right with God!" (Expiation)

In Jesus: Sin is condemned — Propitiation. Sin is removed — Expiation
Propitiation means God conquers all that is against you.
Expiation means your past is no longer attached to you.

1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Ephesians 3:1 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,…”

John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family… in another city.” — George Burns

Family is like fudge — mostly sweet with a few nuts.

Family is where life begins and laundry never ends.

Family: A bunch of people who share your DNA, your embarrassing childhood stories, and the exact same eye-roll when someone says “we need to talk.”

Family: A group of people who share the same genetics, annoying habits, and a collective inability to arrive anywhere on time.

Family: The people who know exactly how to push your buttons … because they installed them.

Family: A group that doesn’t have it all together, but together has it all.

Adam and Eve —Son Cain kills Abel.
Abraham and Sarah — Hagar 
Jacob — Multiple wives 12 sons WOW!
David — incredible king, failed father.
1 Kings 1:6 “Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, ‘Why are you doing that?’" 
Jesus — siblings who didn’t believe in Him at first.

Acts 21:8-9 “Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.”

2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT) “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”  
Generation Of Faith

Psychologists say the “emotional blueprint” for relationships, trust, and identity is built in a Childs first three years.
Neuroscience shows that during these years the brain forms over a million neural connections per second. Family interactions literally wire the brain.

Psalm 22:9-10 (NLT) “Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.”

Family doesn’t just raise children, it shapes how they experience reality.
In the first three years these three questions get answered:
Am I Safe?    Am I Valued?    Am I Loved?

Your starting line is not your finish line.
Your childhood may explain you, but it does not have to define you.
Family may write the first chapter of your story, but God writes the ending.

Psychologist Ann Masten in her book “Ordinary Magic: Resilience in Development”
People are resilient and often recover from early adversity when they have:
One supportive relationship. — A sense of purpose — Hope for the future

1. Know Who You Are
John 8:14 “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going;” You are unique. There is no one like you. Be yourself!

Jesus secured identity, resulted in confidence.
People who don’t know who they are:
Get offended easily. Compete constantly. Seek approval endlessly
An identity secure in Christ, allows you to stop needing everyone to validate you.

“The church preaches too much about who we aren’t. Knowing who you now are and Who lives in you is the key to Christian living.” Ryan Rufus

2. Practice Vulnerability
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”
Knowing who you are, where you come from and where you are going frees you to be present and authentic.

C. S. Lewis (The Four Loves) “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

3. Avoid Labelling People
People don’t appreciate Judgement or Assumptions.
We tell ourselves an average of 50 stories a day. We forget they are stories.

We tend to reduce people to labels.
difficult / lazy / dramatic / unreliable Labels freeze people in their worst moments.
God is always doing something bigger in people than what we see. Grace leaves room for growth.

4. Excel At Packaging
Colossians 3:14 “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”
Don’t be a brown paper bag. Add some bling to the presentation.

5. Practice Repair
Colossians 3:12-13 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

Conflict doesn’t damage relationships a lack of repair does.
Healthy relationships are not built on perfection, they are built on repair.

“The success or failure of a relationship depends largely on whether repair attempts are noticed and accepted.” John Gottman 
Repair moments:
    •    “I’m sorry.”
    •    “I didn’t mean that.”
    •    “Can we start over?”
    •    “I value you more than being right.”

Judges 11:2- 3 “'You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.’ Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob;”
Jephthah :— to open for oneself.
Tob :— to be good, be pleasing, be joyful, be beneficial, be pleasant, be favourable, be happy, be right.

Jesus didn’t come to start a perfect family. He came to restore a broken one.

1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

I love Impact church because its the first church ive stepped into & I wasnt judged. No one cared about my tattoos, my piercings. Everyone was so sweet & so welcoming to me. This made a huge impact on me. I was so worried about attending a church again because of my appearance. But no one cared - since that day, this has been the only church I follow! Ashley

“A substantial majority of Millennials (1981- 96) who don’t go to church say they see Christians as judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), anti-homosexual (91%) and insensitive to others (70%).”
“A study of people ages 16–29 in the United States found that nearly 90 percent of respondents articulated the opinion that Christians are Judgemental.” Barna Research 

When you Judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. Wayne Dyer

If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Mother Terresa

John 3:16-17 (NLT) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 1:29 (NLT) “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

2 Corinthians 6:19 (NLT) “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”

What is Jesus agenda for sinners?
Not to harm but to help. Not to judge but to justify.
Not to condemn but to convert. Not to hate on but to heal.

The Church is not called to be culture’s critic. The Church is called to be heaven’s government.
We are not called to criticize the world.
We are called to manifest a verdict that has already been rendered.

1. The Verdict Is In
The cross was heaven’s courtroom.  
The enemy doesn’t await defeat. He is operating under defeat.  
We are not trying to get victory. We are enforcing the victory.

John 12:31-32 “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 

John 16:7-11“I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict (Convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

2. The Flesh Messes It Up
The flesh sees behavior. The Spirit sees identity.
The flesh sees what someone did. The Spirit sees what Christ did.
The flesh magnifies sin. The Spirit magnifies the Saviour.

John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance (What you see), but judge with righteous judgment.” 
2 Corinthians 5:16 “From now on we regard no one according to the flesh.”

3. We Govern In Righteousness
Critics point fingers. Ambassadors open doors.
Condemnation announces failure. The gospel announces victory.
If our judgment doesn’t sound like reconciliation, it’s not righteous.

1 Corinthians 6:2 “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”
John 7:24 “… but judge with righteous judgment.” 

Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

When the Church governs like Jesus, chaos and brokenness meet Divine order.

Judges 6:11-24 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!’ Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles.’” …’Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?’ So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ 
…. Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”

John 8:6 “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.”
“Wrote” (katagraphein):— a compound word, to write against, as in framing an indictment. 
Just used once in the NT.

Jeremiah 17:13 “O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. ‘Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.”

Judgment is Love removing what is not Love.  

1 John 4:16-19 “We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. Love never brings fear, for fear is always related to punishment. But love’s perfection drives the fear of punishment far from our hearts. Whoever walks constantly afraid of punishment has not reached love’s perfection. Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us.”

1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

The American Bible Society’s 2025 State of the Bible report indicates that 45% of self-identified American Christians have not attended church in the past six months. Only 33% attend at least monthly.

Matthew 16:18 “I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Ephesians 1:22-23 “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Ephesians 3:10-11 “…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

Romans 16:3-5 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house”

Church (Ekklesia):— an assembly of people called out.
Two ways church is used: 1. Universal Church. 2. Local Church

Acts 20:7 “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”

Hebrews 10:25 (Message) “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.”

Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs — Belonging Is A Real Human Need!

I Gather For Three Reasons:
1. I Belong To God 2. I Belong At Impact Church. 3. I Belong On Purpose

1. I Belong To God
John 15:16-19 (NIV) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and… If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. …As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

Isaiah 56:2-5 (Message) “Make sure no outsider who now follows God ever has occasion to say, ‘God put me in second-class. I don’t really belong … ‘I’m damaged goods. I don’t really belong …”

2. I Belong At Impact
Psalm 92:13-14 “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,…”

Ephesians 2:19-20 (Message) “That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building.”

1 Corinthians 12:18, 20 “But now God has set (tithēmi:— to set, fix, establish) the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased … But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”

Wander and you waste.
Belong and you build.
We waste when we wander, what could have been built through belonging.
A consumer attends. A son builds.
When you know where you belong — hell loses its leverage.

3. I Belong On Purpose
1 Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Romans 12:6 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:…”

Belonging On Purpose Means:
1. I’m Known
2. I’m Unpacked
3. I Contribute
4. I’m Responsible
5. I Speak The Language

Acts 20:28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.”

Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

The House of God where you belong is not to contain you or constrict you but it is to strengthen you, protect you, and to give you value. 
A place that serves your specific purpose and brings out the best in you. 

The Kingdom does not ask you to attend. It asks you to awaken.
What you seek outwardly is waiting inwardly.
Begin where Jesus began — within. From there, all true gathering flows.

1 John 4:19 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
  A.W. Tozer (The Knowledge of the Holy)

Exodus 33:18 “And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’”
I need to know what makes you, you. God reveals himself.

Exodus 34:6-7 (NET) “The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…”

The Lord Yahweh:— Self Existent One, whatever I am, I will be. In other words, whatever this God is like, he’s that way consistently…24/7.” Whatever he is, he always is.

Colossians 1:15 (AMP) “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation.”

John 14:9 “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”

1 John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

John 13:23 “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Jesus Loves Me!!!

John 19:26-27 “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

Tertullian (The Prescription of Heretics) Spoke of John being publicly boiled in oil by Emperor Domitian at Rome and suffering nothing from it. It is said that all in the audience of the Colosseum were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle.

1 John 1:1-4 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”

1. Jesus Was God Manifest
John 1:14 (NLT) “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

John 1:18 (NLT) “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”
Jesus is the clear revelation of God! He was personally revealed to me.

2. We Experienced Him Fully
“we have heard” (akouō):— to attend to, consider what is or has been said, to understand, perceive the sense of what is said.
He didn’t talk like anyone else.    He turned things around.
He was gracious and kind.    He prayed to His Father.

“we have seen” (horaō) :— to stare at, to discern clearly, to see with the mind, to perceive, know.
He did some amazing things:
Turned water into wine. Fed thousands!!! Walked water and calmed storms. 
Miraculous catch of fish. Walked through walls.

“we have looked upon” (theaomai):—to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate, look with admiration.
Gave widow back her son. Restored Samaritan woman.
Touched lepers. Healed all comers! Loved sinners. Zacheaus 

“hands have handled” (psēlaphaō) :— to handle, touch and feel.
I used to lean on Him to eat. His hand fed me breakfast.
We jumped around together. He washed my feet!
Thomas touched his nail scared hand!

3. Enjoy The Same Fellowship
(koinōnia) :—intimacy, communion, joint participation, intercourse.
Be a part of the family of God. Enter complete union with the greatest community ever!
Forever experiencing UNOIN with CHRIST!!!

4. Be Overwhelmed With Joy
(chara) :— gladness, cheerfulness to experience exceeding great joy.
A living abiding relationship with Jesus will give you JOY on the inside that will never fail no matter what is happening in your life!!!

John isn’t arguing a doctrine — he’s inviting us into a relationship with his best friend.
Fellowship is not something you earn—it’s something you enter. 

Jesus totally manifest God. I have fully experienced Him.
You can have the same intimacy. It will fill you with great JOY!!!

Come on and join the family!!! 

Matthew 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth.”

SALT
See As Jesus - Value

Accept As Jesus - Where they are

Love As Jesus - Unconditional

Touch As Jesus - Transformational

Matthew 4:19
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you ______________.’”
Circle the right answer below.
Spiritual     Kinder      Richer 
Smarter     Stronger   Generous 
Religious   Fishers Of Men

Acts 1:8
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be _______________…”
NOT my prosecutors.
NOT my defence.
MY WITNESSES … tell people your story.

Followers Fish!!!
Worshippers Witness!!!

Mark 16:15
“Jesus said to his followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.’”

Called to IMPACT your world!
The Process:
1. Aware
2. Share
3. Prayer
4. Care

 1. Aware
Identify My Sphere:

A. My People
Mark 5:19 “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

B. My Place
Acts 17:26-27
“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him…”

C. My Passion
Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Coffee / Bowling / Knitting / Golf

2. Share
Romans 10:13-14 “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” 

Impact My Sphere 
A. My Mannor
Colossians 4:5-6 “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live,…”

B. My Moments 
Psalm 37:23 (NLT)
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Proverbs 16:9
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

C. My Message
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,…”

Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

“Evangelism is helping people discover how God is already at work in their lives.” 
  Sam Williams 

3. Prayer
Pray The WORD!
Father Draw Them  
John 6:44  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Blindness Must Go  
2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Encounter Believers  
Matthew 9:38 (NLT)
“So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Give Understanding  
Ephesians 1:17
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

Personal encounter  
Romans 8:15
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”

4. Care
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT)
“I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. … Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.  I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.”

Luke 19:5 (NCV)
“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I must stay at your house today.”
This guy was the biggest outcast in their culture. Chief Tax Collector.
He climbed a tree to see Jesus!!!
Tree climbers are all around you!
Be Aware - Share - Prayer - Care

Sermon Series: “Unfiltered” Sermon #4 “Soul Prosperity”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

3 John 2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 

John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

 Galatians 5:1 (AMP) “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].” (NLT ) “Now make sure that you stay free…”

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your
very existence is an act of rebellion.” Albert Camus

Jesus is the one and only LIBERATOR. 
He has brought freedom back to man and through this new man (Church — Body Of Christ), aligned with His headship, He has brought freedom to the cosmos.

Ephesians 1:22-23 “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Walking in the Spirit isn’t trying to be a good person — It’s walking in the Spirit.

Ephesians 4:23-24 “...be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Creation is designed to be structured under human dominion.
If I am dominated, through my senses, by this broken world, I can never exercise dominion.
Adam didn’t lose his religion, he lost his right to RULE!

Will You Accept Your Assignment?

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Twoedged:— (distomos) from two words, twice and mouth. 
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” 

Watchman Nee. “A MAN’S WILL is his organ for decision-making. To want or not to want, to choose or not to choose are the typical operations of the will. It is his ‘helm’ by which he sails upon the sea of life. The will of a man can be taken as his real self, for it truthfully represents him.”

Your will is the door between your spirit and all other aspects of your life. 
You must be active attendant of that door. The enemy is after your will. 
He wants you to walk in agreement with him. He wants you to live independently of God.

John 4:34 “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’”
John 8:29 “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”  

Psalm 32:8-9 (NLT) “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you (with my eye) along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.’”

Ephesians 5:17-18 (AMP) “Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.  Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.”

Job 11:12 (NASB) “An idiot will become intelligent When a wild donkey is born a human.”
{Message) “Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up about the same time mules learn to talk.”

Jesus in Gethsemane is having the full human experience. 
Matthew 26:36-41 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me…The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." 
Luke 22:41-44 “…And being in anguish,… and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground….”  
Mark 14:34-36 “…Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Three Scriptures:
Psalm 27:8 “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’”
Two mouthed sword. 

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB) “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, … work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.”

“Work out” (katergazomai) :— to bring something to completion, to carry out to full expression, to realize or manifest what is already present.

God creates the desire, the inclination, the "want to." God enables the “to do.” 
He supplies the power, energy, and ability to carry out what He has made us desire.
This is not self-powered effort. It's grace-enabled obedience. God is the source of both the willing and the doing.

We genuinely choose, we genuinely obey, we genuinely "will" and "do"—yet none of it originates from our unaided strength. 
God Himself is GRACIOUSLY at work in us, producing both the willingness and the power, all for His good pleasure.

Your will is linked in the soul realm to your conscious mind and your subconscious mind.
Conscious mind — The Thinker
Subconscious mind — Store House and Auto pilot

Conscious mind plants seeds — Through thoughts, focus, words, and decisions.
Subconscious mind grows habits — Through repetition, emotion, and experience
What’s repeated + emotionally charged becomes “normal” The subconscious treats it as truth

Conscious mind = steering wheel. Subconscious mind = engine
Renewal of the mind is conscious. Transformation of behaviour flows from the subconscious.

Caroline Leaf — “The Gift In You” 143 “…an attitude is a cluster of thoughts with an emotional flavour, and every type of emotion has one of two roots — love or fear. Love and fear are the root emotions, and all other emotions grow from these. … these two cannot coexist, that at any one moment we will be operating in one or the other.”

Caroline Leaf “The Gift Ib You” 146 “Science is showing that there is a massive ‘unlearning’ of negative toxic thoughts when we operate in love. The brain releases a chemical called oxytocin which literally melts away the negative toxic thought clusters so that rewiring new non-toxic thoughts. … Love literally wipes out fear. 

5 Ways To Confront Toxic Clusters
1. Action
I can’t run … I can’t lift … I can’t do math … I can’t speak … I can’t hear God
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

2. Mentoring
A trusted source. That person has unfiltered access to your subconscious mind.
For better, for worse. Good person!
Philppians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”

3. Belief System
This information will go directly to your subconscious mind, program it and turn to solid beliefs.
“Your mind is trying to catch up with what your spirit already knows.” Caroline Leaf 

4. Meditation
The subconscious mind learns by repetition and not by logic. Adding strong belief to what you focus on and it will have more impact. Develop A Mindset

5. Love
“Love literally wipes out fear.” C. Leaf 
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Psalm 35:9 “And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation.” 

Creation is designed to be structured under human dominion.
If I am dominated, through my senses, by this broken world, I can never exercise dominion.
Adam didn’t lose his religion, he lost his right to RULE!

“…it becomes the devil’s business to keep the Christian’s spirit imprisoned. (POW) He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been raised up out of the grave of his sins … Satan works that much harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in our own grave clothes.” A.W. Tozer

Seems like the church has fallen prey to a form of Stockholm syndrome. 
(A coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation.) The enemy has lied to us and berated us for so long we develop a fallen mindset to cope with the trauma.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense (ADAM) death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

The life source has changed. God did not improve us, he recreated, refathered us. 
Our life now proceeds from a new origin, renewed and animated by the Spirit of God Himself.

Matthew 11:28-30 (Message) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Acts 15:10 (MSG) “So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too?”

Jesus teachings are EASY.
Jesus is not looking for servants to send from Him. He is releasing sons from within Him.
This passage doesn’t end with work to do. It ends with life to express.

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

James 1:21-22 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness (kakia), and receive with meekness the implanted (Inborn) word (logos), which is able to save your souls (psychē). But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Twoedged:— (distomos) from two words, twice and mouth. 
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” 

Jeremiah 1:9-10 “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.’”  

Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP) “Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.” 

The gospel does not begin by telling us what to do—it begins by telling us who we are.
Right identity produces right behaviour.

1 John 3:1 (NASB) “See (Behold) how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are.”

Romans 8:29-30 (Message) “God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”

Matthew 3:17, 4:3 “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God,…”

“Our works don’t come from pressure to please God, but from the peace of the promise that He is already pleased.” D. R. Silva

Revelation 12:10-11 “…for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

“Accuser” (Kategoreo) :-- to accuse before a judge: to make an accusation of an extra-judicial form.
Categorize:-- to arrange in categories or classes; classify, to describe by labeling or giving a name to; characterize.

Genesis 3:8-11 “Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ …
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Guilt:— I did something wrong. Shame:— I am wrong, broken (identity)

Eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil infected in their consciousness with a deep sense of inadequacy,
I don’t measure up. I’m worthy of death. The soul of man has been framed by the failure of Adam. 
Man was infected with an innate fear of God that makes us want to hide instead of run to him.

1 John 4:18 (NLT) “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

“You can’t fix what you’re doing wrong until you understand who you are.” Jordan Peterson

“The more you know who you are in Christ, the less you will strive to be someone you’re not.”
  Craig Groeschel
Secure identity produces healthy behaviour.

