Transforming Truth With Jeff Lyle

Most Christians recognize that the Church at large stands in need of a revival from Holy Spirit. There is a lack of theological precision, spiritual power, and zealous passion among believers. The Church has turned lukewarm in most places. In some places there is potent, authentic revival taking place, but these hotspots of the Spirit are rare. In Part 1 of this message, we focus on what defines revival and what precedes revival. If we are going to pray to God to send it to us, and if we are going to steward it when it arrives, we need to understand exactly what revival is. The second part of this message will unpack the fruit of revival and how Christians partner with God to host revival.

It would have been amazing if at the moment of our justification from God we entered into a state of glorification with God. In glorification, the Christian will become fully whom God has destined the Christian to be. No pain. No sickness. No sorrow. And NO SIN. As Jesus-followers, we should long for the promised day of our perfecting. Until then, we will need to be prepared to make war - especially against temptation to sin. We are not slaves to our flesh. We are not pawns of the devil. The tempting world around us has zero authority over us. Why then do we still sin? The primary reason is because we live unprepared for the moment of temptation. This episode of Truth Shots equips us to be prepared when temptation comes, crush it when arrives, and to bounce back in those moments where we succumb to any temptation.

There are two dangerous ditches into which many Christians fall as they consider the nature and activity of demons. The first ditches is to disregard the demonic realm. They do not believe that there is any authority, power, or agendas that are facilitated by demons. These Christians are terribly, dangerously wrong. The other ditch that Christians fall into is the idea that a demon is behind everything. These Christians fail to account for anything proceeding from the flesh, from poor decisions, or from the natural orders found within a sin-cursed earth. This episode of Truth Shots examines some foundational teaching from Scripture about demons and how Christians can oppose them and, sadly, how some Christians cooperate with them.

There are two dangerous ditches into which many Christians fall as they consider the nature and activity of demons. The first ditches is to disregard the demonic realm. They do not believe that there is any authority, power, or agendas that are facilitated by demons. These Christians are terribly, dangerously wrong. The other ditch that Christians fall into is the idea that a demon is behind everything. These Christians fail to account for anything proceeding from the flesh, from poor decisions, or from the natural orders found within a sin-cursed earth. This episode of Truth Shots examines some foundational teaching from Scripture about demons and how Christians can oppose them and, sadly, how some Christians cooperate with them.

God's people, who had almost zero knowledge of who He was or how He worked on their behalf, now needed to learn how to win. Though they had seen Him work miracles to separate them from enslavement in Egypt, they still had almost no real history with Him. They did not understand that there was tremendous power in the covenant He had made with their ancestors. To bring Israel out of the mindset of slaves and into the reality of sons, God had one more mighty miracle for them. The crossing of the Red Sea was meant to remove all doubt from a people group that seemed reluctant to operate in an expectation for victory. The modern followers of Jesus sometimes suffer today from this same disease. God desires for all of His children to learn how to win through the foundation of Truth and the power of the Spirit. Now is the time to move out of low-level expectations from God and into the abundant life experience that Jesus declared He came to give us.

The Bible often gives the first glimpse of famous people in the form of a footnote. The Book of Ruth, and the story of this well-known woman in the Bible, actually begins with barely mentioning her. Overshadowed by her mother in law, Naomi, Ruth hardly appears to be one for whom a book in the Bible should be named. That is just like the Lord! In the early verses of Ruth's story, the focus is not upon her, but rather upon the family into which she would eventually marry. When famine arises, death pounces, and trouble strikes, the story of an obscure Moabite woman begins to take shape. Ruth, as many figures in Scripture, comes to us via an unimpressive entrance. In studying her life, we are once again called to slow down, pay attention, and look for the mighty hand of God to move in subtle, unlikely ways.

There is an aspect of the Kingdom wherein much growth is still needed by the Church. In our endlessly hostile world, has it occurred to you lately that Christians in many places are less like Jesus and more like the culture when it comes to how we treat those who are fragile, fallen, and failing? How do we treat the bruised and bent ones whose lives seem to be giving off more smoke than light? A famous messianic prophecy from Isaiah 42 was lived out in the life of Jesus when it came to how he treated the fragile ones whom He frequently encountered. Jesus is kind and tender to those who are barely hanging on. He does not snuff out those who are smoldering down to the wick. His example instructs us about how we can revive the flame in the ones who are about to burn out. He empowers us to straighten out those who are bent under the weights of life. Jesus knows how to help fragile people.

