Can your joy really be stolen or lost?

  

The Born-Again Christian life is a joyful life.

 

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

 

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

 

If we understand these 3 verses we will never, ever have a joy problem.  Starting with John 15:5 if we are abiding in Jesus than we are abiding in His presence thus we are abiding in the fullness of joy, Psalm 16:11. If Jesus is abiding in us than The Holy Spirit is abiding in us and if the The Holy Spirit is abiding in us His fruit is being produced in us, all of it, Galatians 5:22-23. This means that not only do we get to abide (live in, dwell in, stay in) joy but joy abides (lives in, dwells in, stays in) us.    

Also, I did a quick search of the Bible about joy to see if there was anything that can steal one’s joy or if you can lose your joy. I could not find one verse that said anywhere that anyone or anything could steal joy or that joy could be lost like one loses their keys.  (Like I said I did a quick search so it you know of verses that specifically say different please send them to me so that I can make corrections.) I see where David asked for the joy of the Lord’s salvation would be restored to him but that wasn’t because something or someone stole his joy or he lost it because he missed placed it.  No, David made a choice to commit adultery and murder.  If David no longer had joy, it was because he made a choice to walk away from it. 

Check out John 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

Did you see that? “Your joy no one will take from you”.  

Here are a couple more verses to that may throw you for a loop. 

2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

We can be sorrowful but also rejoicing?!

 

2 Corinthians 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

We can be exceedingly joyful in our tribulations?!

 

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

We are actually to count our trials as joy?!

 

What we must understand about real joy is that it doesn’t start with us nor come from us. It is not something that we can produce or have apart from the Lord.  Real joy starts with, ends with and exists only in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Through what Jesus did on the cross we get to enter into joy and joy with in us.  If we lack joy, in any way it isn’t because someone or something stole it from us because that is impossible nor did we accidentally misplace/lose it.  To truly not have joy is to make a choice to walk away and separate ourself from it.  If we are in Jesus and Jesus in us, we than have joy in us and we are in joy.  

If you are living a life that is devoid of joy, I would suggest that you do what 2 Corinthians 13:5 says to do. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”

The Born-Again Christian life is a joyful life. 

 

 

Final Report from 2nd Trip to Ireland

 Report from 2^nd Trip to Ireland Part 4

Monday thru Thursday morning I stayed in Westport.  I was able to take part in the morning prayer meetings that take place at Castlebar Christian Fellowship on Monday and Wednesday.  On Tuesday I met with the Pastor of Castlebar Christian Fellowship, Cathal Duffy, for lunch and a personal tour of Westport House.  Pastor Cathal used to work at Westport house when he was growing up in Westport.  He also shared with me how he came to Christ back in the 70’s and how the Christian church got started in Westport. Very powerful testimony. 

During my stay in Westport, I was able to meet and speak with many people who worked in the stores.  I was able to give out some tracts and pray with a few of them as well. On my final night in Westport, I attend Amazing Grace Fellowship’s midweek Bible study which was held in the home of Mark and Rose. Their living room was packed with people as we studied Matthew Chapter 1.  At the end I had the chance to pray with people for financial breakthrough and a few days later I received a message that one of the couples had received an unexpected blessing of 5000 Euro.  

Thursday and Friday each could be a lengthy report of their own.  I will only be hitting the basic high lights in this report.  

Thursday I was in Portlaoise for the Holy Spirit night.  It started at 8pm and it didn’t end till 1:10am.  After a time of praise and worship myself and Ivan, a powerfully anointed man from Cork, spoke and then we had ministry time. There were multiple healings one of which was a woman Ann who I prayed with and she was instantly healed of back pain. Two sisters, Cloe and Kelly, were born again. There was also some deep one on one ministry time dealing with bitterness and unforgiveness.  The power of the Holy Spirit moved in a great way that night. For anyone to have been there and not experienced a touch from the Lord had to be someone who chose to refuse for God to touch their life in anyway.  While I can’t be 100% sure I believe that everyone did leave having been mightily touched by the power and love of God.

Friday the favor of God just poured out on me once again.  I was able to have a phone call with John Mcevoy who in his ministry has planted several churches throughout Ireland, was a leader for Elim Church in the Republic of Ireland, is widely respected by every minister I have met in Ireland.  After my phone call with him I traveled 2 ½ hours south to County Cork with Eddie, Peter and Zoe for a meeting.  This meeting had started years ago in James Brookes home and grew to where they built a small chapel in his back yard.  

