Remember Where You Came From

Step 1 of Evangelism:
Remember where you came from

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9 NASB)

One of the main reasons we're not compelled to reach out to others is that we're comfortable in our "new skin" and find ourselves either looking down on those still under deception or we simply look away.
In time we're boastful and "thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to," setting ourselves up to be brought low.

But God is gracious in that though it pains Him to watch us walk in the pride of "our own accomplishments," He is yet patient and kind. He will speak to our hearts about compassion and wait for a response. He will set opportunities before us to compel us and sit patiently by as we see...and walk by on the other side of the road. He may even so much as pour out His Spirit, capturing our hearts, as if audibly sharing wonderful deep truths of His grace and mercy over our own lives, only to watch it fade into the cold as we walk out the door.

But even a God as gracious as this will lovingly discipline His children in order to train us up in the way we should go...

"Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."
"A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.
So which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."
And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."

For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:36-43,47 NASB)

Much better to humble yourself than to be humbled (let alone suffer public humiliation.)

Even Jesus' rebuke was done with loving intentions to open Simon's eyes. He didn't slap him on the wrist & say "forget it. You'll never get it..." Instead His hope still was to change his heart.

Remember where you came from.

Looking Outwardly

Now is the time that God is calling us to look outward rather than merely inwardly focused.

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." (Jude 1:20-23 NASB)

As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us, giving us freedom; freedom from ourselves to a greater awareness; awareness of what is going on around us; and empowers us to deal effectively with those who are weak, lost, broken, oppressed, even demonized, for the building up of the body and advancing His Kingdom.

Therefore, let us draw near to Him for the greater good of all.

"let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:22-25 NASB)

Post From a Friend in Sydney, AU

I've been getting so excited for the plans God has for California. Caliconnect last night was incredible, and tonight hearing a message from Lou Engle at Bethel regarding California was completely groundbreaking. Literally groundbreaking: Saturday night they had a Jesus meeting in Calexico in the Imperial Valley, and all through the night and into the morning there have been over 300 earthquakes in the region. God is shaking the state in the natural as a representation of what is about to happen in the spiritual. Lou Engle: 'California will be a pro-life state'.
its also kinda crazy that at the exact time that we were praying for California here in Sydney, the land was quaking...
from the LA Times:"...The reason for the recurring swarms in the Brawley seismic zone is not fully understood ...' hahaha

God’s Agenda

God has an agenda. He ALWAYS does! Our job is to be fully in line with His and have NO form of our own mixed in with His.

God is faithful to work through what He's got to work with to accomplish His agenda, yet many times He may just sidestep us altogether. In fact, He tends to use the most unlikely to do His will.

Take Paul (Saul) for instance! He needed someone to reach the Gentiles with His gospel, yet even the qualified (His own disciples) weren't doing it! So He took THE most unlikely character...not only one practically a Pharisee, but a persecutor of the church, to accomplish His agenda!
God uses those whom are fully His (even if He's gotta knock us off our...donkey first).

I've been faced in the recent past with choices that would not seem to make sense to accomplish what I see God's will is. How much of His agenda for the day is mixed in with mine?
Many times He'll put constraints on us that don't make sense and so we have to make the choice - do we stay the course that makes the most sense to us in order to accomplish "His agenda" or do we stay within those constraints, yet faithful to the call?

"See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil."(1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 NASB)

So let us empty ourselves of our fleshly ways, desires, responses, and again walk fully in the Spirit, allowing Him FULL access to accomplish His agend

The Harvest

And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves...

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. (Luke 10:2-3, 17-19 NASB)

So many Christians are afraid to go out and preach the gospel, let alone pray over the sick & demonized. Why? Because they don't believe they really possess the truth or power.

When we really understand the authority God has placed on us, the weight & the power of influence is great!
But for some reason we don't believe, therefore we don't possess much power...

"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8 NASB)

There is a principle here in the way God works.
How much influence can we have if we're not confident in what He gives?
What is faith but "the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen."
It's KNOWING something to be true even without tangible evidence.
When we say we believe in God, we're confessing that we believe He's who He says He is! But when we act in such a way that we don't believe, we're limited in every way.

Consider the parable of the talents... The one talent man thought wrongly about his master, therefore he hid his in the ground. We are the same when we think wrongly about our Master.

Here is a promise:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11 NASB)

If that same God who gives gives good things to those who ask also gives authority to heal the sick and to "tread on serpents..." then we ought not to think any different.
Ask the Lord for new eyes & a fresh anointing (believing you'll receive it) and He will give it!

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NASB)

Revival

For a long time now, Christians have been "fed up" with the direction our country is going, pointing the finger at groups and mobilizing at the polls to "take a stand for Jesus."
These things are good, to an extent, because it shows a disdain for sin and desire for righteousness. But the effect of voting someone in or someone out, changing or preserving a constitutional right, or standing for or against a special interest group or corporation is minimal at best because they are not everlasting.
A nation that has been sliding away from its God-given purpose is not a reflection of bad policies or a broken system, it's a reflection of the church.

The purpose of the church was never to re-establish policies, to overthrow kingdoms or to boycott ungodly businesses.
It was to set ablaze a fire of revival and to return the hearts of the people to their God.

"So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:6-8 NASB)

The church, who's main function is to "bring good news to the afflicted; ...to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners," has not been doing its job.

We have, for generations, become inward focused. We've allowed our comfort or even our own personal experience to become the priority, breeding nothing but selfishness and blindness to the needs of others.

Revival is NOT crying out for God to do something "to those people." it is NOT mobilizing Christians, through guilt or manipulation, to do their religious duty.

This is what revival is for...
To soften our hearts that have become calloused in order to receive a new anointing for reaching the lost.
THIS is what will change a nation.

