Espirit de Corps

January 11, 2010 — Leave a comment

“When the Day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.”

Acts 2:1 (ESV)

The word for “together” is more than just showing up in the same spot.  The NIV translation says, they were all “with one accord.”  There is absolutely nothing like the feeling experienced when a people wholeheartedly get behind a vision, combining all their talents, skills and hearts for the purpose of accomplishing something far bigger than themselves.  It’s called TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More.  The French call it “esprit de corps” – the spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed – home, job or church.  Your indicator to having it is what’s coming out of your mouth – complaint or encouragement.  How’s your team spirit?

In Synergy
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Before You Start Your Big Project

January 9, 2010 — Leave a comment

“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

Nehemiah 1:4 (ESV)

Nehemiah held a powerful position for a great king when he came to realize the state of affairs back at his hometown.  Because of the burden that he felt, he knew he was going to have to take action.  Before his first step, he prepared his heart by fasting and praying.  Remember, fasting focuses and intensifies our prayers.  He did a spiritual house cleaning and repented of his sins and the sins of his people.  The rest is history.  He succeeded in his amazing project to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem because he took time to prepare.  What great project is before you?  Have you fasted and prayed yet?

In Fasting
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NO “Churchy” Talk Allowed

January 8, 2010 — Leave a comment

“Ask, and it will be given to you. . . for everyone who asks receives.”

Matthew 7:7a, 8a (ESV)

It really is that simple, but religion has made it hard.  It should be like a normal conversation – like you’re talking to your friend.  I talk to God just like I talk to those with which I am in relationship.  I don’t use “churchy” language.  God isn’t impressed with my theological knowledge or ability to use “Thees” and “Thous” – pretentious nonsense.  Nobody talks that way today.  What makes you think God wants to hear it?  Some don’t pray because they say they don’t know how.   Just be yourself and open your heart to Him.  That’s what it’s all about with Him anyway.  He wants you to get to know Him and spend time talking to Him.  He’s waiting on you right now.

In Prayer
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Your Seed Will Meet Your Need

January 7, 2010 — 1 Comment

“And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed. . . and every tree with seed in its fruit.”

Genesis 1:29 (ESV)

When God made Adam and Eve, he set them down in a Garden that was already created and waiting on them.  God GAVE generously to provide for all their needs – food, shelter, companionship.  Realizing some of those required their obedience and work – the garden had to be tended.  Already there in seed form, was the answer to all their needs and wants.   Look around you.  The seeds for your success are within your reach.  You may have to pray and discern them, then get up and plant (GIVE) them.  Your miracle is in your hands!

In Giving
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The Power of Synergy

January 6, 2010 — Leave a comment

“The total is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Teamwork makes the dream work.  Combined efforts make a huge difference. We can accomplish far more together than we can accomplish separately.  Obvious principles of cooperation and unity apply here.  Our natural bodies provide the scriptural analogy to the body of Christ having cooperating members and systems. Combining these three principles of giving, praying and fasting will have an overwhelming synergistic effect in what you are seeking God for over the next four weeks as you give – sow seeds expecting a return, as you pray and seek your Heavenly Father who loves you and as you fast something in order to intensify your prayer.  Expect a miracle!

In Synergy
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The Practice of Fasting

January 5, 2010 — Leave a comment

“Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly.  Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.”  Joel 1:14 (ESV)

Fasting is the practice of abstaining from something (typically food, but it can be anything else) for the purpose of specifically focusing on seeking the Lord.  It is always coupled with intense prayer and worship as well as additional time in the Word.  Fasting is done both individually and corporately. It has the ability to intensify one’s prayers toward breakthrough in much the same way light can merely illuminate a room or can be focused intensely and become a laser that can cut through steel.  Fast something today and use that time to call out to the Lord.

In Fasting
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Prayer – the Language of Relationship

January 4, 2010 — Leave a comment

“Our Father in heaven. . .”  Matthew 6:9

Technically the Lord’s Prayer is in John 17 and this prayer is the Disciples Prayer that Jesus taught them to pray.  He was a radical change agent.  Nothing would ever be the same after He came.  For thousands of years, Hebrews prayed in the name of someone else’s God.  Linked by history and ancestry of course, but still, they prayed in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – their forefathers.  Thank Him that He is your Heavenly Father. He’s not a distant, detached God that you only know about through your genealogy. You know Him and He’s intimately involved in your life.

In Prayer
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The First Law of Love

January 3, 2010 — Leave a comment

“For God so loved . . . that He gave . . .” John 3:16

Fresh start.  New opportunity.  Direction change.  Take the first step of your new journey with a firm footing on this truth.  The First Law of LOVE is giving.  God is madly in love with you.  So much so, that He gave Jesus, His uniquely begotten Son.  Do you think He gave without any expectation of a return on His investment?  Huh uh!  He gave with you in mind.  Have you ever asked Him to come into your heart and save you?  Do it now if you haven’t!  If you know Him as Lord and Savior, thank Him for this new season in your life and the gifts He will give to equip you to succeed.

In Giving
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Two Powerful Words

December 30, 2009 — 2 Comments

There are lots of powerful words!  But when it comes to marketing there are two that have been proven to be the most powerfully appealing.  You have any idea what they are?  I think the coolest thing is that they both apply to the gospel – Jesus’ life-giving, life-changing message.  I’ll give you the first one.  FREE! Think about all the offers that come in the mail – free trial, free sample, free subscription.  The word alone pops and grabs your attention.

Five times in Romans 5:15-17, the words “free gift” are used to speak of our salvation that was brought to us by the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Revelation 22:17 speaks of the water of life.  God unashamedly markets it with the terms “free gift” to all who are thirsty.  Good stuff ehh?  I told you!  Now, you have any idea what the second most powerful marketing word is?  Think!

