Summoned By Love

by Pastor Roy Esposito

1. Trust steadily in God
2. Hope unswervingly
3. Love extravagantly

Hebrews 11:1 – Faith – a confirmation and a proof of things yet to be seen

Hebrews 11:6 – Without faith, we can’t be pleasing to God

1. A  summons to total immersion in God’s love
2. The standard for loving others is how well you love yourself

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. “

By Pastor Roy Esposito

1. The moment you realize you are valuable and deeply loved by God  — The “Abba” moment
2. The moment you realize that the life you’re presently living is pointless and empty until you experience the first moment.

Both are needed as counterpoints for spiritual growth.
Bible – Not just a source of information but a vehicle to transformation: An encounter instead of an explanation!
Goal: To encounter God as “Abba” and receive the comfort, trust balance, guidance and direction that goes beyond information.

Isaiah 26:3 – “Perfect peace”
Moment 1 – connects  to peace, energy, and the joy of the “Ultimate Source”
Moment 2 – sets limits and boundaries for proper humility keeping us seeking the Source
“Small Self” – You in you “Big Self” –  God in you
Teresa of Avila – ” We will find God in ourselves when we find ourselves in God.”
Therapy – a series of moments of surrender to truth shared with another.
Humility – the essential position of a soul looking to unlock the door to spiritual maturity
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (Passion)  – (NKJV) ” Then I shall know just as I am also known.”
 “Knowing” and “being known” are correlated.
The “Loop of Dialogue and Disclosure” begins with humility.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Being known to the Lord must begin with knowing yourself: OWN YOUR STUFF!”  — PR
1 Peter 4:8 (Proverbs 10:12)  — “Love covers a multitude of sin.”
Ephesians 3:20 (Passion)
Psalms 84:2 (Passion)  — We were born with the desire for God
1 John 3:2
Revelation 14:2-5 
The “144,000”  – The first fruit of God’s people set apart to be the further expression of Christ to the Earth
Isaiah 60:1- 5

by Pastor Roy Esposito

• John 6 – Feeding the 5.000
  • Barley – a symbol of poverty Fish — a symbol of the souls of men
• John 10:30 – Jesus and the Father are One and of One mind
• John 8:12 – “He who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
• 1 Corinthians 2:16 – “We have the mind of Christ.”

Thinking With His Mind

1. Humble yourself. – Have a repentant heart
2. Listen – 1 Samuel 3:7-11 – “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening.”
3. Be kind and patient with yourself. – Romans 7:15-20
4. Remember: God is FOR you. – Romans 8:3
5. Realize: “I am the Prodigal Son!” – My Father will come out to meet me on my way home to Him.
6. There’s a happy ending: – Revelation 21:3-7 (Passion)

The “Old Order”

1. Security at any cost
2. Pleasure without regard
3. Power, control, and manipulation

“Imitators of Christ” – Ephesians 5:1, 1 Peter 2:21, Philippians 2:3-8, 1 Corinthians 11:1

Not Imitations or counterfeits but replications of Christ.

Philippians 4:13 (Passion)

The “Mind of Christ” is empowered and directed by its focus on God’s love and grace.

Jesus knew this – lived this and was very transparent about it.

In Jesus, no “self” is seen. Only the unconditional love of God.

Opaque – blocks the light. – to be in sin.

1 John 2:11 – “He walks in darkness and doesn’t know where he’s going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Matthew 6: 31-34

“The Eyes Are the Windows of the Soul”

1. Entrance to the inner self
2. Reflects what’s in a person’s heart

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) – Looking to Jesus – the only prescription for transparency.

Luke 12:34

Good News! – All it takes to become authentic is to begin as a “Wanna-be.”

“To change your point of view – change the point from where you’re viewing!” -PR

Colossians 1:13 (Passion)
Mark 9:23 (Passion) – “If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believers.”

