My apologies to all our readers. I had a few health and technical issues. I believe I am past these and am back updating our Blog.
We are back and will be filling in the past messages!
Choosing to Live Above “Normal” – 8-Jan-2023
by Pastor Roy Esposito
- “Normal” – enslaves us to the effects of sin: fear, anxiety, illness, etc.
- ” Above Normal” – means being led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14-15)
- The HOLY SPIRIT frees us from the slavery of sin and its effects and restores us to the freedom of a genuine relationship with God through Christ.
- To live above Normal begins with a passionate and committed desire.
- But it’s in no way automatic. We must choose to do so every day.
- Galatians 6:16 (NLT) “And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. The two forces constantly fight each other, and your CHOICES are never free from conflict.
- When we give ourselves totally to the Spirit, He will help us change the way we think. (Romans 12:1-2)
- A change in thinking is necessary to avoid making room for sin to influence us. (Rationalizations, deflections, and excuses – “I’m only human, after all!” )
- I have to choose to walk in the Spirit in order to experience God’s goodness.
- Without experiencing His goodness, I will never find peace. And without peace, I will never come to fully trust God – the key in overcoming faith.
- Ephesians 6:15– “Gospel shoes of Peace” – My feet connect me to the earth.
- Shoes – speak of having firm footing, firm direction, and foundational surety that God’s peace brings.
- “His Peace” – (Greek) – Eirene – To set at One again; to make Whole – which brings a sense of well-being to our hearts, mind, and bodies.
- (Hebrew) Shalom – Completeness, wellness, health, welfare, soundness, prosperity, rest, harmony, and the absence of agitation and discord.
- These describe some of the benefits of an “Above Normal” life.
- Romans 7:14-25 – Paul explains that it’s our normal sinful nature that makes us slaves to sin – even when we know what not to do and not wanting to do it, we do it anyway.
- We’ve somehow believed that evil is some kind of invisible, cosmic force that’s irresistible and overpowering and just grabs us and takes us away.
- The truth is: There is nothing outside of me that has the power to make me do wrong except that which I have given power by what I have permitted to be in me. – PR
- Evil is NOT cosmic, nor is it invincible. It doesn’t have to overpower us.
- Why? Because as Christians, we are “Dead to it and alive to God.” (Romans 6:11) if we “reckon” ourselves that way.“ (Where thinking differently comes in!)
- We can set ourselves free from sin’s power by choosing not to let ourselves become infected, looking to Jesus and the goodness of God instead of the temptation.
- We can do this because when we received Christ as Lord, He breathed into us the Holy Spirit, making us eligible to live in the realities of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
- Actually, the patterns of wrongdoing that govern human behavior are generally weak because they only exist as illusions or “shadows” which contain no real substance.
- They are, for the most part, just habits or automatic responses we’ve formed over time.
- When we act out of them, it’s generally without any prior reflection, which gives them their power.
- Habits – don’t run through our conscious minds or our deliberate will – and are often contrary to them.
- Rarely is our wrongdoing the result of careful deliberation.
- Our routine automatic behavior patterns manage to keep our deliberate will and conscious minds off balance by filling us with delusions, distractions, lies, “what if” scenarios, and general poppycock…
- This leaves us on the defensive, having negative thinking, which then expands into denial, rationalization, and misappropriated actions – leading further and further away from the truth and making more space for evil to prosper.
- The HOLY SPIRIT will help us replace old habits and automatic responses with new ones that reflect Kingdom principles and sustain them with Kingdom power.
Here are some suggestions that may help:- Ask – the HOLY SPIRIT to reveal bad habits and responses.
- Acknowledge them: Matthew 5:25 – “Agree with your adversary quickly….’
You will never be able to deal with evil effectively as long as you view it as external to yourself. – PR
- “The devil didn’t make you do it!” The devil may have dangled some temptation before you, but you can say NOOOOO!!! It’s your CHOICE.
- When we don’t choose rightly, a place is formed inside us where sin can take root and manifest itself if it’s not repented of.
- A Recap:
- NOTHING has the power to tempt me or force me to do wrong except that which I have given the power to by permitting it to remain in me.
