Fear Not! Though I Walk through the Waters!

Fear Not!

Is 43:1 ¶ But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

This whole chapter is beautiful in its encouragement to me, and to you, personally, if you will let the Lord speak it to you.

Some years ago, while running our construction company, we experienced a typical Oklahoma thunderstorm, a real ‘gully washer’ with the sky black as night, and lit up with spectacular bursts of chain lightening. It was a Friday night, after a brutal work week, and I was bone tired, and so into my truck I jumped, headed for the house, 20 miles away. Our office and shop were located behind Jenks airport on 81st or Peoria or Elm, whatever the same street is called along there. (Oklahoma humor…). I decided to take the shortest route home, following 81st behind the airport, knowing that this section of road often flooded, but in the hope that I could beat the rising water. It was raining real hard, a driving rain, with explosions of thunder so close it seemed to shake the truck. As I got to the little bridge culvert there behind the airport, sure enough, the road was flooded completely, and I looked down the corridor of water, to see, at the other end of the flooded section, a Ford pick-up enter into the water, and begin to proceed towards me. I figured if that guy could make it in his Ford, my Toyota Tundra would surely go through, and I was too tired, to want to drive the extra couple of miles around the airport to get on the highway the safe way. Had a thought flash across my mind, from a minister named David Hogan, of a story that I had heard on his ‘faith to raise the dead’ tapes, of how he drove right through a swollen river, with the truck completely submerged, emerging from the other side, without a problem, just a good testimony.

So, like a red-necked idiot, I proceeded into the water. As I drove, I noticed that there was a pretty good current flowing across the road, and that it was getting deeper. Of course, the road was underwater, and it was really dark, so it was difficult to keep it between the ditches, cause I couldn’t see where they were. Well, I noticed that the water level was now bumping the bottom of my side mirrors, and I was a little concerned. As I came up alongside the guy in the Ford, the current caught his truck, and swept him into the ditch, putting his truck off the road, under water. I touched the brakes thinking I might stop and help him, but when I did, seems I had created a pretty good ‘bow’ wave, and the water swept over the hood, and a wave went over the windshield. So, I punched the gas, and thought ‘hope that other fella can swim’, and amazingly the truck windshield cleared, and I drove right on outta there!

So, I called my wife on the cell, and she was weeping. Said that God had spoke to her that I was in danger, and she had been crying out to God repeatedly: ‘2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:’.

Musta worked, because the truck became a submarine that day, and did not stall, nor get swept off the road…(I know, it would be a good place to insert a Toyota Tundra ad…LOL!). I believe that God supernaturally delivered me that day, with no harm to me or the truck, simply because my wife prayed. Good to have a praying wife…(In hindsight, I sure hope the other guy could swim…not a lot of love on my part)

Let’s Pray:
“Father, the devil is defeated by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony. I pray that you bring these verses to mind and out of the mouth, in violent faith, in the lives of any of your children in danger, now, or in the future, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen”

Life is hell without Jesus!

Life is hell without Jesus!

Matt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Hell, was created for the devil and his angels, not for people. Yet, people, devoid of the love of God, end up there, in multitudes. Come out from among them, and receive Jesus, and serve Him. There are many benefits to serving Him, but the greatest by far is eternal life.

I heard a good friend of mine Gregory Gill say it this way – if all we ever got for serving Jesus was eternal life, we have been overpaid.

If we are going to be like Him, living and loving victoriously, our life will become poured out in service to others, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave….’

Apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal worth or consequence, but in Him, we can become agents of change, history makers, nation shakers, salt and light to a hurting world.

I have heard the analogy of salt being used as healing. Pastor Sharon of Victory Christian center said it this way:

Jesus said we are salt to the earth.

Some have said that back in the day of Jesus, there was no refrigeration, so salt was used to prevent meat or fish from spoiling, the analogy being that we as Christians, walking in love and holiness, become a moral preservative to a world that would rot in sin and depravity, were we not here. While this analogy is valid, I love what she said: “Salt is healing. Think about it. If you have a rash or sore on your leg, and you go swimming in the ocean, the salt cleanses the wound, and it quickly heals. You may have sore eyes, but the salt water cleanses and heals us”.

This is the heart of Jesus. Not that we serve Him out of fear of hell, rather that we experience His love, and then love the unlovable, even our enemies…

Love God, Love people, victoriously, in Jesus.

