Month: February 2019

by Pastor Roy Esposito

Belief — an opinion or conviction; an intellectual process; a soul event
Faith – Trust in a person or a thing; a gift; a Spirit event

Hebrews 12:24 (Passion) – Jesus – The “Spiritual Singularity” from which the power of faith bursts forward and expands.

“Faith takes Courage because it requires to Trust in what is unseen.” – PR

“Trust allows one to see the reality of heaven in the midst of conflict and call forth heaven’s resolve for it.” – PR

Romans 4:17

Hebrews 11 – Testimonies of faith
Hebrews 11:13 (Passion)
Hebrews 11:4(b) (Passion)
Matthew 16: 13-20 – “Who do YOU say He is?”

Psalms 23:4 (Passion) – “Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear.”

Adversity – Is the means through which we receive the power it takes to overcome adversity.

Ephesians 6:16 – The Shield of Faith, a spiritual shelter

James 1:2-4 (Passion)

Matthew 14:22-37 – “Faith Training” — “Take Courage. I am here. Don’t be afraid.”
1 John 4:8 – “No fear in Love. Perfect Love casts out all fear … “

Matthew 16:31 (Passion) – “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?”

by Pastor Roy Esposito

Mark 9:24
Matthew 17:17-20
Belief – An opinion or conviction about something.
Faith – A confident trust in a person or a thing.
When we have belief alone as our guide it’s like reading the map instead of visiting the place.
1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16(b) – “God is Love!”
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God in the context of this definition, – John 1:18
Jesus invites us to not simply follow His teachings but to place our Faith in Him – as the expression of God’s love for His creation – and to trust the truth of it. – John 3:16 (Passion)
John 3:16 – Passion Notes; “Believe INTO Him”
Question “Is the Christ of my belief really my own or an amalgamation of what all others have to say about Him?”
2 Timothy 3:5-7 (Passion)
Matthew 16:13-20 – “Who do YOU say I am?”

Break Camp!  – called to be “Faith-explorers of a country without borders, one we discover, little by little, not to be a place but a person.”

Colossians 1:27
Matthew 16:13-20 – “…you didn’t discover this on your own but My Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you.”

Radical Faith – comes only through REVELATION, – a gift of the Holy Spirit – not achievement. – 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 Corinthians 12:9
1 Corinthians 12:14
1 Corinthians 1:27 – God bestows His grace gifts abundantly but unevenly.
John 3:27

Mark 10:17-30
Luke 19:8-9
Mark 5:18-20

KEY:  Listen intently to God’s 1st word to you: Your life as it is.
Your life in its uniqueness is the way God has chosen to express Himself in this present time and space. – PR

Faith – begins with trusting in God’s love and care for you within the operation of your daily living;
but it takes courage to wait with endurance and perseverance as God makes clear what it is He wants to say through your life.
Radical Discipleship – Having a spirit of receptivity – utter dependence and reliance on the power, mercy, and grace of God as mediated through the Spirit of Christ within.

Submission and Surrender
Submission – conscious acceptance and yielding to the reality I’m in and subject to change if need be – a soul event
Surrender – the moment that personal resistance ceases. – a Spirit event

Submission – a conscious effort
Surrender – an unconscious effort compelled by God

Intensity Counts!!
Parables
Matthew 13:44 – Hidden Treasure
Matthew 13:45-46 – Pearl of Great Price
Luke 15:8-10 – Lost Coin
Speak of making the Kingdom of God the top priority; invested time, money, and effort to acquire it.
Luke 11:13 (Passion) – Ask for help.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (Passion)

Yesterday’s blessings can trap us!
Numbers 21:9 – Bronze serpent made for healing became an idol to be torn down. – 2 Kings 18:4
Romans 4:7
Romans 4:20-21 (KJV) “He Staggered not! – strengthened by faith!”
John 15:26 (Passion)
For the mission to succeed His truth must become our reality and not just our theology.

by Pastor Roy Esposito

1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (Passion & NKJV) – “Then I shall Know just as I am also Known.”
Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-15, Luke 4:1-13 – Temptation of Jesus

The “Loop of Instability” – Delusion – Confusion  – Illusion
Note:  We can only be tempted by something that’s in some way GOOD!

1. partially good.
2. good for a time.
3. good for some.
4. good for me.
5. evil disguised as good.

Note: Most people’s daily ethical choices are not between total good and total evil.
Not recognizing the differences is where most get into trouble.
Spiritual Discernment – the ability to discern the subtleties and gradations of truth specific to each encounter.

Galatians 3:23-25 (Passion)
1 Corinthians 2:16 – “We have the mind of Christ”
Philippians 2:5 (Passion) – “Let His mindset become your motivation.”

Stones to Bread —  Deuteronomy  8:2-3
Test God — Deuteronomy 6:16
Worship  — Deuteronomy 6:18

The “Loop of Dialogue and Disclosure”  — begins with HUMILITY

Psalm 51:1  “Have mercy, Oh God”
Psalm 51:2-3 – “I acknowledge my transgression”
Psalm 51:6 – Impart truth to my inner parts – teach me WISDOM.”

Emet (Heb) — Truth: to be firm, permanent, established; implies a sense of reliability and dependability.

Exodus 18:21 — Moses told to surround himself with men of TRUTH and to appoint them to leadership

Truth – is the foundation of wisdom and spiritual discernment which are our guides and safety nets

Mark 1:12-13 – “Immediately after this (His baptism) He was compelled by the Spirit to go into an uninhabited region. There He remained for forty days enduring the ordeals of Satan’s tests; He encountered Wild Beasts there but also Angels who appeared and ministered to Him. “