- Romans 8:31-39
- The most dangerous things are the LITTLE habits, thoughts, feelings, or actions we let slide because they’re “Normal.”
(Song of Solomon 2:15… ”the little foxes”) - Death to Self – is acknowledging we can live “above normal” because we are Sons and daughters of the Living God, heirs to His Kingdom, created in His image. – It’s the CROSS applied in our daily lives.
- NOTHING has the power to tempt me or force me to do wrong except that which I have given the power to by permitting it to remain in me.
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 – Tells us to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” – Have you ever tried to do this? It’s impossible to do in your natural self.
- I believe God has given me a strategy to help me do this:
- I start my day with, “Lord, I submit my thoughts this day to You. Holy Spirit, please help me.
- I place Jesus’ blood over my mind, body, spirit, and emotions, and it becomes my “robe of righteousness and my helmet of salvation.”
- I believe every modern-day disciple of Christ should do this every day in order to break sin’s grip.
- The good news is – the power of sin is broken
- God will help us through it, but – He won’t do it for us.
- It is we who must decide to pursue holiness passionately and intentionally.
- As always – INTENT points the way.
- Even when we fail – I believe that God is more concerned with the intent of our hearts.
- Jeremiah 17:10 – “The Lord searches the heart, and tests the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
- If our hearts are committed to transformation, the Lord will redirect our habits and responses to support our new intention.
- When automatic responses go into action, it’s because something triggers it; a button gets pressed.
- Genesis 50:20 – What our enemy does for evil, God has meant for our good.
Let’s ask the Lord to use the “buttons” the enemy has meant for evil to trigger Godly responses in us instead.
- He will trigger responses that are GRACE-FILLED, and Holy Spirit empowered so that we can live “Above Normal” lives while here on the earth.
- Living “above normal” begins with BELIEVING we can – and then choosing to do so.
2023 — RCF’s 27th Year
#7 – Spiritual perfection; The conclusion of a matter; Speaks of maturation.
I believe that 2023 will be a year that many of the things we’ve made spiritual inroads into will become clearer and more accessible. We will come to see the fruitfulness and fullness of things we’ve believed by faith.
#9 – RCF 27th year
9 – Is the number of the Holy Spirit. It speaks of completeness and fruitfulness. I believe that we will see many of our prayers answered this year in very unique ways. Some will be astonishing in their impact, and some will be just the beginning of some things that God has not yet revealed.
All in all, a good year full of Godly surprises!
A Second Summoning: Gratitude – 27-Nov-2022
I came across a quote by Michael J. Fox this week that seemed appropriate given the Thanksgiving holiday:
“With Gratitude, Optimism is Sustainable.”
I also came across another gem of wisdom this week:
“Grace begets gratitude, which, in turn, widens our hearts toward greater goodness and love.” – Diana Butler Bass
Grace is at the core and is the key to a victorious life.
We are saved by Grace – and our lives are sustained through it.
We need moves of grace every day because although Jesus won the victory over the “old humanity,”
…we still have to ”work out our salvation in awe of God, our souls trembling in His presence.” (Philippians 2:12).
We must “stay awake” — (1 Peter 1:5) and “keep our oil lamps full,” and remain watchful (Matthew 25:1-13)
We also have to be intentional about maintaining a grateful perspective because it’s easy to fall into complacency and forget that grace is a gift not to be taken for granted.
Grace and Gratefulness help us to keep from becoming complacent as we are reminded that there still is an enemy to contend with, an enemy that has weapons to hurt us.
Some are overt and violent – but some are more subtle and can go unnoticed.
We must pay attention in order to get beyond responding to the “ fires’ the enemy sets as traps for us and refuse to let them become the things that construct our perspectives and drive our actions.
As we stay tuned in and God-focused, we’ll begin to realize that every morning we wake up is a privilege that offers us a chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to begin again. – to be optimistic about our future – and to enjoy our life in the midst of the journey.
As a bonus, as we stay alert and focused, we’ll discern that some circumstances we find ourselves in are not always the enemies doing.
Some are actually the results of our thoughts and actions.
A grateful approach to life allows the truth to be known without guilt or self-loathing, judgment, or condemnation – and repent if necessary.
