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Full Court Press!

August 8, 2011 in Crossover, Discipleship, Encouragement, Miracle with Comments Off

This past weekend we ended the series Freedom on the fact that in Jesus we have the freedom to be bold in risk! The basis for this message was found in Acts 4:13-22 where Peter and John had healed a crippled man and the Leaders and Elders were opposing their actions and threatened them not speak in the name of Jesus anymore. The KEY to this passage was that Peter and John’s opposition recognized their fruit and it was because of their fruit that they were not killed or imprisoned!

However, that was only the beginning! Peter and John and the others did not shrink in the midst of their resistance but rather shifted into a FULL COURT PRESS!

I want to encourage you as a believer that now is the time for a FULL COURT PRESS! You know what I like about the biblical version of this? Even though they “cranked it up”, they let God do the cranking! I think sometimes we are guilty of being so excited and determined that our FULL COURT PRESS becomes a contest between the will of Men rather than the will of God! I’m not saying don’t crank it up…by all means now is the time! But let’s do it in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than the power of the will of man.

Reading further down in Acts 4 we see a perfect example of what it means to trust God for the impossible! Their reaction to the men who opposed them was a HOLY PRESS! They didn’t go after them in their own might but rather turned to God in prayer and said, God, you take care of this and empower us to be bold in your calling. That is exactly what God did! But the impossibility of what they prayed in Acts 4:29-31 is the AUDACITY that I encourage you as a believer to also tap! Ordinary men prayed for the extraordinary power of God and as impossible as that may seem, that is exactly what God gave them.

It is time for a FULL COURT PRESS! Believe God for the impossible!

Quick note to Crossover!

August 7, 2011 in Crossover, Encouragement with Comments Off

Just a quick note to my church, Crossover…

1. I am so proud of your commitment to getting on your face before God in humility, fasting, and prayer! Many of you joined us Saturday for a day of fasting and prayer and I am completely encouraged by your realization not only of the urgency that we seek God with our heart and soul, but that we remain a humble people before the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! 2 Chronicles 7:14 Matthew 22:37

2. I am totally pumped about the fact that each of you continue to battle the traditional suppression of God’s people. What do I mean? I mean that you are leading the charge in our community to tear down walls, move beyond the divisiveness of denomination, and cross the barriers of race and separation. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a firm believer of one God, one People, one Church! Many will say today that this is what they believe. However they fail to live their belief! You however embrace, support, and live out, these values not only on Sunday, but in your daily lives! That is Kingdom stuff right there! It is the Fruit your resistance cannot deny! Ephesians 4:1-6

3. I want to encourage you to be Bold in Risk for Jesus in the impossible! To date many of us have simply trusted God for the Possible now is the time for you to trust Him for the Impossible! Focus on the Fruit! Press thru the resistance! Spend time with Jesus! The Holy Spirit is alive and breathing thru you! Move in His presence and follow His calling! About 14 months ago the Holy Spirit lodged in me a number of 1,000 people. I cast that vision to you that we reach 1,000 people for the kingdom!

4. Finally, it is an honor and privilege to be your Pastor! I love you all! I love the Church! Remember, we ain’t seen nothing yet! Nothing is impossible! Why? Because we serve together an omnipotent(the agency or force of unlimited power) God!

So you ticked off Satan!

June 10, 2011 in Crossover, Discipleship, Encouragement with Comments Off

Raising kids in a Christian home is not the easiest thing to do! There are dynamics that surround a Christian home that are not found in others, that make it a difficult task to say the least. God has blessed me with two wonderful kids! Garrett who is 11 and Morgan who is 15 (almost). Inevitably as Daphne and I try to teach life lessons of how to make good decisions etc., there will be some tempers that flair and sometimes the children will get mad with us because they only see what is in front of them and can’t see what is driving them. Heck that happens with Daphne and I in our marriage as well! It is much like your willingness to lead others in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. It ticks off Satan!

I know many of you are struggling with battles in your life right now, some of you I know personally. So you ticked off Satan! Now you have come under attack! I am not naive enough nor should you be to think you are beyond his reach. It is inevitable that you will suffer for what is driving you (Jesus). The problem is most of us, like children, can only see what is in front of us (the problem). I want to encourage you this morning as God has encouraged me to take your eyes off of the problem and put them on Jesus. Let me share this scripture with you in its entirety…

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.” Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!”
Isa 30:15-22

When you tick Satan off and you come under attack, remember that in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength! As long as we are “caught up” in the crap that Satan puts in front of us we will be restless. We will run and divide until there is nothing left. BUT AND IF we will recognize the battle and remember what the Holy One of Israel says. We will be unified together in Jesus with the strength to send a loud message to Satan, “Away with you!” and the bible says that he will flee from you, rather than you fleeing from Jesus.

There is much to be said about this passage, but as Satan comes against you, Jesus stands for you and is willing, able, and available, to intercede for you. I encourage you to take your mind and your eyes off the problem that is in front of you and cry for the help of your savior, Jesus! Remember these things…

  •  In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength
  • the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion
  • How gracious He will be when you cry for help!
  • As soon as he hears, he will answer you.
  • Although He gives you adversity and affliction…Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Redirect your actions from what is in front of you to what is driving you and cry for help! IN THE LIFE OF A JESUS FREAK THIS WILL BE A REPETITIVE ACTION!

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