Who knew Tyler Perry was a Christian?
Every now and then I (Kim Potter) come across something that is too good to not share with you. On Tuesday one of our readers sent me this blog by Tyler Perry, it was one of those 'too good to not share.' It really blessed me and I believe it will bless you too. I have not shared the very beginning of his blog, for more information visit his website at the end of this section.
Being so drained, I decided to take a few days off. Yesterday I was hiking a mountain in Hawaii with a friend. I was laboring up this beautiful green pastured mountain, looking down at my feet trying to be sure of my footing, while at the same time trying to catch my breath from the altitude. At times, I would make big steps, sometimes all I could do was take small ones. The terrain was uneven and rough at times. It took a lot of effort and a lot of thought so, needless to say, I was getting really tired and at times wanted to stop or just turn back.
I got to one peak and I thought "I'm here, great, we can rest now" only to realize that just because I was at the top of one peak, that didn't mean I had arrived. There were more...more valleys to go through and more heights to reach. It was interesting to me, that in order to go higher, we usually had to go down through a valley, and it went on and on and up and up. I was tired and wanted to sit down but my friend said, "Come on, let's go a little higher." So, not to be outdone by a girl (lol), I dug my hiking boots in and went a little higher. We finally got to one of the highest points and she said to me, "This is the best part, now turn around." I turned around and behind me was the most amazing view that I had seen in my 40 years on this earth. As far as my eyes could see, beauty reigned. The Hawaiian Islands seemed to be leaping up out of the silver blue sea, stretching up to catch the dust of the sky. The clouds seemed close enough to catch in my hand and make a wish; rays of sunlight danced through them trying to find a path to show off their own glow and power. Not even Picasso could have out-painted the canvas that was before me. The heavens were declaring the glory of God. I saw Him in motion.
I said to my friend, "When did we get this high?", and she said, "It was in the climb." I couldn't help but think about life - mine and maybe even yours. I thought about how hard it had been for me chasing down my dream. I thought about how hard it can be to believe sometimes. I thought about the entire struggle, all of the pain, all of the hope, all of the doubt. I thought about the times I was working a dead end job, trying to believe; moving through day-to-day with my head down just taking one step at a time, some small, some big ones, wanting to give up; wanting to stop and sit for a while; wanting to lay in my sorrow; nobody believing in me; nobody thinking it would come to pass and never realizing that every step was taking me closer to higher. That hike was painful, it hurt, but through it all I was getting higher and had no idea how high I was. That's what it's like to chase down a dream.
Sometimes in life dreams are hard to follow, like that climb. You don't know how high you're going or even if you're moving, but every step, even when you can't see what's behind you, will take you closer to your goals. It's in the climb. I know you may be struggling right now, but you're in the climb; things may be hard right now, but you're in the climb; people may not believe in you, but it's part of the climb. They may take shots at you, but stay in the climb; you may have to stand alone, but you're in the climb. Even if you're not where you want to be right now, I want to say to you what she said to me, "This is the best part, now turn around." Look how far you've come. God has not brought you this far to leave you. Stay in the climb.
www.tylerperry.com
Kim Potter
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
God's Favorite House - Part 6 (July 25, 2010)
Genesis 32:22-31 - "That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, He touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.'
But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'
The man asked him, 'What is your name?'
'Jacob,' he answered.
Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'
Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.'
But He replied, 'Why do you ask My name?' Then He blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip."
We want to turn this church into God's Favorite House...
Just like trying to turn on a light switch, we need to look for a way to turn on God' glory.
I am trying to turn on God's glory and teach you how to worship, I'm trying to learn right along with you...
There's some of you out there who fear a face to face with God. Is that you?
Do YOU fear a face-to-face with God? I was afraid of a face to face, I'm gonna throw it right back at you...
My face to face led me wanting more of God.
Be people after God's own heart; seek to be close to His heart. Be a God chaser. Like David, who wanted to be after God's own heart.
Don't run from God, stop running. There's people here today that are running from God, someone, there may be several, that are running from God. He is telling me to tell you to quit running.
How many of us want to be somebody after God's own heart? In order for this to happen, we have to make this church a place where people feel welcome.
We want to make people feel welcome. This church has turned a big corner, we very much like to make people feel welcome in this church. But when you do that, the choice becomes, do we want to be a church who is only interested in its members and keeping them happy? Or do we want to become a church thats willing to turn on God's glory?
