Life at 17

Today, we reflect back and celebrate 17 years since Life inception. Churches don’t start at garage sales, but this one did. The garage sale thrusted us into a ladies Bible study and a once-a-week VBS. After a year and a few meetings at the Goddard School on 116th, Life launched on March 7, 2004. Mary and I had little pastoral training, but lots of faith, and though Gentry and Risa were seven and five, they seemed to have just as much faith. We lived on, and still do, the words of Gamaliel in Acts 5; “if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.” With this as our mantra and faith that believed anything was possible, we went after Fishers with abandonment. We introduced people to Bagels and Bunnies, crazy VBS’s and the first Breakfast with Santa. We were in every parade, had booths at Fishers Freedom Festivals and in 2007, brought the Strawberry Festival to Fishers. If we could imagine it, we would try it. As much as we worked, we prayed, fasted and reached for broken people in need of Jesus with even more fierceness. The past few years have been challenging; a few losses, some hurts, and this past year was especially hard as everything came to a grinding halt, but we’ve stayed in the fight. Let’s hope the Bible numerologist have it right. They say the number seventeen symbolizes complete victory. If there has ever been a moment when it would be good to see complete victory, it’s now. Today, we reflect back, but only with hearts that look forward in faith. We’ve planted, watered and today we are anticipating that God will bring an indescribable increase and victory!

The Ending Should be Better

IMG_0029In the prophet Haggai’s day, God had brought His people back from failure and difficult situations. Instead of focusing on what God had done and the possibility, many of the people could only focus on “what was” and on their failures. Haggai’s message was, “the end was going to be greater than the beginning.” To someone today you need to know your best days are in front of you! But it’s a choice. How you view your situation is so important. We have a choice. Do we talk about the past, the problems and the pain? Do we give more power to the failure or the Father? Do we keep grace from covering us, mercy from mending us and forgiveness from freeing us? Do we live in the old house or move to the new? If we move to a new house mindset we see the possibilities in Jesus. In the new house there’s a God view instead of a guilt view. In the new house faith starts speaking, the gifts start working and we start living in the Spirit. In the new house there’s a different countenance on our face, different attitude in our spirit and conversations that springs from our heart. Your end is supposed to be better than your beginning. It’s time for someone to move into a new house.

The God Diet

blog-bread-of-lifeThe Dukan Diet. The Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet. The Keto Diet. Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. Nuitrisystem. So many diets, so many options all because so many of us have become what we eat. Too much sugar, too much starch, too many carbs, the list could go on and on. Our lives have been consumed by diets and fads all because of the fact that we simply need to be more disciplined and need help. Really it should be pretty easy, stay away from processed foods, sugars and eat a lot of stuff that comes from trees and the ground. What is true of the flesh is also true in the Spirit. Paul says all that is of the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Jesus said they that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be fed. He calls Himself the “Bread of Life” and says that “all that come to Him shall never thirst again.” Basically, God says if we want to be spiritually healthy, if we want to have a right heart that it takes staying away from the world, pursuing Him, reading His Word and spending time. Getting worldly, carnal or feeling spiritually drained? Maybe it’s time to go on a diet. Get in His Word, get on your knees and get refilled with His Spirit.

 

 

God in the Storm

imagesThe calendar says it’s still spring. The activities and heat say it’s summer. Heat and humidity are here and plants and grass are already gasping for water. What we need is a storm. A gully washer. A downpour. Though we enjoy the fun of the sun, we need the storms. Without storms we don’t get the necessary rain. Storms slow us down. Storms bring clouds to shade us from the sun, breezes that purge the dead limbs, and water to the areas that are in drought. What is true in nature is true in the spiritual. We enjoy the good times, when troubles are few and life is light. But then God sends a storm. Something that rocks our world, slows us down and brings us to our knees. Not always what we want, but often what we need. Without storms we can burn ourselves out. Without storms, areas in our lives that need a purge, would never be cleaned out. Without storms, the refreshing of God’s Spirit that brings our hearts back to life, wouldn’t come. Going through a storm? Be thankful. He see’s something in our lives that is dying. Something in our heart or soul that needs watered. He allows a spiritual rain, disguised as a storm, to come into our lives. He sees we need a pause. A rest.  A time of refreshing. He’s the God in the storm and when it’s time He’ll say, “peace be still.”