Exodus 6:30 NLT. “But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?””

Exodus 7:1 NLT “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.’”

Judges 6:12-14 NLT “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!' ‘Sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say,
‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.’ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’”

John 1:42 “And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).”

Matthew 16:18-19 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;”

Isaiah 51:1 (Message) “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living and committed to seeking God. Ponder (LOOK) the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were dug.” You become what you behold.

For the best version of you to come into manifestation you must align yourself with where you came from. I am a child of God!

“We don't have a sin problem. We have a problem with beauty and majesty. We don't realize how beautiful we are to God and how majestic His love is towards us.” Graham Cooke

Expressed Union

Creation is designed to be structured under human dominion.
If I am dominated, through my senses, by this broken world I can never exercise dominion.
Adam didn’t lose his religion, he lost his right to RULE!

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 
“If the believer does not discern his own spirit he invariably is ignorant of how to commune with God in the Spirit. He easily substitutes his own thought or emotions of the soul for the work of the Spirit. Thus he confines himself to the outer realm unable ever to reach the Spiritual realm.”

“If the believer does not discern his own spirit he invariably is
ignorant of how to commune with God in the Spirit. He easily
substitutes his own thought or emotions of the soul for the
work of the Spirit. Thus he confines himself to the outer realm
unable ever to reach the Spiritual realm.” Watchman Nee

“…it becomes the devil’s business to keep the Christian’s spirit
imprisoned. (POW)

He knows that the believing and justified Christian has been
raised up out of the grave of his sins … Satan works that much
harder to keep us bound and gagged, actually imprisoned in
our own grave clothes.” A.W. Tozer

“Sense knowledge has gained supremacy over Christianity and dominates it. Civilization has failed because
the type of Christianity we have given it has failed. It was a sense-ruled type that was stripped of miracles.”
E. W. Kenyon

Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 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.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s
children.”

John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is
old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be
born?”Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to
you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from
and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 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.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s
children.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart.”

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a
second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it
goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Luke 18:18,21 “Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’
… “And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’”

John 6:28-29 “They replied, ‘We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?’ Jesus told them,
This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.’”

1 Peter 1:23 (NET) “You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed (parentage),
through the living and enduring word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23 (Message) “Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your
new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! “

Peters gospel is NOT you need to behave properly. He is telling them they need to align with their true
IDENTITY. Adam is no longer the governing head of humanity.

The life source has changed. God did not improve us, he recreated, refathered us.
Our life now proceeds from a new origin, renewed and animated by the Spirit of God Himself.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart.”

1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the
brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,”

1 Peter 2:11 (NKJV) “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war
against the soul,”

James 1:21-22 “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness (kakia), and receive with
meekness the implanted (Inborn) word (logos), which is able to save your souls (psychē). But be doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Matthew 11:27-30 (AMP)
“…and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son,
and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give
you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].
Take My yoke (teaching) upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble
in heart, and (renewal, blessed quiet) . For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (Message) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with
me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything
heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Religion:— from the latin root word (religare) a return to bondage. Fear based performance.
Religion:— You have to DO one more thing do be perfect.

Acts 15:10 (NLT) “So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that
neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?:”

Acts 15:10 (MSG) “So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules
that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too?”

Jesus teachings are __________.

Jesus teachings are EASY.

Matthew 5:43-44, 48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,…
… Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
That’s easy!!!

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

The Response Jesus Expects:
1. That’s Impossible
2. I Surrender
3. I Trust You
4. I Rest In Your Abiding Presence

This is not a call to enlist.
It’s an announcement of our UNION.
• Authority is shared, not awaited
• Sonship is identity formation, not rule training (Discipleship)
• Commands are entrusted realities, not performance standards
• Presence is indwelling, not postponed

Jesus is not looking for servants to send from Him.
He is releasing sons from within Him.
This passage doesn’t end with work to do.
It ends with life to express.

Creation is designed to be structured under human dominion.
If I am dominated, through my senses, by this broken world, I can never exercise dominion.
Adam didn’t lose his religion, he lost his right to RULE!

“Re-fathered”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole
spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is
faithful, who also will do it.”

“If the believer does not discern his own spirit he invariably is ignorant of how to commune with God in the Spirit. He easily substitutes his own thought or emotions of the soul for the work of the Spirit. Thus he confines himself to the outer realm unable ever to reach the Spiritual realm.” Watchman Nee

Proverbs 20:27 (AMPC) “The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from
God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.”

Ephesians 3:16 “… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with
might through His Spirit in the inner man, ”

Proverbs 18:14 "The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit
who can raise up or bear?.”

Proverbs 25:28 "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls."
Jesus exercised His spirit.

Luke 2:40 “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was
upon Him.”

Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 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.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s
children.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart.”

John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a
second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it
goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Acts 2:40 “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved (Rescued) from this
perverse generation.’” skol-ee-os' ghen-eh-ah’:— crooked beggeting or birth.

Peters gospel is NOT you need to behave properly.
He is telling them they need to align with their true IDENTITY.
Adam is no longer the governing head of humanity.

Titus 3:4-6 “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christour Savior,”

1 Peter 1:23 (NET) “You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed (parentage), through the living and enduring word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23 (Message). “Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! “

INCARNATION — When Jesus, God, took on a body, he married himself to the human race. (UNION)
He gave the human body a new head, therefore changing their genes from head to toe. So God now is the biological father of all of humanity.

REGENERATION:— Reproduction or reconstitution of a lost or injured part. New Genes
GREEK WORD:— “paliggenesía” (from/pálin, “again, new" and /génesis, "birth, beginning") properly, the
coming of new birth because of regeneration. Being refathered, remastered.

1 Corinthians 15:22 (NKJV) “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

1 Corinthians 15:22 (Message) “There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.”

Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense (ADAM) death reigned through the one, much more those whoreceive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (Message) “We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, theLast Adam is a life-giving Spirit. Physical life comes first, then spiritual—a firm base shaped from the earth, a final completion coming out of heaven. The First Man was made out of earth, and people since then are earthy; the Second Man was made out of heaven, and people now can be heavenly. In the same way that we’ve worked from our earthy origins, let’s embrace our heavenly ends.”

The life source has changed.
God did not improve us, he recreated, refathered us.
Our life now proceeds from a new origin, renewed
and animated by the Spirit of God Himself.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (AMPC) “However, brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [unable to talk yet!] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough [to be ready
for it]; but even yet you are not strong enough [to be ready for it],
For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses].”

Welcome to Day ten. Thanks for doing this prayer initiative. 2026 is year where the LIFE of God is pressing in. Harvest in every area of your life. God is restless and He is stirring His people for His name sake.

To embrace all God desires for you demands a clear revelation of His amazing GRACE!

David Edwards
“Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.”

Mercy paid the debt and grace has made me rich!

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones 
“When you preach grace, unless your conscience accuses you of license you haven’t preached grace.”

The parallel Paul makes: Adam's sin is passed on to us because we were in him, Christ's righteousness is passed on to us because we are in him. 
Two types of people: (1.) In Adam and (2.) In Christ … Where are you?

Romans 5:12-21 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — (For ...so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

What is God going to do with all of these bad copies? How does He deal with all those born in Adam?

Here is Gods solution:

2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

We don’t have a SIN problem we have a birth problem.
By grace through faith you have been born again. Remastered! 
John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

Romans 6:10-11
“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:17
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:20
“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,…” 
Huperperisseuo: hyper — where we get the english word “hyper” and Perisseuo — where we get the english word “abound” Biblical grace is Hyper Abounding Grace! }

Titus 2:11-12 (AMP)
“For the grace of God (His unmerited favor and blessing) has come forward (appeared) for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind. It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world,”

Titus 3:4-6
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and 
renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

REGENERATION: Reproduction or reconstitution of a lost or injured part. New Genes

GREEK WORD: “paliggenesía” (from/pálin, "again" and /génesis, "birth, beginning") – properly, the coming of new birth because "born again"; regeneration. Being refathered, remastered.

We just finished examining the wonderful doctrine of INCARNATION. When Jesus, God, took on a body, he married himself to the human race. He recapitulated, re-headed, like literally gave the human body a new head, therefore changing their genes from head to toe. So God now is the biological father of all of humanity.

Let me finish with a few insights on grace from Jeff Turner — Sound Of Awakening Ministries
Top 3 Signs That You've Fallen "Prey" To a "Hyper Grace" Message:

Here it goes...

Ready..?

Sign # 1 - You find yourself overwhelmingly in love with a God whom you formerly felt distant and separated from, and now find prayer and studying the scriptures to be a most enjoyable treat. 

Sign # 2 - You now effortlessly love others and see them through the lens of the finished work of Christ. You were once unable to conjure up such feelings of compassion and love, but after having seen God's love for you, they began to supernaturally burn in your heart towards others.

Sign # 3 - You find yourself wholly disinterested in the sinful lifestyle you once secretly carried on while in the clutches of man made religion. Godly living is no longer an exercise in exhaustion, but is as natural as the unconscious blinking of the eyelids. You now know a consistent inward victory, despite having good and bad days. You are confident in your salvation, and know that you are safe and sound in Daddy's arms.

Well, there you have them folks . . . the top 3 signs that you've fallen "prey" to a "Hyper Grace" message. As you can see, this fast spreading doctrine is very dangerous, and is doing a lot of damage to the body of Christ. Beware! (Copious amounts of sarcasm intended)

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

Pray for a rich revelation of GRACE to baptize the Body Of Christ.

Pray for all the misrepresentation of God that exist to be cast down. Pray that God is represented accurately. Jesus is perfect theology.

Pray for your brothers and sisters in the Body to see God’s Grace impacting every area of their lives. 

Pray for Grace to be the lens through which we see others. See every person as worthy of God’s great grace.

On this tenth day of the New Year personally embrace the full measure of His grace for yourself. Don’t be surprised … it will result in a much more wonder filled day!!!

Welcome to day nine of 10 Days of Prayer.

We should always pray for those in authority. Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” 
Quite an image. The heart of a leader is in the hand of the Lord. The Lord has great influence over leaders.

This verse gives clear direction and hold wonderful promise.
1 Timothy 2:1-3
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Direction:
Pray for everyone with all forms of prayer. 
He specifically says to pray for leaders. Some translations say “especially" leaders.

Promise:
We will then live a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
It is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour. 
A climate is prepared for the true to be shared and many to be saved.

In the time of this direction given to Timothy he would have been asked to pray for some very corrupt and pagan leaders. But his obedience to pray would gain these results.

If we pray for our leaders we will get these results. Who our leaders are is never the problem. A leaders heart is in the hand of God. We only have problems when we do not commit ourselves to pray for our leaders.

PRAY FOR CHURCH LEADERS

We need to pray for those who lead the church.

Jesus requested support for himself from his disciples. Matthew 26:38 “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” They instead fell asleep. Even Jesus, the Son of God, sought support in His mission.

The Apostle Paul asked for prayer support for His heaven sent mission.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 “FURTHERMORE, BRETHREN, do pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may speed on (spread rapidly and run its course) and be glorified (extolled) and triumph, even as [it has done] with you,…”      

Colossians 4:3 “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:…”      

Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,…”              

1 Corinthians 16:9 “For a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] many adversaries.”

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Follow this progression with me:
Paul asks for prayer so that he a door of utterance would be opened for the revelation he was given. 
Then he asked that utterance would be given to him and that he would speak with boldness.
Then he says a wide door has been opened to him.
Then he says his preaching was accompanied by the power of God.

We should follow this same pattern:
Lets pray open a door of utterance.
Let’s pray utterance may given with bold proclamation.
Let’s pray for a demonstration of power to accompany the 
                                                
We must pray for a wide door to be opened to us to go through and declare the word the Lord has given us with a demonstration of the power of God!!!

Our prayer will open the door to the prevailing word of God. 

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

1. Pray for all with all prayer. Let the Lord direct you right now. There may be a specific intercession He desires you to make. A sudden encounter with a situation where god calls you to make the difference by standing in the gap.

2. Pray for our National, Provincial and Municipal leaders: 
 Prime Minister Carney     Premiere Ford      Mayor 

3. Pray for those who lead the church. Pray for the Pastors and leaders in the city of London.

4. Pray for Pastor Karl and Cheryl and our local leaders. Pray for Cheryl those who lead in ACC. 

Today I am encouraging you with a few quotes I’ve gathered on praying for the harvest.

A genuine vision of ETERNITY will include your neighbour.

John 4:34-35 (The Message)
“Jesus said, ‘The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!’"

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.”

Luke 10:2
“He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.’”

If we don’t pray, we serve no purpose in God’s framework of eternity. Charles Stanley

My own conversion is the result of prayer; long, affectionate, earnest, and importunate. Parents prayed for me; God heard their cries, and here I am to preach the Gospel. Charles H. Spurgeon

God has no greater controversy with His people today than this, that with boundless promises to believing prayer, there are so few who actually give themselves unto intercession A.T. Pierson

Perhaps there are no conversions in our churches because we have not seen how impossible it is for the non-Christian mind to believe. It is only when God opens their hearts to understand the message of Christ that they can accept Him. Hearts will be made receptive only as we pray. 
Hearts are prepared to receive the message of Christ through prayer. The gospel is eternal and spiritual in nature. Man in his natural, fallen state cannot comprehend such a message; it is foreign to his natural state of being. Therefore, we must pray that their spiritual eyes be opened. Sammy Tippit   

God alone can save the world, but God cannot save the world alone. God and man unite for the task, the response of the divine being invariably in proportion to the desire and the effort of the human. This cooperation, then, being necessary, what is the duty which we, as co-workers with God, are required to undertake? First of all, and most important of all - the point which we desire particularly to emphasize – we must give ourselves to prayer. E.M. Bounds

Some have zealously used truth to convert men, and laid very little stress on prayer. They have preached, and talked, and distributed tracts with great zeal, and then wondered that they had so little success. And the reason was that they forgot to use the other branch of the means, effectual prayer. They overlooked the fact that truth, by itself, will never produce the effect, without the Spirit of God, and that the Spirit is given in answer to prayer. Charles Finney 

Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the Kingdom. If you may have everything by asking in His name and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is. 
Charles Spurgeon

The heart of God hungers to redeem the world. For that He placed in human hands the mightiest of all forces-prayer, that we might become partners with Him….There is no thing we need so much as to learn to pray.
The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is to pray. It is not the only thing. But is the chief thing….you can do more than pray, after you have prayed. But you can not do more than pray until you have prayed. S.D Gordon  

Intercessory prayer is the Christian’s most effective weapon. Nothing can withstand its power. It will do things when all else has failed. And the marvel is that we turn to other agencies in order to accomplish what only prayer can bring to pass. God has placed this mighty weapon in our hands, and He expects us to use it. How disappointed He must be when we lay aside and substitute natural means for supernatural work. Oswald J. Smith 

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for. Charles Spurgeon 

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

Pray for the Harvest.
Pray the Lord of the harvest send out labourers.
Pray for our “UNFILTERED” series, that many would come to salvation.
Pray that believers would have a passion for God to invade their circle of friends.
Pray for more volunteers to work in our discipleship program, kids church.
Pray for growth and expansion and influence for Impact Church.
Pray for the London to be filled with the Goodness (GLORY) of God.
Pray for for our small groups to be harvest vehicles. 

Tonight we will be have a corporate prayer meeting at the church at 7:00PM

I want to look at the power of corporate prayer from this prayer meeting in Acts 12:1-19

“What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.” R M McCheyne

“The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.” Andrew Murray

Pray (merriam-webster) 
: to speak to God especially in order to give thanks or to ask for something
: to hope or wish very much for something to happen
: to seriously ask (someone) to do something

Pray:— 4336 proseúxomai (from 4314 /prós, "towards, exchange" and 2172/euxomai, "to wish, pray") – properly, to exchange wishes; pray – literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion”).

My Definition:
Prayer is constantly ABIDING in Him and ASKING for the things He reveals to come into manifestation with great ASSURANCE that it will come to pass because you have AUTHORITY in His Name to execute each of His ASSIGNMENTS.

Together creating an environment for God to move mightily upon people hearts and lives.
People need to encounter God!
We will be a people of the manifest presence of God!
Supernatural Happens When We Exercise Corporate Prayer.

Acts 12:1-19
The early church was growing and expanding. Powerful demonstrations of God were in abundance. The enemy wants to put an end to things before they get started. James is killed. Peter is kept in prison. They intend to kill him ... 

“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Acts 12:5 

They engaged heaven which resulted in a miraculous deliverance. 

“Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.” Acts 12:7

The doorway between adversity and victory is called, “but prayer.”

5 Observations 

1. Bad Stuff Happens To Good People
vs. 2,3 “he killed James…arrested Peter…”
None of us are immune form attacks and trials in this life. 

2. We Are Never Helpless
Psalm. 91:15 “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him.”
We have a recourse in a time of trouble. 

3. We Have Responsibilities
vs. 5 “but constant prayer was offered by the church”
a. United -- the church
b. Passionate -- earnestly
c. Persistent -- continued
d. Directive -- for him
e. Courageous -- but

4. We Have A Rescuer 
Psalm 91:14 “The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.”
Heaven is ready to act for us.

5. Our Enemies Will Be Destroyed
vs. 23 “…angel of the Lord smote him…”
Psm. 68:1-4 (NLT) “Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate God run for their lives. Blow them away like smoke. Melt them like wax in a fire. Let the wicked perish in the presence of God. But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy. Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence!”

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

Invite the Holy Spirit to lead us in a united time of prayer. Declare unity of heart and purpose.

Declare confidence in God’s presence in trouble. Thank Him in advance for deliverance.

Name people, families, leaders, situations, and needs
Pray intentionally, not generally. Speak breakthrough, release, healing, and freedom. Name people, families, leaders, situations, and needs … They specifically were praying for Peter and his release.

Declare chains breaking (fear, addiction, oppression, delay). Speak freedom over God’s people.
Command this to shift because you are authorized to do so.

Declare the defeat of spiritual opposition. Rejoice because we have what we have asked for.

Thank God for what He has already begun. Invite continued encounters with His presence.
Pray that testimonies will follow this night.

“We declare that the doorway between adversity and victory is “but prayer.”
We have prayed in the manifest presence of God.
And we will see heaven invade earth—in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

A dreamless life is a dangerous thing! 
Donʼt be a dreamer be possessed by a dream. 
No hope in the future means no power in the present. 

You must have a dream! 
   
Albert Einstien “Imagination is More important than knowledge.”

Imagination doesnʼt look for evidence it looks for opportunity. 
What God is calling you to do does not even exist yet. Donʼt look for affirmation ... no one gets it. People with imagination get excited over nothing!!! 
   

God has an amazing plan for your life. 
Jeremiah 29-11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” 
   
Tommy Barnett
Looking back over all your years of ministry what would you do different? “I would dream bigger and I would risk more!” 
   
Genesis 37-5 “Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.” 

You must have a dream! 