Prophetic Word for RCF — 2019

On a clear day
Rise and look around you and you’ll see who you are
On a clear day
How it will astound you
That the glow of your being
Outshines every star
You’ll feel part of
Every mountain, sea, and shore
You can hear from far and near
A world you’ve never, never heard before
And on a clear day, on that clear day
You can see forever, and ever, and ever
And evermore.
(Lerner / Lane)

by Pastor Roy Esposito

Year # 22  — Reintegration- Reorganization- Reordering of:

1. Priorities
2. Vision
3. Understanding
4. Methods

22 = 11×2

3 Ways the written Word is corrupted:

1. Addition to the Divine Authority (10 + 1)
2. Subtraction from the Divine Rule and Authority  (12 -1)
3. Alteration of the Word to fit man’s interpretation

Psalm 12:1 – “HELP LORD!”

Psalm 12:6 – Word tested 7x  by fire in the crucible of clay – the heart of man

2 Corinthians 4:7-9  – “Jars of clay…”

Hebrews 12:5-12 (Passion)

Year  #24 – Associated with Heavenly Governmental Authority

Hebrews 8:5 – Building/operating the tabernacle of God
– Establishment of temple worship as a copy of how it is in Heaven.

Revelation 4:4 – The 24 Elders – leaders of heavenly worship

Year #23 – Year of “Crossing Over”: New perspectives, Divine Interventions, Increased Faith and Magnified Vision

• Joshua 3:1-17
• Hebrews 11:1-3

Acacia Grove – Thorny place; place of wailing

Joshua 3:1-4 – “…you’ve not passed this way before.” – Crossing by a different method – “When you see the Ark, follow it.”
Vs 5 – Sanctify – divorced from the unclean – devoted wholly to God
Vs 6 – priests went first before the people
Vs 17 – miracle of the waters standing in a heap

Adam – mankind

Zaretan – distress

Prophetic Picture for RCF:
The waters of distress will not touch even the bottoms of your feet as you cross over in year # 23″

“This doesn’t necessarily mean that the trials will end — only that you won’t be in distress about them.”  — PR

Instructions for Success in 2019

1. Sanctify yourself – Divorce and Devote
2. Stay Alert – 1 Peter 5:8 (Passion)
3. Be Intentional in your walk with God – 2 Corinthians 10:5 (Passion)
4. Guard Your Words – Proverbs 4:23 (Passion) – Exhort, Encourage, Edify – Prophesy LIFE!
5. Seek Wisdom — John 3:13 (Message)

by Pastor Roy Esposito

PROMISE  — PROCESS   — PROVISION

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Being “IN Christ”  is gaining a revelation of  Christ IN us.

John 14:18 – “I will come back to you.” –

Comes in 3 Ways

1. Literally after His Crucifixion
2. At the 2nd Coming (Parousia)
3. At Pentecost in the Person of the Holy Spirit to live within us

Galatians 2:20 – My life empowered by the faith of the Son of God

John 20:22 – “Accept the Sacred Breath.”

Acts 2 – “When the day of Pentecost had fully come…” or “When the time of process had come full circle and was ripe.”

Liminal – The Threshold Stage

God is working stuff out of us so He can work stuff into us!

We are not being saved from something but for something!

2 Corinthians 3:18 – Transformed by the Spirit from glory TO glory

Psalm 118:24 – I WILL rejoice and be glad …

Philippians 4:13 – I CAN do all things through Christ …

Passion – “For I am trained in the secret of overcoming all things …  and I find the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.”

Colossians 1:27 (Passion) – the mystery of Christ living within

Number 23:19 (NLT)

“It’s awe inspiring  that wind, breath, air and spirit are precisely nothing and yet everything.” – PR

Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”

(Hebrew) – Breath – ‘Nishmat Chayim’ – “The Sacred Breath” – John 20:23

We possess great power to influence our own reality – Proverbs 23:7

We must learn to never begin something with a “NO” attitude

Concerning God’s promises for us we say “YES” and agree with God

2 Corinthians 1:20 (Passion) “For all of God’s promises find there fulfillment in Him; and His YES and as our AMEN ascend to God, we bring Him glory.”

Passion Notes :  It is Christ whom speaks the Amen of faith through us.