Sometimes, God will allow certain circumstances to exist to help mature our Faith.
If faith is to mature, situations need to exist where faith alone can sustain us.
So, for that reason, God will allow times when we must trust in His integrity regardless of how dire things may seem to be.
Negative times – allow faith to arise >> which then appropriates the courage it takes to lock into God’s faithfulness.
Spiritual Maturity requires letting faith arise in the context of resistance.
It takes courage to do this.
It makes sense, then, that one of our enemy’s prime objectives is to DIS-courage us.
If we’re not watchful, our courage will wane and cause unbelief and stagnancy in our spiritual growth.
Faith – is the catalyst that releases Grace.
Grace – is the supernatural power to gain the higher ground over the enemy and thus secure for ourselves our destiny as sons and daughters of God.
Gratitude – is a declaration of our trust in God’s plans and ways for our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11)
When we engage with the world from a place of gratitude, we’re open to receiving the day excited with anticipation of the next part of God’s plan for us.
This approach to life is the difference between carrying the burden of trying to make something happen and allowing something to happen.
It’s the defining difference between effort and effortlessness.
Most spiritual disciplines through the ages have considered gratefulness to be the foundation of joy, contentment, and well-being in a person’s life. Why?
- A person cannot exist in a place of FEAR and TRUE GRATITUDE at the same time.
- Gratitude tunes us into the voice of the Holy Spirit, who is our connection with the Father.
Gratitude and Generosity are similar virtues but differ in that:
Gratitude is an internal characteristic, and generosity is an external expression of our sense of gratitude.
Gratitude is the way we FEEL — Generosity is how we Express that Feeling to the world.
2 Corinthians 10:5-6 – Speaks of taking all thoughts captive, so they come in line with Christ’s thoughts.
I like to think of “random thoughts” as Stagnant Energy.
These negative thoughts render spiritual impotence and act as smoke screens of confusion in our minds that cause us to feel stuck in life.
Christ’s thoughts bring peace and hope and give life.
The simple act of practicing gratitude disrupts negative thoughts and changes our mindset to see the world in a positive way.
Not only are we more attractive to others when we live in gratitude, but the most ordinary things can become extraordinary, creating a fuller, more beautiful expression of our life.
You probably have heard the saying, “Things don’t happen TO us; they happen FOR us.”
Gratitude will help us to see and believe that “All things DO work for the good for us because we love God, and are called according to His purpose and plan” ( Rom 8:28)
Our mind’s new perspective is that the universe is aligning and working everything in our favor.
Old Mindset – Something “bad” happens to us; we let it affect us in a negative way. We feel rejected, picked on, and defensive. – Or worse!
New Mindset of Gratitude – When something happens that others see as “bad,” we search for the grace which will allow us to become curious and interested in finding the positive thing God will bring out of the experience.
It’s a much more exciting and hopeful way to live, right?
Johoshaphat: Our Eyes Are on You – 19-Jun-2022
He was a worshiper of God.
He loved and obeyed God.
He was the King of Judah, following his father, Asa.
A bold and faithful follower of Yahweh, Jehoshaphat consulted God’s prophets before making decisions and credited God for every victory.
A victorious military leader, He was honored and made wealthy from tribute.
He learned that consistent dependence on God is the only way to succeed.
He was a humble man of faith.
Jehoshaphat took office, about 873 BC. What did he do as a leader?
- abolished the idol worship that had consumed the land.
- drove out the male cult prostitutes
- destroyed the Asherah poles where the people had worshiped false gods.
- solidified devotion to God
- sent prophets, priests, and Levites throughout the country to teach people God’s laws.
- He appointed judges throughout Judah to deal fairly with the people’s disputes, admonishing them to fear the Lord bringing further stability to his kingdom.
God looked with favor on Jehoshaphat, strengthening his kingdom and making him wealthy. The people of Judah and Jerusalem enjoyed a great measure of prosperity and God’s blessings under Jehoshaphat. Neighboring kings paid tribute to him because they feared his power.
3 enemy territories decided to band together to attack this kingdom. When Jehoshaphat learned that a great army had come against him (2 Chronicles 20:1-2), he immediately realized three things.