There are times when I don't want a face to face with God, I'm afraid of what God's going to tell me...
As it says in Genesis 32, verses 22,23: "That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions."
Do we not approach God sometimes with a discount store mentality? We come to church for revival, for a healing, or for whatever....We try to get the most at the cheapest cost. We want that celestial blue light special. We want what we want, the way we want it, right now, without any effort. We seem to want the most from God without any effort on our part...
Back up a couple of chapters and read a few chapters before, and look at the name Jacob. Jacob's name means trickster. He was a lifelong deciever, who had stolen his brother's birth right, he tricked his dad; he was wanting something for nothing...
The church is the same way. We always try to outsmart God with our actions. We show up on Sunday morning and say, Here I am for my hour, let's get it done. I want you to bless me now, bless this messed up life that I have and I'll go home and have that 'feely-good' feeling for another week...
Jacob had a destiny to fulfill. Just like we do, each of you has a destiny to fulfill. But Jacob couldn't be trusted in his present state.
in verses 24-26 it says: "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."
Jacob said, "I will NOT let you go ... unless You bless me." Jacob was wrestling with God, is who it was...he wrestled with Him all night long because he wanted Him to bless him. He was persistent. He had grabbed hold of God and wouldn't let go.
God encourages persistence in our lives, including in our spiritual well being - where in your spiritual life do you need more persistence? Think about it...
Strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions. But Jacob was about to be rudely awakened. God didn't stretch out his hand and bless him. God didn't bless Jacob's messed up life, just like us in our messed up life - He struck him so hard that it knocked his hip out of joint permanently....Jacob limped for the rest of his life.
Aren't WE in need of God striking us so that we might walk with a limp?
In the ambulance, I have witnessed the discomfort of people with hip injuries first hand. They are usually in lots of pain.
He was probably in a lot of pain as he went to the meeting with his brother. Jacob had wronged his brother and he was dreading that face to face meeting...
Have YOU wronged somebody and that's why you fear a face to face with God? are you afraid that He will notice or say you've messed up?
(BTW, He already knows!)
Jacob wanted his older brother to be submissive to him. But when Esau saw Jacob limping, it changed Esau's heart. His heart was changed from one of revenge to one of love. He was changed into liking his brother; from revenge to love...
What would people think if they saw you walking with a limp, a limp that was brought on from a life changing encounter with the glory of God?
Is it time to ask God to bring about a change in our own hearts from an encounter with God?
Pastors have told me that the reason people aren't in church is because they have cold hearts. It's time we examined our own hearts first. It's time we had an encounter with God ourselves.
Say to yourself, I won't let go until God changes something in me!
Why don't we grab hold of God just like Jacob. And ask to God to change us so that we won't be the same again!
Others need to see there's a new person inside us because we now walk with a limp. They need to be able to tell there's a new person inside because they lost a wrestling match with God, and they are different.
If you're not walking with a limp, maybe you need to ask yourself - Why doesn't God use me? or worse, ask: Why doesn't God use me anymore?
The only way Jacob could fulfill his purpose in God, was to LOSE a wrestling match with God...the same is true for the church. Our emphasis needs to switch from seeking God's hands, to seeking God's face.
Have you ever been apart from your kids or grandkids for a while and when you get back together, they just want to hold your face between their hands and look at you? What is it they are desiring? Your grandkids are wanting face time with you...They want that intimacy with you because you've been gone, you haven't been in their presence.
Do you want, and seek, face time with God?
How many times do we come to church with our lists, with things to ask for? we tend to go to God when we are needing something...
Maybe God is thinking, is there anyone who comes in here this morning and just wants Me? I tend to go to God when I need something.
The highest form of worship is to come before God, not wanting anything, just come to have face time, to seek Him, to BE with Him....just praise Him.
SEEK HIM - get face time with God!
It's possible to go to live in the Kingdom and never see the glorious face.
We can live under God's protection but never actively seek His protection. Could it be that we're afraid of that face to face encounter I keep talking about with God?
How long has it been since the church has pursued the favor of God? We have to push away His hands and seek His face, and tell Him, I will be your servant, I just want to be where YOU are. This is when our worship no longer becomes self serving, it becomes worship that blesses and glorifies God. We no longer give to get, we give out of passion for Who God is.