His brothers tried to kill his dream. 

I love this story of the disciples commanded to CROSSOVER to the other side. God is sending us into a new year and we are going to step into a season where “immediately the people recognized Him’”

We decree blessing, fruitfulness, and increase over our church, families, and city.
We receive the promise of Deuteronomy 7:14
“He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.”  

Increase in every area entrusted to us. We will lack nothing needed to fulfill God’s purpose.

Crossover Declaration
Together we declare:
We are crossing over.
The wind is behind us.
The storm has not disqualified us.
Jesus is in the boat.
The Kingdom is advancing.
2026 will be a year of rest, revelation, healing, and authority.

TEXT: Mark 6:45-56 
 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not. understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well

Observations From Text: 
1. Jesus Made Them Go 
“...made His disciples get into the boat and go...” vs. 45 
“Anagkazo”:-- to drive, compel or constrain , by force, threats

2. Devil Will Oppose You 
“...straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.” vs48
Tries to force you out of your destiny.
The devil sends winds of adversity. He tries to take your focus off of God and His word. Winds can cause total exhaustion and lack of focus. We tend to overcompensate.

Uses windy words! ---- cancer, divorce, layed off, recession, 
The battle is never for the present it is about your future.

Your mind has to process 100 million bits of information per second. It filters out about 98% The remaining 2% is analyzed and your conscious is presented with an average of 7 bits per second.

3. You’re Never Out Of Sight 
“Then He saw them...” vs 48
His eye is on the sparrow... Nothing can separate you from His love. 
You never leave His hand.

4. He Comes Unexpectedly
 “...fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea...” vs 48
Not from where you expected.
Not when you expected. 
Not how you expected.

5. You Must Engage Him 
“...and would have passed them by.” vs 48 
Everything you need is already yours.
You have to engage Him by faith.

6. Experience The Miraculous 
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” vs 50 (NKJV) 
“Take heart! I AM! Stop being alarmed and afraid.” (AMP) 
I am what ever you need! Speak to the storm!
vs. 52 “For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.”
Their capacity to receive revelation was compromised.

7. Realize Your Destiny
 “...immediately the people recognized Him, ...And as many as touched Him were made well.” vs 54-56 
Overcome your storm. People will see Jesus. You will release the Kingdom

Deuteronomy 7:14
“He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.”

Take a read. This is good stuff. You need to have a working revelation of what is going on when we participate in the body and the blood of there Lord. Celebrate our common union through the finished work of the cross.

Pray for the church to have am ongoing working knowledge of healing.

Pray for Pastor Cheryl as she assumes the leadership of the “The Apostolic Church In Canada.”

Pray for a working knowledge of the finished work of the cross to be clear in our fellowship.

Pray for the LOVE of one another to be tangible in our community. One Body. One Loaf. One Lord. One Love!!!

When there is a passage in the bible that tells us why people are ill it behooves us to give it strong attention. 1Corinthians 11:30 says, “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (or are dead).” WOW! What is the reason for MANY in the body of Christ being ill? Here’s the full passage:

1 Corinthians 11:23, 27-30 (NKJV) “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: … Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For he who eats and drinks [g]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.”

Paul did not receive this revelation form others. It wasn’t a history lesson from those who attended the last supper. He was taken up in the Spirit and received face to face revelation from Jesus Himself. 

The reason many in the body of Christ are sick is because they don’t discern the Lord’s Body. They don’t have clear revelation on the purpose of Jesus giving His Body for us and the role that played on our behalf.

“not discerning”:— greek word “diakrino” to be at variance with, to withdraw from, to separate one's self in a hostile spirit, to oppose 

The physical damage that happened to Jesus’ body is a provision for our own physical healing and wholeness.
Just as the shedding of Jesus’ blood has brought about the remission of sin, restoring a right relationship with the Father, the breaking of Jesus’ body is the provision for removing sickness and disease from our own bodies.  

When we partake of the bread element of communion we must do it in a manner that expects the revelation of health and healing to be manifest. To not expect healing and health to manifest when we partake of the bread is to withdraw and separate ourselves from the provision of Christ’s body. Therefore many are weak, sick and dead.

The New Living Translation’s translation of Isaiah 53:4-5
“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.”

REMEMBER TODAY THAT HIS BODY WAS GIVEN FOR YOU!!!
  
Luke 22:19-20 “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.ʼ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the 
new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.ʼ” 

“The blood and the Spirit always bear testimony together. Where the blood is honored in faith or preaching, there the Spirit works; ... He always leads souls to the blood. The Holy Spirit could not be given until the blood was shed. The living bond between the Spirit and the blood cannot be broken.” Andrew Murray

“The Holy Spirit never brings condemnation He always reveals the blood.” Smith Wigglesworth 

Oct 14, 2014 ABC NEWS “Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly has donated the plasma in his blood to three patients in the last month, echoing what one of his former patients did for him before he left Liberia.”

Dr. Brantley went over with the organization “Samaritans Purse” and was working with those who had been quarantined with the virus. He became ill with the virus … was given a transfusion from a 14 year old boy who had overcome the virus before he was shipped back to the states. He overcame the virus as well!

Dr William Schaffner “…an Ebola survivor's blood can be imported into struggling Ebola patient's body, those antibodies can theoretically help the patient's immune system fight off the deadly virus. What those antibodies do is bind to the virus. They find the virus and bind to it and prevent it from multiplying further.”

“Here's how it works: When confronted with a virus, the immune system creates antibodies to specifically target that virus, kill it and keep it from coming back, he said. Once a person has antibodies, they stay in their blood for life.”

Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist:
“Towards the end of each battle to stop an infection, some T-cells and B-cells turn into Memory T-cells and Memory B-cells. As you would expect from their name, these cells remember the virus or bacteria they just fought.

These cells live in the body for a long time, even after all the viruses from the first infection have been destroyed.  They stay in the ready-mode to quickly recognize and attack any returning virus or bacteria.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, … , through the blood of the everlasting covenant,  make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Colossians 1:20-22 “...having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight...” 

Hebrews 10:2, 10, 18 “For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins …  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified … Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Cheryl Thomas “I love that the word says that the blood speaks. It says, ‘…the sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.’ (Hebrews 12:24) It always speaks. The word doesn’t say it spoke and done, but it speaks. It remains a plea on the mercy…” 

“…seat in heaven with God and it’s a testimony to us. The blood has a voice. It is the voice of a new system, a new covenant, a new dispensation. Abels blood cries out for vengeance and Christ’s blood speaks of pardon.”

Isaiah 43:26 “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted.”

Isaiah 43 25-26 (LB) “ I, yes, I alone am he who blots away your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Oh, remind me of this promise of forgiveness, for we must talk about your sins. Plead your case for my forgiving you.”

The blood will speak by the power of the Spirit to every circumstance in your life!!!
You just have to agree with the proceeding word by getting it on your mouth.
The blood will position you for constant victory!

Revelation 12:10-11 “…who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

I Plead The Blood!
His Blood Remembers His: Surrender Obedience Righteousness Victory
When sin or sickness try to encroach the Blood of Jesus is activated by your voice to bind and eliminate the attack. 

Covenant – a solemn agreement between two parties for the purposes of creating and maintaining a successful relationship.
You donʼt take communion, you receive communion. 

Lords Table – Remember Me! 
Not a call to commiserate his suffering or our sin, but a call to commemorate His triumph. 
“It is finished!” Eucharist:-- gratitude, thanks/grace  

There are things God wants to bring into manifestation today, in you, in your world and in the world at large that demand your partnership. “We have not because we ask not.” 

“Prayer is essentially a partnership of the redeemed child with God. Working hand in hand with God towards the realization of His redemptive purposes in the earth.” Jack Hayford

Acts 2:18-19 “I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show”  

Isaiah 48:6-7 “…I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things [kept in reserve] which you have not known. They are created now [called into being by the prophetic word],…”

There has always been a special relationship between heaven and earth. God has chosen the earth to be home for His man and to be a cosmic theatre for manifestation of His glory. The garden was a transplant of the flora of heaven. Man is the deposit of the seed of God in the earth to fulfill His purpose.

Jesus taught His disciple to pray, “Let your kingdom come let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) This prayer was answered, not fully manifest yet, when the breathe of heaven as a violent tempest blast hit the upper room. Holy Spirit came. The kingdom of God came in all of its power and glory.

Isaiah 33:5-6 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells (SEATED) on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. 

Matthew 13:11-12 "He replied, 'You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely."

 1 Corinthians 1:4-5 (TPT)  “I am always thanking my God for you because he has given you such free and open access to his grace through your union with Jesus, the Messiah. 5 In him you have been made extravagantly rich in every way. You have been endowed with a wealth of inspired utterance[a] and the riches that come from your intimate knowledge of him.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying right now and declare it into expression. Call into manifestation the revelation that is being poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit. We are not victims, we are more than conquerors. Open your mouth and put some super on your natural.

PRAYER DIRECTIVE:

Lord touch my mouth. Lets pray open a door of utterance. Let’s pray utterance may given with bold proclamation. Let’s pray for a demonstration of power to accompany the word. 

We pray for the churches in the IMPACT network!!! 

We command everyone in our Impact world to be well.
We pray for the many transitions happening in the New Year — School, Jobs, New Beginnings 

Our small groups are going to cause our fellowship to explode. So many new relationships will be forged and many more invited into this wonderful IMPACT world.

We thank you for access to all spiritual blessing. Give us bold faith to enter in and manifest every blessed opportunity to extend your kingdom!!! 

“God does nothing on earth except in response to believing prayer.” John Wesley

No Prayer — No define influence in the affairs of earth.

You don’t pray — God’s influence in your life is limited.

“Something supernatural takes place when you pray for an hour.” Dr. Cho

“The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” F. B. Myer 

“Prayer is our most formidable weapon; the thing which makes all else we do efficient.” E. M. Bounds 

“The less I pray, the harder it gets; the more I pray the better it goes.” Martin Luther 

James 5:16
“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” 

Prayer is the highest active law of all because it can supersedes all others.

God is good at delegation. He has given man responsibility for the affairs of earth. He won’t interfere unless He is invited.

Genesis 1:26 “…let them have complete authority …over all of the earth,…”

Psalm 8:3-6 “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit[c] him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels, 
(“Elohim” :— God — Only here translated as angels)
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,”

Isaiah 30:18-32 “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.” 

Daniel was reading the writing of Jeremiah and was encouraged to pray for this prophetic word to be fulfilled.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 “For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.”

Daniel 9:2-4, 17-19 “During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the Lord, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.[b] 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
18 “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
19 “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

We need to pray for the revealed and prophetic word over us to come into manifestation.

Psalm 18:6-19 “I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple …The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire.” 

 “A group of believers that is; led by the Spirit, united and in right relationship, and fighting under the Banner of the Lord, will always mow down the enemy.” Jack Hayford

Prayer Directives: 

Pray for Pastor and leadership team as we establish priorities for this year.

Pray for our leadership: National, Provincial, Municipal, First Responders, Police, …

Command the blessing of God over this great city. Prosperity and Blessing!

Pray for our IMPACT family that this would be a year of LEGACY! Dreams realized. Destinies established. Eternal Purposes Fulfilled!!!

Pray for ministries at IMPACT … That leaders would be refreshed and fresh fire and vision will be imparted.

Pray for souls, healing, deliverance and miracles to increase and accelerate.

Pray for Impact Church … Our families - Our Children - Our seniors.
Pray!!!!

Are there things we can do. NOW. To prepare for what’s Next?

Two things to consider:
1. No matter where you are — There YOU ARE. — New view doesn’t mean new you.

2. Knowing what is NEXT doesn’t mean you’re READY. “I Do” - Not the same as - “I Can” 

“The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.” Joe Paterno
“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.”

Romans 8:17 (TPT). “And since we are his true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself. And since we are joined to Christ, we also inherit all that he is and all that he has. We will experience being co-glorified with him provided that we accept his sufferings as our own.”

Graham Cooke
“When God gives you a prophetic word, He gives you an outcome. If you have a prophetic word, the outcome means you're going to survive the process of getting there.”
“Each promise contains the grace to sustain us through every process. Even when circumstances seem contrary, the outcome of His word remains secure. We're learning to live from the future that God already sees. A future defined by His faithfulness, not our struggle.”

Regret:-- sorrow over an unfulfilled ambition.
Second most expressed emotion is regret. Second only to love.
I wish ... _____________. If only ... ______________

Joshua = Jesus
As Joshua led God’s people to possess the promise Jesus will lead us to possess the promise.
Book of Battle -- Drive out enemy. Book of Faith -- Receive Victory

New Possess Mindset! — Slavery to Landowner. — Traveller to Conqueror. — Taker to Giver
Collecting to Partnering — Helpless to Fruitful — Dreams to Reality

Joshua 1:1-2
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.’”

1. Release
Time to stop grieving. Leave the past in the past!!!
Moses can’t lead you in. Jesus will lead you to possess.

Romans 8:31-32 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 

What do you need to UNPACK right now? What is not going to be a part of NEXT?

2. Reflect
When God states the obvious He wants you to dig a little deeper.
Push back on unhealthy mindsets.
Something need rooting out!

James 1:22-25  “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

You don’t just look in the mirror! A mirror demands action.
You don’t leave until you are done. You make changes because the seasons of life are connected.

You will experience the best of The next season when you do what God has called you to do in this season.
The result: Freedom and Blessing

3. Resolve
To decide firmly on a course of action.
“Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan…”

Philippians 3:13-14 “I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.
I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.”

The Placebo Effect:— What you believe and expect is a determining factor.
Your actions will follow your thought life. 
The mind is powerful.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
NOT 
As a man behaves so he is.
You will know him by is fruit. 
Fruit comes from Identity.

Let’s get fixed in a possession mindset. I have an INHERITANCE!
Release Reflect Resolve

I am READY for what’s NEXT!

UNPACK 

John 1:4-5 (NLT) “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

John 1:14 “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

Ahmed al-Ahmed, (2025, Sydney Australia) 

Hugo Alfredo Tale-Ya, (2010, New York City)

Khaseen Morris, (2019, Long Island, New York)

Iryna Zarutska, (August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina), 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee

“The Bystander Effect”
Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, 28 Queens N.Y. 
She was stabbed multiple times outside her apartment building over the course of about 30 minutes. 38 witnesses heard or saw parts of the attack but none called the police or intervened until it was too late. Neighbours interviewed said; 
l didn’t want to “get involved” or assumed others had already called for help.

Exodus 3:7-8 “And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up…’”

God Became Human
1. He Came Down
2. He Got Involved
3. He Punched Through
No other faith or philosophy has a God who embraced human suffering and completely identified to the place of death.

1. He Came Down
Jesus entered our mess.
He didn’t subtract His deity, but He added our vulnerability. 
God could have sent legions of angels but instead He chose the manger, the street, the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT) “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Christmas Asks Personal Questions:
Am I staying safe upstairs?
Am I elevating my personal rights?
Am I radically generous?
Am I sharing my life?
Am I attending or engaging?

“It means not that we should live one life but a thousand lives binding ourselves to a thousand souls by the filaments of so loving a sympathy that their lives become ours.” B. B. Warfield (Imitating The Incarnation)

2. He Got Involved
Jesus suffered hunger. 
Jesus wept at gravesides. 
Jesus felt betrayal’s sting. 
Jesus endured beatings. 
Jesus suffered the weight of injustice. 
Jesus experienced the terror of pain. 
Jesus touched the victim on the street.

Hebrews 2:14, 4:15
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity… For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

I am not alone in my pain.
Someone does feel me.
Jesus suffered and was tried in every way that we are.

Jesus Of The Scars (Edward Shillito 1919)
"The other gods were strong, but thou was weak.
They rode, but thou did stumble to thy throne.
to our wounds only God's wounds can speak
and not a God has wounds but thou alone.

3. He Punched Through
Jesus punched a complete hole right through the heart of darkness. 
The veil tore. 
The grave broke open. 
Resurrection light is shining.

John 8:12 (NLT) “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'”

1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Christmas is a bold invitation to come down stairs!
The Incarnation is not just a story we celebrate at Christmas, it’s a mandate for how we live every day.

God is not a bystander.
You are not a bystander.

Isaiah 60:1-3 (Living Bible) “Arise, my people! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you. Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see the glory of the Lord upon you.”

In a commonplace environment:
Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
Has Christmas become common?

Matthew 1:20-21 “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”

The Incarnation is: The quietest moment. The humblest arrival. The softest step of God onto earth.
Yet it is the most explosive, transformative, history-altering event ever to occur.

Bethlehem was the beachhead. The manger was the landing zone.
And love was the weapon. Heaven invaded earth in silence—
and humanity has never been the same.

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”  
  C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
“He became what we are that He might make us what He is.” Athanasius (On the Incarnation)

“In the Incarnation, God has bound Himself to man in an unbreakable fellowship.”
  Karl Barth (Church Dogmatics)

“God recapitulated in Himself the ancient formation of man, that he might kill sin, deprive death of its power and vivify man.” Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD)

Recapitulated:— Christ sums up, repeats, and restores the whole human story in Himself.

Salvific Ontology:— the being of Christ that saves.
Because He is God and He became human, He unites God and humanity within Himself which heals humanity at the deepest level.

1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

Tommy Miller:
“All creation is already being made new because the Creator has become creature without ceasing to be Creator—and He will never un-become what He has become for us. He is still flesh of our flesh, and therefore nothing in all creation is beyond His reach to heal.
Go live like people who belong to that new world—because you already do.”

The words saved, saviour, and salvation are rarely used to describe what happens after you die. 
These are words that describe the saving works of Christ in real time and space.

Save:— (sōzō - sode’-zo) In classical Greek, to rescue from danger, heal diseases, deliver from oppression, and make someone whole. 

Matthew 10:30 “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save (sōzō) me!’”

Mark 10:52 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ (sōzō) And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”

Mark 5:25-34 “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,  and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well (sōzō) .’
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched My clothes?’
But His disciples said to Him, ‘You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ‘And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (sōzō). Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Leviticus 15:25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.”

Law isolated her.

Anyone she touched became unclean. 
No gathering with friends. No being held or hugged
No sharing normal life. No marriage or family involvement
No participation in festivals, worship, or synagogue life

Shame was built into her condition:
She was not allowed to be seen She was taught to hide
She lived under constant embarrassment She was the problem, the danger, the contamination

“Daughter” Jesus restored dignity
Restored health and wholeness
Emotional rest “Peace”
Restored community 
Freedom from fear and shame
The end of condemnation - Future
Law “Stay away”. Jesus “Come near”

LHSC celebrates record-breaking number of babies born in 2024. 6452. Ivy Spooner

Matthew 1:20-21 “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Incarnation:— A bodily manifestation of a supernatural being. The conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in earthly form. An anthropomorphic form of a god.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The Logos:— the ultimate meaning that holds the universe together is a person—Jesus. The Son Of God.