When we arrived in Cork at 8:40pm not only had the meeting started but I had no idea that I wouldn’t be leaving till after 4am the next morning. Though I had just come to be in the meeting the Lord had something else in mind.  When James got up to speak the Holy Spirit directed him to cut short what he had prepared and invite me up to speak. Though I didn’t know exactly what I was going to say as I had not prepared beforehand to speak that night the Holy Spirit put the words in my mouth.  There was a tremendous amount of freedom in the meeting. Very much a 1 Cor. 14 model where everyone has the ability to participate with a word, a question and an encouragement.  It was not surprising to me to have someone raise a hand and ask a question while I was speaking.  

After I got done speaking, I thought that we would move right into ministry time in prayer but I was wrong.  What happened next, I can best describe as halftime.  Snacks and drinks were shared and passed around I had several wonderful conversations about witnessing and evangelism with several.  After halftime we moved into the ministry time of praying for people. As I kept having individual after individual come back wanting to ask questions and speak to me, I was unable to take part with the others in praying for people.  As the meeting seemed to have wound down and most people were leaving at about 2 am I decided that was a good time for me to leave as well. When I got to the car, I noticed that I had left my water bottle behind and went back to retrieve it.  When I got back inside a young lady was down on one knee in obvious distress which I knew immediately to be demonic in nature. 

Having seen this, I could not in good conscience leave with this girl in bondage and pain like this. It was a battle for the next two plus hours.  This was only the 3^rd time I have been involved in something like this and I must admit that I definitely need to learn to be more effective in this type of ministry.  Myself and the few other individuals left did everything we knew to do to break the demonic hold on this young woman but that last one just kept holding on.  With my physical strength fading I just kept asking the Holy Spirit for the wisdom of what to do. When I finally got it, I lifted her to her feet and started to let the Holy Spirit give me the words to say. There had been something that had been done to her when she was a child that she had forgotten but that had impacted her greatly.  It had caused her to doubt the love of Jesus for her.  While she truly loved Jesus, she had a hard time believing that Jesus loved her because of what had happened.  The Holy Spirit told me exactly what that deceptive spirit had been whispering in her ear for years and then Holy Spirit gave me the words to tell her that opened her eyes to see how much Jesus loved her.  That contrary to what many others think and the demon was telling her, God didn’t do this to her or let it happen to her.  God loved her and this happened because of sin and wicked in this world. It wasn’t her fault and she did nothing to deserve what had been done to her.  The Lord also had me tell her that she wasn’t marked by what had happened and that in His eyes she was His beloved daughter in whom He was very pleased because He chose to be.  His love and favor weren’t based upon her performance but on His grace. Though it I was physically exhausted she was free, and as of yesterday she is still free, and growing in knowing how much the Father loves her. 

Saturday was a rest and recovery day with a wonderful meeting at 1:30pm with Sean Curran and supper that night with Eddie, Tanya and their 3-year-old daughter Jamie.  

Sunday morning, I went to Ballyfermot Community Church and got there early enough to sit in on the last part of a Tamil church service.  The Tamil are group of people originally from India.  Though I could not understand their language I could understand the Spirit that was in their service.  Ezekiel, the Pastor of Ballyfermot Community Church said that I was probably the first white person in their service.  

Before the BCC service I had a wonderful time catching up with Alison who is now 7 months pregnant with their first child.  I had first met her and Ezekiel back the first week in May when they were still pastors in Westport.  I must say that they are a very wonderful couple. They are few people anymore that I meet that impress me especially people in their mid-twenties but this couple not only impressed me the first time I met them but did something even more rare in that being with them a second time I came away even more impressed.  They have a God given calling and wisdom beyond their years.  They also have a heart for God’s kingdom and to see it grow. They are looking for how best to evangelize and plant churches.  To lead their congregation in being the body of Christ and not just coming to a Sunday meeting every week. What a privilege and an honor it is to be connected with people like this. 

As I wrap this last report up, I must emphasize that all the glory goes to the Lord for every good thing on this trip.  He truly makes His strength perfect in my weakness.  I experienced more favor, open doors and freedom to minister than I have ever experienced in my life. Here’s the God thing about it all.  I didn’t work for it, didn’t strive for it or earn it.  He just gave it to me. This was just my second trip.  Stuff like this doesn’t just happen to someone like me based upon anything that I naturally possess.  Looking at it from a physical, worldly perspective I am a nobody from nowhere. I’m so average, at best, that if you looked up average in the dictionary my picture should be there.  This is not me putting myself down it is me just stating the facts of who I am on my own.  YET, with God I am more than that.  With Him all I have to do is rest and abide in Him and He does stuff in me, through me and for me that are beyond belief. Honestly if I would have known beforehand what was going to happen, I would have struggled to believe it. 

I want to leave everyone who are reading these words right now, if God is doing this for, in and through me WHAT is will HE DO for, in and through YOU?

