Shady Oaks Church Podcast

This baptism in the Holy Spirit which Jesus received which led to the power of the Spirit is a promise that was made available to the followers of Christ after His resurrection from the dead. Before that experience, His disciples were to be first, born of the Spirit. Why, because unlike Jesus, we were born separated from God.

King Asa had taken over the reins of Israel and had embarked on a mission to turn the nation aggressively towards God. We witnessed how at one point a large contingent came against King Asa out of Ethiopia and the context suggests that Asa opposed him, but his army was far less in numbers than the enemies. So he called on his people to trust in God. After a resounding victory, while collecting the spoil from the battle, a man by the name of Azariah began to prophesy to the King. He told him, 2 Ch 15:1–2 (ESV) ...Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

True followers of Christ, true citizens of His eternal Kingdom, will live with Him forever. Because they are not convicted but instead forgiven. They are not put to death, and their names are not erased from the Book of Life. 2 Co 5:17 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

God was calling Abraham; He was calling people in the pages of the New Testament, and He is still calling people today. Abraham believed in God and demonstrated his faith by leaving the comfort and security of what he had to follow God and move into what God had prepared for him. As He called Simon and Andrew, James and John, He is still laying His mantle on those of us to follow Him today. He is calling people to follow Him to a place that He will lead us to, and we have a choice to make whether we want to follow or not.

Jesus had received the promise of authority over the nations that originally delivered to His ancestor, King David. Jesus had become the true son of David, the King who would perpetuate David's house forever in the new covenant Kingdom. Thus, He is the bright morning Star, He is the forever ruler over all and it's in Him, surrender to Him, submitted to Him, that we have the promise that we can rule and reign in this life as well. Maybe you haven't been ruling and reigning in life, maybe life has been ruling and reigning over you

The importance of a firm, stable, and secure foundation is made evident when Jesus said in the culmination of His Sermon on the Mount, the relevant question left to be answered is this: “What kind of foundation are you building your life on?” Without Christ as our foundation, we are susceptible to all the storms that life brings. With Him, we can face any storm and remain firmly rooted, coming out victorious on the other side. Are you ready to make Christ the foundation for your life today?

Mark 10:46 marks the beginning of the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, a blind beggar. It describes the scene where Jesus and his disciples are traveling through Jericho, and Bartimaeus, who is blind and sitting by the roadside, calls out to Jesus, recognizing him as the "Son of David". This verse sets the stage for a powerful encounter of faith, healing, and discipleship.   This verse is significant because it highlights: Bartimaeus's faith and belief in Jesus's ability to heal.  The contrast between Bartimaeus's clear vision of Jesus's identity and the disciples' lack of understanding.  The power of faith to overcome barriers and receive healing  

2 Chronicles 29:36 (ESV) states that "Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.". This verse signifies the joy felt by both King Hezekiah and the people of Judah after the successful purification and rededication of the temple, a process that occurred quickly and was seen as a divine provision. The swiftness of the restoration highlighted God's gracious work in preparing the people for this event.The rapid completion of the temple's purification and rededication underscored God's power and grace in facilitating the work. The term "suddenly" suggests that the event happened unexpectedly quickly, emphasizing God's immediate and powerful intervention

This seems clear: all authority is established by God and should be given absolute obedience. Those who do not are in rebellion against God God first said to man, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Gen 2:18), and His remedy was the family. Families have also been targeted for destruction by the enemy or our souls, as the attacks on them in our times are unprecedented. How can we allow attacks on such ultimate issues to prevail? This is happening on our watch. Like Esther in the Bible, we have not been called to idly stand by and watch this happen. Esther 4:14 (ESV) For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Conclusion: Today, we looked at three critical questions. 1st, what is the good news? The good news is about the message of salvation. 2nd, why is it good news? It's good because our salvation doesn't depend on our performance. The gospel is not about what you've done, might, or need to do. It's about what someone else did for you. 3rd, are there other ways to be saved? Biblically, there is no other way other than Jesus Christ. Salvation—membership in God's family—cannot be earned. It can only be received by faith (belief). God offers it because he is gracious and loving. There is no other reason, nor can there be.

Achsah believed her land was supposed to prosper, and because that was her default way of thinking, she set about determined to make it happen. What I hope we learned from Achsah is that her mindset was one of success. She saw that she needed something to succeed, she set about to bring that to fruition, and she asked for what she needed. In the Kingdom of God, the currency is not money, but faith. Faith believes in God and God's Word, and it's faith that moves us to action.