John 1:14 (NKJV) “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."

John 1:14 (NLT) “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

C. S. Lewis (The Grand Miracle) “The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares for this, or exhibits this, or results from this.

In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity … But He goes down to come up again and bring the ruined world up with Him.”

“The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”  
C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
“He became what we are that He might make us what He is.” Athanasius (On the Incarnation)

“God recapitulated in Himself the ancient formation of man, that he might kill sin, deprive death of its power and vivify man.” Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202 AD)

Recapitulated:— Christ sums up, repeats, and restores the whole human story in Himself.

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving Spirit… The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. (JESUS) … Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

He is like you. He loves you. He is everything you were meant to be.John 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”
John 14:9 “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

“Incarnation and atonement intrinsically locked into one another constitute the one continuous movement of God’s saving love for the world.” Thomas F. Torrence

“The incarnation of the Son in our humanity … reveals God as the creator and redeemer actually with us in our estranged human existence, and … brings out of our fallen and sinful existence a new humanity that is holy and perfect.”

Salvific Ontology:— the being of Christ that saves.
Because He is God and He became human, He unites God and humanity within Himself which heals humanity at the deepest level.

He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still…to the womb…down to the very roots of the Nature He has created. He becomes an embryo, a fetus, a child, an adolescent, a young man… a son, a brother, a friend.
Born of a woman, Jesus ate food, slept, experienced temptation, He could perspire, bleed, and display human emotions.
He went through puberty, experienced loss, betrayal, denial, and abandonment.
In one moment, one seemingly insignificant measurement on the span of time, “The Word became flesh”. 
The undiminished Deity became humanity.
The one for whom are all things and by whom are all things, became a thing —like you and me—God with us.
The invisible God became the visible, touchable, pierce-able, whip-able, nail-able, Emanuel—God with us.
Divinity took on the garb of humanity so that depravity might be rendered savable.
True grace appeared and we received grace for grace. 
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The personification of truth was revealed and now we no longer stumble in darkness.
God became a man. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. 
The incarnation is one direction from God to man, He acts alone and of his own accord, it is God’s gracious act on our behalf. P.C.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”

engraft or ingraft 
1. to graft (a shoot, bud, etc) onto a stock so the that the two grow together as one.
2. to incorporate in a firm or permanent way; implant: they engrafted their principles into.

For there to be a good graft you need an identical cut.
Then they must be bound together to become one.
There can be no grafting without wounding.

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT) “God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

Colossians 1:21-22 “...yet now He has reconciled  in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.”

1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Merry Christ - Mass 

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. We are the community that aligns these realms.

Acts 9:33-35 “There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. ‘Aeneas,’ Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.”

Acts 9:40 “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.”

Acts 8:3-4 “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” 

In his book 'In the Grip of Grace' Max Lucado writes the following:"Know what disturbs me most about Jeffery Dahmer?  What disturbs me most are not his acts, though they are disgusting ... (It's) His conversion ... Sins washed.  Soul cleansed.  Past forgiven.  That troubles me.  It shouldn't, but it does.  Grace for a cannibal? (My) trouble in accepting Dahmer's conversion is inexcusable"

“Grace is the divine invasion into human hostility.” Karl Barth

Acts 9:1-ff “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight,

and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes…

… something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.”

Observations From Ananias:    
God Uses Believers. — Believers Hear His voice   —  Believers Honour his Word  
Believers Embrace Challenges — Believers Heal people

Observations From Paul:
God Calls Whoever he Wants — God Accepts You — God Heals You — God Empowers You  
God Has A Purpose For You — God Unites Himself To You

1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT) “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all.”

“God’s grace doesn’t just pardon you; it reboots your entire life.” Tim Keller

Grace goes after the worst
Grace interrupts the violent
Grace transforms the hostile
Grace rebuilds the broken
Grace sends the redeemed into mission
Jesus can rewrite any story, redeem any heart, revive any prodigal, and restore any future.

Chaplain Henry F. Gerecke.
Served Hitler's Gang At Nuremberg  14 of the 16 Accepted Forgiveness  
"They did so in a spirit that convinced me that their repentance was genuine. I have had many years of experience as a prison chaplain and do not believe I am easily deluded by phony reformations at the eleventh hour."

“Your husband has been taking religious care of the undersigned…for more than half a year. We have now heard…that you wish to see him back home after his absence of several years. Because we also have wives and children, we understand this wish of yours very well.
Nevertheless, we are asking you to put off your wish to gather your family around you….Please consider that we cannot miss your husband now….It is impossible for any other to break through the walls that have been built up around us; in a spiritual sense even stronger than a material one.
We shall be deeply indebted to you. We send our best wishes to you and your family. God be with you.”

His wife wrote back and said:
“Don’t you worry about coming home. You stay and minster the the spiritual needs of these men.

Does the Kingdom operate by merit or mercy?
Mathew 20:1-16 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last.”

“At Calvary” (William R. Newell, pub.1895)
Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary. 

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. We are the community that aligns these realms.

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Stephen showed them a God they had never met through his human face.
Stephen announced that two things would change:
1. The Location Of God. 2. How We Relate To God

You were created to mirror heaven’s realities on earth. What you behold you worship.
When you reflect God rightly, creation responds correctly.

The gospel delivers you into God's unfailing and unveiled approval.
The same glory that the Father has for the Son, the Father has of you.
You were designed as His image bearer to be able to reflect His approval of you on your face to
redeem creation.

Acts 8:1-40 “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and
they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And
devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women,
committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the
word.”

Turn Setbacks Into Launchpads
Parent eagles disturb the nest and push the young off the cliff.
“Difficulties break some men but make others.” Nelson Mandela
Recklessly stomping on a fire!

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with
one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For
unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who
were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain
man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of
Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the
greatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And they heeded him because he had
astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the
things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were
baptized.

Grace Loves Honouring Outcasts
John 4:4 “But He (Jesus) needed to go through Samaria.”
Great Joy is on the other side of your inner transformation.
Who’s on your “Wrong People” list?

Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was
amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles who were at
Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who,
when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had
fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid
hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit And when Simon saw (BANG) that through the
laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, …

The Sprit In You Must Rise Upon You
Acts 19:2 "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”
“The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake. He comes upon me for the sake of others.” Bill Johnson
Inward experience but no visible power.

‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter
said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be
purchased with money!’ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in
the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of
your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have
spoken may come upon me.” So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they
returned to Jerusalem, …

Grace Delivers And Secures Identity
“The gospel dethrones pride not to humiliate, but to heal.” John Stott
Grace delivers from the counterfeit and imparts the REAL thing.
1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” PHILIP

…preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority
under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to
Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him
reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How
can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice
was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or
of some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus
to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here
is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and
the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the
water, …

Grace Rushes Into The Desert Place
From the crowd to the individual.
Philip isn’t chasing opportunity he is simply following the presence.
“The Spirit choreographs salvation with masterful detail.” F.F. Bruce

the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his
way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities
till he came to Caesarea.”

Grace Outpaces Religious Devils
“Acts shows a gospel that leaps over human barriers and outruns human categories.” Michael Green
Philip, one person, took Good News to the uttermost parts of the earth.

What looked like the end of the church was actually the launch party for the mission to the
nations.
Acts 8 The wind of the Spirit is going global, scattering seed.

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. We are the community that aligns these realms.

Your face is your public brain. Your face speaks to creation.
Your face affirms reality. Your face accepts and heals.
Your face is contagious. Your face empowers dominion.

“Facial communication is the emotional language of the brain. The father’s face teaches the child how to read others, and how to love.” Dr. Daniel Siegel (The Developing Mind)

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion …”

His image brings life value worth.
Image (tselem) = reflection. Likeness (demuth) = resemblance.
The image is what we are by design. The likeness is what we grow into through relationship.

Genesis 5:3 “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

Adam likeness brought out thorns and thistles. It was his look!
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 
The sin condition was passed on to all mankind.

You were created to mirror heaven’s realities on earth. What you behold you worship.
When you reflect God rightly, creation responds correctly.

Numbers 6:24–26 “The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Psalm 27:8 “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”
Psalm 34:5 “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”

Christ, the true Image, came to restore and radiate that image through us.
“The glory of God is a living man, and the life of man consists in beholding God.” Irenaeus

Salvation is not behaviour modification, it’s image restoration.
Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

Deconstruction: Two Results
1. An immature wound licking club that judges the misuse, without compassionate dialogue that leads to disuse and apostasy.
2. A heartfelt examination led by a Spirit of grace that leads to the restoration and rebuilding of a wonderful and beautiful community.

Acts 6:13-15  “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.’  And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”

Stephen showed them a God they had never met through his human face.
Stephen announced that two things would change:
1. The Location Of God. 2. How We Relate To God

Acts 7:48, 55-56, 59-60 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, … But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God,…
… and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ … And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying,
‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen by the Spirit and wisdom is lifting a veil from 4,000 years of human misunderstanding. 
The misunderstanding that produced religious legalism and violence.

John 1:17-18 “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

John 17:22-23 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me”.

NOT — glory one day in heaven. NOT — a measure of glory. NOT — a symbolic glory.
“I have given them the glory (Doxa) You gave Me.”
The same opinion and approval of your Heavenly Father.

Matthew 17:1-8 “…and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid.’  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”

2 Corinthians 3:9-11
“For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.  For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.  For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”

“The glory on the face of Moses signified the glory of the old covenant, which produced fear in the hearts of sinners. They could not look upon Moses because the glory brought the ministry of death.”
  Augustine

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

The gospel delivers you into God's unfailing and unveiled approval. 
The same glory that the father has for the son, the son has of you.  
You were designed as His image bearer to be able to reflect His approval of you on your face to creation.

When your countenance mirrors His, everything around you aligns with heaven’s order.
Darkness yields to light. Chaos bows to peace. Brokenness bends to wholeness.
“By gazing on God, we take on God’s form.” Gregory of Nazianzus

Psalm 67:1-2 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.”

“When the soul’s eye is purified and turned toward the divine light, it becomes the means through which God’s energy is revealed to the world.” Maximus the Confessor (Ambigua 10)

Transformation happens by beholding, not striving.
His peace becomes your peace. His joy becomes your strength.
His authority becomes your dominion.

He became like us so we can be like Him. 
Colossians 1:15 “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible],”

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.”
Will you let His countenance lift yours?

Will you let His light restore your image?

Will you let your countenance change your world?

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.   
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. We are the community that aligns these realms.

Acts 6:7 “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in 
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Excellent service advances the gospel. 
Excellent service removes distractions, solves problems, and makes room for growth.
Excellent service is a cultures highest expressed spiritual value.

Acts 6:9-15 “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.  
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.  Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’  And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.  They also set up false witnesses who said, 
‘This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.’  And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”

Your face is your public brain. Your face speaks to creation.
Your face affirms reality. Your face accepts and heals.
Your face is contagious. Your face empowers dominion.

A Smile (real or induced)
Facial muscles activate (zygomaticus major). Brain interprets feedback (emotional circuits)
Chemical release: Dopamine (reward) Endorphins (pleasure) Serotonin (mood) Opioids (Bonding) Cortisol (stress). — Mood Boosting and Social Bonding

Edward Tronick — Still Face Experiment (Harvard, 1975) 
“When a parent’s face goes expressionless, infants rapidly become distressed — even if only for a few seconds. The child’s nervous system depends on facial attunement for emotional stability.”

“The gaze of a responsive parent literally organizes the infant’s brain.” Dr. Allan Schore 
When a father’s face lights up with delight, the child’s brain releases dopamine and oxytocin, encoding the message: “I am good, I am seen, I bring joy.”

“Facial communication is the emotional language of the brain. The father’s face teaches the child how to read others, and how to love.” Dr. Daniel Siegel (The Developing Mind)

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

 Stephen by the Spirit and wisdom is lifting a veil from 4,000 years of human misunderstanding. 
The misunderstanding that produced a religious legalism and violence that justified persecuting believers for preaching good news. 

Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion …”

His image brings life value worth.
Image (tselem) = reflection. Likeness (demuth) = resemblance.
The image is what we are by design. The likeness is what we grow into through relationship.

Genesis 5:3 “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

Adam likeness brought out thorns and thistles. It was his look!
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 
The sin condition was passed on to all mankind.

Christ, the true Image, came to restore and radiate that image through us.
“The glory of God is a living man, and the life of man consists in beholding God.” Irenaeus

Salvation is not behaviour modification, it’s image restoration.
Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

You were created to mirror heaven’s realities on earth. Dominion is not domination — it’s reflection. 
When you reflect God rightly, creation responds correctly.

What you behold you worship.
If your circumstance has to change, in order for your face to change, you are in bondage —
you're not looking at the Father. 
You are worshipping your past. — Hurt /Trauma Defeat /Disappointment /Accusation /Shame
I listen to someone for a while and I know what they worship.

Numbers 6:24–26 “The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Psalm 27:8 “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’”  

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence (FACE) is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Joy and pleasure are linked to the FACE and right hand of God — a fixed location of divine intimacy.

The “presence” (face) is a place of intimacy and a position of authority.

In that Divine location:
You see His face — joy restored.
You stand at His right hand — partnership and purpose restored.
You manifest His likeness — creation begins to respond again to divine image-bearers.

When your countenance mirrors His, everything around you aligns with heaven’s order.
Darkness yields to light.
Chaos bows to peace. 
Brokenness bends to wholeness.
“By gazing on God, we take on God’s form.” Gregory of Nazianzus

Psalm 67:1-2 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.”

“When the soul’s eye is purified and turned toward the divine light, it becomes the means through which God’s energy is revealed to the world.” Maximus the Confessor (Ambigua 10)

Transformation happens by beholding, not striving.
His peace becomes your peace.
His joy becomes your strength.
His authority becomes your dominion.

Genesis 32:30 “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.’”

Genesis 33:10 “For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.”

He became like us so we can be like Him. 
Colossians 1:15 “He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible],”

“To see God is to be changed into His likeness.” Gregory of Nyssa

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.”
Will you let His countenance lift yours?

Will you let His light restore your image?

Will you let your countenance change your world?

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth — Church is aligning both realms!

Acts 4:32 "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.”
The church was in a really good place!!!

Acts 6:1-7
“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the
Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve
summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God
and serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and
wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the
ministry of the word.’ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith
and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great
many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Study of 1504 people.
“Other-oriented volunteering had significantly stronger effects on mental and physical health, life satisfaction,
and social well-being.”
(Yeung, J.W.K., Zhang, Z. & Kim, T.Y. Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and
forms. BMC Public Health”)

“A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and
uses these skills to accomplish his goals.” Larry Bird

“It takes ten hands to score a basket.”
“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.” John Wooden

Romans 12:1 (MESSAGE) “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”
Romans 12:4-8 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same
function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us
prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering;
he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a gift,(SHAPE) minister it to one another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God.”

S piritual Gifts
H eart
A bilities
P ersonality
E xperiences

Revelation 1:5-6 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us
kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Daniel manifest both roles: King in the marketplace.
Daniel 6:3 “Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in
him…”

1 Corinthians 7:20 “Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.”
“Usually a person should keep on with the work he was doing when God called him.” (Living Bible)

“A cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work in the office of his trade, consecrated Priests and Bishops.”
Martin Luther
Redeem your mind-set.
Your vocation is a Holy calling.
WORK = WORSHIP
Bring a fresh joy to your world.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship (poy’-ay-mah), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Priest in his devotional life.
Daniel 6:10 “…he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God,
as was his custom since early days.”

Embracing your role as a King and a Priest transforms ordinary life into a Kingdom adventure.
Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and
subdue it; have dominion…’”

In Acts 6 they looked for individuals:
Full of the Spirit – service isn’t just skill, it’s spiritual.
Full of wisdom – they needed practical sense.
Good reputation – integrity and social capital matters as much as energy.

Acts 6:7 “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Excellent service advances the gospel.
Excellent service removes distractions, solves problems, and makes room
Excellent service is a cultures highest expressed spiritual value.

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart.”

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
C.S. Lewis

Genesis 7:6 “And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.”
Genesis 8:6 “So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark
which he had made.”
FORTY ONE
Acts 7:30,34 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of
fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. … I have heard their groaning and have come down
to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.”
FORTY ONE
Numbers 13:25 “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each
day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of
promise.”
Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this
people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
FORTY ONE
Jonah 3:4-5 “‘Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!’ The people of Nineveh believed
God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show
their sorrow.”
Jonah 3:10 “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he
changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.”
FORTY ONE
1 Samuel 17:16-17 “For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in
front of the Israelite army. One day Jesse said to David,…”
FORTY ONE
1 Samuel 17:46, 51 “Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. …
Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off
his head.”
FORTY ONE
Luke 4:1-2 "Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the
Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.

Luke 4:14,18 “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out
through all the surrounding region. … The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed
Me To preach the gospel…”
FORTY ONE
Acts 1:3 “He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by
them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:9 “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud
received Him out of their sight.”
Hebrews 1:3 “… when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high,”
FORTY ONE
Psalm 110:1-2 “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your
footstool.’ The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your
enemies!”
Acts 1:4
10 Days
Acts 2:1-4 “When the Day of Pentecost (50) had fully come, … suddenly there came a sound from
heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, … And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit …”
FIFTY
Luke 4:19,21 “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. … Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing.”
FIFTY
Amos 3:8 “A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but
prophesy?”

The Kingdom
*Thy Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven
*The Gospel is God’s system of colonization
*Canada, a former colony of Britain; London, ON, Thames River, Victoria, BC, Cambridge, Bristol, language, legal system, parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
*Colonization is a system of transferring the realities of one Kingdom to another. 

The Gospel
*The Gospel is the tool God uses to bring heaven to the earth
*It represents God’s wisdom to save men, redeem souls, and transform societies.
*The gospel is the goodnews that God, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe in Him.
*The Gospel is not good advice but the good news – Tim Keller 

Acts 5:12-42 (ESV)
Many Signs and Wonders Done

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

The Apostles Arrested and Freed

17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35 And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

*God’s power on display
*God’s word cannot be chained
*Faith that thrives in the face of persecution

The Gospel CANNOT be stopped.

 Acts 9:3-5 He went on his way until he came near Damascus. All at once he saw a light from heaven shining around him. 4 He fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me?” Saul answered, “Who are You, Lord?” He said, “I am Jesus, the One Whom you are working against. YOU HURT YOURSELF BY TRYING TO HURT ME

Exodus 1:12 But the more the Egyptians OPPRESSED them, the more the Israelites MULTIPLIED and SPREAD, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became.

Matt 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter. On this rock I will build My church. The powers of hell will NOT be able to have power over My church.

5 REASONS WHY THE GOSPEL IS UNSTOPPABLE

The Gospel is Gracious

Eph 2:8 “For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God, NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast”

*Remember the thief on the cross? That was grace at its best.
*Add anything to the gospel, and you subtract from its truth
*Bottomline: The gospel frees us from striving and invites us to rest in Christ’s finished works.

