Coming Home Again
Reflecting On The Year…Preparing For The Future
EMOTIONAL
Is there anyone I need to forgive?
Where is the clutter in my life?
SPIRITUAL
In what spiritual areas do I want to grow in 2016?
RELATIONAL
Same question for the relationship with my children.
PHYSICAL
INTELLECTUAL
What are my reading goals for 2016?
What am I pretending NOT to know?
A Significant Word
Tonight, I want to begin by praying over Champions Church, Lord. Thank you for this couple that said that they would go. And we thank You for the willingness in their hearts, Lord, to serve You in a, in a hard place.Because God has called you to do something that’s out of the box. And He’s called you to do something that there’s really not a book telling you how to do it. And in fact, you know you’ve tried…you’ve read some of the books and you’ve followed some of the instructions, and some of them didn’t work because God has called you to do something very unique here.
And, Ben, what I want to say over you is that I had this very strong but unusual word about Champions Church. And He said, “It is going to be a church on wheels.” And I said, “Lord, I don’t know what that means?” And I saw this… and it was like this, you hear about meals on wheels, but I just saw this mobilization. I saw going here and going there. And it was a church on call. And it was a church that could readily and quickly go into places and situations where there was need. And that’s not your typical church, because typical church people just come and sit. And they sit in a building.
But God said, “No, I want this church to be mobilized.” And I even felt that He said, “I am going to give you vehicles.” And I don’t fully understand what that’s about, but its about meeting needs. And that He will provide supernaturally for you vehicles to be able to go and serve. And go into needy situations; go into, into crisis situations. Go into even traumatized situations, because you’re willing and available. And you are going to train up a battalion of people who will role up their sleeves and say, “We are willing to go at a moments notice when we’re needed. We’re willing to get in and drive and go to that need and meet that situation head on.” And bring the love of Christ, but not just words. It will also be with action and it will be with provision. And it will meet needs in situations where people are desperate.
So, Father, I declare over this church, Lord, that You are bringing Your blueprint and Your strategy. It’s very unique.
And I want to say to Ben and his wife…I want to break off you. In the past you felt that you had to fit and you had to conform. And you felt like you had to fit in somebody’s armor. And the Lord says, “You don’t have to wear Saul’s armor. You don’t have to put on, which in the past, was told that you had to wear.” I break that off of you, in the name of Jesus. And I break all the expectation, even that you’ve put on yourself. That you said, “I have to be this certain way. I have to fit this denominational model or I have to do this or that.” I break that off of you now, in the name of Jesus.
I break it off of your wife, in the name of Jesus. Where that thing tried to say, “If you’re going to be a woman in ministry, you have to do it this way and you have to do it that way. Or you have to say it this way.” I break that off of you now, in the name of Jesus.
We thank you for flexibility, and we thank you that instead of Saul’s armor, you will wear David’s armor. You will wear what fits.
And I just say, Brother Ben, just, just relax. Just relax and just fit in what God has called you to fit in. And you don’t have to fit in that armor of the past. We break it off of you now, in the name of Jesus.
Coming Home
At Christmas time, the women would pull together their small earnings and buy presents for those still living on the streets. It was a reminder to that there is still hope and there is a Savior who loves you.
The Deadly Act Of Comparison (pt. 2)
– Helen Keller
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works. (Psalm 73:28)
The Deadly Act of Comparison (pt. 1)
I look at his shoes…
her hair…
his car…
her job…
his height…
their house…
their money.
Then I look in the mirror. And I compare.
If you are like me, you can easily get caught in the deadly act of comparison. Looking at what someone is, has, or does and then looking at my own self to see how things measure up. It is something I have done since I was a child, and too often the comparison did not fall in my favor. Feelings of not being athletic enough, smart enough, spiritual enough, funny enough, or looking good enough seemed overwhelming. The result often left me feeling as if I somehow had failed.
As an adult I still struggle with comparing myself to others. It happened this past weekend. Our church hosted a fall festival to reach out to families in our surrounding area. It was our first time to do this, and even though we faced a few hurdles, we ended up with many new families coming from the community. It was very successful and I was so proud of our team as they shared the love of Jesus. We walked away excited about what God had done.
I felt really good until I looked at social media. Yes, social media…the breeding ground for harmful comparisons. I started looking at a few other churches pastored by my friends. The results from their outreaches surpassed what we had been able to accomplish. By the act of comparison, I allowed the pleasure and joy of the night to be stolen. What started as a feeling of success, ended quickly with the feeling of defeat. Even though we reached new families for Christ, I did not get “as many” as other churches. I didn’t measure up! Instead of being excited about what God had done, I became jealous and critical. Was it wrong? Yes. Was it petty? Yes. But the feelings were still very real.
In the Bible, we read that Asaph had a similar reaction. It wasn’t because of a fall church event, but his emotions were the same. He wrote, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3). Asaph saw that evil people seemed to do very well. They were happy, healthy, and wealthy. “Their eyes bulge with abundance; they have more than heart could wish” (Psalm 73:7). The wicked seemed to have everything while Asaph seemed to have very little.
At one point Asaph writes, “When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me…” (Psalm 73:16). The emotions were too raw and hurtful. His comparisons had caused him to become critical…to find fault with others and eventually to find fault with God. When we start finding fault with God, we become cynical. The definition of cynical is “non-believing, doubtful.” Asaph doubted God when he wrote, “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning” (Psalm 73:13-14). He wondered, “What was the point in serving God if all the blessings go to other folks?” This is where the act of comparing, if left unchecked, will eventually lead us. If I continue to compare myself to others, I will become critical. If I continue to be critical, I will become cynical.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It really is! Comparison robs us of our contentment and steals our peace. It causes us to become isolated and resentful. It is a deadly act that goes all the way back to Lucifer’s fall.