God wants to change how our church is operating. He wants relationship over religion; He wants presence over presents. He longs for worshipers who go after the giver, not the gifts...
Which one are you?
Last week I said that we should give up theology and go to God-ology
It's time we come to church and leave with a limp.
In Matt 5:6 it says: blessed are those who hunger and thirst...God plants holy hunger and holy frustrations in order for us to produce fruit.
If you're not walking with a limp, perhaps you need to take a long look at your priorities...
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, He touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.'
But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'
The man asked him, 'What is your name?'
'Jacob,' he answered.
Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'
Jacob said, 'Please tell me your name.'
But He replied, 'Why do you ask My name?' Then He blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, 'It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.'
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip."
We want to turn this church into God's Favorite House...
Just like trying to turn on a light switch, we need to look for a way to turn on God' glory.
I am trying to turn on God's glory and teach you how to worship, I'm trying to learn right along with you...
There's some of you out there who fear a face to face with God. Is that you?
Do YOU fear a face-to-face with God? I was afraid of a face to face, I'm gonna throw it right back at you...
My face to face led me wanting more of God.
Be people after God's own heart; seek to be close to His heart. Be a God chaser. Like David, who wanted to be after God's own heart.
Don't run from God, stop running. There's people here today that are running from God, someone, there may be several, that are running from God. He is telling me to tell you to quit running.
How many of us want to be somebody after God's own heart? In order for this to happen, we have to make this church a place where people feel welcome.
We want to make people feel welcome. This church has turned a big corner, we very much like to make people feel welcome in this church. But when you do that, the choice becomes, do we want to be a church who is only interested in its members and keeping them happy? Or do we want to become a church thats willing to turn on God's glory?
There are times when I don't want a face to face with God, I'm afraid of what God's going to tell me...
As it says in Genesis 32, verses 22,23: "That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions."
Do we not approach God sometimes with a discount store mentality? We come to church for revival, for a healing, or for whatever....We try to get the most at the cheapest cost. We want that celestial blue light special. We want what we want, the way we want it, right now, without any effort. We seem to want the most from God without any effort on our part...
Back up a couple of chapters and read a few chapters before, and look at the name Jacob. Jacob's name means trickster. He was a lifelong deciever, who had stolen his brother's birth right, he tricked his dad; he was wanting something for nothing...
The church is the same way. We always try to outsmart God with our actions. We show up on Sunday morning and say, Here I am for my hour, let's get it done. I want you to bless me now, bless this messed up life that I have and I'll go home and have that 'feely-good' feeling for another week...
Jacob had a destiny to fulfill. Just like we do, each of you has a destiny to fulfill. But Jacob couldn't be trusted in his present state.
in verses 24-26 it says: "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."
Jacob said, "I will NOT let you go ... unless You bless me." Jacob was wrestling with God, is who it was...he wrestled with Him all night long because he wanted Him to bless him. He was persistent. He had grabbed hold of God and wouldn't let go.
God encourages persistence in our lives, including in our spiritual well being - where in your spiritual life do you need more persistence? Think about it...
Strong character develops as you struggle through tough conditions. But Jacob was about to be rudely awakened. God didn't stretch out his hand and bless him. God didn't bless Jacob's messed up life, just like us in our messed up life - He struck him so hard that it knocked his hip out of joint permanently....Jacob limped for the rest of his life.
Aren't WE in need of God striking us so that we might walk with a limp?
In the ambulance, I have witnessed the discomfort of people with hip injuries first hand. They are usually in lots of pain.
He was probably in a lot of pain as he went to the meeting with his brother. Jacob had wronged his brother and he was dreading that face to face meeting...
Have YOU wronged somebody and that's why you fear a face to face with God? are you afraid that He will notice or say you've messed up?
(BTW, He already knows!)
Jacob wanted his older brother to be submissive to him. But when Esau saw Jacob limping, it changed Esau's heart. His heart was changed from one of revenge to one of love. He was changed into liking his brother; from revenge to love...
What would people think if they saw you walking with a limp, a limp that was brought on from a life changing encounter with the glory of God?
Is it time to ask God to bring about a change in our own hearts from an encounter with God?
Pastors have told me that the reason people aren't in church is because they have cold hearts. It's time we examined our own hearts first. It's time we had an encounter with God ourselves.
Say to yourself, I won't let go until God changes something in me!