There is an aspect of the Kingdom wherein much growth is still needed by the Church. In our endlessly hostile world, has it occurred to you lately that Christians in many places are less like Jesus and more like the culture when it comes to how we treat those who are fragile, fallen, and failing? How do we treat the bruised and bent ones whose lives seem to be giving off more smoke than light? A famous messianic prophecy from Isaiah 42 was lived out in the life of Jesus when it came to how he treated the fragile ones whom He frequently encountered. Jesus is kind and tender to those who are barely hanging on. He does not snuff out those who are smoldering down to the wick. His example instructs us about how we can revive the flame in the ones who are about to burn out. He empowers us to straighten out those who are bent under the weights of life. Jesus knows how to help fragile people.

The enemy was furious when he became fully aware that God had taken his slaves from him and made them free. Pharaoh was not about to go down in humiliation without a fight. His pride and rage caused him to summon all of his forces to make one final run at those who once belonged to him. As it was in ancient Egypt with Pharaoh, so is it in our day with Satan. When an individual or a church begin to experience the advancing hand of God on their behalf, Hell rages. Jesus has accomplished all that is required for us to go and live completely free in the land of promises, but the enemy will not just let us escape without a fight. This message highlights the activity of warfare against those whom God is freeing and advancing. Israel initially responded in fear, not faith. Thankfully, God had the attention of Moses and he was able to bring the people into holy order as God prepared to fully and finally handle their enemies.

We have heard since childhood that God loves us and has a great plan for our lives. While those words are factual, they are certainly incomplete. The modern, American view of God having “a great plan” for our lives somewhat lends itself to us believing that God is committed to our lives being easy, prosperous, unhindered, and free of trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth. From the life of Jesus via the words of Paul, we see how God works in the lives of those people whom He intends to use for His own glory. Paul calls us to prepare our minds to experience spiritual victory in the same manner which Jesus experienced it while He lived on the earth. The breakthroughs come to the Christian via bowing low, not self-promotion. When we bow like Jesus did, we can expect to be elevated by God as Jesus was. This is the way.

We have heard since childhood that God loves us and has a great plan for our lives. While those words are factual, they are certainly incomplete. The modern, American view of God having “a great plan” for our lives somewhat lends itself to us believing that God is committed to our lives being easy, prosperous, unhindered, and free of trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth. From the life of Jesus via the words of Paul, we see how God works in the lives of those people whom He intends to use for His own glory. Paul calls us to prepare our minds to experience spiritual victory in the same manner which Jesus experienced it while He lived on the earth. The breakthroughs come to the Christian via bowing low, not self-promotion. When we bow like Jesus did, we can expect to be elevated by God as Jesus was. This is the way.

When God has determined to move powerfully among His people, He usually employs methods that we ourselves would not choose. One of the great needs among Jesus-followers is to trust that God is always moving in multiple layers on our behalf. When He does not take us forward on the quickest, least complicated pathway, we need to train our instincts to consider the big picture. Truth be known, God's leadership often seems peculiar to us while it is playing out in real time. Those who slow down, commit to faithfully fulfill their duties in following Him, and wait on His timing experience the most powerful moves of Heaven. Those who give in to impatience, fear, or self-reliance always come up short of experiencing what God desires to work on their behalf. This message shows us what this following of the Lord's peculiar leadership looks like.

There are two misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Christians that are stereotyped in America. The first is that Christians are pushovers who are to roll over and play dead, passive, weak and irrelevant. The other stereotype is that we are militant, dominating, suppressive and threatening. Neither of these misrepresentations are sourced in the bible. The fact is that the Church of Jesus is the mightiest people on the planet. We have strength that no other people possess because it is imparted from God Himself. Yet, with that strength, we operate in love and gentleness. We are not threatening, intimidating or operating in fleshly dominance. We live as those who are to be forgiving and unoffended. We are also those who are to live in such humility and gentleness that we cause no unnecessary offense in others. Do these beatitudes describe you as you follow behind the strongest yet most humble Man who ever lived?