 

For those of you who sowed into this trip financially thank you again and I pray that you that you reap a 100 fold return. The money was used to sow into 10 different ministries and churches. Praise the Lord.  

Report from 2nd Trip to Ireland Part 3

 Report from 2^nd Trip to Ireland Part 3

 

Friday, I stayed in Kildare Town because it would be close to a gathering that started back in January at a place called the Cowhouse which is in Inchaquire, co. Kildare. On my journey there and back the roads are VERY rural and in one section the sheep have no fences.  

One of the people I got to see again was Peter who introduced me to an answer to prayer, her name is Lorain. Lorain is a wonderful answer to prayer for Peter.  A woman who is joyful and loves the Lord. Peter and Lorain got engaged a few days later. 

After sharing a meal together, we sang a few songs together.  I was asked to share my testimony of why I came to Ireland.  With the treat of severe storms moving into the area we then moved into a time of prayer for one another. 

Saturday was a very busy day. I drove an hour 15 minutes drove to Meath Christian Centre for Outreach Ireland meeting before their outreach in Navan. I then traveled 2 hours to Leitrim to meet with Kathrine and Josh Hardingham’s home.  They had set up a dinner for me to be able to meet some of the people from their church. It was a good time for me to learn about the history of the church and meet some very wonderful people. 

I almost didn’t get to be with them as the storms that had come through Friday night and knocked trees and hedge out into the roads.  The Hardingham’s road had been blocked by a tree and they were not sure if it would be cleared in time.  When I had left Navan I left in faith that the Lord would have it cleared before I got there and He did.  This was not the only move of God Saturday.  The B&B I had made reservations at the company I had booked through had canceled my reservation and I didn’t realize it. I had missed the email so the owner was a little surprised when I should up after 8pm wanting to check in. The storms had caused a loss of electricity in the other half of town which closed the hotel so he had more than expected business but there was 1 room left.  Knowing how this could go I wondered if the price for the room had just gone through the roof.  Praise the Lord it actually cost me less money.  

Sunday I was up early to travel back to Meath Christian Centre as I would be preaching the morning service. It was a wonderful time. What I had planned to preach the Lord said that wasn’t for today and that He had something different minutes before I was to speak.  Having learned long ago that it isn’t about me and what I have to say I just asked to Lord to preach me the sermon so I could preach it to them.  

When I got up, I just let everyone know that we would all be getting the Word of the Lord at about the same time but that was better than me just giving them something from me.  God moved and touched many lives through the message and the ministry time after. Pastor Richard told me later on after the service that there had been a man there who was originally from Upstate NY who was an unbeliever.  He only goes to church when he and his wife come back to Ireland to visit her family.  Isn’t it just how God works things that this man and I would be there at the same time. 

After the service I had lunch the leadership of the church.  It was a great time of fellowship and hearing the story of how God started the church there. We also spoke about revivals of the past and the coming revival.  I stayed there listening and speaking with Pastor Richard till after 6 that night.  This is a man, I believe, that God has raised up to be a mentor and spiritual father to many.  For most people in their early 70’s this would be when things are winding down but I believe for this man thing really are just beginning.  He has a heart for evangelism and unlike many in the states instead of focusing on building the next mega church he is focusing on how to best build the kingdom through seeing other churches planted through the area.  Instead of just one big fire in one static location, he sees many fires starting up and moving all over the county. 

More Faith in Amazon???

 More Faith in Amazon???

 

Most everyone who is reading this has at one time or another ordered something from Amazon.  Many of you order frequently enough that you even have Amazon Prime which gives you access to free two-day shipping on thousands of items.  What a wonderful thing to sit at home, your place of work or anywhere you have internet service and purchase just about anything.  

I wonder how many of you have ever wondered how much faith it takes to do this?  Faith? What does faith have to do with ordering from Amazon, you might ask?  Let’s look at the facts.  You are purchasing something based on a picture on your computer.  Unlike shopping in a store like mine, you pay for the item before you actually see it in person and that days to a week or more in advance.  At the time of purchase you believe that your item will be delivered within the delivery window they give you even if they have not always done so in the past.  That my friends is not just faith that is faith in action.  Here though is the sad part, most of us have more faith in Amazon delivering to us items that meet the descriptions they give us with and that it will actually get to us more than we believe that God will do what He said He will do.

I believe that is at the core of the beliefs of those we call Cessationist.  It is easier for them to believe that God doesn’t do signs, wonders and miracles anymore, or rather for them to not have faith in God to that He is the same yesterday, today and forever, than it is to believe for Him to do that in their lives.  Before us non-Cessationists shout to a too loud agreement with that statement how many of us are actually putting our faith into action and doing what we say we believe?  How many demons are we attempting to casting out, how many sick people are we attempting to laying hands on, how many people are we attempting to witnessing to, how many dead people are we attempting to raise, how many lepers are we attempting to cleanse?  