The Gospel reveals God’s love

John 3:16 “ For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Rom 5:8 ”But God demonstrates his own LOVE for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.

Eph 2:4-5 But because of his great LOVE for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved.

*Love was the motivation of God’s redemptive work
*God’s love was/is not because of our righteousness, it is inspite of our sins.

The Gospel is the Wisdom of God

I Cor 1:21 For since in the WISDOM of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who BELIEVE. 

 Eph 3:10 His intent was that now, through the CHURCH, the manifold WISDOM of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,

1 Cor 2:7-8 No, we declare God’s WISDOM, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Only God’s wisdom could satisfy both His justice and His mercy – through the Cross, sin was punished, but men were forgiven!!!

“The Cross is the greatest exhibition of divine wisdom the world has ever seen” – Charles Spurgeon
Bottomline: God’s wisdom revealed through the Gospel can get to the most complex unbeliever

The Gospel is Light

2 Cor 4: 6 It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.

John 8: 12 Jesus spoke to all the people, saying, “I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will not walk in darkness. He will have the Light of Life.”

2 Cor 4:4 The eyes of those who do not believe are made blind by Satan who is the god of this world. He does not want the light of the Good News to shine in their hearts. This Good News shines as the shining-greatness of Christ. Christ is as God is.

*You don’t see only because you have eyes, you see because there is light!
*The gospel illuminates darkened hearts and opens blinded eyes
*In Medicine, blindness is defined as “No light perception”
Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light”
Psalm 119: 130 The entrance of Your Word gives LIGHT

The Gospel is Power

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL, because it is the POWER of God that brings SALVATION to everyone who BELIEVES: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Luke 5:17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was TEACHING, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the POWER of the Lord was present to HEAL them.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new

The gospel is not just a message, it is the full revelation of God’s character in action

The gospel has the power to save, heal, deliver, liberate, and transform.

The Gospel not only reveals what God does, but also who He is.

The Gospel doesn’t just inform – it transforms. It is not advice to live better, but power to live anew!!!

Conclusion

These revelations should birth confidence in us.
We have a powerful, gracious, loving, illuminating, and wise tool with which we can colonize our sphere.
It is called THE GOSPEL.

Declaration 

I HAVE A WEAPON
IT IS FULL OF GRACE
IT WAS BIRTHED BY LOVE
IT IS FULL OF WISDOM
IT ILLUMINATES
IT IS POWERFUL
IT IS THE GOSPEL
I BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
I LIVE BY THE GOSPEL
I SHARE THE GOSPEL
GLOWRAYYYYYY!!!!

Sacrament:-- from Latin, oath of allegiance; A rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace. 
A deposit by two parties seeking to secure justice.
God – Grace Man – Faith 

 Baptism is not a ritual to be performed but a dynamic that must be a present day and continuous reality.
Matthew 28:19-20 “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” 

“Baptize”:-- to immerse, to submerge, to bathe, to overwhelm, to pickle, to produce a permanent change. 
Not just getting wet. 
An identification and a union with Christ that results in a genuine change.

Colossians 2:10, 12
“So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority … For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized … In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities.”

Luke 22:19-20
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”

Covenant – a solemn agreement between two parties for the purposes of creating and maintaining a successful relationship.
You don’t take communion, you receive communion.
Common — Union

Lords Table – Remember Me!
Not a call to commiserate his suffering or our sin, but a call to commemorate His triumph. 
  “It is finished!”
Eucharist:-- gratitude, thanks/grace

Hebrews 2:14 
“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,...”

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth — CHURCH is where Heaven and Earth are ONE.

Ephesians 3:10-11 (NLT) “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich
variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he
carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Contradiction is the petition of creation to its co-kings to release heaven into its reality and release it from
frustration and futility. Your trial is a prayer, not from you to God, but from creation to you, its Redeemer.”
Tommy Miller

The Community Is Formed. The Community Moves Out. The Community Has A Message.
The Community Meets Resistance. The Community Prays. The Community Is ONE.
The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from
what direction he will come. A. W. Tozer

Acts 4:32 "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.”
The church was in a really good place!!!

John 17:21 (MSG) “The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me
and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent
me.”

John 17:22-23 (NKJV) “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We
are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,…”

1 John 1:3-4 (NLT) “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may
have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing
these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Glory:— (Doxa) glory, honour, splendour, or reputation. value, worth, and recognition.
Jesus wants us to see ourselves through the Father’s eyes—valued, honoured, and included in the very
fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit.

The opinion of The Father's face towards you produces an opinion of yourself in you.
What you are BEHOLDING you BECOME.

Acts 5:1-11 “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back
part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price
of the land for yourself?

While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you
conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’

Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who
heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter
answered her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?’

She said, ‘Yes, for so much.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit
of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’
Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her
dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all
who heard these things.”

John 10:10 (NLT) “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and
satisfying life.”

1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion,
looking for someone to devour.”

Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them”

Mark 7:6 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”
Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.” To live independently of God is the choice that brought death into the world.

Achan:— Troubler
Joshua 6:18 (NIV) “But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own
destruction by taking any of them.”

Leviticus 10:1 (NIV) “Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they
offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the
Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord."

2Samuel 6:6-7 “When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark
of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act;
therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.”

Satan offered Glory without a Cross.
Matthew 4:10. “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and
serve him only.’”

Mercifully performance and hypocrisy were exposed before the culture became toxic.
Like a surgeon cutting out cancer early, God removed hypocrisy before it spread.

If only I was the person I present on social media. Zoom Filters
Digital devotion without internal formation.
Augustine: “God does not expect us to be sinless, but He does expect us to be sincere.”

If the devil can’t blow you up he will puff you up.
Performance religion is a curse.
God desires authenticity, not perfection.
He would rather have an honest struggler than a polished pretender.

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. Our call is to release heaven on earth.

“Contradiction is the petition of creation to its co-kings to release heaven into its reality and release it from frustration and futility. Your trial is a prayer, not from you to God, but from creation to you, its Redeemer.”
  Tommy Miller 

The Community Is Formed. The Community Moves Out. The Community Has A Message.
The Community Meets Resistance. The Community Prays. The Community Is ONE.

The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction he will come. A. W. Tozer

“I’m not impressed with anyone’s life unless they have integrity. But I’m not happy with their life unless they are dangerous. As much as I have the ability to do so, I’ll not let those around me get away with just being nice people!” Bill Johnson

Acts 4:24 “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:”

1. Magnify The Lord “You are God who made heaven and earth.”
2. Reframe The Threats “Why did the nations rage, … plot vain things?”
3. Put A Demand On Boldness “Now, Lord, … grant to Your servants that with all boldness”

All Boldness:
A. To Speak Your Word 19:20 “…the Word of the Lord grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily.”
B. To Release Healing 5:16 “They were all healed.”
C. For Signs And Wonders 5:12 “Many signs and wonders were done."

The supernatural is written in our DNA! 
It is unnatural for us not to hunger for the impossible to be in constant manifestation in our lives.

Acts 4:31-37   And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,  and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

ONE

Peter Diamandis — (Book) — THE FUTURE IS FASTER THAN YOU THINK
“In the next 10 years, we’re going to reinvent every industry on this planet.” January 28,2020

April Rinne October 15,2021 “35% of the skills deemed important today will have changed in 5 years.”
"The pace of change has never been as fast as it is today and yet it will never again be this slow.”

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

How long does it take to hit 50 million users?
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-hit-50-million-users/
68 years 50 million using airlines.
62 years 50 million using automobiles.
50 years 50 million using phones.
14 years 50 million using computers.
12 years 50 million using mobile phones.
7 years 50 million using the Internet.
3 years 50 million using Facebook.
19 days 50 million playing Pokemon Go.

The Three Largest Population Groups Are Not Nations. 
They are:
Facebook - 3.07B. WhatsApp - 3.0B. YouTube - 2.4B. Instagram - 2.0B 

The Church: Just under 3 Billion. Growing faster than the global population rate. Largest subgroup Pentecostal and Charismatic, 900 Million.

Government Of Canada — Canada.ca
The power of belonging lies in its fundamental role as a human need that significantly improves an individual's mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It provides a sense of security, support, and identity, acting as a crucial protective factor against the negative effects of social isolation and loneliness.

“Christian community is not an ideal we must realize, but rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together)

“The credibility of the Gospel is inseparable from the integrity of the church. Our message carries weight only when our community embodies it.” John Stott 

John 17:21 (MSG) “The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.”

1 John 1:3-4 (NLT) “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV) “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Philippians 1:1-2 (NLT) “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.”

“those who believed were of one heart and one soul.”

One Heart :— United in affection for Christ and His Kingdom
One Soul :— United in Identity and Mission
One Spirit :— Animated and empowered by Holy Spirit.

The early church didn’t lose individuality — they gained relational solidarity. Their uniqueness was preserved, but their self-centeredness was surrendered. They became “one heart and soul”: united in love (heart) and united in mission (soul).

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms. Earth
God is working to restore the Union of Heavens and Earth.
CHURCH. Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth. REALIZED

The Community Is Formed. The Community Moves Out. The Community Has A Message.
The Community Meets Resistance. The Community Prays

Acts 4:24 “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:”

1. Magnify The Lord “You are God who made heaven and earth.”
2. Reframe The Threats “Why did the nations rage, … plot vain things?”
3. Put A Demand On Boldness “Now, Lord, … grant to Your servants that with all boldness”

Acts 4:29-30 “…and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

“There is no panic in Heaven, only plans.” Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction he will come. A. W. Tozer

“I’m not impressed with anyone’s life unless they have integrity. But I’m not happy with their life unless they are dangerous. As much as I have the ability to do so, I’ll not let those around me get away with just being nice people!” Bill Johnson

1. Boldness To Speak Your Word.
Acts 8:4 “…went about preaching the glad tidings, the Word.”
Acts 13:44 “…the entire city gathered together to hear the Word of God” 
Acts 14:3 “… bear testimony to the Word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be performed by their hands.”
Acts 19:20 “Thus the Word of the Lord grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily.”

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) “We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, ‘Be reconciled to God!’”

2. Boldness To Release Healing.
Acts 3:6-7 “… what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.”  
Acts 5:16 “Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

 3. Boldness For Signs And Wonders.
Acts 5:12 “ And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.”
Acts 8:6 (RSV) “The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did,”
Acts 14:3 “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”
Romans 15:18-19 “They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.”
Acts 6:8, 7:51 “Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. … You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit,” 

The supernatural is written in our DNA! 
It is unnatural for us not to hunger for the impossible to be in constant manifestation in our lives.

Saturday — “The Wall Street Jounal”
“More than one-third of students now say ‘using violence to stop a campus speech can be acceptable.’ This should set off alarm bells in the nation’s classrooms. faculty lounges, and dean’s offices.”

James 5:7-8 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.  You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Hosea 6:2-3 “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. (Presence) Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain,Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”

Joel 2:23 “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”

In the last days, the church can experience both the power of Pentecost and the Harvest anointing of Tabernacles at the same time.
A Double Outpouring! More souls saved, more miracles, more signs, and a global move of God.

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth
God is working to restore the Union of Heavens and Earth.

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
τὸ ἀπολωλός (to apolōlos) — literally “that which has been lost.” It hints at the whole of God’s created order.

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth — CHURCH

The Community Is Formed. The Community Moves Out. The Community Has A Message.
The Community Meets Resistance.

Acts 4:3-4 “And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”

The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction he will come. A. W. Tozer

“I’m not impressed with anyone’s life unless they have integrity. But I’m not happy with their life unless they are dangerous. As much as I have the ability to do so, I’ll not let those around me get away with just being nice people!” Bill Johnson

The Political Climate: The Sanhedrin wasn’t just a religious council; it was the supreme court of Israel, holding judicial, religious, and political weight under Rome’s oversight.

The Timing: The same power structures that collaborated to crucify Jesus were now trying to shut down this up start movement in its infancy.

Acts 4:19-20 “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’” 

Acts 4:24 “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:”

“There is no panic in Heaven, only plans.” Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

1. Magnify The Lord
4:24 “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,…”
Always begin by flooding your mind with the greatness of God.

2. Reframe The Threats
Vs 25 “Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?”
What Does God Say? The Word
What Does God Do? Testimony

3. Put A Demand On Boldness
Vs. 29 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness …”
Boldness is not optional!

Acts 4:23
“And being let go, they went to their own companions.” (NKJV)
“On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people.” (NIV)
“As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends.” (MSG)

Dr Dean Ornish Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
“Love and intimacy — our ability to connect with ourselves and others, is at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, … People who feel lonely and isolated have a 300-500 percent greater risk of premature death due to physical illness.”

“Our relationships, more than anything else, set the stage for our health, happiness, and well-being. Research indicates that the quality of our social relationships affects a range of health outcomes, such as our mental health, physical health, and mortality risk.”
Elizabeth Dixon (The Importance of Cultivating Community). Psychology Today

Harvard Study of Adult Development (1938–present): “When we gathered together everything we knew about them at age 50… it wasn’t their middle-age cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. It was how satisfied they were in their relationships.”

“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period. Not wealth, status, or professional success. Relationships are the key factor.” Dr. Robert Waldinger

Heaven on earth is most clearly manifest in community.
Ephesians 4:3 “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

Eugene Peterson (The Message). "There can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life, apart from an immersion in, and embrace of, community. I am not myself by myself."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Sacrificial — Unconditional —Transformative

Ephesians 4:30-32 “The Holy Spirit of God has sealed you in Jesus Christ until you experience your full salvation. So never grieve the Spirit of God or take for granted his holy influence in your life. Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.”
Luke 23:34 (TPT) “While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.’”

What’s Our Response To His Revelation Of Unconditional Love?
1. Receive It
  It’s for you right now.
2. Give It Away
  It’s for you to share with others. 

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms. Earth
God is working to restore the Union of Heavens and Earth.
JESUS. Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth. REALIZED

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
τὸ ἀπολωλός (to apolōlos) — literally “that which has been lost.” It hints at the whole of God’s created order.

CHURCH Heavens Two Intersecting Realms. Earth

The Community Is Formed. —Moves Out. — Has A Message. — Meets Resistance.

Man healed at gate beautiful … They used the NAME!

The Good News: God Grants Repentance God Grants Refreshing God Grants Restoration

Acts 3:26 “God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Acts 4:3-4 “And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”

The Christian is a holy rebel loose in the world with access to the throne of God. Satan never knows from what direction he will come. A. W. Tozer

The Political Climate: The Sanhedrin wasn’t just a religious council; it was the supreme court of Israel, holding judicial, religious, and political weight under Rome’s oversight.

The Timing: The same power structures that collaborated to crucify Jesus were now trying to shut down this up start movement in its infancy.

Acts 4:10 “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”

Acts 4:13-14  “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.  And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”

Acts 4:19-20 “But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’” 

Acts 4:24 “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:”
“There is no panic in Heaven, only plans.” Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

1. Magnify The Lord
4:24 “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,…”
Always begin by flooding your mind with the greatness of God.

Psalm 34:3-4 “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

2 Chronicles 6:14 “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy…”

Nehemiah 1:5 “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy…”

Matthew 6:9 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”
My Dad….

2. Reframe The Threats
Vs 25 “Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?”
What Does God Say? The Word. What Does God Do? Testimony

Psalm 2:4 “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.”
Ephesians 2:6 “…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

Isaiah 54:17 “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,’ Says the Lord.”

“There is no panic in Heaven, only plans.” Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

3 John 2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Vs. 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed,…”
They tried to silence Jesus, but God raised Him from the dead. God has plans for us too!

3. Put A Demand On Boldness
Vs. 29 “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness …”
Boldness is not optional!

Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

1 Thess. 5:19 “Do not quench the Spirit.” — “Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire.”
Isaiah 59:17 ”he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”  

Exodus 15:3 “The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord is His name.”

Psalm 24:8,10 “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.”  
Here are the two hebrew words for might used above. gibbowr:— mighty, brave tsaba:-- goes forth to war.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

1 John 5:14 (AMP) “And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.”  

Sovereign Lord, You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.
We face pressures in our own time,
But we know nothing can stop the advance of Your kingdom.

Now, Lord, consider the threats against Your people.
And grant us boldness to speak Your word.
Stretch out Your hand to heal, to save, and to show signs of Your power.

Let miracles confirm the name of Jesus in our generation.
Fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit.
Shake this place, Lord, and shake our lives with Your presence.

We ask boldly in your Name.
The Name of the Lord of the Armies Of Heaven.
In Jesus Name! AMEN!

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth
God is working to restore the — Union of Heaven and Earth.

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. JESUS

Heavens. Two Intersecting Realms. Earth. CHURCH

We are the means for the Union of Heaven and earth.
We are the means for the eternal purpose to be realised.
We are where people encounter GOD!

Acts 2:8 “… we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs.”

In the book of Acts we see the working strategy for fulfilling the mission of God.
Jesus left behind a loving community that would manifest His glory to the ends of the earth.

Acts 5:13-14 “Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,”

Eugene Peterson (The Message) "There can be no maturity in the spiritual life, no obedience in following Jesus, no wholeness in the Christian life, apart from an immersion in, and embrace of, community. I am not myself by myself."

God “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’” Genesis 2:18

Heaven on earth is most clearly manifest in community.
Ephesians 4:3 “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

We are called to be a church so full of love, so united, and so generous that people can’t help but be drawn to us. A church where no one is alone, where prayer and praise flow naturally, and where lives are being transformed daily.

Transforming Lives To Impact Their World.

A working manifestation of the Godhead. Modelling the very nature and characteristics of the trinity. 

The church is the answer to Jesus prayer in John 17.

John 17:21 “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you… that the world may believe.”
He wasn’t asking for organizational unity. He was asking for a kind of shared life—a oneness that reflects His own relationship with the Father and the Spirit. A community of love, joy, truth, holiness, and mission.

John 17:22 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.”

WOW!!! Jesus wants us to share in the same love, unity, and joy He has known forever in the Trinity.

“The Church is nothing less than the extension of the life of the Trinity into the human community.”
  Thomas F. Torrance

Acts 2:41-47 “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”   Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,  and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

1 John 3:23 “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

Orthodoxy:-- (orthos) right (doxeia) belief.
Orthopraxy:-- (orthos) right (praxis) action or practice. 
We have been more concerned with right belief than right action.

Spiritual Needs
Apostles Doctrine — Study question.
Breaking Of Bread — Communion
Prayer — Engaging God together.
Fellowship — intimate vulnerable application and accountability

Physical Needs
Had things in common.
Peoples needs were met.
Can you help me with some stuff.
Example. Sharing of skills.

Emotional Needs
Gladness
Praising God
Favour
People in community are happier than those in isolation.

Missional Needs
Favour with all people.
Daily people were added.
Together serving locally and beyond.
Others impacted by your life. 

Heavens Two Intersecting Realms Earth
God is working to restore the Union of Heavens and Earth.