There are two misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Christians that are stereotyped in America. The first is that Christians are pushovers who are to roll over and play dead, passive, weak and irrelevant. The other stereotype is that we are militant, dominating, suppressive and threatening. Neither of these misrepresentations are sourced in the bible. The fact is that the Church of Jesus is the mightiest people on the planet. We have strength that no other people possess because it is imparted from God Himself. Yet, with that strength, we operate in love and gentleness. We are not threatening, intimidating or operating in fleshly dominance. We live as those who are to be forgiving and unoffended. We are also those who are to live in such humility and gentleness that we cause no unnecessary offense in others. Do these beatitudes describe you as you follow behind the strongest yet most humble Man who ever lived?

We live in a day where innumerable people are living to gain a following. Social media and other elements in our culture seek to train us that the more attention we receive from people, the more valuable we are in life. Because of this, our culture has become one of disastrous self-promotion. Boastful hearts present themselves in the most beautiful and powerful ways in order to gain the adoration and applause of the masses. The Christian must separate himself/herself from this fleshly trend. We are of a different Spirit than the world around us. If we are to boast, we must ensure that our boast is of the Lord. Our lives are meant to present Him as beautiful, powerful and worthy of adoration. Psalm 145 provides us a powerful resource for making our holy boast to those around us. Doing this will transform the entirety of the Christian's life and testimony.

We live in a day where innumerable people are living to gain a following. Social media and other elements in our culture seek to train us that the more attention we receive from people, the more valuable we are in life. Because of this, our culture has become one of disastrous self-promotion. Boastful hearts present themselves in the most beautiful and powerful ways in order to gain the adoration and applause of the masses. The Christian must separate himself/herself from this fleshly trend. We are of a different Spirit than the world around us. If we are to boast, we must ensure that our boast is of the Lord. Our lives are meant to present Him as beautiful, powerful and worthy of adoration. Psalm 145 provides us a powerful resource for making our holy boast to those around us. Doing this will transform the entirety of the Christian's life and testimony.

There are two misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Christians that are stereotyped in America. The first is that Christians are pushovers who are to roll over and play dead, passive, weak and irrelevant. The other stereotype is that we are militant, dominating, suppressive and threatening. Neither of these misrepresentations are sourced in the bible. The fact is that the Church of Jesus is the mightiest people on the planet. We have strength that no other people possess because it is imparted from God Himself. Yet, with that strength, we operate in love and gentleness. We are not threatening, intimidating or operating in fleshly dominance. We live as those who are to be forgiving and unoffended. We are also those who are to live in such humility and gentleness that we cause no unnecessary offense in others. Do these beatitudes describe you as you follow behind the strongest yet most humble Man who ever lived?

There are two misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Christians that are stereotyped in America. The first is that Christians are pushovers who are to roll over and play dead, passive, weak and irrelevant. The other stereotype is that we are militant, dominating, suppressive and threatening. Neither of these misrepresentations are sourced in the bible. The fact is that the Church of Jesus is the mightiest people on the planet. We have strength that no other people possess because it is imparted from God Himself. Yet, with that strength, we operate in love and gentleness. We are not threatening, intimidating or operating in fleshly dominance. We live as those who are to be forgiving and unoffended. We are also those who are to live in such humility and gentleness that we cause no unnecessary offense in others. Do these beatitudes describe you as you follow behind the strongest yet most humble Man who ever lived?

The reason why Psalm 51 is historically famous and frequently taught is because it is ALWAYS relevant. Who among us would dare to proclaim that they never sin? None of us live perfectly as Jesus-followers. We cannot truthfully say that every thought, word, and deed that flows from our lives meets the holy standard of sinless perfection. Though we have been made new in Christ, our flesh still rages against the Spirit of God, and there are times when we cooperate with those impulses that were common in our lives before we came to Jesus. Psalm 51 reveals what we need to do when we fail God and sin. David's words must become ours as we move from sin into repentance, and from repentance into renewed fellowship with our merciful Savior. Psalm 51 lends hope to those who have sinned.

The reason why Psalm 51 is historically famous and frequently taught is because it is ALWAYS relevant. Who among us would dare to proclaim that they never sin? None of us live perfectly as Jesus-followers. We cannot truthfully say that every thought, word, and deed that flows from our lives meets the holy standard of sinless perfection. Though we have been made new in Christ, our flesh still rages against the Spirit of God, and there are times when we cooperate with those impulses that were common in our lives before we came to Jesus. Psalm 51 reveals what we need to do when we fail God and sin. David's words must become ours as we move from sin into repentance, and from repentance into renewed fellowship with our merciful Savior. Psalm 51 lends hope to those who have sinned.