This is the good news, this is our mandate, purpose, and reason for being here…

Let’s pray:
“Father God, help me to experience Your love today, and to love the world, revealing Jesus, His heart, His message, His mandate, to people You have created. Holy Spirit, do what I cannot, display Your power, might, mercy, and the intimacy of Your love to these: In Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen”

 

Red, Red Wine!

Red, Red Wine…

Is 27:1 ¶ In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXbtsCDh-Go

Yep, ever since God did a slam dunk on the devil, he needs to be singing drunken songs, trying to forget not only that day, but the one that is coming….

Yes, satan is hard at work, influencing the minds of people to do his wickedness, but there is a day coming…Re 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

As for me and my house, we are going to joyfully, gladly, gratefully serve the Lord. How about you?

Let’s Pray:
‘Father, today, I thank You for the privilege of serving You, not only now, but throughout eternity! I love You Lord Jesus! Speak to me, and whatever You say, I will do! Amen”

If somehow, you do not know this precious loving Jesus yet: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/the-gospel-the-power-of-god/

Why Should I Start a Bible School?

Why Should I Start a Bible School?.

He does the impossible, when we simply play our song!

Grace…

He does the impossible, when we simply play our song…

Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish composer-painist, was once scheduled to perform at a great American concert hall for a high-society extravaganza. In the audience was a mother with her fidgety nine-year-old son. Weary of waiting, the boy slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the Steinway on the stage. Without much notice from the audience, he sat down at the stool and began playing “chopsticks.” The roar of the crowd turned to shouts as hundreds yelled, “Get that boy away from there!” When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed over behind the boy. Reaching around him from behind, the master began to improvise a countermelody to “Chopsticks.” As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy’s ear, “Keep going. Don’t quit, son…don’t stop…don’t stop.”

Today in the Word, Moody Bible Institute, Jan, 1992, p.8

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Please hear the voice of our Father in this simple story! You are His child, and He has exhorted me to share with you today: “Keep going. Don’t quit my child, don’t stop…don’t stop.”

You are on the right path!

Keep playing your song, no matter how simple, childish, and foolish it might appear to you.

He is the maestro, the master musician, reaching His arms around you, to cause your simple song to become the beautiful melody of grace sung against this tapestry of time, He is making beautiful things through you, today.

Let’s Pray:
“Father, I hear you! I will continue, even though it seems fruitless, pointless, and hopeless. I choose to believe, that You, Almighty Creator of Heaven and of the earth, are singing over me today, making beautiful melodies of Your great love and grace, through my life, as I simply keep moving forward in your calling and gifting. Give me courage, strength, and wisdom, to simply, not give up…in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen!”

You are a Gift!

You are a gift!
Motivational Gifts
Romans 12:6-8
Amplified Bible (AMP)
6 Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith;
7 [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching;
8 He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.

Romans 12:6-8
Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
These are our motivational gifts, the gifts given to each of us at birth, by God.
Back in the days of one of my discipleship processes (There have been four, and this is a new season again), we were required to work through questionnaires to determine our motivational gifts, and then to begin to work on each of them.
As I read through the book, ‘Turn the World Upside Down’, Discipling the Nations with the Seven Mountain Strategy by Micheal Maiden, he brings our a real simple review of these gifts, that I feel impressed to simply post these gifts here, because in these we discover not only why we are created the way we are, but also the areas of life that we are called to serve in.
I believe that we can grow in our gifting and callings, in fact I overheard a senior minister state at a staff meeting one time, in a ministry that is exploding all over the world, ‘If you are on staff here, you gotta grow, or you gotta go!’
Quoted from the book, here is an overview of the motivational gifts:

