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Friday, June 23, 2017

All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge - Desiring Jesus Above All Else

Turn off the stage lights
Turn down the volume
Get rid of the Band
Take away the beautiful building. 
Turn off the phone, internet, sounds galore.
Definitely close the coffee bar.
Shut down the kids play zone.  
Turn off the game consoles.
Stop the all the fun social gatherings with no spiritual power and...



Focus into the ONE treasure that changes our eternity - Jesus - the ONE wisdom that forms eternity in us here and now!

Preach Christ Jesus and him crucified?  I Corinthians 2:1-5And what do we have? Or should I say, who and what do you have left?

Does Jesus empower any of these things?
Does he empower the coffee bar? 
Does his presence vibrate through stage lights?
Does the "Mall church Building everything you want" make for the glory and beauty, power and love of the sons and daughters of Jesus Christ?  
Will his presence not come if we don't have all the stuff?
Will his presence not come if our lives are not in perfect order?
Do we even believe it's possible anymore to do church without the stuff? 
What is Church and why do we add so much stuff to it? 
Can we add to his presence with the stuff and by eliminating all the problems and challenges of life?






THE CUP 
We are drinking 
from cups 
the Father has emptied

So that 
we would be emptied
and drink from 
the ONE CUP.













The Gospel is...

Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 
There is no Jr. Holy Spirit for the poor.  We all get the same WAY, the same Jesus, the same Gospel, the same Holy Spirit.




Do we need to recapture a most basic truth...?

We need nothing, lack nothing, to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ in the world....  II Peter 1:3-4

We carry the Kingdom. 

When we abide and walk in the Spirit and freely give as we've been freely given the motion of the Kingdom rolls through us. 

Freely giving as we've been freely given! 



So what falls into this statement, "we carry a Kingdom", and do we understand what we are carrying?


I definitely don't' see the freely giving away of stage lights and kids play centers as giving away the Kingdom. 
Freely giving away money?  No. Though that can be a huge blessing in the leading of the Spirit. 
Freely giving away what? 


Our lives.....

Our patient HOPE
Our faith filled grace empowered trust in his promises
Our endurance
Our love
Our walking in the Spirit 
Our miracle believing nothing is impossible way of living
This "Kingdom" that is ours in and through Jesus.  


 




How many people would be coming to church if all we offered them was Jesus?  Eternal life? The Way of the Cross, resurrection and ascended life in Jesus?

How many would hunger and thirst for no other?

In truth we have no other offering.  John 15:5
All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in him.  Col 2:3 
All is a big word. 

Basically everything we hope and desire,
Everything we need for life and godliness, is in Jesus.  
Wisdom loves Jesus and is obedient to his WAY. 

I want to see the largest churches turned on their heads. 
pouring themselves into the smallest churches.
What I see instead are many small churches freely giving to many other small churches. 
And big churches teaching us how to be like them. 
In this regard we don't want to be .

What is large churches just poured themselves into small local fellowships for even one day, freely giving as they've been freely given. 
See them exercise faith in sending -  they are excellent at calling out service, love and devoted discipleship.
What could the Spirit do in encouragement, love, building the Body and comfort with ONE DAY ? 







 What if there was a revolution of service and love and all the big churches poured their love and service onto the smallest churches for a day?  What kind of encouragement would that spark?


What if we all...
Sent out thousands of Kingdom harvest workers...in a day. 
Give our very best worship teams to the church for the day.
Send our very best preachers and teachers for a day. 
ONE DAY.  

 What if we all...
Visit and bless and encourage and strengthen and comfort well beyond the interests and immediate benefit to the "organization". 

 What if we completely blew apart the "sheep stealing" argument with a massive service and love impact for even ONE DAY? 





Is that possible, "laying down your life for your friends"?Stop throwing these "be like us" conferences and sow some love freely giving to the "little ones".  

Would this witness a powerful message to the World about Jesus?  
A unified church serving and loving the church and the community in which the Father placed us?   


John 17:23New International Version (NIV)

23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Visit a 1000 homes in a day?
Evangelize a small city - every door - with 50 people for 4 days? 

 




What we have to give the world, as the Church, is a Kingdom and a King, salvation and a living HOPE. 

Salvation from the coming wrath of God, which is to be escaped in Christ.  
A way of freedom that is no longer controlled by fallen angels and idols. 
A Salvation found in no other but Jesus Christ. 
HOPE.
LOVE.
Grace filled resurrected life in the power and victory of Jesus.

Coffee shops in church are fun. 
But Starbucks is immensely better. 
Yet no Starbucks has the power of the love of Jesus in abounding measure. 
The Church does.  
We carry his presence and his Kingdom everywhere we go. 
That means the ministry of Jesus, Isaiah 61. 
That means healing, miracles, signs and wonders to confirm the word in his NAME. 
  





