It's your freedom, now walk in it

Growing weary of the enemy taking ground that he doesn't even have to fight for ... we practically give it to him because we forget or don't exercise our God given authority over this pestilence.  Hey y'all the devil wants to keep you down, defeated, sick, broke and disgusted but Christ wants to not only give you life, but give it more abundantly.

Do you want to be free? Free from the cares of this world, free from the changes that bind, free from the lies and deceit of the enemy?

Think about this and check out the book of Mark ... this is a powerful book because it outlines every way, shape and form the way that God wants to move in our lives.  Take for example chapter 10; starting in verse 46 we find the story of Blind Bartimaeus.  This is the last miracle Jesus performs prior to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

How fitting this was at the time ... consider Jesus' disciples still don't quite have an understanding of who Jesus really is and what this Kingdom is all about.  They are still looking to the earthly realm and not seeing what Jesus is referring too.  His disciples are in the same predicament as Bartimaeus; yet they are spiritually blind.  So back to the story here is this blind beggar, an outcast by virtue of his condition.  He is no longer a productive member of society as he can't work because he can't see.

Along the path comes the One everyone has been talking about, the One who makes the lame to walk, the dumb to talk, the dead to rise, sets the captive free; but more so for Bartimaeus this is the One who opens blinded eyes.  Bartimaeus has heard the stories, after all he isn't deaf, rather he can't see.  He's heard the rumbling throughout the streets so perhaps he's always positioned himself on this path after all it's the path that leads to the city gates. The path that receives the most traffic, the path where he can have his needs met and aftr hearing that Jesus was coming what better time to get a need met that no one else can do anything about except this One.

So Bartimaeus knows Jesus is passing by and sort of like the hymn that goes Savior, Savior hear my humble cry. While on others though art calling, do not pass me by. ... Except Bartimaeus while humble because of the Name that he uses, is bold in the process.  He shouts for all he is worth Son of David have mercy on me.  Other try to shush him, after all this is Jesus and He doesn't have time for a filthy beggar, let alone one who is blind. Yet Bartimaeus doesn't let that deter him, he shouts ever the more and with more volume nonetheless.  How many of us allow our circumstances to define us or get in the way of our healing, our blessing .... get in the way of the very thing that we need.  We allow what others say or think about us dictate our response or actions, however, when I need something from Jesus I don't care what it looks like, I don't care what I sound like, I don't care what anyone else has to say because I've got a need that can only be met by the One who supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory.

Suddenly on this busy pathway and with all the crowds and noise that a busy street can create, Jesus stops and for this one insignificant individual to the world and other people but so valuable in the eyes of God ... Jesus calls him over.  Now get this the very ones that were shushing him are now putting on the second face and encouraging him.  Just because someone smiles in your face doesn't mean they like you or wish well for you. 

So Bartimaeus takes his cloak, the very thing that gives him comfort, the very thing that defined him or identified him as a blind beggar; the security he has held onto for so long ... he drops it, throwing it off of himself and walks to Jesus.  Now wait a minute how does this blind man know where to go? Anyway he knows because he has a hunger for Christ, he has a hunger because he knows where his help comes from, he knows where his healing is coming from, he has the faith that Jesus is who He says He is, He is who they say He is, He is the I Am ... all that he needs.  He is the Healer and Christ wants you to drop the things that have defined you, the very things that give you your security, your comfort and run to Him for all that and so much more. 

Now Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants Him to do for him.  Now when Jesus asks you a question, don't you already know He knows the answer.  It is when He asks what we want Him to do, it's the opportunity for us to exercise our faith and trust in Him that He'll do what He said He would do.  Bartimaeus asked and Jesus delivered.

Bartimaeus wanted to be free.  He didn't want to be blind any longer, he didn't want to be a beggar any longer, he didn't want to be define by a cloak any longer .... he wanted to be free from those things that labeled him useless, worthless, weak and no good.  So I ask you, do you want to be free? The freedom is yours just ask the One who gives it.

What do you need Him to do for you today?

Living for Him

When ever we enter a church to hear a message the one thing we've got to do is be ready to receive what is being taught.  We may not like the delivery, we may not like the passage, we may even break it down differently, however, the key to victory in Jesus is allowing Him to move in our lives.  We are our biggest obstacle to freedom.  We want things our way, we want to do things our way, we want to remain the same way ... yes He said come as you are but we ain't supposed to stay that way if we truly are in love with Christ and want to follow after God. 

1 Cor 1:10

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. Can we agree?