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
τὸ ἀπολωλός (to apolōlos) — literally “that which has been lost.” It hints at the whole of God’s created order. Jesus brought Heaven to earth. — The Church brings Heaven to earth.

Jesus didn’t just die to save individuals. 
He died to create a people, a family, a community. Born into something!
Church:— a living expression of the Divine eternal community of Father, Son, and Spirit.

“Welsh revival was such a dramatic visitation of God. Some were forever impacted. The could not return to church as usual.” Rick Joyner (The World On Fire)

We are the means for the Union of Heavens and earth.
We are the means for the eternal purpose to be realised.
We are where people encounter GOD!

The Community Is Formed. The Community Moves Out. The Community Has A Message.

John 16:24 (CEV) “You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name. Then it will be given to you, so you will be completely happy.”

Ephesians 1:20 (Message) “God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule.”

Ephesians 1:20-21 “… he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,  far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”

Philippians 2:9-10 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

Acts 16:31 “So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’”
Saved:— (sōzō) to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to make well, heal, restore to health.

Acts 3:19-21 “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,  and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”

PICTURES OF RESTORATION
"Only love which can't be changed by our behavior has the power to change our behavior." Rodeen Williams. 

Religion exalts behaviour and not the Saviour.
Which of the following is the best definition of repentance?
1. Repentance means to turn from sin. 
2. Repentance means to change your mind in light of new facts. 

Mark 1:14-15 “Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. (New Facts) Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”

Repent Metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o):-- compound of after and thought; to think differently afterwards, that is, reconsider. Changed mind in light of new evidence. Can’t have repentance without new information.

Worst translated word in the Bible.
Metanoeo always = Repent
English word repent is from latin word Reponitet. Reponitet:— to be sorry again, to do penance

Three Stages Of Metanoeo:
1. Revelation -- New information
2. Realignment -- Agreeing with the new information, Confession Homologueo :— Say same thing
3. Reassignment -- Experiencing the promise.

“your sins may be blotted out.” 
Colossians 2:14 (Message) “Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.”

Isaiah 61:7 “Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”

“times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
Where do you go for refreshing? Vacation - Spa - Golf - Mandarin
Nothing compares to the refreshing that comes from HIS PRESENCE!

Acts 3:21 (Message) “… Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be.”

One Prophetic Word Seeking Fulfilment: Habakkuk 2:14 (NLT) “For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”

Acts 3:26 “God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Sam Williams “Evangelism is helping people discover how God is already at work in their lives.”

Genesis 1:1  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Heavens  — Two Intersecting Realms —  Earth

Heavens and Earth are both created with great value.  One is not inferior to the other.

Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

God is working to restore the Union of Heavens and Earth.

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is sent from Heaven to unite these two realms.

Luke 3:22 “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’”

John 1:51 “And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”

Luke 11:2  “So He said to them, 'When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.’”

Hebrews 9:12,24 “…but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. …For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;”

Ephesians 3:14-16 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,…”

Acts 2:33  “Being therefore lifted high by and to the right hand of God, and having received from  the Father the promised [blessing which is the] Holy Spirit, He has made  this outpouring which you yourselves both see and hear.” 

Understanding what happened at Pentecost is the foundation for everything we do as followers of Jesus in this community called “The Church”.

The Holy Spirit is the blessing of the Father.  Being baptised in the Holy Spirit authorizes  and empowers you to restore the union of Heavens and Earth.

Church is born — This is the creation of a new dwelling place for God in Earth. Enforcing the finished work of the cross and enlarging the UNION of Heavens and Earth.

No one can effectively function in this life without the blessing.

BLESSED:-- (barak) to endue with power for success, prosperity, fruitfulness and longevity. To empower to prosper.

The Blessing Must Be Appropriated:

1. It Can Be Neglected.  2. It Comes By Revelation.  3. It Flows Through Faith

Genesis 27:24-38  “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” ... and blessed him and said:  ...may God give you ... plenty of grain and wine.”

1. It Can Be Neglected

Genesis 25:33-34 “So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

2. It Comes By Revelation

Ephesians 1:18 “eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,…”

3. It Flows Through Faith 

Galatians 3:9  “So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”

Genesis 27:34 “When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me—me also, O my father!’”

Jesus understood and demonstrated the power of blessing.

Mark 10:13-16 (AMP) “…in His arms and [fervently invoked a] blessing, placing His hands upon them.”  

5 Essential Elements Of Blessing:

1. Meaningful Touch

“Come near and kiss me,” vs.26 “He took them in His arms…” vs.16

2. Spoken Message

“...and blessed him and said:” vs. 27  “…[ fervently invoked a] blessing,…” vs.16 

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,…”  WORD!

3. High Value 

“...my son Is like the smell of a field...” vs.27 

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” vs.14 

Go BIG!!! No fear of going too far. We are to die for!!!

4. Special Future

“...nations bow down to you.” vs.29  “…belongs kingdom of God.” vs.14 

“... do even greater things than these,...” John 14:12 

Proclaims preferred future.

5. Active Commitment 

The God Part:  —“[I will] not, I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!”  Hebrews 13:5

Our Part: — “…do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  Hebrews 6:12

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." 

                      Jim Valvano

Ephesians 1:3  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”

We are the means for the Union of Heaven and earth.

We are the means for the eternal purpose to be realised.

We are where people encounter GOD!

Acts 2:1-12 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. …

 … And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. …

 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? … speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’”.

Understanding what happened at Pentecost is the foundation for everything we do as followers of Jesus in this community called “The Church”.

Genesis 1:1  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Heaven.  Two Intersecting Realms   Earth

Genesis 1:2. “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

Heaven.  Two Intersecting Realms   Earth is marred

God is working to restore the Union of Heaven and Earth.

Genesis 1:26,28 “Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion … Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it;’"

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

God could not realise the restoration of the union between heaven and earth with an UNAUTHORISED MAN.  Man rejected his union with God. In one generation we have murder.

Genesis 15:17-18 “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch (Fire) that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.”

Exodus 3:2 “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.”

Exodus19:18 “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.”

Leviticus 9:23-24 “Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar.”

2 Chronicles 7:1 “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”

God is not satisfied to be contained in a box.

God wants a complete union of heaven and earth. Restoration of all things.

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”   Jesus is the temple and the sacrifice.

John 1:51 “And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”

John 5:25-27 “Son of God … and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

Jesus is where there is the UNION Of:    Heaven    Two Intersecting Realms    Earth

John 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”    In Jesus the eternal purpose of the UNION of Heaven and Earth is realised.

Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’”

Acts 1:1-9 “… presented Himself alive … speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God … receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you … be witnesses … He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Hebrews 9:12,24 “…but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. …For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;”

Jesus ascended and took earth to heaven. BUT, what about Heaven on Earth?

Acts 2:1-3 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them."

The Church is now the UNION:   Heaven     Two Intersecting Realms    Earth

Ephesians 2:19-22 “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, … you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

Colossians 1:27 “God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you (Plural), the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory.”

Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT “… to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

Romans 8:19  “For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship].”

Revelation 21:1,3 “Now I saw a new (kainos) heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’”

Revelation 21:22 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb”

We are the means for the Union of Heaven and earth.

We are the means for the eternal purpose to be realised.

We are where people encounter GOD!

Impact Church is where the UNION:    Heaven    Two Intersecting     Realms Earth

Pentecost is not a wonderful charismatic meeting.

Pentecost is your new identity as the living, walking, breathing intersection between Heaven and Earth.  

You are a burning bush.

You are a dispenser of Heavenly Things.

Overcoming The Primary Obstacle To Healing” Sermon

Matthew 8:2-3

“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

Mark 6:56 

“Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” 

 “Hem” (kraspedon) :— edge, skirt, margin, a tassel, tuft: the Jews had such appendages attached to their mantles to remind them of the law

Malachi 4:2  (NLT)

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

Overcoming The Primary Obstacle To Healing

Isaiah 53:5

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

Mathew 8:16-17

“When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:‘He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.’”

1 Peter 2:24  (NLT)

“He personally carried our sins

in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”

1 Peter 2:24 (AMP)

“He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed.”

Romans 5:17-18

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”

Romans 5:20-21

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Abound”:— (pleonazō) to abound, to increase in quantity.

“Abound Much More”(hyperperisseuō) :— to abound beyond measure, abound exceedingly to overflow, to enjoy abundantly.

Romans 6:1-11

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Noun – Condition) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. 

Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:14

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Dead to sin. No Obligations. 

Free from guilt, shame and condemnation!

2 Corinthians 3:6-11

“God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,  how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.”

Matthew 9:5-6

“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—then He said to the paralytic, ‘Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’”

John 8:10-11

“When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Psalm 32:3-5 (Message)

“When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.

Then I let it all out; I said, ‘I’ll come clean about my failures to God.’ Suddenly the pressure was gone—  my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.”

John 3:17

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

 

Sermon: Healing Settled Once And For All.    By D. Karl Thomas

God is willing to heal ALL THE TIME. It is always His will that healing be manifest. Why would He purchase the right to manifest something on our behalf and then withhold it from us? 

There are NO deficiencies on His part, in compassion, in promise or in performance. 

We must settle this issue on our part for there is no lack in Him.

Mark 6:56 

“Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” 

Mark 5:25-34

“When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.’”

     She Heard.    She Said.     She Came.     She Touched.      She Was Healed. 

Malachi 4:2  (NLT)

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

Psalm 78:40-42 

“Yes, again and again they tempted (Provoked) God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,…”

Judges 2:10 

“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.”

Acts 4:29-30 

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

Now they knew Jesus was in heaven so what they were asking for was that God would use them, the body of Christ, to manifest His healing touch. Let our hands be your hand extended and continue healing this broken, sick world.

Acts 5:12 

“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people;…”  

Clearly their prayer was answered as we can see in the following verse: Acts 5:16 “Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

It wasn’t just the apostles. Philip, one of the first Deacons went out and had a signs and wonders revival.

Acts 8: 6 “And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”

A disciple named Ananias was active in the supernatural. — Conversing with the Lord and obediently releasing the miraculous. 

Acts 9:17-18 

So Ananias left and went into the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you along the way by which you came here, has sent me that you may …

… recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And instantly something like scales fell from [Saul’s] eyes, and he recovered his sight. Then he arose and was baptized,…”

Acts 9:17-18 

The Apostle Paul always ministered in the power of signs and wonders. He considered the full presentation of the Good News of Christ is not without the miraculous.

Acts 14:3 

“Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Romans 15:18-19 

“Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. …

They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.”

1 Corinthians 4:20 

“For the kingdom of God is not in word (logus) but in power (dunamis).”

Jesus said if there is not the evidence of the miraculous don’t listen to the message.

John 10:37-38 (NLT) 

“Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

John 15:24 (NLT) 

“If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.”

John 20:30-31  

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

The early church insisted on the miraculous. 

The Apostle Paul insisted on the miraculous. 

Jesus insisted on the miraculous. 

What about us?

If the early church, that was living in the shadow of the resurrection of Christ, needed authenticating miracle then we need to command then to manifest in our day!!! 

Healing Made Simple — D. Karl Thomas

Leviticus 13:45-46  “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ … He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

Pictures: Leprosy and Jesus healing a Leper

Matthew 8:2-3 “And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

 “The Power Of Touch” (Psychology Today) Rick Chillot March 11, 2013

Touch is the first sense we acquire and the secret weapon in many a successful relationship.

If you’re close enough to touch, it’s often the easiest way to signal something, … We feel more connected to someone if they touch us…”

University of Miami School of Medicine’s Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute, has linked touch, in the form of massage, to a slew of benefits, including better sleep, reduced irritability, and increased sociability among infants—as well as improved growth of preemies.

Mark 6:56  “Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” 

 “Hem” (kraspedon) :— edge, skirt, margin, a tassel, tuft: the Jews had such appendages attached to their mantles to remind them of the law

Picture of Tzitzit

Numbers 15:37-41 (NLT) “Then the Lord said to Moses,  ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord.

When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. 

The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God.  I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!’”

Tzitzit:—  Tassel,Each tassel has 8 threads and 5 sets of knots, totaling 13. The sum of all numbers is 613. (Commandments) Type of blue dye (Heaven Throne) as physical reminder that the people belonged to God.

John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

5:— Grace.   8:— New Beginning 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “…behold, all things have become new.”

Mark 5:25-34 “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,  and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.’

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

      She Heard

      She Said

      She Came

      She Touched 

      She Was Healed 

Acts 5:12-16 “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people … bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

Acts 19:11 “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,…” 

Mark 16:17-18  “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: … They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” 

TOUCH

More recent studies have found that seemingly insignificant touches yield bigger tips for waitresses, that people shop and buy more if they’re touched by a store greeter, and that strangers are more likely to help someone if a touch accompanies the request. Call it the human touch, a brief reminder that we are, at our core, social animals. “Lots of times in these studies people don’t even remember being touched. They just feel there’s a connection, they feel that they like that person more,” 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign psychologist Michael Kraus tracked physical contact between teammates during NBA games. The study revealed that the more on-court touching there was early in the season, the more successful teams and individuals were by season’s end. The effect of touch was independent of salary or performance, eliminating the possibility that players touch more if they’re more skilled or better compensated.

“We were very surprised. Touch predicted performance across all the NBA teams,” says Kraus. “Basketball players sometimes don’t have time to say an encouraging word to a teammate; instead, they developed this incredible repertoire of touch to communicate quickly and accurately,” he explains, adding that touch can likely improve performance across any cooperative context. “touch strengthens relationships and is a marker of closeness,” he says. “It increases cooperation but is also an indicator of how strong bonds are between people.”

If a post-rebound slap on the back or the brush of a hand while delivering a bill can help us all get along a bit better, it may be because “when you stimulate the pressure receptors in the skin, you lower stress hormones,” says the Touch Research Institute’s Field. At the same time, warm touch stimulates release of the “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin, which enhances a sense of trust and attachment.

The release also helps explain our propensity for self-caressing, which we do hundreds of times each day as a calming mechanism. “We do a lot of self-touching: flipping our hair, hugging ourselves,” Field notes. Other common behaviors include massaging our foreheads, rubbing our hands, or stroking our necks. Evidence supports the idea that it’s effective: Self-massage has been shown to slow the heart rate and lower the level of the stress hormone cortisol.

Series “#OOTD” – Sermon #5  “Divine Peace” 

Ephesians 6:10-13 (TPT) “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.”

Watchman Nee (Sit Walk Stand) “For our part, we need not struggle to occupy ground that is already ours. In Christ we are conquerors, nay, “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8: 37). In Him, therefore, we stand. Thus, today we do not fight for victory; we fight from victory. We do not fight in order to win, but because in Christ we have already won. Overcomers are those who rest in the victory already given to them by their God. When you fight to get the victory, then you have lost the battle at the very outset.”

Ephesians 6:14 (TPT) “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph.,…” 

(AMP)  “So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist …”

Belt Of Truth

Victory or defeat is determined by the loins. Strength is in the loins.

The roman soldier kept his money, his sword, his writing instruments, and his garments tucked in his belt.  A person not established in truth will be poor, defenseless, misunderstood, and unkempt.

If you don’t fix yourself in truth you pervert all other instruments of war.

Truth is the first piece of armour. 

Truth is the central piece of armour.

Not the accumulation of information but foundational sincerity of heart.

Breastplate Of Righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP) “He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].”

Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Shoes Of Peace

Battle boots were a high priority.  So much so that they budgeted the same amount of money for their boots as they did their swords.  They must be strong and durable.  They must give great protection.  They must give stability and balance.

Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” 

Ephesians 6:15 “…shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.”

Ephesians 6:15 (NLT) “For shoes, (having NKJV) put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

Psalm 85:10 “…righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” 

Isaiah 32:17 “…the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.” 

Righteousness – peace are connected. 

No peace check your righteousness.

Mark 4:39 “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

Luke 24:36 “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’”

Definition Peace:

Hebrew “shalom” :– completeness, soundness, health, prosperity, security, welfare, peace. 

Greek “eirene” :– harmony, concord security, safety, prosperity, felicity, a peace and harmony that makes and keeps things safe and prosperous.

Results Of Standing Firm In Peace

1. Peace With God. 2. Peace Of God. 3. Peace In God. 4. Peace For God

1. Peace With God

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,…”

A Spiritual experience. 

Reconciled with God. God is for you. Not His enemy … loved embraced accepted.

Colossians 1:20  “…reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” 

2. Peace Of God 

John 14:27 “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.” 

A Physiological Experience 

Peace established on the inside.  He makes the call on your emotions.

Philippians 4:7  “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23  “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

3. Peace In God 

Psalm 34:14 (Living Bible) “Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.” 

Ephesians 4:3 “…endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

A Relational Experience 

Maintaining clear open relationships.

Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

4. Peace For God 

Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 

A Cosmological Experience 

Peace established in the cosmos. Manifesting His Kingdom.

Matthew 5:9  “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

“Peace is not the absence of conflict it is the presence of justice.” Harrison Ford — (Airforce One)

We must bring peace to the deceived, sick, poor, broken, and the lost. 

2 Corinthians 5:20  “…we are ambassadors for Christ, …God were pleading through us: we implore you … be reconciled to God.”

Series “#OOTD” – Sermon #3  “Divine Truth” 

Ephesians 6:10-13 (TPT) “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies (wiles KJV) of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings,

but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.

Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious. (Stand NKJV).”    Prophetic Outcome

People who base there relationship with God on their performance are only as free and satisfied as they are able to sustain their performance. 

Those who choose to be clothed by God are completely satisfied and free because of His performance.

Sunday Prayer West Point: Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be contented with half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth are in jeopardy.

Ephesians 6:14 (TPT) “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph.,…” 

(AMP)  “So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist …”

Acts 28:16 “Now when we came to Rome, … but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.”

God prepared a winning strategy and provided effective armour.

****** Picture Of Roman Soldier Belt *************

Victory or defeat is determined by the loins. Strength is in the loins.

The roman soldier kept his money, his sword, his writing instruments, and his garments tucked in his belt. 

A person not established in truth will be poor, defenseless, misunderstood, and unkempt.

Deuteronomy 33:11  “Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,…”

If you don’t fix yourself in truth you pervert all other instruments of war.

Truth is the first piece of armour.  Truth is the central piece of armour.

Not the accumulation of information but foundational sincerity of heart.

Victory or defeat is determined by the loins. Strength is in the loins.

The roman soldier kept his money, his sword, his writing instruments, and his garments tucked in his belt. 

A person not established in truth will be poor, defenseless, misunderstood, and unkempt.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Notice the different tense:

First three pieces of armour:  “having girded your waist with truth,”(NKJV)

Second three pieces of armour:  “Taking up”

The first three are armour that you establish yourself in continually.

John 18:37-38 (AMP) “This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice. Pilate said to Him, What is Truth?”

Abraham Lincoln on Truth: “How many legs would a sheep have if you called its tail a leg?” They quickly answered, “Five!” The President then said, “No, it would only have four legs. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it one.”

