Get Up

Get up and praise the Lord to this awesome song.

Peace in Uncertain Times

How to Have Peace in Uncertain Times

                Ever have those times where things seem out of control? Where everything in your life seems to just go wrong?  You try and fix the situation and it seems like it gets worse. This is where we tend to get stressed and anxious about what we perceive as problems. Combine that with satan whispering all sorts of lies to you and you've got a hot mess on your hands. That’s when you’re most vulnerable to be deceived by the devil.

How do you keep from getting to a point of worry and stress? Simple, by casting your cares on Him because He cares for you (1^st Peter 5:7). I have had people tell me, “Well Pastor Ben, I tried that and I still worry.”  Well that’s impossible, if you truly cast your cares to the Lord. Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” The word commit literally means to roll or to roll away.

When you roll all your heavy burdens to the Lord and truly trust Him with it, your mind will be at peace knowing your God works everything out for the good of those who love Him. How do you get to the point of trusting God like that? Know who He is. Know that God is your strength, your rock, your fortress, your deliverer and your shield (Psalm 18:1-3). He will never leave nor forsake you, and is able to deliver you with a great deliverance (Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm18:50). This is how you have peace in uncertain times.

                                  

Discipleship at LIFE Church and Training Center

This lady has great insight on healing and God's Word.

Discipline The Mind Prayer and Fasting

 This piece will cover two topics. 

The first topic is meant to reiterate what Brother Josh spoke about on Sunday, September 16^th.  The topic was disciplining ones mind to be mindful of God.  If you were not present you should get a recording because it was very good. 



The other topic is going to be about the national day of prayer and fasting scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 29^th, 2012.  The two topics are tied closely together, and what is important to understand is that prayer and fasting will not be effective without the diligence that Josh spoke of.

 Brother Josh gave a very relevant and timely word on Sunday.  I would be shocked if anyone hearing that message was not inspired to do better.  To summarize, he spoke about training one’s mind to spend time with God and in His Word.  Josh compared this to training a child to stay in time out.  When one’s mind wonders from time with God, one must stop it and take it back to what it is supposed to be doing, much like putting a child back in time out when it gets up without permission.




For most of us, spending time with God is a choir.  We find ourselves falling asleep, our mind wonders, or we allow ourselves to be distracted by other things.  





Then, to make matters worse, we give in to sleep and distractions and do not complete our time with God.  When we do this, we are letting Satan know that all he has to do is distract us and we will leave our time with God, missing out on what he had for us.  This needs to change.  No one is going to be faulted for their mind wondering, but when it does, it needs to be caught and put back in its place.  No matter how many times it happens.  Eventually, like a child, the mind will learn not to wonder.  When the mind stops wondering, a person’s time with God will be more productive, and they will receive more revelation from God.

This relates to the national day of prayer and fasting in that Christians are going to need to be discipline not only on 9/29/12, but in the days leading up to it as well.  
I have been meditating on the date quite a bit, and God has revealed some things to me concerning the affect the day can have on the rest of eternity.  I will not get into what those thing are, but what it has done is help me to understand how important that day is.  A day of this important, with the sort of impact that it can have, needs to be approached with preparation and expectation.  The worst thing that the Body of Christ can do is treat 9/29 as another exercise.  If the day is not approached with seriousness by Christians, the day will be lost and it will not be taken seriously by the world.  I would encourage all believers to be in prayer now and in the days to come about how God would have you prepare for the day.

Disciplining one’s mind is a worldly exercise that takes time and training.  Most of us fall short of the discipline that it takes to kick start a national move of God.  God’s grace can supernaturally step in as a substitute for the discipline we lack in the natural.  That grace will allow us to focus on His will during this time of prayer and fasting.  There are certain things that God is having me do that will bring his grace upon me and my family.  Part of that grace is the focus and discipline that is needed to make that day a success for His Kingdom.  Christians need to be in prayer now regarding what God would have them do to ignite that grace.



What are you doing to prepare for this national day of prayer and fasting?  Do you believe that this date can change the course of this nation?  If you have not started to prepare, use these questions in your quiet time with God to figure out what He would have you do.  Force yourself to give God your undivided attention until the Holy Spirit speaks to you, and do not resist the assignment that God gives you.  As the Body of Christ we cannot afford to take this day lightly.  Remember, one will put a thousand to flight, two will put ten thousand to flight.  Just think of what and entire nation of believers can do.

Change

Change is Good.

As we approach our church wide day of prayer on September 29^th .   I have been examining myself for areas where God wants me to make changes.  The basis of this is really wanting a closer relationship with God. Growing up, I had always heard change was a bad thing. I developed the mindset that resisted change.