It’s NEW! That’s right.  It’s an extremely powerful adjective.  The words idea, model, design, fashion, technology are all powerful, but not nearly so much as when you put the word NEW in front of them.  Take the word creation for example.  Powerful word.  Wouldn’t you agree?  Theologically and cosmologically, it signifies the act of someone bigger than myself, who with purpose and design, made me and you and everyone and everything else around us.  That’s good stuff! But wait! It becomes exponentially more powerful and eternally altering when you put the word new in front of it.  NEW creation.  You know – the stuff of “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone; the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jesus is the beginning of God’s new creation – the prototype of a whole new race of men of which, you as a blood bought believer, is a part.  Scripture refers to Him as the “firstborn.”  (among many brothers – Rom. 8:29; from the dead – Col. 1:18). Paul said that nothing else matters except the new creation.  “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15).  In other words, natural heritage of Jewishness doesn’t give you a special status, nor does your Gentileness make you any longer a dog.  All of that has been swallowed up in the new creation.  Paul nails the coffin shut on that foolishness in the very next verse by showing that the new creation IS the “Israel of God.”  Shhh!  Don’t wake the Zionists – they haven’t figured that out yet and are still trying to resurrect the “old creation.”

God’s purposes are wrapped up in you – His NEW CREATION.  Ok, one last thought – it has already gotten way longer than I intended.  This is one thing that I’m so excited about in 2010 – and that is writing more and more the things that I’m hearing and seeing in God’s amazing Word.   Think about this as the NEW year approaches.  Revelation 21:5 says, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new!’” Wow!  Don’t miss it!  This whole thing is in process.  What God fully completed and demonstrated in Jesus Christ, the firstborn, the first fruits of the resurrection, (1 Corinthians 15) He intends to do in you and in all the whole created order.  He’s making all things new!  You missed it!  Let me show you.  He didn’t say he was making all new things. . . . . .  He’s making all things new!  There’s a world of difference in the two sentences.  God is deliberate.  What He has reconciled, He is renovating, renewing, restoring and rebuilding – something altogether different, wonderful, new!

He, who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion – He will finish it!  He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ!  (Philippians 1:6)  There are literally 6 whole messages in what I just laid out here.  Some of you have been going through a hard process in 2009.  That year is ending.  A new one is in front of us.  The seeds of 2009 will become the harvest of 2010.  The decisions you made this year will come to fruition in the New Year!  Look with eyes of faith!  God is doing a new thing!

In New Creation
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Delegated Authority and “The Man” Syndrome

November 5, 2009 — Leave a comment

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . .’”

Matthew 28:18-19a (ESV)

Jesus lived above the fray of the “praisin’ paparazzi” of his day that demanded signs and tried to make him the de facto king or leader of a political party.  He seemed to do everything opposite to today’s “TV preacher marketing strategy” that makes these mere men like Christian celebrities where sometimes duped followers seem to fawn over them like teenaged girls swooning over the latest rock star.  Jesus’ mission was clear – He had come to do the will of the Father and to finish His work (John 4:34).  That work meant pouring out His life as a sacrifice – investing it in others for the purpose of multiplying His authority, power and influence.

His death, burial, resurrection and ascension brought the multiplication of the seed and the image of God (John 12:24; Romans 8:29; James 1:18) from one seed abiding alone to a whole body of disciples filled with His Spirit (Acts 2) and completely deputized to carry out His work to the rest of the whole creation.  I’m convinced that if Jesus were walking around here today, He wouldn’t be making network TV appearances, certainly of the “Christian” variety. He’d be making disciples and embracing the lost, engaging the culture and empowering believers to realize their callings and destinies.

So many pastors and spiritual leaders today not only succumb to the temptation of “the man” syndrome – but some actually advocate and foster that kind of culture in their churches and among their followers.  This nonsense starts with the promotion of the idea that the pastor is the only one who has the anointing to move in the Spirit and pray for the people’s needs.  It not only creates this ridiculous “pop star” culture, but it keeps the individual members of the body from realizing the kind of spiritual maturity in handling the things of the spirit that God intended.  It smacks in the face of obvious scriptural direction for “ordinary” believers to do the work of the ministry.  (See Mark 16:15-16).

Actually, if you are born from above and are filled with God’s spirit – there is nothing “ordinary” about any of you.  I use that word “ordinary” to bring distinction from those in the professional ministry.  Have we come so far from the revolutionary truths of The Reformation that we’ve forgotten that almost 500 years ago, the huge class separation between clergy and laity was torn down and the blessed truth of the “priesthood of all believers” (1 Peter 2:9) was established?  God help us!  Paul was dealing with this same kind of foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:13-17) and showed that it only produces an ungodly division.  He determined not to baptize people himself so they couldn’t claim something special out of it!  Think about it!

In the same way that on solid Biblical grounds, I reject the Roman Catholic idea that I need a human priest to represent me in prayer before God (see I Timothy 2:5-6) I also reject the “Pentecostal TV preacher syndrome” that says the pastor is the only one that has the anointing to pray for the people’s needs.

Our ministry team prays for people every Sunday, not only under my pastoral direction, but under Jesus’ delegated authority.  But lest anyone think, I would make these willing servants a special class of prayer warriors, remember a newborn babe in Christ can pray in faith and see the same results as a seasoned intercessor or trained pastor.  I don’t want anything to do with that celebrity syndrome.  My heart is to see every person in Victory Church grow into spiritual maturity and the fullness of all God has for you.  If we can stay focused on that vision, we’ll see the Delta transformed for the Kingdom of God – not because of me, but because of Jesus in US.

In Delegated Authority
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