George Barna in “Virtual America” “72% of Americans agree, There is no such thing as absolute truth; two people could define truth in totally conflicting ways, but both could still be correct.” (pp.83, 283) “71% …there are no absolute standards that apply to everybody in all situations.” (pp. 85, 230)

Barna also discovered that 53% of those who claim there is no such thing as absolute truth identify themselves as born-again Christians (p. 83).

42% of those who identify themselves as evangelical Christians agree that there is no such thing as absolute truth (p. 83).

“Unfortunately, correcting people’s mistaken assumptions about Bible content is made nearly impossible by their self- assurance about their beliefs. Even if they are exposed to good Bible teaching they typically fail to absorb that input because they think they already know it all.” George Barna

The History Of Truth: 

1. Pre-modernism:– Authorities and tradition establishes truth. 

2.  Modernism:– Only what can be scientifically proven is truth.

3.  Post-modernism:– Every man for himself is truth.

Truth :– (alethia) the unvieled reality at the basis of and agreeing with the appearance; the manifested and veritable essence of matter.

Truth:— An objective standard by which reality is measured. Fidelity to an original or standard. Truth is that which conforms to reality.

What is reality?  What is the objective standard?

“To ascend towards God is to walk into a furnace of truth where falsehood is extracted from our souls. … Each ascending step upon the hill of God is a thrusting of our souls into greater transparency, a more perfect view into the motives of our hearts.” Frances Frangipane

LONDON … TIME BIG BEN … IF YOU DON”T MATCH BIG BEN YOU CHANGE.

Atomic Cock (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, serves as the United States primary time and frequency standard. So accurate that it would neither gain nor lose a second in over 30 million years.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “… we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,…”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

1 Timothy 3:15 “…in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

John 8:31-32 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

1. Truth Is Personal       Jesus

2. Truth is Knowable     Revelation

3. Truth is Powerful.      Freedom

Charles Lindburgh “Spiritual truth is more important to a nation than the mortar in it’s cities walls. For when the actions of a people are undergirded by spiritual truths there is safety.”

China was overrun when a gatekeeper accepted a bribe. 

Walls only keep out your friends.

Luke 24:45, 49 “Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures, …

And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Series “#OOTD” – Sermon #2   “Divine Apparel” 

Ephesians 6:10-12 (TPT) “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies (wiles KJV) of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings,

but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.”

Isaiah 59:17 “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

The essence of all spiritual warfare is to embrace your UNION with Christ Jesus!   Armour of light Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Wiles:— methodeia (meth-od-i’-ah) two words; Journey and With, to follow up or investigate by method and settled plan;  to follow craftily, frame devices, deceive.

1 John 3:8 “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].”

I thought the devil was defeated.  Why do I have to engage the enemy?

Colossians .2:15  “…he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” 

Hebrews 2:14 “…he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil”

The New Testament also says:

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin : do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil”

2 Corinthians 2:11 “… lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

1 John 5:18 (TPT) “We are convinced that everyone fathered by God does not make sinning a way of life, because the Son of God protects the child of God, and the Evil One cannot touch him.“

Mark16:15-17  “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons;”

Luke 24:48-49 (NASB) “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Genesis 3:10-11 “‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’… who told you…”

F  ear  — I don’t trust you.    I   gnorance — I don’t know you.   G uilt — I’m no good.  

SIN DID THIS NOT GOD!

Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought sin and death into the world.

A culture of judging, condemning and comparison.  SELF GOVERNING

Love alway honours and brings value to a person.

Guilt — is connected to behaviour.    Shame — is linked to identity.

I behaved a certain way therefore I am a bad person. I am broken and devalued.

Brought dishonour on myself. Every person wants to be valued!   Honoured!!!

Where the concept of honour has been corrupted shame begins to dominate.

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”

2 Types Of Honour:

1. Achieved Honour — Based on my ability to perform at a certain level.

2. Ascribed Honour — ascribe righteousness, to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another.

Christ’s righteousness ascribed to us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

God dealt with the sin problem, once and for all, so that we could have His righteousness.  Ascribed Glory

John 8:1-11 “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”

Luke 19:1-10 “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. … Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

John 4 “For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; … went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”

Biblical Honour is ASCRIBED.

Psalm 62:7 “In God is my salvation and my glory;”  kaw-bode’:— glory, honour, dignity, reputation.

Isaiah 55:5 “Because of the Lord your God, … For He has glorified you.”

Psalm 3:3  “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

John 17:22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:”

Romans 8:30 “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

John 5:44 “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” The religious people wanted to kill Jesus because he changed all the rules.  

John 1:29 “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Genesis 3:21 “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”  Blood was shed!

Hebrews 9:7 “…not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins

People who base there relationship with God on there performance are only as free and satisfied as they are able to sustain their performance. 

Those who choose to be clothed by God are completely satisfied and free because of His performance.

Series “#OOTD” – Sermon #1  “Proper Alignment” 

Ephesians 6:10-12 (TPT) “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.

Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies (wiles KJV) of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings,

but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.”

The essence of all spiritual warfare is to embrace your UNION with Christ Jesus!

Romans 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Wiles:— methodeia (meth-od-i’-ah) two words; Journey and With, to follow up or investigate by method and settled plan;  to follow craftily, frame devices, deceive.

I thought the devil was defeated.  Why do I have to engage the enemy?

Colossians .2:15  “…he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” 

Hebrews 2:14 “…he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil”

1 John 3:8 “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].”

The New Testament also says:

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin : do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil”

2 Corinthians 2:11 “… lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

John 17:15  “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” 

1 Peter 5:8 “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

Why do we have this battle?   Why did God allow the influence of evil after the cross?

Judges 3:2 “It was only that the generations of the Israelites might know and be taught war, at least those who previously knew nothing of it.”   

The Kingdom of God is eternal but DOMINION is generational.

Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep,…”

Psalm 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.”

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, … because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
HIS BASIC TOOL IS DECEPTION. Everything he does is rooted in lies!!!

Genesis 3:4 “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

Satan’s challenge to Adam and Eve was, don’t you want to be like God.

The fruit of self was introduced to mankind. INDEPENDENCE 

We have the ability to now determine what is right and wrong. We will self govern!

Ezekiel 28:17 (NLT) “Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.”

Don’t trust God. Be your own boss.

Pride in your appearance

Pride in your own understanding knowledge

Pride in your own giftedness

Pride in your experience, in life or in God

Pride in your rights you have offended me.

James 4:6-7  (AMP) But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 (TPT) “But God’s amazing grace has made me who I am! And his grace to me was not fruitless. In fact, I worked harder than all the rest, yet not in my own strength but God’s, for his empowering grace is poured out upon me. “

“Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”       C.S. Lewis

Matthew 16:17-19 “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

RESTORED TO REIGN!!!

Matthew 22:11-12 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.” 

2 Kings 2:12-13 “And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.”

John 14:30-31 (AMPC) “… for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]

But [Satan is coming and] I do as the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know (be convinced) that I love the Father and that I do only what the Father has instructed Me to do. [I act in full agreement with His orders.] Rise, let us go away from here.”

The choice remains for every person: Who do I trust? Who is in CONTROL?
God doesn’t want to control you.

He wants you to live your life with Him as your source, partnering under an open heaven.

JOKE:     Speaking dog.

A man tried to sell his neighbor a new dog. “This is a talking dog,” he said, “and you can have him for five dollars.”

The neighbor said, “Who do you think you’re kidding with this talking dog stuff? There’s no such animal.”

Suddenly the dog looked up with tears in his eyes. “Please buy me, Sir,” he pleaded. “This man is cruel. He never buys me a meal, never bathes me, never takes me for a walk. And I used to be the richest trick dog in America. I performed before kings. I was in the army and was decorated ten times.”

“Hey!” said the neighbor. “He can talk. Why do you want to sell him for just five dollars?”

“Because,” said the seller, “I’m getting tired of all his lies.”

Series: “DNA Of Christmas” — Sermon #3 “Engaging The Impossible”

Christmas / The Incarnation — God becomes one with His creation. Jesus:— God Saves

It gets so noisy. We can allow the precious to become common and familiar.

Matthew 1:1, 5-6, 16  “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, … Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar…  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab,. … Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

Jesus Family Tree: Christmas Table

A girl involved in incest.

A hooker who ran a brothel.

A pagan idol worshipper.

An adulteress who’s boyfriend killed her husband.

A teen girl pregnant and unmarried. 

Luke 1:26-38 “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 

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.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’

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. 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. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:44-45 “For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

1. Miraculous Announcement

“For with God nothing (Rhema) will be impossible.”

No word from God is without power.

There is nothing to hard for God Nothing is to hard for YOU.

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’” 

2. Miraculous Assignment

“…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.”

Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”   Reconcile mankind to the Father.

Romans 8:18 “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Colossians 1:27  “Christ in you the hope of Glory.”

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

3. Miraculous Acceptance 

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

I surrender everything to you!   Hopes / Dreams / Reputation / Future

Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord … and Mary the mother of Jesus,…”

Mary carried the the anointed one to full term … birth and nurtured. 

Now she says yes to carrying the Anointed One again.

Acts 2:3-4  “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

At Christmas the volume gets turned up! 

Jesus met the pain head on!

God wants to do the impossible through you! 

Mark 16:20  (NLT)  “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”

Series: “DNA Of Christmas” — Sermon #2 “From The Brothel To The Throne”

Many approach the bible looking for moral examples. How to be a good person.

The point of the bible is to be a mirror to show us the human condition.

From cover to cover the bible points to our need for a saviour.

The Scriptures ultimately bear witness to Christ, and Christ perfectly bears witness to God. While we are searching the Bible to find out what God is like, the Bible is all the while resolutely pointing us to Jesus.   Brian Zahnd

Matthew 1:1, 5-6, 16 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, …,…  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, … and Jesse begot David the king. … Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

Jesus Family Tree: Christmas Table

A girl involved in incest.  A hooker who ran a brothel.   A pagan idol worshipper.

An adulteress who’s boyfriend killed her husband.   A teen girl pregnant and unmarried. 

Rahab:  A Canaanite — wicked people    A Woman — few social rights  A Prostitute — sold herself     A notorious sinner, in great fear of judgement, believes in the Greatness of God, and pleads mercy.

Joshua 2:1,9 “‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there…. ‘ ‘know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us,…’”

Joshua 2:12-13  “Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

Joshua 2:18 “…when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.”

Joshua 2:21   “Then she said, ‘According to your words, so be it.’ … And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.”

Joshua 6:23   “And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.”

1. She acknowledged her need    “deliver our lives from death.” 

2. She exercised faith  “she bound the scarlet cord…” 

3. She experience redemption  “…went in and brought out Rahab…”

Hebrews 11:31   “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” 

Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him.”

Matthew knew the power of GRACE!

Revelation 12:10-11 “…who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Accuser (Katagereao} :— to accuse before a judge, to charge with some offence. 

English word category come from this word. To Label. 

The devil tries to label you as broken and worthless

The blood will speak by the power of the Spirit to every circumstance in your life!!!

You apply the blood by testifying with your mouth. 

The blood will break every label and position you for constant victory!

Ephesians 1:7  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Hebrews 10:12, 14  (MSG) “As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. … By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.”

“Scripture teaches … that life lies in the blood. Blood, therefore , is the mysterious link between matter and spirit. …certain it is that this is the mysterious link which unite these apparently dissimilar things together, so that the soul can inhabit the body, and the life can rest in the blood”  

C.H. Spurgeon

Revelation 1:5-6 {AMP}   “To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father.” 

Revelation 5:9-10 “For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

1 Peter 1:9-10 (NLT). “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life (labels) you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”

1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”

“Jesus was cursed on the tree in our place and bore our sin in His own body. He did not bear our sin in His blood. It was just as holy on the cross as it ever was. As He offered the sin sacrifice to God, He was covered with pure, innocent, justifying, redeeming, sanctifying blood so that He was able to dismiss His spirit to His Father at death.”  David Alsobrook

Matthew 1:21  “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus came for Judah and for Tamar.  Jesus came for Rahab

Series: “DNA Of Christmas” — Sermon #1 “The Good The Bad And The Ugly”

John Stott   “We often come to the Bible looking for some wonderful (i.e. nice things) but often God wants to show us disturbing things.”  

Disequilibrium – Being knocked out of your comfort zone (RUT) in order to realize another stage of growth. 

Hebrews 1:1-3   “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,  … ; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…”

Colossians 1:15 NKJV  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” 

AMP  “[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible];”

The Scriptures ultimately bear witness to Christ, and Christ perfectly bears witness to God. While we are searching the Bible to find out what God is like, the Bible is all the while resolutely pointing us to Jesus.   Brian Zahnd

“Jesus Christ is perfect theology”: means that we have a perfect revelation of what God is like in the person of Jesus. And any belief we have about God that we cannot find in the person of Jesus is a belief to be questioned.   Bill Johnson

Matthew 1:1-3, 16 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, … Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar,… Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

Jesus Family Tree: Christmas Table

A girl involved in incest. /  A hooker who ran a brothel. /.  A pagan idol worshipper.

An adulteress who’s boyfriend killed her husband.  /. A teen girl pregnant and unmarried. 

Genesis 50:20 (CEB) “You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.”

Genesis 37:26-27 “So Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites,…’”

Genesis 38  “It came to pass at that time that Judah departed (Went Down KJV) from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her.”

So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.  And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, (Levirate) and raise up an heir to your brother.”

But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died …

…and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.  And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”  So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?” Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.  

So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?”

And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.” (Temple Prostitute)

So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”

Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”

And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again. Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, … 

… that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.”

Genesis 44:33 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

Genesis 45:1 “Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, … Joseph made himself known to his brothers.”

Judah’s Recovery

1. He Came To His Senses

2. He Forgave Tamar and Himself

3. He Returned Home

4. He Walked In Light

5. He Honoured His Father

6. He Restored His Brother

We are most like beasts when we kill. We are most like men when we judge. We are most like God when we forgive. William Arthur Ward. (Thoughts of a Christian Optimist)

Genesis 49:10 “The scepter or leadership shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes to Whom it belongs, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”

Many approach the bible looking for moral examples.

How to be a good person.

The point of the bible is to be a mirror to show us the human condition.

From cover to cover the bible points to our need for a saviour.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus came for Judah and for Tamar

Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

ADULTING IN GRACE HAPPENS IN COMMUNITY

..The bulk of Scripture was written to a community… At least nine of Paul’s epistles in the New Testament were addressed specifically to a church community.
Ever since creation, everything that lives exist in an elaborate network of relationship.

Plant For Example:
-Rooted in soil
-reaches for sunlight
-requires insects for pollination
-Requires the wind to spread seeds

“What Good Is a Tree?”
that explained that when the roots of trees touch, there is a substance present that reduces competition.
In fact, this unknown fungus helps link roots of different trees…even of dissimilar species. A whole forest may be linked together. If one tree has access to water, another to nutrients, and a third to sunlight, the trees have the means to share with one another

Woodwide web
When we think of fungus… we think of mushrooms, but they are the fruit of an underground network, that transfer water nitrogen, minerals etc.

There is a linchpin in tree fungi networks are hub trees “mother trees”
-They have the most fungal connections Their roots grow deeper for water sources to pass on to sapling trees.
-they can detect ill health and distress signals and send them the needed nutrients

In like manner god has created us for connection
-we cannot experience healthy growth in isolation
-we cannot reproduce in isolation

..The bulk of Scripture was written to a community… At least nine of Paul’s epistles in the New Testament were addressed specifically to a church community.
-one body
-one loaf
-one father
-one savior
-one spirit
-one fellowship

1Peter 2:5
 You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Eph. 4:16 
From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Three things Connection Promotes:
-Community
-mentoring
-ministry

Connection promotes community
“Loneliness is not synonymous with chosen isolation or solitude. Rather loneliness is defined by people’s levels of satisfaction with their connectedness, or perceived social isolation.” Rokach

Without connection, there is no unity, and the church cannot function effectively.

CONNECTED WITH CHRIST!

Romans 6:5 “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

Planted- Sumphutos- once in bible, strongest word for union, born together, joint origin.
Community with God/ Community with one another.

CONNECTED WITH OTHERS!
Ephesians 4:16 (tpt) 
“For His body has been formed in his image and is closely joined together and constantly connected as one.

Connection promotes mentoring relationship

Each part of the body must “do its work” for the whole body to grow and mature. Every member’s contribution is essential for spiritual progress and health.

Mentoring is MTC:
-Modelling- life with Christ and your life with others
-Transformative- moving values into practices
-Capacity Development- identify gifts and talents and turning them into strengths
“It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder.”Moody

Why, because mentoring means:
-being real
-being honest
-being vulnerable
-being sacrificial
Mentoring can be:
-formal or informal
-spiritual
-vocational
-situational
-one on one
-groups

Connection promotes ministering relationship
Genuine care strengthens bonds and reflects Christ’s love.

Proverbs 11:25
 He who waters will himself be watered.”

“Our surest road to our own happiness is to seek the good of our fellow.” -Spurgeon
Mentoring relationships are intentional about development.
Ministering relationships are intentional about love and care.
-encouraging
-bearing burdens
-praying for one another
-sharing with one another
-doing good to one another
-healing
-delivering
-looking to the needs of one another.

“The experience of authentic community is one of the purposes God intends to be fulfilled by the church. The writings of Scripture lead one to conclude that God intends the church, not to be one more bolt on the wheel of activity in our lives, but the very hub at the center of one’s life.”
-Author Randy Frazee

He gathers us out of all nations and tongues. He gathers us out of all races. He gathers us young and old: that is the genius of church.

Adulting in Grace happens in Community because community gives you the opportunity to:
-Listen
-Share
-To Grow in your understanding of God’s love and grace
-To Grow in your ability to extend god’s grace

Series: “#Adulting” — Sermon #5 “Grace And Awe”

Adulting:— the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult. 

2Peter 3:18 “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

#Adulting — Grow In Grace:

1. It’s a Miracle   2. It’s Revelational. 3. It’s Responsible.  4. It’s Possible

“Christ came to set up the kingdom of God on earth and to overthrow the power of Satan.”

Tertullian — 2nd Century Church Father

A kingdom is the governing influence of a king over his territory, impacting it with his will, his purpose and his intent, producing a citizenry of people who reflect his culture and manifest his nature and glory.

Luke 4:43 “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

Luke 12:32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

A gift of His rule, ability, glory, influence – HOLY SPIRIT!

Mark 10:13-16 (NLT) “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, ‘Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 

 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’ Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”

Blessed them:— (kateulogeō) to invoke a blessing, to impart fervently, intensely. (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

This is not a cute story of Jesus shaking hands and kissing babies.

This is a transforming impartation of Kingdom life and power.

Priorities For Inheriting  The Kingdom:   1. Laugh.   2. Trust.   3. Wonder

1. Laugh Like A Child

Jude 1:24 (AMP)

“Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]”

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing.”