Know Your Opponent

It’s important that we know our opposition. The adversary, our enemy, whatever you call Satan. Every Christian must be aware of his tactics, that he never stops trying to destroy. Understand that he is an opportunist and a isolationist. He is someone who questions God’s Word and twist and contradicts truth. He is the author of confusion, and a liar.

playbook

Once he has deceived and destroyed a life, he disappears, leaving a person alone with pain and sorrow. When Satan found Eve in the Garden of Eden, he used nearly every resource he had. As an isolationist and opportunist, he waits until Eve is alone, vulnerable and weak. As someone who twists truth and contradicts God’s Word Satan first words to Eve is, “has God said,” followed up with a direct lie, “you shall not die.” Once he had convinced Eve and she had surrendered to his temptation, his task is completed, he disappears and leaves Eve with her sin. Though the dispensations, environments and temptation are different, his ploys never change. He used the same tactics against Jesus and he plots the same tactics against us today. Know your adversary, stay alert, know his ways, and always be aware he is lurking as a lion trying to destroy your life.

Divine Purpose

divine purposeMoses was a man born with divine purpose. When Egypt calls for the slaughter of all Hebrew boys, his life is spared, and instead of death, he finds himself growing up in the home of the Pharaoh. His passion for his people becomes his downfall when he kills an Egyptian who is beating a Hebrew and it might appear that his purpose is over as he flees to the wilderness for his life. Confused and dismayed, he is unaware that he is still in God’s divine plan. The loneliness of the wilderness will develop him as a man and is preparing him for more than he can understand in the moment. It is there in the wilderness God calls him to his life’s purpose, to bring God’s people to a land of promise. He will return to Egypt with a clear vision, will experience the miraculous and in one night six million Hebrews leave Egypt. The journey will not be easy, the Egyptians will pursue, people will get disgruntled, but Moses now knows his life’s purpose; save a generation, bring a people to the land of promise. People will rebel, get frustrated, have fear and complain about him, but regardless of what they think or say, he understands his purpose, his calling, he will not be deterred.

While not all of us are called to save a nation I believe we all have divine purpose. Your life here on this earth is not an accident, it’s not trivial, it has a destiny. Will there be frustration, hardship and difficulties? Yes. Will there be people who will ridicule and mock your choices and decision? Yes. But, if you understand your calling, your divine purpose, nothing can deter you from what God has set in your heart. I encourage you today, hang on to those things that God has put in your heart, those dreams, impressions and visions. You may not be sure where you are in the process, but know this, if God has put it in your heart, if you will stay the course, He will do something great through your life. You have divine purpose.

God of the Breakthrough

breakthroughThe action of one person often changes the direction and destiny for many. This is exemplified by God coming to earth robed in flesh, living with the humanity He created, going to the cross and resurrecting. That courageous act changed everything about what we do, who we are and and our eternal destination. The Bible is filled with examples of people who have breakthrough moments that impact cities, nations and generations. Moses breaks through his past failure to lead a nation out of Egypt and changes the destiny of a nation. David breaks through the fear of his brothers and army to lead them to a victory over the Philistines. The three Hebrew children break through the intimidation of idolatry to bring a heathen nation to say, “the Lord, He is God.” Simon Peter breaks through his denial of Christ to preach the message that still lives today and Paul breaks through his theology, experiences the power of the Spirit and establishes churches throughout the world and writes 13 books of the Bible.

These stories are there to give us hope and courage to have our own breakthroughs. What if a wall you’re dealing with comes down, how might it impact you and others? Could it change your entire life? Could it change the destination of future generations in your family? Could a breakthrough in your life change the destiny of Life Connections? We have no idea of what a breakthrough in our life might do for our life, home, church and future generations. We serve the God of the breakthrough! I was inspired by a song I recently heard by Eddie James called “Breakthrough” which is quickly becoming my theme song for 2017. The words say, “walls fall down when I shout through, strongholds break when I pray through, I’m going to praise you, you are the God of the Breakthrough!” The bridge say, “You are the God of the breakthrough of my heart, mind, spirit, soul, weakness, struggle, worship, praise, when I lift and glorify His name, dance and shout.” What a powerful song and testimony. If Moses, David, the Hebrew children, Simon Peter, Paul and a host of witnesses can have breakthrough moments, why can’t we? We serve the God of the breakthrough! Let me encourage someone with barriers, walls, past failures, fear and discouragements; you are one day away from a breakthrough. What do you need to do? Pray, worship, be faithful, be obedient, yield and I absolutely believe that 2017 can be the year of breakthrough for you! You serve the God of the breakthrough!