As Jesus begins to release His sermon on the mount, He offers wisdom to His hearers in a form that is commonly referred to as the beatitudes. These are the core values of His heart and, therefore, Jesus' Kingdom. While our tendency is to look at these beatitudes as rules to follow, that was not the intention of Jesus. He is simply stating these Kingdom principles as the things He values and what He desires to produce within each of His followers. With each beatitude, there is an attached reward. These first four of the eight core values that Jesus teaches address the inner condition of our hearts. Clearly, as we hear Him impart to us what He himself values, we are quick to discern that Jesus is completely different than the world around us and its values. He invites us to join Him in this life of distinction by saying yes to an appropriate emptiness.

As Jesus begins to release His sermon on the mount, He offers wisdom to His hearers in a form that is commonly referred to as the beatitudes. These are the core values of His heart and, therefore, Jesus' Kingdom. While our tendency is to look at these beatitudes as rules to follow, that was not the intention of Jesus. He is simply stating these Kingdom principles as the things He values and what He desires to produce within each of His followers. With each beatitude, there is an attached reward. These first four of the eight core values that Jesus teaches address the inner condition of our hearts. Clearly, as we hear Him impart to us what He himself values, we are quick to discern that Jesus is completely different than the world around us and its values. He invites us to join Him in this life of distinction by saying yes to an appropriate emptiness.

There are moments in which Jesus doesn't seem to us like…well, Jesus. Most of the times, when Jesus had to issue stern corrections or teach hard truths, we can find ourselves squirming. When Peter chose to defy something important that Jesus was teaching His closest disciples, the Savior took swift action to remind Peter that He was not only the Savior but also Peter's MASTER. From that interaction, Jesus also taught all of us what is required to follow Him. His words reveal the intensity of His expectation for all who are considering what it means to come and follow Jesus with the rest of their lives.

There are moments in which Jesus doesn't seem to us like…well, Jesus. Most of the times, when Jesus had to issue stern corrections or teach hard truths, we can find ourselves squirming. When Peter chose to defy something important that Jesus was teaching His closest disciples, the Savior took swift action to remind Peter that He was not only the Savior but also Peter's MASTER. From that interaction, Jesus also taught all of us what is required to follow Him. His words reveal the intensity of His expectation for all who are considering what it means to come and follow Jesus with the rest of their lives.

The good news is that you are not alone in your desire to have a problem-free life. We all desire this. The bad news is that you will never experience this until your life on earth concludes. There is no getting around it: being a follower of Jesus does not immunize us in any way from problems and pain in life. For those who live by faith in the goodness of God, there is an offer to us from Heaven to enter into a deeper understanding of why God allows problems in our lives. In the Kingdom, it is a difficult-to-embrace truth that God intentionally ordains that all His children live with some level of undeniable weakness. He leave sis with limitations. The testimony of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 helps us to learn from his extreme privileges as a follower of Jesus, and his example of suffering for Christ as we consider our own apportioned troubles that God permits to find us. The treasure is well worth the trouble.

The good news is that you are not alone in your desire to have a problem-free life. We all desire this. The bad news is that you will never experience this until your life on earth concludes. There is no getting around it: being a follower of Jesus does not immunize us in any way from problems and pain in life. For those who live by faith in the goodness of God, there is an offer to us from Heaven to enter into a deeper understanding of why God allows problems in our lives. In the Kingdom, it is a difficult-to-embrace truth that God intentionally ordains that all His children live with some level of undeniable weakness. He leave sis with limitations. The testimony of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 helps us to learn from his extreme privileges as a follower of Jesus, and his example of suffering for Christ as we consider our own apportioned troubles that God permits to find us. The treasure is well worth the trouble.

Christianity is a journey that never ends. The intention of Jesus is that we experience an abundant life which streams forth from the moment we receive eternal life. The OT prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a river flowing from the temple of God and, the farther out it streamed, the deeper it became. From this passage of Scripture, we learn that Jesus Christ beckons us all to leave the shallows and to enter into the depths where we become beautifully in over our heads.