I am sorry just speaking in tongues and prophesying back and forth with other believers doesn’t cut it. 

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

I am going to let those 2 verses speak for themselves.  Why is it easier for us to believe in Amazon more than God?  Why do we, why do I let fear produce in me unbelief and keep me from action.  Why do I should I worry about what other people think about me or my reputation more than obeying God?  Why is the first question what if nothing happens instead knowing in my heart that God is going to move through my faith, not because of my faith but because of His promises because of His faithfulness, His grace and His love?  Why should I believe in an ungodly company being more faithful to deliver on its promises more than God delivering on His?

Lord, Jesus, Help me!

2nd Report from 2nd Trip to Ireland

 Report from second trip to Ireland Part 2

Monday December 2-Thursday December 5.

 

After having breakfast and prayer walking in Athlone I traveled to Birr to meet with Pastor John Bulfin and his wonderful wife Arja. The pastor the New Life Church in Birr, County Offaly which is a church plant out of Oasis Christian Fellowship, Roscrea. 

I first went to Pastor John’s home, which is working on renovating. It was built in the 1600’s and has been in his family since the 1800’s and here people back home think I live in an old home because it was built in 1890’s.  (Our “old” homes in America are new construction compared to homes like John’s.)  We talked about the joys and challenges of planting and pastor a small church. They then fed me a wonderful supper of Pumkin and vegetable soup, lamb and potatoes. 

As I was waiting for John to change for the bible study we were going to that night Arja, who is originally shared with me how she and John met.  Back in the early 80’s she was traveling alone around Europe.  She had made it to France and had intended to travel to Romania but she got food poisoning and by the time she recovered didn’t have the time to go to Romania. She did have enough time to visit Ireland.  In Dublin she visited a Christian ministry and that is where she saw and met John for the first time.  It was also when she heard the Holy Spirit tell her that John was the man she was going to marry.  Now she wasn’t looking for a husband and John wasn’t looking for a wife. In fact, Arja told me that John had told the Lord that he wasn’t going to pursue a wife and that if God wanted him to have one that God would have to bring her to him. Arja returned to Finland quit her job and told her family she was moving to Ireland because the Holy Spirit had shown her the man she was to marry. 

Her story sounds like a hallmark romantic movie, doesn’t it? Here’s the kicker, it took John 6 years before he saw that Arja was the one that he should marry.  Here is also something very different and is a very important difference between this and our concept of romantic love.  Arja told me that she wasn’t pursuing John but that she was pursuing the voice of the Holy Spirit.  John wasn’t the focus, getting married wasn’t the focus, romance and romantic love was not her focus.  Her focus was in following after what the Holy Spirit said.  

Tuesday, I met up with Zoe who is a lady I met back in May who is in a similar business as my family.  She took me to a place called Emo Court which was a large estate that the last owner turned over to the community of Emo to use as a park.  There is a nice café onsite and numerous walking trails through gardens, around a small lake and through acres of woods. It was a wonderful time walking and talking about life, the things of God, current events.  The enemy has really been after Zoe. Doing everything to discourage her and keep her down.  I felt led to give her one of the pray clothes that I had brought. I explained to her that there are people she doesn’t even know who have prayed and are praying for her.  The cloth was just a representation of God’s love and healing that is hers in spirit, soul and body. 

Zoe has a powerful giftings, and I believe a powerful calling as well, she just needs to see it for herself. 

After Arja’s wonderful story we traveled to the Bible study location which was in a local businessman’s place of business.  There were about 8 of us and we looked at the first part of the Biblical Christmas story from Luke.  

Wednesday, I met Pastors Pam and Anthony Troy of Oasis Christian Center in Roscrea for lunch and then attended and ministered at a joint service later that evening.  I had ministered at Oasis on my first trip so it was good to see how much growth had happened since then.  The Lord had given me a word of expansion, expansion, expansion when I was there and was something that I have been praying with them ever since. Another minister and his wife came a couple of months ago and the wife a prophetic word for the church which was expansion, expansion, expansion.  How awesome it is when the Lord confirms His word through different people who don’t know nor every met one another. 

This led Pam to hear the voice of the Lord for the property that the Church needs to buy. 

 

 

This was originally a jail, the name of the road is Jail Road, it was then sold to Anglican church, I believe, so a place of religious bondage and is now owned by a man who intended to turn it in to a brewery but legally can’t.  