Why don't we grab hold of God just like Jacob. And ask to God to change us so that we won't be the same again!
Others need to see there's a new person inside us because we now walk with a limp. They need to be able to tell there's a new person inside because they lost a wrestling match with God, and they are different.
If you're not walking with a limp, maybe you need to ask yourself - Why doesn't God use me? or worse, ask: Why doesn't God use me anymore?
The only way Jacob could fulfill his purpose in God, was to LOSE a wrestling match with God...the same is true for the church. Our emphasis needs to switch from seeking God's hands, to seeking God's face.
Have you ever been apart from your kids or grandkids for a while and when you get back together, they just want to hold your face between their hands and look at you? What is it they are desiring? Your grandkids are wanting face time with you...They want that intimacy with you because you've been gone, you haven't been in their presence.
Do you want, and seek, face time with God?
How many times do we come to church with our lists, with things to ask for? we tend to go to God when we are needing something...
Maybe God is thinking, is there anyone who comes in here this morning and just wants Me? I tend to go to God when I need something.
The highest form of worship is to come before God, not wanting anything, just come to have face time, to seek Him, to BE with Him....just praise Him.
SEEK HIM - get face time with God!
It's possible to go to live in the Kingdom and never see the glorious face.
We can live under God's protection but never actively seek His protection. Could it be that we're afraid of that face to face encounter I keep talking about with God?
How long has it been since the church has pursued the favor of God? We have to push away His hands and seek His face, and tell Him, I will be your servant, I just want to be where YOU are. This is when our worship no longer becomes self serving, it becomes worship that blesses and glorifies God. We no longer give to get, we give out of passion for Who God is.
God wants to change how our church is operating. He wants relationship over religion; He wants presence over presents. He longs for worshipers who go after the giver, not the gifts...
Which one are you?
Last week I said that we should give up theology and go to God-ology
It's time we come to church and leave with a limp.
In Matt 5:6 it says: blessed are those who hunger and thirst...God plants holy hunger and holy frustrations in order for us to produce fruit.
If you're not walking with a limp, perhaps you need to take a long look at your priorities...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
If only we could just sit with Jesus a while...
Todd Agnew singing Dennis Jernigan's song: "If I Could Just Sit With You A While"
Sunday, July 18, 2010
God's Favorite House - Part 5 (July 18, 2010)
God's Favorite House - Part 5
Isaiah 60:1 - "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
The last few weeks, I've been using God's Favorite House from Tommy Tenney this is what I've been basing everything I'm saying on. His idea is to turn our churches into God's Favorite House. Now to do this, we have to make some changes in our own lives. There are various things God expects us to do if we are going to open the windows of heaven. And last week I told you that tithing is one of the most important things we can do. We can tithe of our time, our talents, and our money. We're supposed to pay God first.
That's the challenge I want to give all of you for the rest of the year. Pay God first, before you ever pay a bill, sit down and write the check or put your money aside, for God ... and watch how God will change your life. Watch how He will change your financial, that's one of the things God wants us to do is trust Him, He says trust ME.
The next thing is to be persistent in our prayer life. God answers those who humbly come to Him and ask, and seek His direction.
Unity is another way. We have to be unified as a church, and as a people and as a family. I tell people, it's all right to disagree, you don't have to agree, you have to walk away unified. That's how we make God's Favorite House right here. That's how we learn to honor Him.
(illustration with the water: Children's time included a demonstration, a bottle of water that had many colors of food coloring dropped into it to show the many different ways we all sin; then with a few drops of bleach and shaking the bottle, the color of the water slowly faded to clear, illustrating God's forgiveness of us, and that sometimes our accepting His forgiveness happens slowly. By the time the sermon began, the water was clear again.)
I love the illustration with the water. How many times does God 'shake' us before He gets our attention? Sometimes it takes a little longer. Don't you get it? He has to be asking...
If Jesus came into this church, would you give up your seat to Him? Or would you keep your old chair refusing to give it up. Don't we all have our 'favorite' seats...would you give yours up? or would you look around to see if somebody else was going to give up theirs first?
Do you want a 'face-to-face' meeting with God? Many of us don't...
Are you afraid God will make you do something you don't want to do? I ran from God literally, I was afraid He would call me to go to Africa. Now, I would like to go, not to stay forever, but to go on a mission trip.
Do you run from God, when He calls you?