"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  John 17:3   

We carry the message, power, reality and hope of eternal life and better life here on earth.  

You may say, "old time religion."  
I say Christ Jesus and him crucified!  

 
Thank you for reading. 
Comments?
Thoughts?
Love hearing from you. 



There is such a vast an open country of PRAYER and WORSHIP in Jesus Christ our KING. 
Go after some of it today.





 Hang in there.  

Often we start making predictions based on past failures when trouble lands.    We start predicting a negative future out of some of our bad memories.  
The awesome thing is God is not tied up by our predictions. 
He is creative.  In love with us.  And he is good all the way.  
Everything in his heart is to see us live forever with him.  
He has provided everything needed in the Lord Jesus and his perfect work. 
I have always been a bad predictor of the future....even when I think it turns out bad. 
God always sweeps in and something unseen re-writes the story.  
That is the heart of God over us.   
He re-writes it so we see him, grow deeper in love and learn to walk with him.
In turn he changes us inside forever!  

This is all worth it.  
Even the days when you are hanging on by the tips of your fingers and you see a 1000 feet of air beneth you.   He will catch you.
Or He will sweep in and bring something unexpected.  
Believe.  Believe.  Believer. 
Trust in the NAME of Jesus.  

Comments?  Ideas? Testimonies?  
Send those to me.  
Thanks for +1's and re-shares. 

More Posts on Confidence and Zeal...




Thanks for reading.  
The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you.
Testimonies?  Share em with me.  
With much love in Jesus

You can do this thing!  He's got you.  

Jeff Reynolds   ---
Brother Jeff


 

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Friday, June 9, 2017

Peter was Prayed out of Prison. SIN DEATH DEVIL Defeated

"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."  Acts 12


 What can happen in one day with God?  
What can happen when the church earnestly prays? 



Can you and I be prayed out of Prison? 
YES and AMEN. 
Jesus prayed and obeyed. 
And DEATH, SIN and the DEVIL were defeated. 


 Hebrews 5:7-9


"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

Suddenly.....
IMAGINE

An Angel of the Lord appeared! 
"and the chains fell off Peter's wrists."  
Harod's plans = NOT God's plans for Peter 

 Saints.  The chains fell off! 
Earnest Prayer - United Prevailing Prayer Changes Everything.

 United - John 17:3   This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent."  

 Prevailing - "No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the Servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD."   Isaiah 54:17

 2 Chronicles 14:11  " Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, 'Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.  Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army, Lord, You are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you."   
  
That is a covenant Prayer of a King who knows who he is and who his God is.  

 Prayer -  "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.  Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel...."  Ephesians 6:18-19

Paul and Silas Worshiped and Prayed their way out of Prison!  

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."   Acts 16:25  

 Suddenly.....
"There was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison was shaken."  

 "At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains come loose."  

Kumamoto Japan 2016

Are these miracles in time and space witnesses to the reality of the WAY, TRUTH and LIFE in Jesus Christ?  


 In each case.....

 Prayer 
Worship 
TRUST in God
and the Wonders of our Savior 
Are prayed in faith. 

 Prayer.....
Busted Prisoners free
Dropped off chaines
Opened prison doors
What are we praying for?  
What can our God and King do in one day? 

 What breakthrough for you, your church, your family, is 
ONE PRAYER of FAITH AWAY?  
There is such a vast an open country of PRAYER and WORSHIP in Jesus Christ our KING. 
Go after some of it today.

Hang in there.  
Often we start making predictions based on past failures when trouble lands.    We start predicting a negative future out of some of our bad memories.  
The awesome thing is God is not tied up by our predictions. 
He is creative.  In love with us.  And he is good all the way.  
Everything in his heart is to see us live forever with him.  
He has provided everything needed in the Lord Jesus and his perfect work. 
I have always been a bad predictor of the future....even when I think it turns out bad. 
God always sweeps in and something unseen re-writes the story.  
That is the heart of God over us.   
He re-writes it so we see him, grow deeper in love and learn to walk with him.
In turn he changes us inside forever!  

This is all worth it.  
Even the days when you are hanging on by the tips of your fingers and you see a 1000 feet of air beneth you.   He will catch you.
Or He will sweep in and bring something unexpected.  
Believe.  Believe.  Believer. 
Trust in the NAME of Jesus.  

Comments?  Ideas? Testimonies?  
Send those to me.  
Thanks for +1's and re-shares. 

More Posts on Confidence and Zeal...




Thanks for reading.  
The dialogue is awesome.  Thank you.
Testimonies?  Share em with me.  
With much love in Jesus

You can do this thing!  He's got you.  

Jeff Reynolds   ---
Brother Jeff





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