The word that came to Pam for this building, which is 3 times larger than where the currently meet (expansion, expansion, expansion) she got the name for it.  Saoirse (seer sha) which is the Irish word for Freedom.  Isn’t it beautiful to know God’s taking a place of bondage and turning it into a place to set the captives free and a place of FREEDOM.  They have it in the spirit by faith and waiting in faith to have it in the physical in God’s perfect time. 

After lunch I was able to, this time, get to spend sometime walking around Roscrea, pray over it, meet and talk to people. I parked near the ruins of an old church and across from an old tower.

 

As I was going to pay for my parking spot, I met a James a man in his early 30’s.  As we were speaking the Lord opened the door for me to share the gospel with Jason.  How it wasn’t God who took his mom when she was just 52, nor was it God who gave autism to His children nor was it God who had killed his friend’s dad recently.  I shared that actually all that was as a result of sin that had come into the world at the fall and how it was the enemy that comes to kill, steal and destroy but that it was God who sent His son Jesus to give us life and that more abundantly. Jason let me pray for him and his children before he went into his home. 

At the service that evening we had a wonderful time of praise and worship with a packed house. It was so wonderful to see the tremendous numerical and spiritual growth that has come in just 6 months.  

 

 

The Lord had me minister on Vision.  The importance of having a proper vision of who God is and how big He is and how it important it is to have a vision of who we are in Christ.  I was also, with the permission of the pastor, able to share with the people the vision for Saoirse.  I shared how I had before the service walked to the location, laid hands on the building and prayed over it.  That the Lord had given me a vision that this was theirs.  That they were a template church meaning that they are setting an example that will encourage other churches faith to step out and walk in the thing God is leading them to do that will usher in the freedom of the Lord all across Ireland.  

Thursday, I relocated to my accommodations in Kildare Town and from there I traveled to Finglas to be with Sean and Thelma Curran and Living Waters Thursday Bible study.  I was able to meet again with several people I had met the first time and several new people.  It was a wonderful time.  I was invited to share some of my testimony and specifically how and why God brought me to Ireland.  We then had a beautiful time of ministry in prayer over everyone there.  The Lord just ministered in wonderful ways in to everyone’s life. 

 

You can’t give what you don’t have.

 You can’t give what you don’t have.

Acts3:6

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

At the beginning of Mark 16:17 it says And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will and the of the signs listed in the next verse it says lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.

It doesn’t say that they will pray, beg God to heal and wish that they will be healed. It says that those who believe in Jesus name will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. That’s what Peter and John had, faith in what Jesus said, and that is what they gave and the man was healed.

Acts 3:7 we see the proof of their faith. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

The man received healing not based upon his faith but the faith that Peter and John had in Jesus and Jesus name. Look at what Peter tells the religious rulers in Acts 4:10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

We don’t see the healings today like we should because we cannot give what we don’t have. If we have what Peter and John had we could give it away the same as they did. Jesus name hasn’t changed. The price Jesus paid for our healing hasn’t changed nor run out.

If we say we are saved,that we believe in Jesus name and that we have the same Holy Spirit as Peter and John why aren’t we giving away what Peter and John gave away? Why waste time making excuses and false doctrines to excuse our disobedience and lack of faith? Why live in fear of what if nothing happens? If we are walking in faith and obedience we really have nothing to fear because it isn’t our ability to heal it is the blood of Jesus responsibility. We only have to do what Jesus said to do right? Our part is to believe in Jesus name and lay hands on the sick right? Isn’t then after that Jesus responsibility to do the healing? Isn’t it His power that accomplishes that so that His name is glorified and not ours?

Mentor

 Mentor

 

In looking up the definition of this word there is no definition for Mentor in the Noah Webster 1828 dictionary.  I found this very interesting.  It leads me to believe this word is something that has developed since that time.  Thus, the importance is more on what this word means and represents more so than the word itself because the meaning has been around longer that the word itself in our context. 

As I explored the meaning of what mentor means I found that the word itself was actually the name of the friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus.  I found this knowledge very enlightening.  I believe that it shows the character traits necessary of a mentor.  Friendship/relationship, trust, experience, knowledge and ability to pass that knowledge and experience on. To be a true mentor, I believe, one must have all of these characteristics.  

In looking at the dictionaries that hold a definition for the word mentor I found these definitions: a trusted counselor or guide, Tutor, coach; an experienced and trusted adviser; advise or train (someone, especially a younger colleague) a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time, especially at work or school;· a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. From these I see the common characteristics of someone who is more experienced than the one they are mentoring, someone who is trusted, someone who has the ability to advise, teach, train others. 