God won't send you somewhere that is not the desires of your heart, or where you're not ready to go...stop fearing that face-to-face with God, what He will ask you to do.
Ministry was not high on my priority list. I sat right out there for a lot of years. I was content out there. Out there, I didn't have to face God. I could keep Him at an arm's length. Then, things began to change.
I went on a walk to emmaus. That's where I encountered God in a subtle way. My face-to-face encounter with God was nothing flashy. It was like Elijah's encounter right here in 1 Kings 19.
Follow along as I read, I'm gonna start on verse 11, this was Elijah on Mount Horab 1 Kings 19:11-14 - "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and a powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
How did the Lord make Himself known to Elijah? It was a gentle whisper. That's how I encountered God. My face-to-face was a gentle whisper.
You know, if we want this church to become a place that God inhabits, we have to put ourselves in a position to hear that gentle whisper. So if you're afraid of the face-to-face, don't. I encourage you. That's why I'm encouraging this church, let's get ourselves in a position to encounter God, in that quiet still way. Our hearts have to become so humble that God will desire for us to hear Him, in that gentle whisper.
We have to humble ourselves, humbleness begins with thanksgiving and praise to God. It's when we fall on our knees, when we begin to lift our prayers up for others as well as ourselves. When we are persecuted, and it overcomes, it threatens to take us down, that we should be thanking God that we were found worthy to suffer for HIM!
(Are you content where you're at? Or are you ready to step into the ministry He asks you to? Or will you run from God?)
How did God make himself known? it was in a gentle whisper...
If you're afraid of that face-to-face with Him, don't be!
We have to humble ourselves and fall on our knees before Him...
The way to respond to these things is to become examples to others. Remember last week, when Paul and Silas were persecuted in a Roman jail, they began singing and what happens? It resulted in a Roman jailor and his family coming to have a salvation experience with Jesus.
If we truly want God's presence in our churches, we have to quit fearing adversity, and we need to prepare this sanctuary for His presence. Quit worrying about what others think, just start seeking His presence.
If we truly want God's presence, we have to prepare and humble ourselves.
If we get up at night and we are trying to go through our house, don't we wander around hunting for the light switch? Then out of nowhere, we stump our toe, or run into a wall or a door. And when you find the light switch, what happens?
The light throws all shadow into the corners.
I want to find that switch that I can throw that'll release God's glory in this sanctuary. When my hands are up, I'm searching for that switch. We're stumbling around in the dark, waving our arms, looking for a light switch. Can you imagine the energy that would be released if we could turn on the glory of God right now in this sanctuary?!
As Christians we think our action is all we need to throw that switch, but if God's glory was truly turned on right now, I guarantee that altar is not big enough for all of us, 'cause that's where we'd be. There's not a one of us present here today that is exempt in the area of not needing God's glory.
And when that's turned on, and when we start feeling God's presence in our life, what happens? We fall down in repentance. When you've been to the mountaintop, when you've heard that gentle whisper, what happens? Forgive me, Lord. And that's what I like about the visual today, forgiveness.
God offers forgiveness. And that's what He's asking us to do.
No one is exempt from needing God's glory. We need to fall down in repentance and God offers forgiveness - for all!
I guarantee when His light is shining on us, you're gonna know there's dirty areas in your life that need to be cleaned up. That's the reason the scripture says, Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises up in you.
We need to become a people who radiate God's glory so much that when others are around us, they will have an encounter with God.
Turn on that light switch so that we radiate God's glory!
When we praise God, we need to PRAISE God! Ever how you can give your all to God, that's what He requires of us, and when we do His glory is going to fall on us.
And then we'll all be on our knees looking for forgiveness.
Walk in here expecting to see God's presence. And when you walk out, other people will know you've been in the presence of God by the way you radiate God from your presence.
I want us to radiate God! I want you to walk out of here KNOWING you've experienced God! Walk out of here knowing you've been in God's presence.
One thing we haven't talked about much. We need to talk about satan; he does exist. Lucifer was an archangel that was cast out and that fell from heaven, because he had the thought that he could supercede God. Remember that a thought can become a sin, when we dwell on it or act on it.
God's glory doesn't allow sin to appear in His midst. He threw him out in a flash. It's like a light switch coming on - God's glory sends sin out!