Christianity is a journey that never ends. The intention of Jesus is that we experience an abundant life which streams forth from the moment we receive eternal life. The OT prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a river flowing from the temple of God and, the farther out it streamed, the deeper it became. From this passage of Scripture, we learn that Jesus Christ beckons us all to leave the shallows and to enter into the depths where we become beautifully in over our heads.

Man's religious ways have always been a road-block to us walking freely and joyfully on the King's highway. In a famous encounter with a man named Nicodemus, Jesus unpacks several important keys to the Kingdom that benefit all of us who can receive them. One ongoing work of God the Spirit is to humble the religious mind. If modern Christians could cooperate with intentional activity of God to humble us from our religious pride and presumptions, awakening and revival would more powerfully break forth in our generation.

Man's religious ways have always been a road-block to us walking freely and joyfully on the King's highway. In a famous encounter with a man named Nicodemus, Jesus unpacks several important keys to the Kingdom that benefit all of us who can receive them. One ongoing work of God the Spirit is to humble the religious mind. If modern Christians could cooperate with intentional activity of God to humble us from our religious pride and presumptions, awakening and revival would more powerfully break forth in our generation.

When the Christian studies the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we not only see the divine aspects of Jesus as the God-man, but we also are able to learn from Him as the perfect human. Jesus experienced all that we experience as people living on earth. He was both loved and rejected. He was both believed and scorned. He was misunderstood, misrepresented, and mistreated. Yet, in all of His encounters with people, Jesus remained amazingly committed to fulfilling the mission the Father had given Him. So must we as His followers. This snapshot from Mark's Gospel reveals how we cannot allow opposition, rejection, and ridicule from others to move us off our marks. We must remain relentless to finish the works assigned to us. Jesus not only exemplifies to us how to do this, He empowers us to continue forward and to finish well.

When the Christian studies the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we not only see the divine aspects of Jesus as the God-man, but we also are able to learn from Him as the perfect human. Jesus experienced all that we experience as people living on earth. He was both loved and rejected. He was both believed and scorned. He was misunderstood, misrepresented, and mistreated. Yet, in all of His encounters with people, Jesus remained amazingly committed to fulfilling the mission the Father had given Him. So must we as His followers. This snapshot from Mark's Gospel reveals how we cannot allow opposition, rejection, and ridicule from others to move us off our marks. We must remain relentless to finish the works assigned to us. Jesus not only exemplifies to us how to do this, He empowers us to continue forward and to finish well.

Each of us is comprised by several components of what it means to be human. We have a physical body. We also have emotional capacity - we feel. Additionally, we have minds that form and flow nearly all of our daily living - we think. Finally, we are governed by our will - we decide. Humans are complex, and the desire of God is that on top of the body, emotions, mind, and will would rest the leadership of Holy Spirit as He works through our human spirit. This episode of Truth Shots takes a deeper look at one of the components which helps to make up who we are and how we live: The Mind. How do you think? Upon what do you most often center your mind? Are you intentional about what you allow your thoughts to fixate upon? How a person thinks is perhaps the most crucial part of us. We will not perpetually live above the level of what occupies our thoughts. The Scriptures give us loads of counsel about how to establish and govern our thought-life. In this message, we will unpack five of these biblical passages of truth to help us with our own minds and the daily thoughts within them.

Each of us is comprised by several components of what it means to be human. We have a physical body. We also have emotional capacity - we feel. Additionally, we have minds that form and flow nearly all of our daily living - we think. Finally, we are governed by our will - we decide. Humans are complex, and the desire of God is that on top of the body, emotions, mind, and will would rest the leadership of Holy Spirit as He works through our human spirit. This episode of Truth Shots takes a deeper look at one of the components which helps to make up who we are and how we live: The Mind. How do you think? Upon what do you most often center your mind? Are you intentional about what you allow your thoughts to fixate upon? How a person thinks is perhaps the most crucial part of us. We will not perpetually live above the level of what occupies our thoughts. The Scriptures give us loads of counsel about how to establish and govern our thought-life. In this message, we will unpack five of these biblical passages of truth to help us with our own minds and the daily thoughts within them.

