I Will

Today’s Bible readings are Genesis 23:1-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalm 9:13-20, & Proverbs 3:1-6

In today’s reading of the gospel of Matthew, there were 2 words that kept jumping out of the bible at me. They are 2 words that once you hear will change your life forever. It will settle forever the one thing that keeps so many of us from receiving from God. Do you want to know the words? “I will”

Matthew 8:1-3

Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. ² Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Much like then, the enemy still attempts to make people think that God does not want us well. As the enemy brings affliction to people, he brings with it the thoughts, “You deserve this.” He also suggests that, “If God really wanted to help you, He would have already.”

These things, added to the weight of the affliction, can beat a person down to a place of wondering if God really wants to help. Over time a person will begin to agree with the lies of satan. Remember, agreement is the place of power. They will begin to say in their mind & heart the very lies that satan has suggested to them. Often, this causes the person to forfeit want God so desperately desires them to have—LIFE.

Just a few verses after these & we see the passionate desire of Jesus to get to those that are in need of a miracle.

Matthew 8:5-7

⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

Again, this reveals the heart of our Savior. He says, “I will.”

I WILL:

1.      Bless you.

2.      Heal you.

3.      Forgive you.

4.      Strengthen you.

5.      Use you.

6.      Save your family.

7.      Fill you with My Spirit.

How much has the enemy robbed from you by getting you to let go of the things that Jesus is saying, “I will” to?

This is where faith comes into play. We have to walk by faith. Even if things don’t happen at the rate of speed that we think they should, it doesn’t mean, “He won’t”. In fact, faith truly lives as though, “He already has” even when it doesn’t yet see it in the natural realm.

Hebrews 11:13-14

¹³ All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. ¹⁴ Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.

I have learned to NEVER question the integrity of God’s Word or what He says He is Going to do. The heart of Jesus is “I WILL.” Let that sink into your heart today. Try to stop focusing on the “WHEN” & start meditating on the “I WILL.”

Focusing on the “WHEN” produces doubt, unbelief, resentment, & anger; focusing on the “I WILL” produces patience, peace, hope, & trust. Which do you want in your life?

 

Pastor Richard

Will You Pray?

Today's bible readings are Genesis 20:1-22:24, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalm 9:1-12, & Proverbs 2:16-22

I talked with a lady on the phone yesterday who was struggling with things that were happening in her son’s life. She was consumed by the situation & was looking for someone to give her hope. I had never met this lady before but she knew I was a pastor so she called to get some pastoral advice.

During the course of our conversation I asked her what she thought about prayer. I don't know if she was ready for a question like that but it is the one the Spirit told me to ask her. I then proceeded to tell her what God's Word says about prayer.

In one of our readings today we see the impact that prayer can have when a Christian does it.

Genesis 20:17

¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.

Abimelech represent so many people that we come into contact with on a daily basis. He was experiencing death in his life because he was far from God. He was as lost as a person could be.
Even though he was a king who appeared to have it all together, he didn’t have the most important thing—a heart connection with God.  He was surely going to die, as well as, his family & servants.
But then we see what the prayers of a righteous man can do. Abraham prayed & the hand f God touched & healed Abimelech & his household. As a result of Abraham standing the gap for a people who knew not God, they were saved.

What a beautiful picture that should move us all to pray for those that are lost. God is looking for people just like Abraham who will see the sin sickness in the lives of lost people & be moved to a place of prayer.

It is easy to complain & gossip about things. It is much more difficult to actually do something to help the matter & pray. Gossiping about a person or devouring others with our words has never accomplished God’s will for the situation BUT PRAYER HAS EVERY TIME!

I want to challenge you right now to stop & pray about that situation that has you frustrated. How about that person that you know who is really hurting? What about that co-worker who is going through a divorce? How about that family member who is drinking again?

1.     Who do you know of that desperately needs a miracle?

2.     Are there any people that come to mind that you know do not have a relationship with Jesus?

3.     What situations can you think of right now that only God can change?

PRAY!    PRAY!!    PRAY!!!

Why should we pray?

1. It is our duty. (Matt. 6:5)
2. Why not pray? (Phil. 4:6)
3. Prayer makes things happen. (James 5:16)
4. If we don't pray nobody will. (Eze. 22:30)
5. God is waiting for us to pray. (2 Chron. 7:14)

I believe that it is time for the church to start praying God-sized prayers. That is when we will see God-sized results. I double dare you to take off the restraints & pray like anything can happen. Start dreaming big & praying bigger! Then, sit back & watch the greatness of our God!!!

 

Pastor Richard

Teaching Our Family To Follow God

Today's Bible readings are Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalms 8:1-9, & Proverbs 2:6-15

I love how God's Word reveals to us the things that are important to Him. I have said before that the best way to know God's will is to know God's Word. His Word is His will revealed. 

In today's readings we see a verse that reveals to us God's will for parents.

Genesis 18:19

¹⁹ I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

God desires for us to raise our families to know Him & follow His ways. In our culture their are many who say that we are evolving & that some things, like traditional marriage, sexual purity, modesty, & conservative christian values are "old fashion". I like to say in response to this that they are not old fashion they are "GOD-fashioned". It is the way He has set forth in His Word.