- His vast army was not a match for the joint forces of the invaders.
- The joint forces of the invaders were no match for God Almighty.
- God Almighty was his ally and would surely come to his rescue.
Jehoshaphat’s immediate response was to call a nationwide prayer and fast and he cried out to God for help. (2 Chronicles 20:3-11). The people gathered in the temple and sought God.
THEY WORSHIPED GOD.
Prayer was his first strategy.
I love how Jehoshaphat proclaims his faith from the very beginning.
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” (verse 6)
“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU.” (verse 12)
Jehoshaphat’s pattern and directive: He:
- Acknowledged who God is
- Acknowledged His authority
- Acknowledged His power and might
- Acknowledged His supremacy over all
- Reminds God that He gave them the land. [to Abraham]
- Acknowledged what God had done and His faithfulness.
He stood in the temple, in God’s Presence, and cried out in his affliction and declared that God will hear and save.
He trusted God and WORSHIPED HIM.
God answers the prayer of His people through the voice of a prophet: “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle.
POSITION YOURSELVES, STAND STILL, AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD WHO IS WITH YOU, O JUDAH AND JERUSALEM!”
God said: “Position yourselves, stand still, and see!”
Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (verses 15 and 17)
3 things happened when Jehoshaphat prayed.
- God gave him assurance (2 Chronicles 20:14-15).
- In keeping with Jeremiah 33:3, he revealed valuable intelligence about the enemy’s movements (2 Chronicles 20:16).
- Finally, God gave Jehoshaphat the battle plan and the outcome of the battle (2 Chronicles 20:17).
Jehoshaphat and all the people bow themselves to the ground and WORSHIP.
“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out,
Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe [same word in hebrew as in Abraham believing God’s promise and obeying him] in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying
“PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.” (verses 20-21) THEY WORSHIPED.
And you know what happens? CONFUSION. CHAOS.
The different enemy armies began to fight one another rather than making a unified force against Judah! They fought and killed one another! The only action on the side of Judah was PRAISING AND WORSHIPING God! Their eyes were on Him.
When his people came upon their enemies they were all dead. It took them three days to gather all the jewels and spoils of war.
They went home to Jerusalem and began PRAISING AND WORSHIPING GOD!
Our directive in all things:
Worship before, worship during, worship afterwards!
“PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.”
“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU.”
The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Ephesians 1;17-20(TPT, NKJ) – “I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation….”
Acts 1:4-8 – Wait to receive.
To KNOW: – to see – perceive – to be conscious of
To have Knowledge of: – a recognition by Full Disclosure
To “Know” – (GRK) – “To gaze at something remarkable,” especially that of supernatural origin.
Paul prayed for the church to gain the ability to “gaze at the supernatural dimensions of God” with full discernment and discover for ourselves:
- Hope for our lives – present and future.
- Our inheritance as children of God.
- The exceedingly great power of God that raised Christ from the dead.
Given to those who:
- Hear the call.
- Obey the call.
- Wait for its fulfillment.
John 1 – Holy Spirit hovered the earth, imprinting God’s order over the chaos, and the natural laws of gravity, physics, chemistry, and energy came into being.
This energy caused the land, seas, animals, plants, and people to be formed, each creation in the place it belonged. There was PEACE, BALANCE, and Harmony on earth.
God gave man dominion over the earth. Sin entered as man imposed his will over the creation.
God’s remedy for restoration: HIMSELF in the form of man – JESUS.
The Holy Spirit sent once again to hover but not to form mater out of chaos but to imprint the potential for ORDER directly onto the souls of man through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:14 – The Spirit leads mature children.
John 3:5-6 – Baptized in Water and Spirit to enter the supernatural realm of God – HEAVEN.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 – “We ain’t seen nuttin’ yet.” – PR
Spirit of Revelation – Gives the ability to See, Hear, and Discover the Unseen Realm.
Spirit of Wisdom – Gives us the insight so we’ll KNOW what to do with what we’ve seen.
Proverbs 4:5-13 – Revelatory Wisdom is the principal thing, so SEEK it!
Proverb 8:26 – “I love those who love Me and those that seek me DILIGENTLY will find Me.”