From a Biblical perspective I believe these verses are what I would say fits the meaning of a mentor from a Christian perspective/definition or what I would seek to have or be as a mentor. 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Here again I see friendship/relationship, experience, trust, knowledge and the ability to pass on this knowledge. I also don’t believe that the ten thousand instructors in Christ was a put down of those instructors.  Instructors in Christ are important and a valuable because we are able to learn things from them.  The problem is that is all you can get from them is the instruction.  The aspects of relationship and the depth of relationship of a mentor or “spiritual father” is missing.  I believe that it is this aspect that separates the two.  Depth of relationship.  To have/be a mentor/spiritual father you there has to be not only the experience, knowledge, the ability to pass this knowledge on and being trust worthy, these are all musts and very important, but the most important that thing that separates the two, the secret sauce so to speak, is this depth of relationship.  As described in this passage the depth of relationship is conveyed through the relationship between a father and a son.  The best example of this is God the Father and God the Son.  

Based on my study of what a mentor means/is for those who said that their mentees are their sons or that they are focused on mentoring their sons that is exactly what you should be doing.  That is the most perfect example.  

I would also encourage those who have never had a spiritual father, i.e. a mentor in spiritual things, and you see few or no options for one because at this point in your life because simply of the age and experience aspect focus your attentions on allowing the Lord to help you be what you didn’t/don’t have for others.  Time is of the essence for those younger generations.  For too long in the church we have had orphans raising orphans.  Now is the time for the older generation of orphans to stand up and say no more. To be for others what we never had.  Timothy had Paul and Paul had Barnabas but who did Barnabas have?  There is no Biblical record that Barnabas had anyone that was a mentor/spiritual father to him but yet he was, I believe from what I read in scripture, this to Paul and probably others.  

To those who are older, who have few or no options for finding a mentor/spiritual father I finish with this question.  Are you going to sit around and mourn for what you didn’t have and can’t have or will you be a Barnabas?

1st Report from 2nd Ireland Trip

 Report From second Ireland trip. 

 

Arrived in Ireland on time and very blessed.  The Lord provided me access to an airport lounge for my layover in Washington DC and for a row by myself to stretch out on the plane flight over.  Superfast pick up of the rental car and off I went to Castledaly. 

 

Castledaly is a wonderful retreat/summer camp facility.  There was actually another retreat going on the same time as Outreach Ireland’s retreat.  The European Christian Mission and I the great privilege of meeting and speaking with Jonathan McCracken who is a church planter currently planting a church in Claremorris, Ireland.  Being that church planting is a passion of mine and part of my calling/mission this was indeed a divine appointment.  I was able to exchange contact information and am hoping to build relationship with him.

Outreach Ireland’s retreat was a Holy Spirit filled time of connection, relationship building, worship, prayer, ministry and wonderful food.  The Irish really no how to make a man plumb and fat, let me tell ya.

 I had to wonderful privilege to share the word on Saturday morning.  The message was on vision, having the proper vision of who God is, who we are in Christ, having a God vision for our lives and what the vision of the Church.  Every vision from God has a mission implanted in it that we must be walking out daily. During the middle of the message the Lord led me to pray over, and ask everyone to join in me as well, a couple I just met, Tom and Yvonne.  As is normal, for me at least, the Holy Spirit gave me the exact words to pray and speak over them about things I had no idea about.  It wasn’t till later that day that they both came to me and said how spot on it was. That they knew it was from the Lord because there is no way I could have known what was going on in their lives as some of it had just happened minutes before, I prayed. 

So thankful for everyone who prayed with me before I left and those who are praying now.  The Lord is on the move. 

During lunch I had an even greater privilege of meeting in person Pastor Richard Mawhinney who is around my mother’s age, has been going through cancer treatments but has not only a great story of what God has done in his life but also an even greater vision for reaching the lost now and in the future.

  

He is truly the type of man that the church has been lacking.  A mentor and spiritual father.  As I sat and listened to him speak, I was filled with the awe of God from the presence of the Holy Spirit that was so evident in this humble, honest, soft spoken man of God.  I so look forward to building a closer relationship with this man.  

For the afternoon sessions we heard Pastor Richard and Robert Sinclair minister more on vision and focus.  We then finished off the night with a wonderful time of fellowship, a wonderful supper and for those who still had energy (not me) a time of joyous celebration with praise and worship. 

 

Sunday, we wrapped up this powerful weekend with a time of fellowship around the breakfast tables, a wonderful message from John 11 Ollie Nicholson who also led us in communion and shared the great big vision God has given him for reaching the lost in the midlands area.  After lunch and packing up we had the blessed opportunity to be given a free tour of Clonmacnoise.  A monastic site dating back to the 500’s A.D.

 

 

Insert Your Name.

 Insert your name.

 

(The seed of this was planted by something I heard Isaac Ball say)

 

Take a moment with me and meditate on this fragment Acts 4:8, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said”.  