There are many things that we are up against today when it comes to raising our children. The pressure of people around us, media, & agenda's of special interest groups that have infiltrated our education system are just to name a few. These things make it difficult to impart the values that this next generation is lacking BUT I'm encouraged when I read today's reading.

During the day of Abraham there was great wickedness as well. Sodom & Gomorrah were very wicked cities that practiced many of the perverse ways that are openly practiced today. Homosexuality, sexual looseness, & things of the like were very common & socially accepted in their culture.

I want to say first off that these behaviors WERE NOT ACCEPTABLE TO GOD! That is why He destroyed the city. God never changes. That means that regardless of popular opinion, these behaviors are not acceptable to God today either!

Yet, we see that God fully expected Abraham to raise his family to know the ways of the Lord. AND ABRAHAM DID!  He was successful at it in a time when the culture was perverted in many of the same ways that our culture is today. That gives me great hope. If Abraham did it in his day then we can do it in ours.

Let's look at some things that we can start doing today to help teach our families that ways of the Lord.

1. Find a Spirit-filled church & take your family there EVERY week--even during the summer.

Don't be one of those guys that send your kids to church. TAKE THEM! Let them see the excitement in your eyes as they witness you worship God. Let them see you with your arms raised praise the God of the universe. Don't just expect them to learn something that doesn't appear to be important to you.

Some dads spend more time trying to teach their kids how to hit a baseball than they do trying to teach their kids to know & love God. Don't make that mistake. It is great that their are people to help in this process but nobody can teach your kids as well as YOU can teach your kids. Believe that!

2. Pray with your kids.

I'm not talking about the "now I lay me down to sleep" stuff. When a kid is having a struggle, direct them to God. They will never forget the time they were having pressures come & you told them, "Let's pray."

When people are sick, pray with your kids for them. Let them see you turning God for help in times of need. Just as important is to let them see you celebrate each victory that God gives. Don't hold back in giving God glory.

3. Make them read the bible.

It is not a matter of choice. You make your kids go to school. You make them make their bed. You make them pick up their dirty clothes. Reading the bible is far more important than any of those. It will also do more for them in their lives than any of these needed skills, as well. They may not like you for it at the time, but understand that they don't need you to be their friend. They need you be their parent.

4. Use regular, daily situations to teach God's values.

When you see someone in need let your kids witness you helping the individual. Explain to them why. Have them work with you. Never underestimate the power of a teachable moment.

Our kids are watching us. They will model what they see in us. Even during the seasons of rebellion you must remember that you are sowing seed that WILL PRODUCE a harvest. Never give up.

It was through the life of faithful Abraham that a lineage was persevered for the coming Messiah. Messiah will come again & there needs to be individuals to hold the standard & teach others to know the ways of the Lord until that great day arrives. You have His Word & His Spirit to empower & enable you for the task. Rise to the charge & be the salt of the earth!

Pastor Richard

Hearing From God

Today's Bible readings are Genesis 16:1-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalm 7:1-17, & Proverbs 2:1-5

Hearing from God is one of the greatest things that a christian can learn to do. As Spirit-filled believers we know that God speaks to us. We are in a relationship with Jesus. In any relationship there is communication that occurs.

Most the time in christian life this is a one way street; we complain to God, scream & through fits, beg Him through prayer, etc...  We never take the time to listen for Him to speak back to us. Sometimes we fail to go to the sources that God primarily uses to speak to us. None the less, we miss out on the great benefit of hearing His voice.

Learning to hear His voice & not be moved by the voice of other influences is the key to prospering in this life. In today's reading we see what happens when we listen to other source without first hearing from God.

Genesis 16:1-2

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

Abram & Sarai both wanted a child desperately. Abram was even promised one by God. Yet, we see that he was moved to do things that lead to turmoil when he gave his ear to the wrong source--"So Sarai said to Abram..."  

How many times have we got ourselves in trouble by listening to the wrong source or by being moved by the wrong things? Just for a moment, let's consider the result of this one choice.

1. Hagar & Sarai had a broken relationship.
2. Abram must have had strong tension from both to deal with.
3. Ishmael must have had insecurities growing up. 

These are just to name a few of the immediate results. Now let's look big picture:

Genesis 16:12

¹² This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

We know of the great struggle that there is between the Muslim's & Christian's today. Muslim's that Ishmael is the son of promise & Christians say that Isaac is the son of promise. There is open hostility between the 2 that lead to violence today. Fists are still raised & lives are still lost over the result of this event. What a disaster it is when we fail to listen to God.

The other option, of course, is to learn to know God's voice & then obey it. We see this in the book of Acts with the Apostles & the early church leaders. They knew that God would speak if they would only listen. They saw remarkable miracles & experienced the supernatural on a regular basis. They prospered in their efforts to build the kingdom in ways that most churches today only dream about. 

1. They knew where to go--because He told them.
2. They knew where not to go--because He told them.
3. They knew what to say--because He told them.
4. They knew who to appoint to leadership--because He told them.
5. They knew what to preach--because He told them.