Romans 8:26 – How to seek if you’re unsure. – PR
The Spirit of Revelation – releases SPECIFIC Knowledge to address specific issues at critical moments.
The Spirit of Wisdom – Guides us in the application of that knowledge.
Proverbs 29:18(NKJ) – “Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint.”
“Casting off restraint” – Casting off balance and perfect order; reverting to chaos.
Proverbs 29:18(P.R.T) “Without an intimate knowledge of God gained through experiencing His presence; the people will cast off order, balance, and harmony and devolve back into chaos.”
Pentecost: The Power of God’s Love – 5-Jun-22
6-4-22
Pentecost — ”Wisdom Sunday”
Power (Greek) – Dunamis – Energy of great force; an EXPLOSION of power
Power to BECOME witnesses of Jesus. -When people see them – they’ll see Him.
Acts 1:4-5,8(TPT) – “Stay and wait” for the promise of the Father.
Promise – an announcement of WHAT the promise is and the assurance that what was promised will be done.
Matthew 3:11 – Baptism of Water and of Fire
Fire – Purification
Acts 2:1-4(TPT) “Sound AS a rushing wind…” – speaks of Jesus’ breath into His disciples.
“Pillar of Fire” – Represents the Presence of God and an imbuement of power.
“Tongues of Fire” – “It was as though each one received an overpowering personal flame of fire that would empower him and lead him through his life.”
– Brian Simmons
An Incomprehensible CALL and a PROMISE that the Call can be fulfilled through the imbuement of power through the Holy Spirit
“Stay and Wait” – Step away from our natural rhythm to synchronize with the Spirit’s rhythm.
Human Rationality – Left/Right sides of the human brain
Left = Analytical
Right = Creative – Hears His voice
The church must set aside Rationalism to enable the Creative Flow to anoint our thought process and allow the INFINITE GOD to influence the FINITE.
1 Corinthians 1:27(NKJ) – God has chosen the foolish (less rational) to shame the wise.
1 Corinthians 1:25(Message) – Men’s wisdom can’t measure up to God’s weaknesses
God said, “I AM,” not “I Do.”
What IS God? – 1 John 4:8 – ”God IS love.” – “God IS consistent.”
“God’s love remains unconditional, unlimited, and incredibly extravagant; it never relies on human faithfulness or unfaithfulness.” –PR
“The Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is the inextinguishable FIRE that sets God’s love ablaze and is the only hope of our calling’s fulfillment.” –PR
LOVE is our Calling – LOVE is our true identity.
We were created from Love – of Love – and for Love
“Until the church awakens and embraces this truth, it will remain in the elementary grades of Christion Spiritual Transformation.” –PR
Romans 8:36-39(TPT) – NOTHING can separate us from His love and its power once we accept this as the truth.
The Ascension – 29-May-22
The Ascension 5-29-22
– 2Cor 1:20 (TPT) “For all of God’s promises find their YES of fulfillment in Him. And as His Yes and our Amen ASCEND to God, we bring Him glory.”
– When God is Glorified, His power is Magnified. It is the power given to believers to overcome any obstacle that may arise.
– Message Bible – “It is a sure beginning to what God plans to complete.”
–PROMISE- [Grk] Espangelia – Both the Promise itself and the assurance of that promise’s fulfillment
– REMEMBER – RECORD – REVIEW – RECITE (aloud) and they will become the very fabric of your Being and the platform of your operations.
– Jesus Christ is both the Promise of God and the fulfillment of it.
– Phil 2:13 – “For it is God who works in you to will and to work, for His good pleasure.”
– It is God, Himself, whose power creates in us the desire to come to fulfill His Purpose for us.
– Rom 8:28 (NLT) – “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
– Rom 8:29 (NLT) -” And having chosen them, He called them to come to Him. And He gave them right standing with Himself, and he PROMISED them his glory.”
– God has invited us into the holy community He shares with His Son and the Holy Spirit.
– Qualifiers:
1. To LOVE as defined in 1Cor 13:4-7 {please read for clarity}
2. Say “YES” to His call. We are “called” to become MORE THAN WE ARE: A call to His Purpose.
– Eastertide: 5 celebrations that each underline a specific step in the process of “becoming’.