What happens here in Acts 4:8-12 is exactly what Jesus promised would happen in Luke 12:11-12 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Now here’s the beautiful thing, this isn’t just limited to Peter or those who lived in the 1^st century.  The Holy Spirit is still filling and teaching, those who will allow Him, today.  We can, and should, look at Acts 4:8 as a put your name here. 

Then Philip, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Then Kurt, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Then Chris, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Then Heather, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Then Linda, filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Then Insert YOUR name here, filled with the Holy Spirit, said”.  

We can and must be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times.  

 

Do we have big enough expectations?

 Do we have big enough expectations?

 

How do you define hope?  Do you define it as most of the world has come to define it which is basically wishing?  Actually, hope is to have an expectation for something or that something will happen and this is especially true in a Biblical context. 

Take a look at the following verses and every time you read hope say expectation.  

 

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 

 

Romans 15:12-13 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” ¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

When we pray do, we really expect what we are praying for to happen?  Could it be that we don’t have a faith problem but a hope/expectation problem because we are limiting our faith by not expecting?  

What do you think would happen if we really expected everything that God has said, promised even, was for us?  For example, what if instead of wishing that God would heal someone when we prayed for them to be healed, we instead just laid hands on the person expecting them to be healed? (Mark 16:17) 

Could it be that the reason for so much worry and anxiety in the church is that we don’t have big enough expectations?  Do we know the scriptures enough to have big enough expectations?

I will end this with the best example I know of.  When I go to get money from my bank account, I go with the expectation that they are going to give me the amount I put down on the withdrawal slip.  I have no doubts and don’t ask them for it or beg for it.  Before I go to the bank, I know how much money that is in my account and so I 100% confidence that any amount up to the total balance that is there I can get.  Why do we not have the same confidence to expect what God has provided for us?

 

Now may the God of expectation fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in expectation by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

 Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

 

2 Kings 2:14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

 

In this verse Elisha gives us an example of what we need to do when we are in doubt.  That is that we are to take action.  

Elisha had asked for a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah and Elijah had told him that if Elisha saw him be taken it would be his.  Elisha saw but obviously he still had some doubt hence the question “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?”.  Even with doubt, though, Elisha took action. He struck the water with the mantle just as he had seen Elijah do. The water parted, not because of what Elisha said, because those were words of doubt, but by the act of faith that he did.  

The power that doubts can have in our life is if it keeps us from taking action.  Elisha did twice as many miracles as Elijah and he didn’t have what we have.  First, we have the complete written word of God, in Elisha’s time the scriptures were still being written.  Second, as believers, we have God the Holy Spirit living within us.  What more do we need to go forward and take action?  Why should we allow doubt to bind us in fear and inaction?  

Doubt without action becomes unbelief.  Acting upon what God’s word has said, what the Spirit prompts, even with doubt in your thoughts, is still faith. Trusting God to move doesn’t require us knowing how or when, it is acting as if He will because it is His will. 

Let it Go

 1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

As we read these verses, we see that one of the ways that we humble ourselves is by casting ALL, our care upon Him. 

 For a clearer understanding the definition of all is- Every one, or the whole number of particulars. The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength. This word signifies then, the whole or entire thing, or all the parts or particulars which compose it.

It is so important to remember that there is NOTHING too big for God but also there is NOTHING to small form God either.  We need to be giving it all to Him.  Every and anything that we could possibly care about in any degree we need to cast on Him.  It is a lack of humility to do otherwise.  It is a lack of humility, and a lie, to think that something is too small to trouble God with as if we are doing the Lord a favor but not bringing something to Him.  Do we not understand that EVERYTHING compared to God is a small thing?  It is the height of arrogance, really, to not cast every single thing that troubles us and that we care about upon Him.  

He cares for us, He already knows what the need is, He is just waiting for us to release it.  He will not forcibly take our cares, troubles and worries from us.  He is not going to fight with our pride.  He will though willing accept everything that we will release to His care.  

I finish with a line from a song that was popular a few years ago.  “Let it go, let it go”

 

 

Psalm 16:11 vs James 4:1

 Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

 

This morning Psalm 16:11 came up during a prayer meeting I attend through Zoom.  As we were praying for those countries that are at war the Holy Spirit brought James 4:1 to my mind.  What He showed me was that we war and fight with one another from our desire for earthly pleasures that will not last while God has pleasures that are forevermore that we can have in His presence.  His presence that everyone who is born again can have right now.  Pleasures that are not based upon our circumstances or abilities. Pleasures that we don’t have to earn or take from someone else. Why, because they are offered freely as a gift to all who will believe.  

Do we not see the trick that the enemy continues to play on us?  We fight and go to war for what God has provided for us freely and abundantly.  We will actually kill someone to obtain something that is pleasurable for but a moment but yet ignore the pleasures of God that are eternal. 