Sometimes we've allowed unGodly things to happen, as though we don't fear God anymore. When God's glory comes on, it's like a light switch. There's a time and place we can bind and loose things in our church, cast out the demons that may be there, as Jesus did. He came, He preached, He healed, He cast out demons.
But importantly, we need to pray that Jesus comes into the space when the demons go out, or they'll return to multiply. Pray the Holy Spirit fills the empty place when demons are sent out.
Pray the Holy Spirit comes in and fills that person. Pray God will loosen His Spirit on those situations. You can't cast things out and not pray that God will fill that empty space.
We have to learn to become prayer warriors. We need to learn to pray, to intercede for others. There's no better way to face spiritual warfare, than in the light of God's presence. We all need a meeting with God that leaves us at the altar, in His presence. We all need to have that face-to-face with God. What is keeping you from facing God? Write it in your private journal. And in your private times, pray that you will encounter God in a new fresh way.
So, come in and throw on the light and God will take us places we've never been!
Ask God to manifest Himself in us!
Don't fear that 'face-to-face' with God - meet Him at the altar!
What is keeping you from it?
Pray that you will encounter God in a fresh way, every day!
Isaiah 60:1 - "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
The last few weeks, I've been using God's Favorite House from Tommy Tenney this is what I've been basing everything I'm saying on. His idea is to turn our churches into God's Favorite House. Now to do this, we have to make some changes in our own lives. There are various things God expects us to do if we are going to open the windows of heaven. And last week I told you that tithing is one of the most important things we can do. We can tithe of our time, our talents, and our money. We're supposed to pay God first.
That's the challenge I want to give all of you for the rest of the year. Pay God first, before you ever pay a bill, sit down and write the check or put your money aside, for God ... and watch how God will change your life. Watch how He will change your financial, that's one of the things God wants us to do is trust Him, He says trust ME.
The next thing is to be persistent in our prayer life. God answers those who humbly come to Him and ask, and seek His direction.
Unity is another way. We have to be unified as a church, and as a people and as a family. I tell people, it's all right to disagree, you don't have to agree, you have to walk away unified. That's how we make God's Favorite House right here. That's how we learn to honor Him.
(illustration with the water: Children's time included a demonstration, a bottle of water that had many colors of food coloring dropped into it to show the many different ways we all sin; then with a few drops of bleach and shaking the bottle, the color of the water slowly faded to clear, illustrating God's forgiveness of us, and that sometimes our accepting His forgiveness happens slowly. By the time the sermon began, the water was clear again.)
I love the illustration with the water. How many times does God 'shake' us before He gets our attention? Sometimes it takes a little longer. Don't you get it? He has to be asking...
If Jesus came into this church, would you give up your seat to Him? Or would you keep your old chair refusing to give it up. Don't we all have our 'favorite' seats...would you give yours up? or would you look around to see if somebody else was going to give up theirs first?
Do you want a 'face-to-face' meeting with God? Many of us don't...
Are you afraid God will make you do something you don't want to do? I ran from God literally, I was afraid He would call me to go to Africa. Now, I would like to go, not to stay forever, but to go on a mission trip.
Do you run from God, when He calls you?
God won't send you somewhere that is not the desires of your heart, or where you're not ready to go...stop fearing that face-to-face with God, what He will ask you to do.
Ministry was not high on my priority list. I sat right out there for a lot of years. I was content out there. Out there, I didn't have to face God. I could keep Him at an arm's length. Then, things began to change.
I went on a walk to emmaus. That's where I encountered God in a subtle way. My face-to-face encounter with God was nothing flashy. It was like Elijah's encounter right here in 1 Kings 19.
Follow along as I read, I'm gonna start on verse 11, this was Elijah on Mount Horab 1 Kings 19:11-14 - "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and a powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected Your covenant, broken down Your altars, and put Your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
How did the Lord make Himself known to Elijah? It was a gentle whisper. That's how I encountered God. My face-to-face was a gentle whisper.
You know, if we want this church to become a place that God inhabits, we have to put ourselves in a position to hear that gentle whisper. So if you're afraid of the face-to-face, don't. I encourage you. That's why I'm encouraging this church, let's get ourselves in a position to encounter God, in that quiet still way. Our hearts have to become so humble that God will desire for us to hear Him, in that gentle whisper.
We have to humble ourselves, humbleness begins with thanksgiving and praise to God. It's when we fall on our knees, when we begin to lift our prayers up for others as well as ourselves. When we are persecuted, and it overcomes, it threatens to take us down, that we should be thanking God that we were found worthy to suffer for HIM!