One would have thought that when Jesus Christ began ministering, everybody would have been thrilled. The long-awaited Messiah had come and was working the acts of divine love and power. Yet, the demonic realm was both fearful and furious, fighting Jesus at every opportunity. One of the chief means by which Satan resisted Jesus was to harness religious leaders to constantly oppose Him. There were a few occasions when Jesus walked away from the blind religious leaders, but most of the time, He pushed back and gave them something to think about. In this message, Jesus chooses the crushing needs of a singular woman to be prioritized over the opposition of the religious hypocrites. She gets a brand-new life, and the hypocrites get an undeniable miracle placed before them for their consideration. When Jesus is determined to deliver, no demon or religious force will stop Him.

One would have thought that when Jesus Christ began ministering, everybody would have been thrilled. The long-awaited Messiah had come and was working the acts of divine love and power. Yet, the demonic realm was both fearful and furious, fighting Jesus at every opportunity. One of the chief means by which Satan resisted Jesus was to harness religious leaders to constantly oppose Him. There were a few occasions when Jesus walked away from the blind religious leaders, but most of the time, He pushed back and gave them something to think about. In this message, Jesus chooses the crushing needs of a singular woman to be prioritized over the opposition of the religious hypocrites. She gets a brand-new life, and the hypocrites get an undeniable miracle placed before them for their consideration. When Jesus is determined to deliver, no demon or religious force will stop Him.

Every Christian wants Jesus to be actively moving and working in their own lives and in the church where they worship and serve. We all want to see the power and authority of our King on display. When Jesus is in the building, we should expect to see fruit from His presence within us and among us. In a familiar passage from Luke, we learn that Jesus' authority and power are often resisted by multiple factors. The gospels portray the reality that, just because Jesus is present, there is no guarantee of displays of His power. What can oppose what He desires to do? This passage reveals what serves as an obstacle to His power, what we need to do to avoid that obstacle, and what Jesus does when He has determined not to let that obstacle have the final word.

Every Christian wants Jesus to be actively moving and working in their own lives and in the church where they worship and serve. We all want to see the power and authority of our King on display. When Jesus is in the building, we should expect to see fruit from His presence within us and among us. In a familiar passage from Luke, we learn that Jesus' authority and power are often resisted by multiple factors. The gospels portray the reality that, just because Jesus is present, there is no guarantee of displays of His power. What can oppose what He desires to do? This passage reveals what serves as an obstacle to His power, what we need to do to avoid that obstacle, and what Jesus does when He has determined not to let that obstacle have the final word.

Younger or newly saved Christians rarely grasp this essential element of how God is always working in His Kingdom: SEASONALLY. Even in nature we see this aspect of the heart of God. He moves in a rhythm in His workings among His creation and among His people. To recognize what season we are in is vital to moving in spiritual coordination with God. This episode of Truth Shots reveals four specific seasons from the story of ancient Israel which translate into four specific seasons in the lives of New Testament believers. These seasons will appear in your own life, and it is highly likely that you will recognize which one you are presently in. Ultimately, the question we must answer is, “Which season does God have me in right now?” Knowing the answer to this question will help empower us to understand how to move with the workings of God.

Younger or newly saved Christians rarely grasp this essential element of how God is always working in His Kingdom: SEASONALLY. Even in nature we see this aspect of the heart of God. He moves in a rhythm in His workings among His creation and among His people. To recognize what season we are in is vital to moving in spiritual coordination with God. This episode of Truth Shots reveals four specific seasons from the story of ancient Israel which translate into four specific seasons in the lives of New Testament believers. These seasons will appear in your own life, and it is highly likely that you will recognize which one you are presently in. Ultimately, the question we must answer is, “Which season does God have me in right now?” Knowing the answer to this question will help empower us to understand how to move with the workings of God.

When a Christian's life and ministry are fruitful and bring forth Kingdom results, the enemy will always become stirred up against that person. In this ancient passage of scripture from 2 Kings 6, we find a human enemy going hard after a believing prophet whose ministry is devastating the enemy's plans. From the prophet Elisha's approach to the warfare coming against him, we learn a strong, healthy approach in our own seasons of warfare. We can destroy the assignments of the enemy and send him back home defeated. What is the key to victory? Consecrated intercession and confident prayer.

When a Christian's life and ministry are fruitful and bring forth Kingdom results, the enemy will always become stirred up against that person. In this ancient passage of scripture from 2 Kings 6, we find a human enemy going hard after a believing prophet whose ministry is devastating the enemy's plans. From the prophet Elisha's approach to the warfare coming against him, we learn a strong, healthy approach in our own seasons of warfare. We can destroy the assignments of the enemy and send him back home defeated. What is the key to victory? Consecrated intercession and confident prayer.