I thank God for His provision and leading each day. I’m discovering things about Him that I’ve partially realized or never realized and I’m excited. I can’t help but get excited as God has provided a way for me to attend Moody Bible Institute and given me a family, which supports me through that in so many ways. When I would rather do things with them but know that I’ve got to dedicate time to books, papers and studying … they have been a blessing during this time just as they were while I was active duty … there is one class I’ve enjoyed a bit more than the others, which opens the door to the early preachers like John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Leonard Ravenhill … in that class I did a presentation on David Wilkerson. A mighty man of God that you hear pastor make reference to on occasion out of admiration; there is a portion of his story that has been ringing in my ears … it was a night when he was telling the now president of Global Teen Challenge, Jerry Nance that all the crusade buildings, the warehouse, all the books, all the training materials—all of this is the wood, hay, and stubble. It will all burn up one day and is meaningless to God.” Then he said, “Jerry, what really matters is that we know Him. If we are not comfortable in the presence of the Lord down here, we will not be comfortable in the presence of the Lord up there.” Do we know Him?

If we know God, really know God, you can’t help but be drawn to Him. However it doesn’t make living the pure Christian life easy by any means. If you’re anything like me, living that way is sometimes a great struggle, however I know that I can overcome through the power of Holy Spirit because according to 1 John 4:4 greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

In our men’s group, we had been going through the study of Romans 12 and I’ve been convicted and challenged all at the same time. To be convicted to me means to reveal that there has got to be more to this life than just getting by and far too often we as believers settle, we live below the means or the standard that God has for our lives. The enemy serves fish sticks and we take it like that’s all we got when God has Prime Rib waiting for us.

So with that let’s get into what I think has now become my new favorite couple of verses; (Romans 12:1-2 ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. To me that verse is saying – ‘In light of all that God has done for you, the only reasonable thing to do is to live for Him.’

John Bertram Phillips one of Britain's most famous Bible communicators has a pretty interesting translation of Romans 12:1-2:

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the Plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Many of us know this, but how many of us are actively doing it? Many of us are prone to procrastinate. Procrastination is putting off until tomorrow what we should be doing today. Unfortunately the #1 thing many people put off is their walk with the Lord. ‘I’ll get around to it – next week, next year, sometime later …’ Yet while we’re putting off what needs to be done, we are living a dry, defeated Christian life. Not only that, Satan is doing all he can to keep us conformed to the world.

‘In light of all that God has done for you, the only reasonable thing to do is to live for Him.’

Are you?

Keep praying

On behalf of David and Missy, wanted to thank all of you who have been praying about the situation with Nathaniel.  He sure was a tough little guy and battled and battled ... in the span of about 30 hours of life he went through three surgeries on his heart, however he went to be in the arms of Christ this afternoon around 3:45 or so.

It's in moments like these where we really come to know God.  We know that in His word His ways are not ours and neither are His thoughts ... but no matter what comes our way we've got to trust Him.  It reminds me of a song that Donnie McClurkin sings entitled I'll Trust You Lord ... the words center around the very things in life we face and no matter how hard some things may be for us the question remains, Will we trust Him?

And you know as much as sometimes I want to be in control of how things turn out and in control of my life ... I'm sure glad I'm not and that the One who created everything around me, including me, is in control.  I just want to cry out and I already have been doing so and the only thing I can hear is the words Trust Me and feel His loving arms around me ... because if there's anything in this world that I know and that is He knows, He cares, He is and He will.

Sound the alarm

Alright ... time to shake the foundations with praise .... as soon as you read this message call everyone you can and petition the Lord, send your prayers as Nathaniel is presently going through surgery.  He had a rough night last night and is having to have an adjustment on either a bigger shunt or something to help him get more oxygen through the body.

We're praying that God will do what He does best. He's got the right doctors and right attendants in place to work through them to bring glory to His Name.

There is power power wonder working power, in the Blood of the Lamb
There is power power wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb

God bless

Nathaniel Ethan Watkins has arrived

We welcome Nathaniel Ethan Watkins into the world this morning. He was born approximately 6:55 (I'll confirm the official time and such later) and was taken into surgery for the first procedure on his heart. I know we've been shaking heaven with our prayers already, but this morning it's time to shake it up some more. Just as we send our prayers up to the Lord I know He is watching. He isn't surprised by anything. He knows and He cares ... He is guiding the hands of the surgeons and all the attendants.

We knew what was happening all along the process and let's face it, things are easier to face until you meet them head on and now that NEW has started his journey outside of the womb we've still got to know that without a shadow of a doubt that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever hope or ask for. I sent out the call when we first found out about the situation and I've found the E-Mail I'm modifying it a bit so that we can continue to be on one accord.

God does some great things when His people are on one accord (just ask those folks back in Acts 2) ...