(Are you content where you're at? Or are you ready to step into the ministry He asks you to? Or will you run from God?)
How did God make himself known? it was in a gentle whisper...
If you're afraid of that face-to-face with Him, don't be!
We have to humble ourselves and fall on our knees before Him...
The way to respond to these things is to become examples to others. Remember last week, when Paul and Silas were persecuted in a Roman jail, they began singing and what happens? It resulted in a Roman jailor and his family coming to have a salvation experience with Jesus.
If we truly want God's presence in our churches, we have to quit fearing adversity, and we need to prepare this sanctuary for His presence. Quit worrying about what others think, just start seeking His presence.
If we truly want God's presence, we have to prepare and humble ourselves.
If we get up at night and we are trying to go through our house, don't we wander around hunting for the light switch? Then out of nowhere, we stump our toe, or run into a wall or a door. And when you find the light switch, what happens?
The light throws all shadow into the corners.
I want to find that switch that I can throw that'll release God's glory in this sanctuary. When my hands are up, I'm searching for that switch. We're stumbling around in the dark, waving our arms, looking for a light switch. Can you imagine the energy that would be released if we could turn on the glory of God right now in this sanctuary?!
As Christians we think our action is all we need to throw that switch, but if God's glory was truly turned on right now, I guarantee that altar is not big enough for all of us, 'cause that's where we'd be. There's not a one of us present here today that is exempt in the area of not needing God's glory.
And when that's turned on, and when we start feeling God's presence in our life, what happens? We fall down in repentance. When you've been to the mountaintop, when you've heard that gentle whisper, what happens? Forgive me, Lord. And that's what I like about the visual today, forgiveness.
God offers forgiveness. And that's what He's asking us to do.
No one is exempt from needing God's glory. We need to fall down in repentance and God offers forgiveness - for all!
I guarantee when His light is shining on us, you're gonna know there's dirty areas in your life that need to be cleaned up. That's the reason the scripture says, Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises up in you.
We need to become a people who radiate God's glory so much that when others are around us, they will have an encounter with God.
Turn on that light switch so that we radiate God's glory!
When we praise God, we need to PRAISE God! Ever how you can give your all to God, that's what He requires of us, and when we do His glory is going to fall on us.
And then we'll all be on our knees looking for forgiveness.
Walk in here expecting to see God's presence. And when you walk out, other people will know you've been in the presence of God by the way you radiate God from your presence.
I want us to radiate God! I want you to walk out of here KNOWING you've experienced God! Walk out of here knowing you've been in God's presence.
One thing we haven't talked about much. We need to talk about satan; he does exist. Lucifer was an archangel that was cast out and that fell from heaven, because he had the thought that he could supercede God. Remember that a thought can become a sin, when we dwell on it or act on it.
God's glory doesn't allow sin to appear in His midst. He threw him out in a flash. It's like a light switch coming on - God's glory sends sin out!
Sometimes we've allowed unGodly things to happen, as though we don't fear God anymore. When God's glory comes on, it's like a light switch. There's a time and place we can bind and loose things in our church, cast out the demons that may be there, as Jesus did. He came, He preached, He healed, He cast out demons.
But importantly, we need to pray that Jesus comes into the space when the demons go out, or they'll return to multiply. Pray the Holy Spirit fills the empty place when demons are sent out.
Pray the Holy Spirit comes in and fills that person. Pray God will loosen His Spirit on those situations. You can't cast things out and not pray that God will fill that empty space.
We have to learn to become prayer warriors. We need to learn to pray, to intercede for others. There's no better way to face spiritual warfare, than in the light of God's presence. We all need a meeting with God that leaves us at the altar, in His presence. We all need to have that face-to-face with God. What is keeping you from facing God? Write it in your private journal. And in your private times, pray that you will encounter God in a new fresh way.
So, come in and throw on the light and God will take us places we've never been!
Ask God to manifest Himself in us!
Don't fear that 'face-to-face' with God - meet Him at the altar!
What is keeping you from it?
Pray that you will encounter God in a fresh way, every day!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Church in the Park - (July 4, 2010)
Church was held in the park on the Fourth of July. Several churches participated and over 135 folks were present. There is no transcript or audio sermon posted for this week.
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