 Go back to the beginning.  The enemy tempts man to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because with the promise that man would be like God.  The truth was that man was already like God because he had been made in the image of God.  So, man trades eternity for the deception of obtaining something that he already had. Why do we allow ourselves to fall into the deception of striving, working for, fighting for and even killing one another for what is already ours?  

Please take a moment to meditate on these 2 verses.  

Is it better to continue to live in the stresses of life, to work and fight for what the world offers?  Are you anxious because you don’t know what is going to happen?  Do you believe that by you being in control that you will be less fearful?  In this election season do you really believe that if your candidates are elected that everything in your life will be better and that their decisions will bring you joy every day?  Are any of them going to share their personal wealth with you?

God sent His Son to die for us so that you could become part of His family.  Not only that but also through Jesus we get to become not only children of God but also heirs but not just heirs.  We get to be joint heirs with Jesus meaning what Jesus gets we get in full.  We don’t just share it we get all of it in full.    

I can do nothing

 I can do nothing

 

One of the biggest traps and lies that I can fall into is thinking that I am enough and that I can do it or handle it. 
This statement may seem to be wrong by many because of the self-empowerment slogans we hear from all around us is that tell us how we are enough, we can do it and we have the power. What we fail to see is that if we are enough and we have to power to do it then we have the ultimate responsibility for accomplishing everything in our lives. It doesn’t take living very long to realize that this is a lie.  There are things that come up in life that we don’t have the intelligence, talent, ability, power, or finances to handle.  Seriously if we are enough to handle it we would never fail. 

Yet the truth, and comfort, is found in the last part of John 15:5

John 15:5 b. “for without Me you can do nothing.”

Jesus statement here isn’t a narcissistic, ego driven put down. He is stating a fact and one that brings me great comfort. Comfort in that it reminds me that I am not responsible to do ANYTHING by myself.  That my success in life is not based in my strength or relying upon my talents and resources. Confessing time, I am not that talented and I possess very little in regard to resources, abilities, connections, personality, charisma and all that the world says makes one successful. I learned from experience that I cannot make it happen. The bottom line is I am limited, BUT God is NOT. 

Look at the first part of John 15:5“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; 
My stress leaves me when I remember that Jesus doesn’t ask me to succeed, or accomplish anything. He just wants me to abide in Him. He will produce the fruit in me. He will do the accomplishing; He will produce the success. I am not nor will ever be enough but He is more than enough. When I remember this, I relax and just abide in Him and His rest.  Trusting in His limitlessness instead of falling into the inevitable depression that comes from me attempting to do it by myself and failing.  

Grace and Faith, Death and Life.

 Grace and Faith, Death and Life. 

These really must be taken as pairs for if we only focus on one half of the pair we miss out on some very important things and we wind up in a ditch.  

For us each half of the pair is dependent upon the other half.  Grace does US no good without faith, and what good is faith to us without grace?  Since the fall there is no life without death and to obtain life there has to be a death.  Sounds crazy right?

Grace is manifested in Jesus dying on the cross for sin past, present and future? Correct?  This means all sin was forgiven at the cross from the beginning of time till the end of time. Correct?  So then why are there people in hell now and why are there people who are and will still go to hell and who will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, to exist for eternity? Did God’s grace not apply for them?  

The problem wasn’t God’s grace the problem was that they did not have or use faith to access it. To put it in an earthy context grace is money in a bank account with your name on it but if you never use the checks/debit card/the means of excessing the money in the account that money does you NO good.  I have heard stories of people who died homeless yet had millions in the bank but because they didn’t know the money was there or because of a mental illness refused to access it the millions did them no good.  That is how it has been and is for countless people in this world. They had no idea of the grace of God that had been poured out for them at the cross or for whatever reason they refused to believe it and so they died in their sins.  

Romans 10:13-14 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Hebrews 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

On the flip side faith without and apart from grace is like having a checkbook/debit card to a bank account with no money in it.  You can write that check but it is going to bounce and cost you more money and you can try and use that debit card and it is going to be rejected. This is what happens when someone tries to use faith in themselves and their abilities to EARN their way to salvation. It doesn’t work. 

Death and life work together in a similar way.  Jesus died and was raised to life again so that we may be die to sin and have life eternally. Romans 6:5-11 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through Romans, and the Epistles, we see this continued connection between life and death, death and life. Any sin that we, as believers, may battle with is simple something that we have not died to.  Dead things don’t have power, they have no way to wage a battle.  That’s why I don’t believe that 12 steps are need to be free from any addiction.  I believe in God’s 1 step.  Put it to death and live. 

Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

To answer the question how do we do this just reread the part about grace and faith.