Irrevocable Love

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord". (Romans 8:35-39 NASB)

The greatest reminder of all, when in turbulent times, is the assurance of the absolute undying and irrevocable love of Christ!

...and just to put that love into context:
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 12 NASB)

That's what I'm talkin about!
Be blessed.

Passing the Baton

"Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:1-9 NASB)

A day is coming, and is now so near, when the baton is passed and a new generation assumes their position as leaders.
The church is hungry & the promised land is before us.
And we can rest assured that leadership is not stolen... It's granted.
The Lord will anoint whom He chooses and the church will appoint whom they will follow. If the church is in agreement with the Lord's choices, then they will enter the promised land. If not, some may be stuck circling the wilderness.

For those of us from the former, let us embrace the new and join in what God is doing.

For those that God is anointing, receive the Lord's direction wholeheartedly and heed His warnings. Then the people will follow.

Sustaining a Move of God

"For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." (Galatians 5:17 NASB)

We usually equate sowing to our flesh with merely sinful deeds, yet it says, "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another". (Galatians 5:13 NASB)

Most of us would not consider that freedom as freedom to sin, but freedom from the law or "religiosity" and so then act and practice our religion however we see fit. Yet Paul warns us NOT to use that freedom in such a way that it causes others to stumble.

Something that I've seen (& experienced) is that because we ARE flesh, we do still enjoy within our flesh, the things of the spirit and so we get caught up-even entangled-in fulfilling that desire of our flesh even while pursuing the things of the Spirit.
We seek the effect of the power of His presence still more than He Himself.
Does He condemn us for this? No, in fact He rather we seek the effect of His spirit than that of our own flesh, but it still many times is merely feeding our flesh and not our spirit.

So how do we gauge whether we're seeking experience rather than the true effect of seeking Him?

1. Does your flesh, while seeking spiritual things, cause others to stumble?
2. When the effect isn't there, are you concerned that something is wrong or that you've missed God?
3. If others aren't effected the way you are, do you feel as if they're missing God?
4. If or when confronted about the response of your flesh, are you offended?

There are many ways God touches us that in fact causes a response in the flesh. (How could it not?) But there are also ways that when we feel the effects of His presence, there's an ability to control ourselves, yet still allow its effect to continue. Those times would most likely be the times when we should. (control ourselves)
In my experience, the only time God likes to make a spectacle out of us is to...
1. Thrust us out of complacency or fear or
2. Prove to others the power of His presence (usually with those not given to respond in the flesh)
But rarely is it to offend. (those rare occasions would still be coupled with #1 or #2 and/or be used to "confound the wise" in a large gathering, etc)

But the warning is this:
If we're seeking Christ, His effects are great & He will distribute to us to whatever measure He desires for us to have in order to accomplish HIS purposes.
If at any point His effects become our agenda... Or if OUR agenda becomes the agenda, we risk missing God all together.

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
(Galatians 6:8 NASB)

"But I say walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16 NASB)

Let's keep this thing moving, but let's stay in the will of God.

"...always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; (1 Thessalonians 5:15-21 NASB)

It Is Good to Give Thanks

AMEN -
"It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night, With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep.

A senseless man has no knowledge,
Nor does a stupid man understand this..." (Psalm 92:1-6 NASB)

Haha - that last one was a bonus :0)

New Wineskins

With every movement, God's people are squeezed, stretched & even torn at the beginning. For whatever reason, it never seems to match up with our current theology (or realistically, our religious habits & practices.)

"After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." And they said to Him, "The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink." And Jesus said to them, "You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days." And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'" (Luke 5:27-39 NASB)

But to those whom keep their wineskins maintained and fresh, new wine is received with pleasure, if not relief!

Revival (Pentecost)

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine." (Acts 2:1-13 NASB)

When Pentecost happened, there were those who were astonished and amazed & others who mocked, calling them drunk...

Firstly, notice it doesn't say that they appeared drunk (as in drunk in the Holy Spirit) but that only those who mocked characterized it as such.

Secondly, those who were the devout Jews were those who were astonished and amazed (not devout Christians).

Those who's hearts are open to Him see things as they are. Those that are closed off or who's religion is religion, are those who are blind and so mock or attack a move of God.

This current move of God, in the same way, would certainly not be characterized as drunkenness by those encountering the presence of God. They are filled and mobilized, encouraged and equipped. But those who's religion is religion, stand at a distance and mock or attack.

What was the result of Pentecost?

"But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them..."
(Acts 2:14 NASB)

"So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41 NASB)

1. Boldness
2. Effectiveness
3. Salvation

What are we seeing from this current move?

1. Boldness
2. Effectiveness
3. Salvation...

Pray for this very small fire to spread across our nation!

Fasting

The act of fasting is one of the most amazing "religious activities" a Christian can engage in, but it cannot be merely a religious act, or simply "starving for Jesus."
We're not twisting God's arm to get our own way...quite the opposite!
It is the act of denying yourself in order to gain HIS perspective and align yourself with HIS will.

"Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one's head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? "Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? "Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday. "And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. (Isaiah 58:5-12 NASB)

If your fasting isn't producing results in YOU, it's not a fast at all.

The Church and Evangelism

The key mindset for the church when it comes to evangelism.

Keep yourself in stained by the world, remembering from which you came and that we wrestle not against flesh & blood.

"Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,..." (Titus 3:1-6 NASB)

The WORD For Today

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil."

(1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 NASB)

Take Heart

Almost inevitably when choosing the right thing or taking huge steps of faith, attacks will come; both spiritually and physically, tempting doubt. But take heart!

"Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity." (Psalm 37:3-11 NASB)