There are two powerful realities that we need to get deeply reacquainted with: 1) God disciplines His children when we go astray and 2) God restores His children when they humble themselves and return to Him. In one of the most encouraging and poetically beautiful sets of verses in the Book of Isaiah, God tells us about Himself and reveals a Kingdom Key to experiencing His grace, gentleness, and mercy. What makes it all the more interesting is that His statements are made when His people seemingly least deserved His kindness. He is an amazingly gentle Father to us. May we never stray from Him again, but if we do, may we remember that He will release blessing to the burdened if we turn back to Him.

There are two powerful realities that we need to get deeply reacquainted with: 1) God disciplines His children when we go astray and 2) God restores His children when they humble themselves and return to Him. In one of the most encouraging and poetically beautiful sets of verses in the Book of Isaiah, God tells us about Himself and reveals a Kingdom Key to experiencing His grace, gentleness, and mercy. What makes it all the more interesting is that His statements are made when His people seemingly least deserved His kindness. He is an amazingly gentle Father to us. May we never stray from Him again, but if we do, may we remember that He will release blessing to the burdened if we turn back to Him.

Living as a truly praying people is the call of God for every Christian and every local church. Cozy Christianity has never been a healthy option for Jesus-followers. We live out our loyalties to Christ in a world that has rejected Him, His teachings and His ways. This means that we stay in constant battle mode as the enemy seeks to smother out the people of God. As that fierce resistance becomes the overwhelmingly undeniable reality against Christians, will we be ready for what comes? We certainly will if we are living as those who have embraced lifestyles of crying out to God. This riveting account from Acts 12 reveals what it looks like for Christians to overcome cultural and spiritual foes. God has plans to release supernatural breakthrough to all who will press in to Him for wisdom, trust and power. He is unlimited in how He can answer our breakthrough prayers.

Living as a truly praying people is the call of God for every Christian and every local church. Cozy Christianity has never been a healthy option for Jesus-followers. We live out our loyalties to Christ in a world that has rejected Him, His teachings and His ways. This means that we stay in constant battle mode as the enemy seeks to smother out the people of God. As that fierce resistance becomes the overwhelmingly undeniable reality against Christians, will we be ready for what comes? We certainly will if we are living as those who have embraced lifestyles of crying out to God. This riveting account from Acts 12 reveals what it looks like for Christians to overcome cultural and spiritual foes. God has plans to release supernatural breakthrough to all who will press in to Him for wisdom, trust and power. He is unlimited in how He can answer our breakthrough prayers.

The story of Hannah is one that has helped believers for centuries to remain motivated, dedicated, and delighting in the process of offering prayers which take time to be answered. The story of a woman longing to become a mother, accompanied with the heartless treatment she endured from others, is one that compels us to draw near to God in desperation when we are truly incapable of changing our own impossible circumstances. When Hannah's prayers are ultimately answered, she displays stunning faithfulness to her commitments to God. Her story is one of desperate faith and rare delight which was characterized by sacrifice and steadfast trust in the God who answers prayer.

The story of Hannah is one that has helped believers for centuries to remain motivated, dedicated, and delighting in the process of offering prayers which take time to be answered. The story of a woman longing to become a mother, accompanied with the heartless treatment she endured from others, is one that compels us to draw near to God in desperation when we are truly incapable of changing our own impossible circumstances. When Hannah's prayers are ultimately answered, she displays stunning faithfulness to her commitments to God. Her story is one of desperate faith and rare delight which was characterized by sacrifice and steadfast trust in the God who answers prayer.

As Jesus begins to release His sermon on the mount, He imparts to His hearers what are commonly referred to as the beatitudes. These are the core values of His heart and, therefore, the core values of His Kingdom. While our tendency is to look at these beatitudes as rules to follow, we must learn that is not the actual intention of Jesus. The beatitudes are not commands. Jesus is simply stating these things as the things He values and what He imparts to His followers. With each beatitude, there is an attached reward. These first four of the eight core values that Jesus teaches deal with the inner condition of our hearts. Clearly, as we hear Him impart what He values to us, we are quick to discern that Jesus is completely different than the world around us and its values. He invites us to join Him in this life of distinction and to live in the beauty of brokenness.