Pergimus was a city of easy grace. It had become a church that had mingled with the world. And God was calling this church out. And He was saying you're doing some things right, but you're also doing some things that are not. If you heed my voice, if you have an ear to hear. I want to bring you to that place where you can walk as an overcomer and I will give you this white stone and we will be united together again in eternity. I don't know where you're at today, but maybe something about the Pergimus church is striking you, maybe part of you is trying to walk a Christian life. Will you call yourself a christian? And will you live somewhat like a Christian, but in reality if Jesus was examining your life, you might find that you're a lot more like Pergimus than you like to be. But the reality is that when you embrace God, He is your provider, He is your friend, He is the one that can bring you through anything in life. Be whole heartily on the side of Christ....Be all in with God!

I want to encourage you today to make the most of every opportunity you have to preach the Gospel and fulfill your call. So what if you don't have an ideal place to do what God has called you to do? That doesn't mean you can't do it — it just means you have to get creative and find new ways to fulfill your assignment! I assure you that the Holy Spirit will show you what to do and when and how to do it so you can seed people's hearts and minds with the life-transforming power of the Word of God!

So we find that in this first resurrection, the believers escapes judgment, which is the second death. 'cause we're all going to stand before God one day, whether you accepted Christ in this life. Or whether you didn't accept Christ in this life. As a believer, when you stand before God in the next life, he will say, "Well, done, good and faithful servant." Because Christ is your advocate, because you gave your life to Christ, you can pass through, and you could live in eternal bliss with God forever, but for those that fail to receive Christ in this life. You will still have to acknowledge that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But because you didn't accept it in this life. You will experience the consequences of your decision in the next life. Not God's desire, not what God wants. But a faithful judge with you'll be faithful, and he will give you what you choose. If you want to choose to kill someone, you're going to go to jail. If it is a faithful judge, if you choose not to embrace God's means of salvation. He will give you what you want. Though it pains him to do it. He will give you what you want and you will receive the fruit of that decision. Which is eternal life in hell in the Lake of Fire? You will get what you choose, but I want you to know, it is not God's desire for your life. That's why God sends people like me like believers to tell you about Christ to preach to you. The good news of salvation is that it is efficient. So you can know what is real. You can know God's desire for your life. And having experienced the good news. You can embrace God's offer of salvation, and you can receive Christ and never have to worry about the second death. We can hold on to His promise of resurrection life

On this Easter day, we celebrate with many activities that we continue to participate in today, but the foundation of the celebration is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we have seen, Jesus paid the ultimate price of dying on a Cross on behalf of you and me. According to the Bible, all of us deserve the penalties He paid, but because of His great love for us, He paid the price Himself that we might know Him and be reconciled to the God that created us and loves us.

Living by the Spirit means that we obey the Holy Spirit's instructions on how to live. When we live by the Spirit we obey God's Word. We avoid situations and things about which we feel conviction. The Holy Spirit helps us feel sensitive when we get out of balance; then we make the decision to get back into balance. We are careful about what we say, following the instruction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who lives in us helps us when we fight battles of temptation, sin, gossip, overeating, discouragement, or anything else. It is not our own effort that allows us to overcome; rather, the Spirit of God helps us get under control and live by the Spirit.

The tree of life and the paradise of God are featured in the Genesis creation account. In the middle of the Garden, the earthly paradise, was the Tree of Life, which Adam and Eve were free to eat from. This tree granted eternal life, so when Adam and Eve sinned, they lost access to the garden and the tree. But, when Jesus came and restored humanity's relationship with the Heavenly Father, He also restored access to the Tree of Life for all who believe in Him. We see this at the end of Revelation, where the tree of life is in the midst of the paradise of God and available to those who receive salvation from Christ. This is the meaning of Jesus' promise to the believers of the right to eat from the tree of life. It symbolizes a restored relationship with God and eternal life.

One day when we meet him face-to-face we will not be judged on our success, our educational achievements, or even on all that we may have given. We will be judged on how faithful we were to all that God asked us to do. You and I want to hear the beautiful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! God Himself is Faithful. This is at the very core of God's nature. If this unchanging, constant, stable, unwavering behavior is the nature of God Himself, it shouldn't surprise us that when His Spirit is allowed to freely work in our lives, He makes us faithful and steadfast, just like God. God is faithful; therefore, we should expect faithfulness to grow in our lives as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. In the end, the reward for faithfulness is knowing that you have been obedient and understanding that one day God will say, “Welcome home, my faithful servant! ”