Prophecy (Percievers) have a natural discernment to see to the heart of an issue or a person’s motives, and the perceiver desires to reveal the truth.
Servants (ministers) are motivated by a desire to help, and they naturally see what needs to be done, expecially to aid others.
Teachers love to do research, study, discover new things, and enjoy communicating their knowledge to others.
Exhorters care for the spiritual needs of others by stimulating, building up, edifying, and cheering up.
Givers are gifted to make money. Money is their friend,giving money excites them, and they are careful with what they have.
Administrators (leaders) can see the bigger picture in a situation, make instant evaluations, and assign steps of action to solve problems.
People with the gift of Mercy are focused on the emotional needs of others, they are driven by compassion, love, mercy, and forgiveness.
While there are three types of gifts mentioned in the New Testament, the motivational gifts listed here, the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, and the ascension gifts or leadership gifts that Jesus gave to build the church (five-fold ministry) found in Eph 4:11.
These motivational gifts often determine your life skills, and can determine what vocation in life we are called to, what areas of life to study, focus upon, and to work on developing, and what areas of the church we may be called to serve in.
There are various surveys that can help us discover what our gifts are, and areas we might focus in, I simply googled one up here: http://www.gifttest.org/survey.html
Knowing our gifts and areas of strength, and in recognizing those in others, can help us focus on what we are specifically created to do in this life, and enable us to recognize strong gifts operating in others, so that we can get along with others without completion, or misunderstanding.
If you have never done this, or done this with your congregation, business, or leadership team, results can be really helpful in team building, avoiding the old ‘trying to jam a square peg in a round hole’ problem.
Yet, as I was thinking about this, the Lord brought to my remembrance, a season of our live when we pioneered our first church.
We were asked for quarterly financial reports from our board members, and didn’t have a clue how to produce them.
Within a year, the administration of our ministry was a mess!
I remember the agony of wanting to do right, but not having a clue how!
The board eventually resigned (in hindsight, I can’t say I really blame them!), and we appointed two new board members.
Chris and Mary Fox served, and they did a missions trip up to our fledgling ministry, and stayed at our house with us. They were so kind, loving, encouraging, during a very, very difficult season in our life.
One morning after morning prayer, sister Mary said to me: ‘pastor Chris, may I ask you a question?’
‘Sure.’ I answered, ‘Anything!’
We had shown them our office, it’s piles of papers, and shared our frustration in our inability to manage well.
She gently asked: ‘Do you believe that God has called you here?’
Emphatically, I said , ‘Yes!’
Then she asked, ‘Do you believe you are called to be the senior pastor of this church?’
Again, I wearily smiled, ‘Yes, I do, because there sure doesn’t seem to be anyone else available to do it.’
She went on, ‘Well, I believe God called you here too. Now, if God called you here, then He must have given to you either a direct gift of administration, to manage this ministry, or sent someone to do it for you, can you not agree?’
I had never thought of it that way before, so I began to think about who in the congregation might be able to administrate the office work. I thought of a couple of competent people, but knew they were far too busy in their careers. I was stymied, I could not see an immediate solution.
She gently asked: ‘I believe that if God called you here, and this ministry needs administration, that that gift must be inside of you, waiting to be activated. Here is what I would like you to do: write this down: ‘By faith, I have a powerful gift of administration, and the administration of this ministry is done with excellence, ease, accuracy, and I am well able to set everything decently in order in every area of the church. Amen’
I wrote it down. So simple, yet so profound. Me, the faith preacher, had never thought of using my faith on the most obvious need in my life, clean administration.
It was clearly a word from the Lord, and I began to confess it, pray it, proclaim it, and I knew God heard and was going to do something.
One morning, during morning devotions, I saw it!
I scribbled down a set of seven office procedures that served us well for the next four years of our service there, and that when done, every Monday, made the administration a breeze, simple, and totally accurate and clean.
I called Revenue Canada at that time to ensure that what I proposed was correct and legal, and one of the senior tax auditors actually came out to the little community center where we met laughing. He asked ‘I have never received a call like this in 20 years! Are you asking me to audit your ministry?’ I said honestly: ‘Sir, if that is what it takes to ensure that our administration and handling of finances is correct and above board, then yes.” He probably still chuckles over it. Yet, he showed us how to correctly document everything so that tax returns and ministry submissions to the government we easy.
In fact, a couple of years later, a disgruntled pastor (used to be when you started a new church in a community, the devil would send principalities and powers to oppose the work, now he sends pastors! LOL!) thought to have our ministry audited by Revenue Canada (the Canadian equivalent of the IRS), and because we had sent a thank you into Peter for helping us, I still had his card, and called him up and asked him what to do.
He said, ‘Who sent you the letter?’
I read him the name off the bottom, and he chuckled again, and said: ‘They work for me. Fax me the letter, and that is the last you will ever hear from us.’
As honest ministers, we have favor, and friends in high, high places!
Let’s pray:
‘Father, please reveal to each of us, our motivational gifts, and the gifts of those You have called us to work with. Please help us to continue to develop our gifts, to continue to grow, and become all You would have us to become, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen.’

Victory Daily Bible Reading

Oct 25th, 2013

1 John 3, Dan 9, 10 are today’s readings!

Listen here: http://easterlingtribe.com/audiobible

Get the whole year schedule, here: https://www.victory.com/assets/v6/resources/brp/BibleReadingPlan.pdf

Victory Daily Bible Reading

Oct 24th,2013

1 John 2, Dan 7, 8, Prov 20 are today’s readings!

Listen here: http://easterlingtribe.com/audiobible