- Lent – A sacrifice of SELF. Speaks of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 3 temptations He faced and overcame.
– These are common to humanity and must be faced and rejected:
a. Temptation to sieze Power – b. To base identity on Prestige – c. Gain status through Possessions.
- Palm Sunday Relates to the Passion with which Jesus embraced His purpose.
Passion Week – Week in between Palm and Resurrection Sundays.
Speaks of the need for daily expressions of purpose.
3. Resurrection Sunday – Speaks of the transformation of all creation
4. Ascension Day – Celebrates the final blow to satan’s power over the
earth. It is the assurance of the promise’s fulfillment
5. Pentecost – The giving of the power to become the New Creation
through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
– *Interesting* – Before Jesus ascended He took His disciples to the Mt. of Olives: The place first associated with His suffering and passion but now the place associated with His Glory.
– It was a seminal moment of transition: From the passion of His suffering to the Glory of His resurrection.
– Within the process of Transformation there is Transition.
– Ascension Day – is a reminder of Jesus’ total victory over evil.
– Remembrance – becomes a transitional factor as we move from sorrow, doubt, discouragement, and fear to joy, hope, and greater faith.
– Three Important Theological Truths
- He ascended into heaven in bodily form – not just vapor – not just Spirit
Inference; He took humanity to the heavenly realm with Him
- Assures us of joining Him, The Father, and the Holy Spirit in Holy Communion and Community
- Assurance of His continued mediation and intercession for us and giving us access to the ongoing flow of the Holy Spirit’s power.
Communion 22-May-2022
We want to do something physical in order to release the supernatural.
We lift our hands to You, Jesus, in complete surrender.
God, we praise You and exalt You right now.
Praise creates a forcefield around us that the enemy cannot touch.
It lifts us into the heavenly realm.
Worship releases Your manifest Presence into our lives.
We bow down and worship You, Lord.
We speak and declare that:
We desire to diminish the enemy’s plan
We want to launch Your plan, Lord, here, right now, in agreement with Your Word and the Holy Spirit.
We want to release Your kingdom in every area of our lives.
God, Your intention is that we live in Your heartbeat renewed, transformed, empowered, and filled.
We desire to abide and remain in a communal relationship with You.
Thank You, Lord, and Amen.
When we take communion: we are celebrating the finished work of the
Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, together as His body. We are DECLARING AND DECREEING THAT THE CROSS HAS THE FINAL SAY in our lives. What Jesus paid for with His life is ours.
For communion:
- prepare
- worship
- find rest
- find peace
EXCHANGE REALMS.
We separate from the first Adam and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and attach ourselves to the last Adam and the Tree of Life in a covenant relationship with Him.
–Wade Taylor
We are a branch attached to the Vine in a place of abiding and remaining. THEN WE TAKE COMMUNION AS AN ACT OF FAITH.
In the kingdom of God, physical obedience brings spiritual release. Life is released through our obedience.
–Bill Johnson
[We practice the disciplines in faith to bring life to our lives.]
So, what did Jesus say about communion?
Paul writes in I Corinthians 11:23-25,26
Taking communion
POSITION and aligning ourselves.
He said to do it often.
Stand soberly, reverentially, resting and at peace: grateful and celebrating your victory.
How we stand:
- Worship
- Rest
- Peace
Worship – in gratitude, opens the heavens.
Rest creates a relational cycle of constant surrender – We rest in the awareness that God is present.
Peace is a ruling state of being.
“When we take communion, we remember Who He is and What He has done. We agree with what Jesus did for us – we declare and decree in agreement with the power of His crucifixion and resurrection by our actions – celebrating communion with Him.”
–Marie Esposito
Taking His very life (the Bread) and drinking His blood ( the fruit of the vine), we receive.
We agree and announce BY OUR ACTIONS what Jesus did, and we receive empowerment from the spirit realm.
“Communion is the meal of absolute victory; Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross was more than enough to bring healing to our bodies and freedom from sin. Jesus commanded us to take communion in remembrance of Him that we would continually live aware of the victory we walk in.”
–Bill Johnson
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Jesus is the Bread of Life. We are His body. Communion brings His very life into our body.