If we succumb to the devil's attacks in our Church — allowing Him to trample on the lamp, drain the oil, and put out the fire of the Spirit — it will snuff out God's light in our world! That is why the devil hates the Church and wants to extinguish its flame!  As we blaze with the Spirit's fire and preach the uncompromising Word of God, a piercing light shines forth into the darkness that surrounds us By burning with the oil of the Spirit and shining light in the world, we can hinder the work of Satan in this world and cause men who are blinded by darkness to see the light that can set them free! The Church is the “oil-burning lamp” of God in the world. Therefore, don't let the devil extinguish your light or talk you into giving up on the Church! Satan is terrified of the Body of Christ because he knows it is his greatest enemy in the world. And remember — you are a member of the Body, and the devil is terrified of you cause Christ lives in you! So make the decision today to let the Holy Spirit set your heart afire. Then guard that flame and don't let anything snuff it out, so that you and the local body of believers God has placed you in can keep shining the light of the Gospel to those who are lost in darkness!

Many people view kindness as a weakness. Those who demonstrate kindness swim against the stream of cold-heartedness and insensitivity. They stop to investigate when they see a need, even though most others would walk on by. When Paul wrote to Timothy about the characteristics of godly leaders, he said, “The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone” (2 Tim. 2:24). Kind people are sensitive to others' needs. Philippians 2:4 tells us we “should look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Sensitivity is a tremendous strength that we can develop. Although the good Samaritan probably had a schedule and plans like those who passed by the injured man, he didn't do what they did. He let his schedule be interrupted. Most likely, kindness was a regular part of his life. This kind act was probably not the exception but the rule. The Holy Spirit wants each of us to make a habit of being kind.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV) 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” "The Spirit of the living God comes on your life, are you going to do what God is calling you to do based on what you see with your eyes, cause God does not see as mans sees."

Because we belong to the one who created peace and we live a life of peace, we can become a peacemaker. Perhaps you're the voice that can bring peace to a troubled friend. You may be the one who can speak a peaceful solution to a situation that is tearing apart a marriage or a relationship between loved ones. You may hold the peaceful answer to a competitive, territorial, jealous force within your company or community.If you know the Peacemaker, he will produce within you the fruit of the Spirit called peace. Not only will that peace keep you, but you can supernaturally give that peace to those who are around you Luke 10:5 (TPT) Once you enter a house, speak to the people there and say, ‘God's blessing of peace be upon this house!  

Repentance is another thing entirely. Repentance is a quality decision to change — and when genuine repentance occurs in a person's heart and mind, you can be sure the HolySpirit will release His power to effect change in that person's life and lead him to freedom!   More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus began His earthly ministry by preaching, “...Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Today, He is still speaking to people's hearts, telling them to turn from wrong ways that are detrimental to living a holy and pleasing life to God. And this message is sounding forth to you. Romans 10:13  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Jesus looked at the crowds and felt compassion for them. He looked beyond all the activity, noise, and distractions and saw their tremendous need. They were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). Jesus loved as no human was able to love, he sacrificed as no one ever could, and he forgives beyond our comprehension. There is no way you can love this way unless the Spirit of God helps you. He and he alone will enable you to grow in Christlike love. The fruit of there spirit is love. "He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. What does His work look like, it looks like Him it looks like love."

We are all subject to someone. If we are not submitted in relationship to the Lord, we are submitted in relationship, or we are captive to the enemy of our souls. The only way to truly be free is by tying yourself and submitting yourself to the Lord. The kingdom of God is a little different than the way we work. Servitude to the Lord is freedom in the natural realm, freedom without the Lord is servitude in the natural realm but your serving the devil. Jesus used a parable to describe what we are talking about. Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV) Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Revelation 3:14-22(ESV 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”  

Perhaps you are here today, and you've failed to follow through in the past on something God has called you or even your family to.  Perhaps God, in His providence, has brought you here today to reveal to you that He is a God of the second chance. As he gave the descendants of Saul another opportunity, in the same way, He is giving us another opportunity to surrender to God's will and call for our lives. Perhaps today, like Esther, who heard God's invitation through her uncle Mordecai, you too hear His voice speaking to you through this morning's message. As did Esther, will you also submit to God's call and let Him use you in a way that will make an eternal impact that will not only be a blessing to you but also impact the people around you whom He cares for? Jim Elliott wrote: He is no fool who gives, what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose. For when you die the things of life you cannot take with you. But if you give your life to God. You will gain something you cannot lose, you will gain rewards in heaven, you will gain eternal life, you will also have the opportunity to gain those around you who will come to know God and again you are setting up yourself not treasures on earth were moth and rust corrupt, but treasures in heaven were moth and rust can never corrupt.      