             Michael Pritchard

“The average 4-year-old laughs 300 times a day. The average 40-year-old? Only four.”

Dr. Pamela Gerloff (Psychology Today)

Isaiah 12:3    “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Psalm 21:6 (AMP)  “For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence.”

Martin Luther   “You have as much laughter as you have faith.” 

“The Gospel is nothing less than laughter and joy.”

2. Trust Like A Child.     —    Quit trying and start trusting!

Proverbs 3:5-6“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

1 Peter 5:7  (AMP)  “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” 

Hebrews 13:5 (AMPC) “for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”

3. Wonder Like A Child

Acts 20:24 “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

Psalm 40:5 (NLT) “O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.”

Psalm 139:14-15, 17-18 “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”  

Another day of wonder filled victory.

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Matthew 13:54-58 “When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’  So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’  Now He did not (could not) do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”  (their hostile indifference MSG)       Tragic Loss Of WONDER. 

Karl Barth was asked; what was the greatest insight he had ever gained throughout his long years of study and scholarship?   “Jesus Loves me this know.”

My favourite quote: “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”

We don’t earn it. We don’t merit it. We don’t build it. We are given the transforming blessing of the Kingdom as a gift of love and grace here and now!

It’s the Blessing Of God.

There’s no fine print, stipulations, condition or limitations.

As a child I come with nothing. 

I simply possess:

                    My Laugh

                    My Trust

                    My Wonder

Series: “#Adulting” — Sermon #4 “GraceTo Lead”

Colossians 1:16-18 

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”

Ephesians 4:11-13

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

Acts 14:23 “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”

Acts 15:22 (NLT)  “The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.”

Philippians 1:1 (NLT) 

“I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons.”   

Elders – (Episkopos) Overseers.      Deacons – (Diakonos) Attendant

Adulting:— the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult. 

2Peter 3:18

“Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

#Adulting — Grow In Grace:

1. It’s a Miracle 

2. It’s Revelational

3. It’s Responsible

4. It’s Possible

Acts 2:47 

“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 9:31

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.  And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Acts 14:1 

“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.”

Acts 21:20 

“And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed,…’”

myriads:— an innumerable company

I believe that God is moving the Body of Christ from addition to multiplication!       

2 + 2=4                     2 x 2= 4

4 + 4=8                     4 x4=16

8 + 8=16                   6 x 16= 256

16 + 16=32               256 x 256= 65,536

32 + 32=64              65,536 x 65,536 =  4,294,967,296

Romans 12:4-8 (TPT)

“In the human body there are many parts and organs, each with a unique function. And so it is in the body of Christ. For though we are many, we’ve all been mingled into one body in Christ. This means that we are all vitally joined to one another, with each contributing to the others.

God’s marvelous grace imparts to each one of us varying gifts. So if God has given you the grace-gift of prophecy, activate your gift by using the proportion of faith you have to prophesy. If your grace-gift is serving, then thrive in serving others well. If you have the grace-gift of teaching, then be actively teaching and training others.

If you have the grace-gift of encouragement, then use it often to encourage others. If you have the grace-gift of giving to meet the needs of others, then may you prosper in your generosity without any fanfare. If you have the gift of leadership, be passionate about your leadership. And if you have the gift of showing compassion, then flourish in your cheerful display of compassion.”

How do they identify leaders in the Bible?

Acts 1:23-26

“And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.  And they prayed and said, . ‘You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.’  And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Acts 6:3-7 

“‘And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.  Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.’ Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.”

Titus 1:5-9 

“I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.  An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.

A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.

Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good.

He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.”

Exodus 18:14-26

“And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.  Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge.  So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

Number 11:17 

“Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.”

Blueprint For Multiplication:

1. Gather Capable Leaders

2. Teach Them The Word

3. Make Practical Applications

4. Share The Burden Of Responsibility

5. Begins With Anointing — Same Spirit

We are vitally connected to one another.

We have all been graced with gifts and abilities to uniquely function.

When you unpack your gifts and strengths to serve others you experience joy and fulfilment.

Series: “#Adulting” — Sermon #2 “Grace For Growth” 

Adulting:— the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult. 

Growing In Grace:

Grace is a gift of the nature and empowering  presence of God

• Law Demands Performance
• Grace Empowers Behaviour

Grace has a higher standard.

Grace (charis):– good will, loving-kindness, favour.

The merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles virtues.

Hebrews 10:19,24 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, And let us consider how we may spur one another (provoke, incite) on toward love and good deeds,”

2Peter 3:18 “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

#Adulting — Grow In Grace:

1. It’s a Miracle 

2. It’s Revelational

3. It’s Responsible

4. It’s Possible

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said to them, (1) ’Repent, and let every one of you (2) be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall (3) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

“Baptize”:– to immerse, to submerge, to bathe, to overwhelm, to pickle, to produce a permanent change. 

Not just getting wet.  An identification and a union with Christ that results in a genuine change. 

Three Baptisms: 

1. Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ / Body   

2. Disciple baptizes a believer in water. 

3. Jesus baptizes believer in the Holy Spirit

Jesus Himself followed this process.
1. He was born from above. (Spirit)

2. He was baptized in water. 

3. He was baptized in the Holy Ghost.
John 1:33 “Spirit descending, and remaining on Him,”

The first command to the church is not “GO” but “WAIT”.
Luke 24:49 (NLT) “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

You Must Be ABLE To GROW

Series: “#Adulting” — Sermon #1 “Growing In Grace”

Adulting:— the act or practice of attending to the ordinary tasks required of a responsible adult.

By 2016, “adulting” was widely recognized enough to become Word of the Year finalist by the American Dialect Society. (2nd) Since then, its usage has slightly declined, although it remains a relevant and widely recognized term.

First time I separated the whites from the colours. #adulting

Uncontrollably smiling because I got a new office chair. #adulting

I just sighed at a group of teenagers. #adulting

The 4 Levels of ‘Adulting’
1. Apprehensive Adult. 2. Amateur Adult. 3. Assertive Adult. 4. Authentic Adult
“Jessica Fish”

Hebrews 10:19,24 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, … And let us consider how we may spur one another (provoke, incite) on toward love and good deeds,”

Growing In Grace:
Grace is a gift of the nature and empowering  presence of God
Law Demands Performance. Grace Empowers Behaviour
Grace has a higher standard

Grace (charis):– good will, loving-kindness, favour.
The merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles virtues.

1Peter 3:18 “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.” Neil T Anderson

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.” E. M. Fitzpatrick

God’s word simplified: Good News And Good Advice

Colossians 1:1-12 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.

… we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people,  which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven … heard the truth of the Good News.

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

“You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.”

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Epignosis:—precise, exact and correct knowledge

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,…

…always thanking the Father. He has enabled (Qualified) you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Qualified (Hikanoo):—to make sufficient, render fit, to equip one with adequate power to perform.
Move from trying to trusting.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

#Adulting — Grow In Grace:
1. It’s a Miracle
2. It’s Revelational
3. It’s Responsible
4. It’s Possible

1 Corinthians 1:30
“God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

 

Series: “Open House”  Sermon:  “We Focus On Jesus”

Mark 1:37 “Everyone is looking for You.”

Hebrews 3:6 (NLT) “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, …”

Have you googled yourself? Who are you? What would people find?

Any Concept of God that is built through a preconceived filter will limit your ability to connect with God. 

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”      

 A.W. Tozer  (The Knowledge of the Holy)

The world tries to tell you about God:

MEDIA: ”Is God Dead?” was an April 8, 1966, cover story for the news magazine Time. 

Hollywood — always trying to shape our world view.

School — Education wants to frame your thinking.

Nature … Natural disasters “ Act of God!”

Religion — many ways up the mountain.

Parents … Much of our world view comes from home. 

The Apostle John was Jesus closest earthly friend.John took care of Jesus Mother.  What dis he say about Jesus?

John 1:3-4  “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

John 1:17-18 “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” 

John 2:1-11 “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’ Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, …

…according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the waterpots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.

And He said to them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.’ And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew),

… the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.

You have kept the good wine until now!’  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

He Manifests His Glory:

Jesus is God.

Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

Jesus is available NOW.

His Disciples Believe In Him:

I believe in Jesus.

I have experienced the miracle of transformation.

I am experiencing His best NOW.

Have you run out of wine?

Do you need a miracle of transformation?

Do you need the ordinary to experience the extraordinary?

Take the filters of of JESUS! Remove everything that hinders you from experiencing His presence.

“Whatever He says to you, do it.”

John 1:12  “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Open House | “Open Hearts” Sermon
DO YOU HAVE FRIDGE FRIENDS?

Introduced the series with following Scriptures:

Solomon writes Proverbs 9:1
“Wisdom has built her house, (Wisdom/Jesus is building His House)
She has hewn out her seven pillars;”

Jesus echoes this in:
Matthew 16:18
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Paul expresses this concept in:
Hebrews 3:6 (NLT)
“But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s
house, …”

To What End?

Ephesians 3:10
“God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich
variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

• We carry mats- people need to encounter the forgiveness and healing of
Christ
• We operate in authority- we have gone from being beggars to commanders
• We praise on purpose- Praise/Singing is not a Christian thing it is a human
thing.
• We go to worship we come out to witness

So I have a question for you, do you have fridge friend relationships?

There’s a big difference between a casual friend and a “fridge friend.” You know
what I mean by “fridge friend,” right?

That’s the person who’s so comfortable in your home that they don’t even ask for
permission anymore—they just walk into your kitchen, open the fridge, and help
themselves to whatever’s in there. You might think, “Hey, this isn’t a buffet!” But
deep down, you know that’s a sign of a truly close relationship.

When someone feels at home enough to share life with you like that, it’s special.

It is an expression of an open home an open heart.

In Scripture, the heart is often described as the center of our being—the seat
of our thoughts, emotions, and decisions. Just as we have physical homes
where we live, the Bible invites us to think of our hearts as spiritual houses
where God and others are welcomed.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person,
and they with me.

“This powerful verse shows Jesus’ desire to enter into the “house” of our hearts.

Jesus wants to have that deep connection with us, but it starts with our willingness
to open the door of our hearts.

Our openness allows Christ to dwell with us, to transform us, and to invite
others into His presence.

Our heart is like a home that needs to be open for Jesus and for others.

A heart that welcomes guests, feeds them, and shares life with them.

Shares life not with just the ones we are comfortable with but all… From every
nation tribe and tongue.

There is a beautiful Psalm by Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song. 87:1-7

He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you, city of God:
“I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me— Philistia
too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the
Most High himself will establish her.”
The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”
As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in you.”

Psalm 87 is significant as a call for Christians to have open hearts because it
envisions God’s kingdom as a place for all nations, breaking down barriers and
welcoming everyone into His spiritual family.

It reminds us that God’s love is inclusive, and the Church should reflect that same
openness and joy in embracing others.

By having open hearts, believers can participate in God’s vision of Zion—a place
where all people are welcomed, loved, and celebrated.

Mark Nepo author/poet said: “To keep our hearts open is probably the most
urgent responsibility you have as you get older.”

Clarissa Pinkola Estés:
“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy
world is to stand up and show your soul.
Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times

Having a heart wide open is important because it reflects openness to God’s
love, grace, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

An open heart is receptive to God’s guidance, compassionate toward others, and
willing to grow spiritually

Today I want to look at someone who by all counts should have written people
off… but despite many relational disappointments he was a man with a wide-open
heart… The Apostle Paul.

The church in Corinth was one of the congregations Paul founded during his
missionary journeys and his relationship with them was characterized by by
misunderstandings, conflicts, and tensions, but also deep affection and concern.

Throughout his letters to the church, we discover:

1. Had great affection and a true sense of paternal Care
• Paul regarded himself as a spiritual father to the Corinthians since he had
founded the church and led many of its members to Christ (1 Corinthians
4:15).
• He expressed deep love and affection for them, often referring to them as
“brothers” and “children.”

2. He had to be both corrective and confrontational
• The Corinthian church struggled with several issues including divisions,
immorality, and misunderstandings about spiritual gifts. Paul addressed
these problems directly in his letters.
• His tone was sometimes stern, as he felt the need to correct their behavior and
protect the integrity of the church.

3. He had to defend his calling
• They questioned Paul’s authority and apostleship (2 Corinthians 11).
• In 2 Corinthians, Paul defended his apostleship, explaining that his authority
came from Christ and not from human credentials. He emphasized his
sufferings for the gospel as proof of his sincerity (2 Corinthians 11:23-33).

4. He’d had Painful Interactions
• 2 Cor 2:1 Paul had a “painful visit” to Corinth, during which he faced
hostility and resistance (2 Corinthians 2:1).
• Which led Paul to write a painful & severe letter urging the church
to repent and reconcile with him (2 Corinthians 2:4).

5. Yet he remained ever reconciliatory and forgiving
• Paul’s relationship with the Corinthians showed a dynamic of conflict and
reconciliation. He was committed to the relationship, seeking to mend
the rift and strengthen the church even after the difficulties.

READ 2 Cor 6:1-10
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (ESV) reads: “We have spoken freely to you,
Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are
restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your
hearts also.”

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (MSG)
Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this
wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes
from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small
way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your
lives. Live openly and expansively!

This passage is a heartfelt appeal from Paul to the Corinthian believers, where he
expresses his deep love and longing for them. We see the imagery of “widening the
heart.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A WIDE-OPEN HEART?
From 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 we come to see that a wide-open heart is
vulnerable, roomy, reconciliatory, free, and Christ like.

1. A Wide-Open Heart is a Vulnerable Heart.
Paul says, “our heart is wide open…”. He is making himself emotionally available
to the Corinthians, fully open to them.

Illus: Think of someone who, despite past pain or disappointment, chooses to love
again. It’s like opening a door to your home after a storm has damaged it.

You could shut it and remain safe, but instead, you choose to repair it and
welcome others in once more.

This is what Paul is doing—he is inviting the Corinthians into his life despite
the risk of rejection.

A wide-open heart is a heart that risks being hurt because it does not close itself off
from others.

Brene Brown: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to
show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”
Paulo Coelho: “The strongest love is the love that can demonstrate its fragility.”

Application: Sometimes we close ourselves off from people because of past hurts,
disappointments, or betrayals.
You live, you learn
You love, you learn
You cry, you learn
You lose, you learn
You bleed, you learn
You scream you learn… Alannis Morsette

Paul’s example challenges us to trust God’s strength and love enough to widen
our hearts again, even if it feels risky.

OPEN HEARTS ARE WILLING TO RISK VULNERABILITY
LEARN FROM LIFE DON’T LIMIT LIFE

2. A Wide-Open Heart Creates Room for Others
Illustration: HGTV- House Hunters/Renovators everybody wants and open
concept living area.
Walls are knocked down to create more space for people to gather.

When Paul speaks of widening his heart, he’s making room for others. It’s as if
he’s expanding the space within himself to include more people.

The Corinthians had limited their affection, but Paul’s heart was open and
spacious, ready to embrace them.

• In the same way, widening our hearts is about knocking down the walls of
judgment, prejudice, and self-centeredness, creating space for others; even
those who test our patience, stretch our understanding or hurt us.
• It’s about making room for people as Christ has made room for us so they too
can to belong and feel loved.

Application: In our relationships, do we have room for others—especially those
who are different from us or who challenge us? DO you have fridge friends?

3. A Wide-Open Heart as an Act of Reconciliation
• Illustration: Have you ever had a falling out with your spouse?

• One decides to reach out, extending an olive branch and making the first move.

Paul’s plea is part of a larger appeal for reconciliation. He is asking the Corinthians
to open their hearts to him in the same way that he has opened his heart to them.

He’s essentially saying, “I’ve made room for you—will you make room for me?”
The invitation to widen their hearts is an invitation to restore and deepen their
relationship.

• He’s opening his heart, taking the first step, and saying, “I’m here, ready to
reconcile.” It’s an act of love and humility that paves the way for healing.

• Application: Are there relationships in your life where God might be calling you
to widen your heart and seek reconciliation? It could mean letting go of
pride or past grievances to make room for restoration.

3. The Freedom of a Wide-Open Heart
Illustration: Think of your garden hose with a kink in it. When it’s restricted, only
a trickle of water can come through, but when you straighten it out and widen the
flow, the water rushes freely.

Paul tells the Corinthians that they are “restricted in [their] own affections”. Their
hearts are constricted, perhaps by fear, selfishness, or past wounds. When Paul
encourages them to “widen [their] hearts also,” he’s inviting them into a life of
greater freedom and an unrestricted flow of life.

• Widening our hearts will allow the love, grace, and life of God to flow through
them more freely.

• Application: What is restricting your heart today? Is it fear, past hurt, or even
busyness?

Widening our hearts to God and others means allowing His love to flow freely
through us, letting go of the things that limit our openness.

4. A Wide-open Heart is a Reflection of Christ’s Love
Illustration: Imagine a large, welcoming tree with wide branches that provide
shade and shelter for anyone who comes near.
The tree is not preferential, prejudice or prohibitive… everyone can find rest.
Ultimately, Paul’s wide heart reflects the heart of Christ, who opened Himself fully
for us.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV): “Follow my example, as I follow the example of
Christ.”

Paul is modeling what he’s learned from Christ, whose love is extravagant,
expansive and inclusive.

Just as Christ’s heart is wide enough to include all of humanity, Paul’s heart is
wide enough to include the Corinthians, even when they’re difficult or
unresponsive.

2 Corinthians 12:13-14 MSG
14-15 Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But don’t worry
about it; you won’t have to put yourselves out. I’ll be no more of a bother to you
this time than on the other visits. I have no interest in what you have—only in you.
…I’d be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good.
So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I’m loved?

Paul modelled/embodied what he’s learned from Christ, whose love is
extravagant, expansive and inclusive.

This is how Christ’s love is—open, wide, and welcoming. Paul’s appeal is for the
Corinthians to have the same openness.

With arms wide open under the SONlight
Welcome to this place, I’ll show you everything
With arms wide open, now everything has changed
I’ll show you love, I’ll show you everything
With arms hearts wide open
With hearts wide open
I’ll show you everything…With arms hearts wide-open

Application: Widening our hearts means imitating Christ. It means welcoming
people who are different from us, showing love to those who might not return it,
and extending grace even when it’s not deserved.
§ CHRIST’S EXPRESSION OF LOVE WAS EXTRAVAGANT
§ HIS HEART WAS WIDE OPEN
§ PAUL’S LOVE WAS EXTRAVAGANT HIS HEART WAS WIDE OPEN
§ IS YOUR LOVE EXTRAVAGANT IS YOUR HEART WIDE OPEN? TO
CHRIST… TO OTHERS

“YOUR LOVE IS EXTRAVAGANT”

APPEAL
1. OPEN YOUR HEART TO CHRIST
2. OPEN YOUR HEART TO OTHERS

Series: “Open House”  Sermon:  “We Come In And Go Out”