The law of the Spirit of Life – we are SET FREE FROM THE LAW of sin and death through His Resurrection and Ascension –
WE receive healing, divine health, and longevity of life.
We identify with His Life gift- we are SET FREE by HIS BLOOD
Romans 8
First Adam – a living soul
Last Adam – Quickening Spirit.
LIVING BREAD – LIVING BODY – LIVING BLOOD – LIVING LIFE
WE RECEIVE THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE. – Hebrews 7:16
We celebrate this when we take communion.
Power to Overcome – 15-May-2022
“Born Again” – a new state of being
It begins with a personal decision with a commitment to that which will allow me to apprehend it.
I must come to the truth that there is no ME apart from my actual life.
I am not separate from my life – I can’t say “I believe” – and then act in a totally opposite manner.
Being Born Again can’t remain just a concept.
It must translate into what I actually do in my daily interactions IF it is to be meaningful.
Because – if I don’t LIVE it, I will never EXPERIENCE the benefits of what it tangibly means for my life
Without experiencing God’s goodness, it will be hard to believe His promises and plans for me.
Experiencing the goodness that following Jesus affords is foundational to attaining the “Life More Abundant” that He spoke about.
When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we receive LIBERTY.
But without Experiencing His goodness, Liberty can soon devolve into License.
This is because there is a constant conflict within each of us—a battle for control of our minds.
Romans 8:7-9 – “The carnal mind is enmity with the Spirit.”
The solution lies in yielding to the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5:16-17(TPT) – ”As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.
“For your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit and hinder Him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your old self-life from dominating you. So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.”
It is important to understand and acknowledge that the battle we’re engaged in is not with some overpowering cosmic force from without; the battle is WITHIN.
We have to “see” that what seems invincible has ALREADY been defeated by Jesus’ cross. – and act as such.
If not, we will continue to convince ourselves that we are just helpless victims and not Victorious Conquerors. [see Romans 8:32-39(TPT)]
If we believe we are helpless, we won’t continue to wrestle – we’ll just ‘let it happen to us” – We’re Only Human – right?
Ironically, these patterns of wrong thoughts that lead to wrong actions are not the invincible forces they masquerade as – they’re instead fragile!
They are a simple matter of old habits, feelings, and perceptions we carry about certain things and people.
They are remnants of the “Old Man” and the “Shadow Nature.”
They are typically activated without any reflection.
We probably would not have let them influence us if we had thought things through.
Often these actions of sin are actually contrary to who we really are.
They are rarely the result of deliberation and careful calculations.
Left unchecked, our routine unconscious behavior will manage to keep our deliberate will and conscious mind off-balance and on the defensive.
This causes us to do more wrong through denial, rationalization, the use of misleading words, or outright lies.
Romans 14:17 – “The Kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit.” – Right?
These are INNER conditions of being.
Luke 17:21 – “…for indeed, the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you.”
This is why the battle is fought within:
It’s a matter of what’s IN us that will make the difference in the type of life we’ll live.
John 14:30 – Jesus told them, “…the ruler of this world is coming, but he has NOTHING IN ME.”
The struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane was a matter of Jesus’ inner man – His mind and emotions – being hammered, trying to get Him to Distrust the Father.
But it was what was NOT in Jesus that kept Him impervious to the attack of the enemy; ultimately, the ruler of this world had nothing in Him! – and He was aware of that!
Yielding to the Spirit and becoming Born Again allows the Spirit’s power to keep us from being deceived.
We are able to realize that nothing has the power to lead us into wrong thoughts or actions except that which we have given power by permitting it to remain in us.
And the most dangerous ones are the “little things” that we leave unattended to because we regard them as “normal.”
But we are no longer normal if we’re “Born Again.” We are a new species(new creation) that hold heavenly characteristics.
Experiencing it will seal it as our “New Normal.”
Fortunately, God has equipped us for victory in the battle.
2 Corinthians 10:4-6(TPT) “…our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide. We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude raised in defiance of God’s true knowledge. Like prisoners of war, we capture every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.
Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion as soon as you CHOOSE COMPLETE OBEDIENCE.”
We will have victory when we choose, fully and freely, to surrender the old stuff to the Spirit.