But, it can be overcome…
When It Falls Through The Cracks
What Do We Do Now?
- Pray for family and friends that have been personally affected. Ask the Lord to bring healing to their hearts and comfort them during times of anger and grief.
- Pray that the peace of God will overcome all anxiety and panic. Allow God’s peace to protect your own thoughts, words, and actions.
- Pray for government leaders, community organizers, clergy and other leaders. Ask the Lord to strengthen them and guide them by His Spirit so that they may be ambassadors of healing.
- If you have children at home, guard how much time they are exposed to conversations and media that are filled with frightening language or images.
- Turn the radio up and sing. Laugh out loud. Do something today that will bring a smile to your face.
- Pray that followers of Christ in our region will display the love of God by uniting together in prayer, worship, and acts of service.
- Pray for miraculous intervention. Believe that our supernatural God will show up in a real way!
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to someone in need (emotionally, physically, or spiritually). Be a source of resource!
- Buy someone a cup of coffee. Take a meal to an elderly neighbor. Choose to show the love of God in a practical way.
- Pray that people will think clearly before they speak or act. Wisdom and understanding must guide us.
- Allow God to examine your own heart. Are there personal prejudices that are clouding your own thinking?
- In conversations you have, whether in person or over social media, strive to bring unity and healing in your language. Do not allow personal bias to bring pain or division.
Tipping Point
“You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” (Psalm 23:5)
Last night at our House Church, we were spending time in prayer and worship when the presence of the Holy Spirit came into the room. There was such peace as people were singing and loving on God. I was overcome with emotions and begin to softly cry as the presence of God continued to linger. It was in that moment that I saw a rather unusual picture…
Over the last few summers, we have taken our children to a water park that is near our home. The park has an awesome children’s playground with tunnels, water-slides, squirt guns, etc. On top of the playground sits a giant barrel that slowly fills with water. When the barrel is nearly full, all the children run to get under it. They know that any moment it will tip and gallons of water will come splashing down on them.
This is the picture I saw!
As we continue in prayer and worship, it is like the small steady stream of water that is pouring into the barrel. The scripture tells us that our prayers are literally filling up bowls in the heavens (Revelation 5:8). As we are faithful in our praise unto God and our intercession for the world, things are happening beyond what we can see in the natural.
The Bible says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). The phrase, “effective, fervent,” is from the Greek word, “energe?.” This is where the English word, “energy,” comes from. When the energy is put into prayer and worship, there must be results.
What are those results? The last part of that verse says, “avails much.” The word “avail” means to have “power, strength, or force.” The result of persistent prayer is the FULL FORCE of God’s power! This is one of the reasons that Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, emphasis added). It is God’s will for us to continue in worship and intercession.
Those who have been praying, do not lose hope. With faith and expectation, prepare for the pouring out of God’s power. If you have not been praying, what are you waiting for? There is about to be a tipping point!
GLASS ON THE PLAYGROUND
My children were begging to go down to the little park by our house. They loved to swing, slide, and spin on the merry-go-round. So after dinner, we walked down to the playground. After a little while of them playing on their own, they asked me to join in on a game of hide-in-seek (and of course I said, “Yes!”).
The kids were all in the their hiding places and I was on the hunt when I noticed a reflection of light on the ground. As I crouched down to see what it was, I realized it was a jagged piece of glass. I then begin to notice more glass scattered nearby. I picked up several pieces and threw them away, disgusted that someone would leave sharp glass where children were playing. We went back to our game, when I saw another reflection in a different part of the playground. More broken glass! I stopped, picked it up, and threw it away. This happened several more times as I found more fragments of glass scattered across the park.
As I walked home with the kids, I thought how good it was that someone found those bits of glass before someone was hurt. A child could have easily cut their leg or foot causing a serious injury. Luckily, after I saw the first piece, I was intently searching out other pieces in order to keep the playground safe.
The scripture describes those who search out danger and alert others. It calls them “watchmen.” The duty of the watchmen was to stand atop the walls of the city and focus on the horizon. If danger were to come, they alerted the citizens so that they could prepare themselves.
The prophet Ezekiel writes about the watchman and his role: “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people…” (Ezekiel 33:2-3). If the watchman warns the people, yet they do not prepare themselves, then they are held responsible for the outcome. However, if the watchman does not warn the people about the coming danger, then he is guilty of their deaths (Ezekiel 33:4-6).
These scriptures are not just talking about men sitting on the city walls, it is speaking of the people of God becoming alert to the dangers erupting in our society. It is the prophets of God calling out to warn the citizens of the land of the threats against our children, our marriages, our families, and our churches. God tells Ezekiel, “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me” (Ezekiel 33:7). As our eyes are fixed on the horizon and our ears are tuned in to the voice of God, we must warn the people.
Just like the kids on the playground, we can keep playing not knowing danger is right at our feet. But someone must arise and warn others of the hidden peril. The Bible tells us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Our prayer must be, “Lord, awaken my heart. Help me to be alert and aware of the times at hand. Speak to my heart and give me the boldness to deliver the warnings so that others may be rescued.”
Wake up, watchmen!