The fruit of the Spirit is the direct result of the life of Christ ministered to the believer by the Spirit. For spiritual fruit is the outcome of the life of unbroken and full communion with Christ. One important thing to address to us as Pentecostals. Many look to the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a means to produce the fruit of the Spirit, and express great disappointment if it is not immediately forthcoming after that experience. Yet the declared purpose and result of the Pentecostal Baptism is not fruit but power for service and witnessing. Consistent with this purpose, God uses the believer in the supernatural manifestation gifts of the Spirit. Holiness however is the evidence of a life of walking with Christ in unbroken communion, and may or may not have any immediate connection with a Pentecostal Baptism. The immediate divine purpose at Pentecost was power, not fruit. Fruit and Holiness by obedience to Christ and His word, they result from a life of communion with God.

Our text contains three different readings of the Word to the people, each producing a different result. First, the people were convicted and repented for disobeying God's Word. In the 2nd reading, we find the Israelites beginning to do things in keeping with the prescriptions of God's Word. And finally, in the 3rd reading, we see the Israelites removing behaviors, that is, they stopped doing things that were out of line with God's teaching as found in His Word.  

God is calling upon you to stand up and fight — giving your concentrated efforts to stand firm for what you believe. Fight in a manner that is noble, admirable, and worthy of the reward that awaits you. And remember — the greater reward usually requires a greater fight. Keep this in mind as you press forward to be first-class in your determination to overcome every obstacle and resistance along the way. Stay in the fight until you can shout, “The fight is finished and victory obtained!”

James 4:5-6 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” He desires intimacy,  Lover of your soul,  He gets sadden,  Surrender to his lead The Holy Spirit is not passively present but actively works within us to guide, teach, to convict you. Let us stay unified in this body by following the same lead, the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

In the beginning of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the land was occupied by other people groups. God sent the Israelites in, not to dwell in the same land as these people groups, but to displace these people groups and to possess and occupy the land. The true measure of fulfilling the will of God for the Israelites was not to just move into the land, but to occupy it. The idea that we brought out today is that the human heart is the land that is meant to be fully possessed by God. How do we do that? We must be purposeful in pursuing the possessor. Be purposeful about letting Him occupy your house, and the enemy will be pushed out. Light displaces the darkness; the two cannot occupy together.

 Ultimately, it's about being faithful and obedient to do what God has called us to do. Whatever he has called you to, wherever he has sent you, it's not always about the outward results but the faithfulness to follow through with his assignment. Are you following His will for your life? do you know him, have you surrender to him, are you living for him, are you where He wants you to be? Then rest assured, you will stand before Him one day, and you will hear Him say, Mt 25:23 (ESV) His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'  

 Often, as we are traversing through life, we find ourselves in difficult situations. I, like you, simply want to be free of the pressure these circumstances exact. What we can learn from studying Joseph's life is that we have to trust God and His leadership through these events. We don't know what or why, but we do know Who – The Lord. Perhaps, like Joseph, like Peter, we might be in more than just a tough spot that we need to wriggle out of. Maybe, just maybe, we might be in the midst of a miraculous pathway towards our ultimate God-given destiny. However, without submitting to God's plan, we might find ourselves sinking in the storm and without realizing it, if left to ourselves, take ourselves out off the road to the fulfillment of our life's call and purpose.

Paul is in Ephesus teaching and proclaiming the Word of God. This Word of God that Paul is sowing into the hearts of people comes to them in seed form. That seed began to grow and release its power to the extent that it was pushing out the unrighteous practices and behaviors that the believers had considered acceptable in their lives. It moved them to confess and repent of their deeds and as a result, the Word of God continued to increase mightily and prevail in the area.

When I look at what God is doing here through his eyes, what he has revealed to me, I am no longer discouraged at what I see, but motivated to continue to build with renewed vigor as God touches us with His grace and gives people the ability to feast upon the luscious fare that He is choosing to bring to the table which He is setting within our midst.

How much does God love us? He loves us so much that He left His heavenly realm, came to earth as a man without sin, took on ALL of the sins of the world (including yours and mine), and sacrificed Himself so that we could be reconciled to Him and have a one-on-one relationship with our Father So to answer the question: Why does the Creator of the universe pay attention to us and care for us? Because He LOVES us, AND The Greatness and Abundance of His love is IMPOSSIBLE to comprehend.