Recently, I heard a story of a snake that escaped its cage at a local school. Despite efforts by school officials and the animal control agency to find the snake, it was nowhere to be found.  Someone decided to leave the cage door open and turn the heat rock back on. The snake returned.  Many times, we behave the same way. We find a comfort zone and park ourselves there. We may venture out but usually return to what is familiar or comfortable.

The Bible teaches us that God wants us to change to be like Him.

Ephesians 4:22 – 23 says : That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 The word renewed in verse 23 means to “renovate”.   I have to examine the way I think, my beliefs and behaviors. If they don’t line up with the Word of God, I am are required to change.  That is serious renovation or change.

So how did I begin the process? During Sunday church service we were told to routinely say,” I believe God, I belong to God, I serve God”  I also added “ I love God.”  We were also instructed to start saying, “Without Him, I can do nothing, know nothing, have nothing.”

I began to say those things, then I would ask God to show me where I had pride in my life that would prevent me from seeing areas that needed renovation.  I would sit quietly and listen for instruction.  God started showing me where I needed to change. 

 Changing a lot of times is simply saying, God you’re right, forgive me, I repent of that. Instead of that wrong behavior or belief,  I replace that with Your Truth and the power of your Holy Spirit then I move on. 

The change brings peace, freedom, and a closer relationship with Him, the Creator of the universe. All because He loves us and gave His best for us.

He wants us all to be more like Him.  Let’s step out of our comfort zone, and live recklessly for God.

                                   

God's Kingdom

“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).

          

  Being an effective part of God’s Kingdom takes diligence.  

It’s not a once a week commitment. 

                                                                                    It's not even a once a day commitment.  

Being an effective part of the Kingdom of God is a constant thing that you must train yourself to do.

Recently, Pastor Mitch has been talking about being doers of the Word, knowing the names of God, and knowing what the Holy Spirit does.  He has been on these three things for quite some time now.  He talks about drilling himself about the names of God and repeating over and over what the Holy Spirit does when he comes.  Why does he do this?  Because that is the diligence it takes to get to know the things of God.

Think of learning math equations in school.  Did you look at them once and understand them?  Even if you had the rules in front of you, could you pass the tests without practicing them and studying them first?  Of course not.  The rules of algebra had to be explained to all of us before we understood them.  Then we had to be diligent to practice and study them before we felt comfortable enough to apply them during a test.

Well, it is the same thing with the Word of God. 

At church and through teachings are a couple ways we have God’s Word explained to us.  Then it is up to us to take that Word home to study and meditate on.  Once we have meditated on the Word, it is then our responsibility to apply what we have been taught.  Applying the Word is our test, and much like school knowledge, Kingdom knowledge builds upon itself.  You can’t learn algebra without knowing how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide.  This is why it is important to constantly apply the Word and to not allow any aspect to be thrown to the way side.

I think that most people will agree that it is not easy to constantly meditate on and apply the Word of God.  This is where diligence comes in.  Diligence is characterized as a steady, earnest, and energetic effort.  Apply that to Proverbs 4:23 and we are instructed to be steady, earnest, and to have an energetic effort to keep our hearts.  This is the complete opposite of a once a week sermon in which most people turn their brains off and are fortunate if they retain the five to seven percent that is expected.  Diligence is not only giving that sermon one’s undivided attention, but then reviewing that sermon throughout the week and meditating on how God would have one apply it to their life.  As one applies the Word, not only does it become the issues of one’s heart, but it pushes out worldly ways.  This is how a person goes about the Father’s business.

When a Word is brought forth there is a transfer of responsibility.  If our pastor fails to teach on something God told him His people needed to hear, then our pastor will have to answer for that, but once he preaches the Word, we are responsible for it.  If we fail to do anything with it, we have allowed God’s Word to return void, and we will have to answer for that.  Don’t allow God’s Word to return void.  Be diligent in the things of God’s Kingdom and apply His Word to your life.

As a young adult pastor....

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19 KJV)

God has been revealing more and more to me as my relationship with Him grows and prospers. This is not unusual seeing as we should be moving from faith to faith

. As a young adult pastor it’s important that I move from faith to faith and glory to glory. I need to prosper in my releationship with God so I have something to give out to others. The lost and dying depend on us to take our relationship with God seriously and to make His name known to them.

Each and everyone of us are called out and set aside to do something for the kingdom of God. You have a purpose, no matter who you are, God wants to use you! I used to ask myself “Is what I’m doing really helping anyone?” “Am I really accomplishing anything for the kingdom?” I can say with assurance now YES! No matter what lies satan tries telling me I can always be assured I’m manifesting God in what I do.

How can I be sure of this? Simple, being successful in kingdom work is not based on what you do. It’s based on your willingness to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. it’s not based on works it’s based on obedience. So no matter what God has called you to don’t lightly esteem it, or think its not important! Don’t compare it to what other people are doing. But instead measure your success on if you are listening and being obedient.