Time for us to continue the full frontal assault on the enemy. We've been talking about putting some action to our words and we've been waiting to see miracles, signs and wonders and as Pastor brought the word a while ago it still hasn't changed. Are you still believing for the mountain to be moved? It's time for that mountain to move, it's time for us to lock arms and go to battle for one of our own.

Isaiah 53:5 says, "The chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole" (The Amplified Bible). The Hebrew word for peace in this scripture is shalom. It basically means "nothing missing, nothing broken," or wholeness in every area of your life—spirit, soul and body.

Right now it's time for us to pray for wholeness in every area in the life of Nathaniel Ethan Watkins. Bro. David and Sis. Missy need your prayers for strength ... the round of surgeries has begun and we pray for God's will along each step. The doctor's will be amazed (prepare to be amazed) at what the Lord is about to do in our midst ... there's a healing taking place y'all. Get ready, get ready because we know the Creator of the universe. We know the One who speaks things into existence. We know the One who can do all things but fail. We know the One that can change it all with one word. And it is in the Name of Jesus that Nathaniel Ethan will be made whole.

1Pet 2:24; Ex 15:26; Ps 118:17

He is faithful ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bXG4WIesA

Bombard the heavens with your prayers ... so that the whole earth shakes with the response from our King.

Get back to the gospel ...

We can come up with any number of excuses to stay out of church however there’s something more to just attending church, something more than putting pockets in the seats. Hosea 6: “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. ² After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. ³ Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

Sometimes in our lives we give the devil too much credit when he shouldn’t be getting any credit at all because he ain’t got no power.  All that power was gone at the cross and now we have the power through Christ to rule over him and subdue him in Jesus Name.  He doesn’t control our thoughts, our actions, our words, our deeds he ain’t doing nothing except running his mouth and PT. So let’s look at what the issue is … perhaps the trouble that we’re in is because of a decision we made long ago; see it takes a while for a seed to germinate and produce … some take a few days however there is a plant in various places in native to the temperate and subtropical regions of  the world. the barberries are often used in Middle Eastern and European rice pilaf recipes. This plant varies between 3 – 12 months for germination and production.  Your seed doesn’t produce immediately so that which you planted a while ago it may be harvesting time and you don’t like it but that’s what you planted.

Adam and Eve didn’t take responsibility for their actions.  The serpent could have been in the garden running his mouth but he didn’t control the hands and mouths that touched that fruit.  It’s through the power of Christ that we can do all things through Him because He strengthens us.  So what is this more?  Well the more isn’t religion … because religion is based on performance … religion would say I obey; that is why I am accepted by God.  But wait there’s more … turn to:

1 Peter 1:10-12 ¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, ¹¹ inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 

We can agree that the angels are majestic beings eternally living in God's presence, yet something has happened on earth that has blown the mind of even the angels and they are long "to look into these things" but what is this thing? It is the gospel.

Blaise Pascall summed it up quite nicely ... He said Without this divine knowledge, how could we help feeling either exalted or dejected?  The Christian religion alone has been able to cure these twin vices, not by using the one to expel the other according to worldly wisdom, but by expelling both through the simplicity of the Gospel.  For it teaches the righteous that they still bear the source of all corruption, which exposes them throughout their lives to error, misery, death and sin; and yet it cries out to the most ungodly that they are capable of the grace of the Redeemer.  Thus, making those whom it justifies to tremble, yet consoling those who it condemns, it so nicely tempers fears with hope through this dual capacity ... Grace and sin!  It causes infinitely more dejection than mere reason but without despair, and infinitely more exaltation than natural pride but without puffing us up.

The gospel isn’t meant to puff us up, it’s meant to give us life and it more abundantly … just as we allow ourselves to be influenced to do things that are contrary to His Word it’s time we allow the gospel to influence us.

We’ve lost our sense of urgency … Getting back to the gospel … what does that exactly mean … if I were to ask you what the gospel was would you be able to put words to it?  What is the gospel?

It is one thing to understand the gospel, however it’s when we experience the gospel in the manner that we are fundamentally changed and the source of who we are and our security is found in the gospel.  We’ve got to experience the gospel again … if you’ve found any lag in your life, get back to the gospel, experience the gospel again … there’s something about the Name of Jesus that is sweeter than the honey from a honey comb.  You don’t know it’s sweet until you get a taste; O’ taste and see that the Lord is good.  

So what is the gospel … it is the announcement that God has reconciled us to Himself by sending His Son Jesus to die as a substitute for our sins, and that all who repent and believe have eternal life in Him. It isn’t a free ticket into heaven but it should be the driving force behind every single moment of your life.

The gospel is the one thing that truly accepts us as we are … we don’t have to dress a certain way, look a certain way, act a certain way … we are accepted as we are and because through Christ we are accepted by God; that is the reason I obey.  Get back to the gospel.