It can be as simple as, “Yes, Lord, I want to be Born Again.”
A Mother’s Influence – 5/8/2022
5-8-22
Today is a day set aside to honor mothers.
Not everyone is a mother but all of us Have mothers.
There are many types of mothers: good ones, bad ones, biological, spiritual even DEN mothers for the Cub Scouts among us
It’s been said that Mother’s Day is traditionally the day when children give something back to their mothers for all the Spit they produce while washing dirty faces, all the old gum they held in their hands, all the noses they wiped, and all the bloody knees they ‘made well’ with their kisses.
This is a day mothers are rewarded for washing sheets in the middle of the night, driving kids to school when they missed the bus, and enduring all those football and soccer games in the rain.
Mothers hold a very influential part in our lives.
I believe the greatest, most important job in the world is being a mother.
Mothers are teachers, disciplinarians, and cleaning ladies; some are gardeners and landscapers. Mothers are Doctors, Lawyers, Psychologists, and counselors– chauffeurs and coaches.
Mothers are peacemakers, Nurses, educators, accountants, and entertainers
Mothers are developers of personalities, and molders of attitudes.
Mothers are soft voices saying, ”I love you, it’s gonna be OK.”
Mothers are a LINK to GOD – they are the first impression of God’s love for us.
For all this and much, much more – we celebrate moms today.
Mother’s Day began as an early Christian festival in Europe called “Mothering Sunday” – and the faithful were called back to their original Mothe Church
It was designated to be on the 4th Sunday of Lent.
In the USA two women were integral to the celebration of Mother’s Day: Ann Jarvis and Julia Howe
Just before the Civil War, and although she had no children of her own, Ann Jarvis started “Mother’s Day Work Clubs to teach young mothers how to care for their children
These clubs became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided by the war.
In 1868, “Mother’s Friendship Day” began and both union and confederate soldiers gathered to promote reconciliation
1870 – Julia Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” which was a call to mothers to unite for world peace.
1914 Pres. Woodrow Wilson established the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, with no mention of reconciliation nor world peace.
Mothers are a conveyance of generational spiritual blessings and anointings: and a great catalyst in faith-building.
2 Timothy 1:4b-5 (TPT) “I’m filled with joy as I think of your strong faith that passed down through your family line. It began with your grandmother, Lois, who passed it on to your dear mother, Eunice. And it’s clear that you too are following in the footsteps of their godly example.”
Today, we’re gathered to make a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country. We love you moms!
End with a column written by Erma Bombeck:
On the Day Mothers Were Created
-Erma Bombeck
On the day God created mothers He had already worked overtime.
An angel said to Him, “Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one.”
The Lord turned and said, ”Have you read the specs on this model? She is completely washable, but not plastic. She is to have 180 moving parts, all of them replaceable. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart.
She is to have a lap that disappears whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee and leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands.”
“Six pairs of hands!”, said the angel, “that’s impossible.”
“It’s not the six pairs of hands that’s the problem,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes.
She’s supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, “What are you kids doing in there?” She already knows what they’re doing in there.
She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she’s not supposed to see. And she has one right in front that can look at a child and who goofed and communicate love and understanding without saying a word.”
“That’s too much”, said the angel, “You can’t put that much into one model. Why don’t you rest for a while and resume your creating tomorrow?”
“No, I can’t”, said the Lord, “I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can heal herself when she’s sick – and who can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger and who can persuade a nine-year-old to take a shower.”
Then the angel looked at the model more closely and said, ”She’s too soft.”
“Oh, but she’s tough”, said the Lord, “You’d be surprised at how much this mother can do.”
“Can she think?” asked the angel “Not only can she think”, said the Lord, “but she can reason and compromise and persuade.”
Then the angel reached over and touched her cheek. “This one has a leak,” he said. “I told you, that you couldn’t put that much in one model.”
“That’s not a leak”, said the Lord, “That’s a tear.”
“What’s a tear for?” asked the angel.
“Well, it’s for joy and sadness, disappointment and for pride.”
“You’re a genius,” said the angel.
And the Lord said, “Oh. I didn’t put that there, it’ comes as part of the package.”