Just imagine with me for a moment that nearly every problem or trouble that you are facing right now is just one word from God away from being solved & changed. That is how important it is to learn to hear His voice.

 

Here are some things that you can start doing to increase you receptivity to God's voice:

 

1. Listen for Him.

John 10:3

³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

• God is speaking.
• We must listen.
  

2. Prepare regular quiet time for you & Him.

Psalm 46:10

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

• Slow down.
• Force yourself to wait on Him.
• No person can listen to their lover if they are on the go all the time.

3. Stay in His Word.

Psalm 19:7-11

⁷ The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸ The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. ⁹ Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. ¹¹ They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

Start with these three things & you won't go wrong. Let's make a choice today to hear from God & prosper. Remember, one word from God will change your life!

 

Pastor Richard

 

Who Are You Connected To?

Today’s Bible readings are Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalm 6:1-10, & Proverbs 1:29-33

In today’s reading in Genesis we see how God richly blessed Abram. God was faithful to His promise to Abram in every respect. Abram became very wealthy as a result of God’s blessing. God truly supplied all of his needs.

I want to take a look at Lot this morning. I find it very interesting how Lot was blessed with abundant blessing also. God had no obligation to Him, though He did promise to bless those that blessed Abram. What I want to present to you today is a question—Who are you connected to???

Lot was connected to the right person. He was connected to a man with the favor & blessing of God on his life. As a result, that blessing began to spill over into his life. It is an example of what Jesus said He cam e to do—give life in abundance, to the full, until it overflows. The overflow of blessing begins to affect others. That is the case with Lot.

As a result of his relationship with a blessed & favored man he became blessed too. This is a great principal to take note of. It is true that those we unite ourselves to will greatly affect us positive or negative.

We also begin to see the negative aspect of this same principal when Lot moved to a place near Sodom. Lot was near a people who were very wicked. He probably built business relationships with them over time. As we read on in Genesis we find that after a period of time he actually moved into the city. It is clear that sin has a gradual pull on us whether we like it or not. That is why we need to avoid things that would pull us in the wrong direction. Like the old saying—“If you hang around a barber shop long enough you will eventually get a haircut.”

As a result of his relationships with the wrong people he experienced great loss. Had it not been for righteous Abram coming to his rescue he would have be enslaved. Again, we see right relationship make a difference & poor relationship lead to loss.

1 Corinthians 15:33

³³ Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Here are a few thoughts to consider today:

1. Where do you desire life to take you?
2. What are the goals that you have set? 
3. Are the associations that you have going to help you achieve these things or hinder them?
4.  Are the associations that you have going to help you achieve these things or hinder them?
5. Who could you immediately connect with that could assist you in the plan that God has for your life?

1
I leave you with a quote from a mentor of mine:

“Show me your friends & I will show you your future.”

 

Pastor Richard

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

Today's Bible readings are Genesis 11:1-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalm 5:1-12, & Proverbs 1:24-28

Matthew 5 is the beginning of, in my opinion, the greatest sermon ever preached. This sermon continues through chapter 7, so you will be getting more of it in the next few days. In fact, at the close of this message the bible declares:

Matthew 7:28-29  (NLT)

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

I can only imagine how it really played out that day. I can envision Jesus passionately proclaiming to the multitude the truths about God & His character. As they listened to His teaching it must have resonated with their hearts at the same time bringing deep conviction.

I want to focus this morning on something that Jesus said that must have blown the minds of those that heard Him speak it.

Matthew 5:20

²⁰ “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of 
religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

This must have caused jaws to drop. People probably thought, "Did He just say what I think He said?" I'm sure that their were people in the crowd who had though it before but Jesus actually said it out loud.

Here was a group of people who practiced the Law to the letter. I'm sure that they were the standard that all people tried to live up to. They were the ones saying to others, "Be more like me." They thought they had it all together. Most people even believed that righteousness could be attained if they could only obey as well as the pharisees.

I love this part in Jesus' teaching. I use to think that it was a stern correction towards the leaders of the day but I'm lead to believe that He was really beginning to point the minds of the people to the concept of GRACE.

The pharisees thought that following a set of rules was enough to save you. That is what their faith was in. They practiced religion to the letter. As perfect as the law was it was weakened by their sinful nature. The law did nothing with it.

Jesus came to proclaim that the law of the Spirit of Life could free us from the sinful nature all together. That is the beauty of grace that is often never mentioned. We talk a lot about His grace to forgive us when we sin. That is what religion knows. That is all the pharisees knew. They knew nothing about how to deal with the nature in them that made them desire to do wrong.

Grace flows from the throne to enable us to live free from sin, not by following a set of rules, but by letting the Life of Christ, through His Spirit, flow through us! His Spirit resides in His children. We truly are born of His Spirit & washed in His blood!

3 THINGS I WANT YOU TO CONFESS OVER YOURSELF TODAY

1. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me NOW. 

2. Sin & satan has no power over me because the power of the Spirit in me is GREATER than him.

3. Through this Spirit I can do ALL things & will overcome EVERYTHING. 

Romans 6:12-14

¹² Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Pastor Richard