To recap, the prodigal son sinned and left his father's house. He was swallowed up in the culture of his time and lost sight of the fact he was a loved son. So he went home, bound and determined to live as a slave, his newly adopted identity. What he encountered was far better. He came into contact with four healing graces his father used to restore his true identity. The Best Robe, Sandals On His Feet, A Ring, and the fatted calf. These four graces are available to all of us. God wants us to change the world. He is at work in our lives undoing the seasons of defeat and trauma, blessing us with new identities, and removing negative things others have spoken over us so we can live out a fulfillment of His plans for us.

3)  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

What are we not willing to let go of? What are we holding on to tightly that isn't serving us? What are we attached to? Like this monkey, the enemy keeps us from finding true freedom in Christ because. While we may want all that Christ promises us, we are not willing to let go of that which is keeping us bound, chained, and imprisoned. The only way to truly experience God's freedom is to surrender everything to Him. John 8:34–36 (ESV) Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

His father did accept him back into the household, but not as a servant the way the son thought it would be. No he received full restoration as the son that he was. He would not be a servant in the father's house, but a fully restored son. This is God's desire and plan for all who would call upon Him as well.

The Lord is wanting us to see that the Temple was at a place of peace, wholeness, completely sound. Solomon had made it into what God had intended it to be and as a result of that, the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple. Likewise, today, may your Glory manifest in us and through us! May the glory of the Lord shine, rest, and arise upon you. Matthew 5:14 (ESV) You are the light of the world....  

I sought to reorient us by answering 3 questions. What is happening? What is not happening? What can I do about it? I hope we have come to see that we have been under an enemy assault. The purpose is to discourage and dissuade us from moving forward. What I am hoping the full picture gives us is the resolve to continue to stand our ground and in doing so, and a determination to embrace the promised breakthrough into victory. I'm hoping to day that we are able to come together, rally the troops if you will and that we too will decide to push forward into victory. Like Joshua, I'm hoping you will accept the challenge. Whether you do or not, as for me and my house, I/we choose to follow and serve the Lord.

We have seen that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definitive, distinctive, and distributing experience that was an expectation of the Lord, His apostles, and for believers of all ages and all times. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming upon a believer, taking possession of their faculties, and imparting to them gifts not naturally their own, but which qualify them for the service to which God has called them.

David gathers all the commanders and leaders to bring the Ark of God back to Jerusalem. In the process of moving the Ark, one of the people in charge put out his hand to steady the ark and was struck dead. This resulted in bringing this move of God to a standstill. David found in the Word of God their approach was unbiblical and the consequences of it were what shut down the move. So, instead of abandoning the desire to bring God's Presence near to him, David decided to continue, but this time in a way that honored God for who He truly is - Lord. He did so  by doing things God's Way as prescribed in His Word

As we described what God was cleaning up and tossing out is the Holy Spirit's fire burning within us? Do we find ourselves described anywhere in this move of God? If so, then God's cleansing grace is here to forgive and free us if we will submit to the standard of His Word and repent that He may complete His work of conforming us to the image of His Son.

When the fire of God begins to burn in our midst, it fosters a renewed interest and desire to hear from God. When God's Word is revealed to us, it begins the process of burning out the chaff in our lives and exposes the heart and unbiblical practices that we have neglected or simply chose not to conform ourselves to. With a renewed vigor, we passionately hear and conform to God's Word in our lives and in so doing, foster the move of God that is working its way through us and seeks to move through us to touch the world around us.

Exodus 14:15 (ESV) ...Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Faith moves towards a destination. It moves towards the completion of what God has said regardless of what says differently. God's message reveals, Faith, true biblical faith, Moves Forward!  

James teaches us to double down and pray again until the answer comes. He uses the illustration of Elijah who had the Word of God for rain. He teaches us that Elijah, upon receiving the Word, went to pray. But, it wasn't a simple one time pray, it was deep intercession until the promised rain came upon the land. In the same way, we must approach the promises of God ourselves. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man brings a sure reward Mark 11:23–24 (ESV) Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  

In the Kingdom of God, the person in whom Christ is truly formed is one who is not simply living a godly life, but one who is imparting their godly life towards others. In short, we are called to not only be reflections of His image and likeness, but to be fruitful and multiply. We are called to reproduce others as well. Not just to make converts, but to take on the responsibility to bring those converts into maturity. We are to go into the world and to make disciples of all nations. Like Paul, we must be willing to take to heart his attitude towards those around him when he said, Galatians 4:19 (NKJV) My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

You and I are like that bird. We get sick – spiritually - when we live in the wrong environment; when we find ourselves in the wrong place. No amount of “medicine/works,” will bring wholeness until we get in the right environment. When, like this bird, we get into our rightful place, the place where we were anointed to live and function, then we too will be in the right setting for us to thrive as we fulfill our God- given destiny.