Today we welcome Pastor Neftali, Shelia, and La Vida Church...

  ...How exciting to have a thriving Spanish ministry and a great pastor leading it. I truly love these guys. The message and this service today is based on my title…May the Lord Bless You! How many of you want God’s blessings? If you want Jesus to smile on you and for your family and church to be blessed…get ready…get ready! Numbers 6:22-27 (NLT2) “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ 

Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my Name, I myself will bless them.” 

God laid on my heart Abraham’s blessing over the children of Israel after he offered his son. Genesis 22:17-18 (NKJV) blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

1. The Lord said I will bless you. The Lord said to Abraham because you have been obedient and because you have been sacrificial by being willing to give your son…blessings I will bless you.

2. The Lord said I will multiply you. As we read through the Book of Acts we see the church birthed at Pentecost and God began to add to their numbers daily. The 120 became 3120, then 5000. How amazing!

Something changed as Jesus was building His church. In Acts 6 what had been adding became multiplication. 

We decided to become generous. He multiplied us. 

3. The Lord said your descendants (children) will storm the gates of their enemies. Yes, I want to do great things for God and yes I want to do my part to see the Kingdom of God grow…I want to help Jesus build His church. What I really want is my kids storming the gates of their enemies. I want to be Elijah but I want my kids to be Elisha with a double portion of the Spirit of God!

4. The Lord said in your seed nations will be blessed. Come on La Vida Church, Life Church Villages, Life Church main campus, if you want to grow spiritually, numerically, and financially make missions a priority. 

Genesis 22:17-18 (NKJV) blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Today we welcome to Life Church missionaries...

  ...Adam and Melissa Tvedt. Please let them know how much you appreciate their faithfulness to God and to the Great Commission. These are some of God’s choice servants and even though they have been through some tough days, they remain forever faithful to the Lord. Please listen to their hearts as they challenge us to do more for Missions. 

Helen Keller - “What’s worse than being blind?  Having eye sight but no vision.” In the context of our continued challenge to support missions I hope this quote will not apply to anyone who calls Life Church their church.  We are a mission’s church and there are very few services, if any, that we do not share our heart and vision for the lost here at home and around the world.  It is obviously Biblical...Jesus said in Matthew 28:19‑20 (NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. He ends these verses with ‘Amen’ which means ‘let it be so.’

There appears to me to be a group of people in the body of Christ who are more troubling than those who absolutely do not see the need or the mandate to support missions and our missionaries. It would be the group who sees the reality of the lost, who hears what the Word of God has to say about it, and yet have no spiritual vision or willingness to do something to remedy the sad situation. I see this principle in 1 John 3:16‑18 (NKJV)  “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

The opportunity is going to be placed before you again and again to do something about the lostness of the lost. As you have been blessed by God with material possessions and you see the world around you lost and Christ-less, you will be able, above your tithe (10%) to bless the mission’s ministry of Life Church. Your faithfulness to tithe and to give to missions enables us to continue to support the almost 215 missionaries we have now and will help us to add even more. Cheerful obedience is what I truly believe God is looking for...100% of our members and regular attenders making a generous faith promise for 2022.  Please do not see the need but fail to catch the vision! Obedience to the Great Commission.

Last week we started this series…Under a Tree…

...and it seemed to connect with many of you as well as with myself. We all can relate to Elijah at some point. 1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT2) ^“Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life.” We talked about how ninety percent of our lives can be going so well but that ten percent that we cannot control is chewing us up. We are telling you that you are blessed but I am also telling you that you are only one attack away from a major test or temptation in your life. Under a Tree is a message to let us know that if We can’t stay under the tree.

1. I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) Paul was talking about an enduring faith that would carry him through whatever life would throw at him. Paul endured so much opposition and pain. Paul was saying life has been hard and yes it doesn’t seem fair sometimes but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. 

2. I have learned to be content. Philippians 4:11-12 (NKJV) “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Paul says words like abased, hungry, and suffering need, yet content. We think we can have it all here but that is not what the Scriptures teach us. It’s a myth. 

3. I cant’s stay under the tree anymore. I can’t stay in a place where I expect life to always be wonderfully perfect. I can’t stay in a place where my spouse, my church, my friends, the government have to meet all my needs. I can’t stay here anymore when there is a God to be worshipped who is worthy of all my love. I can’t stay here anymore in a place of hiding from Jezebel, a place of guilt from denying Christ, a place of being sold into bondage and rejected by family…I can’t stay under this tree anymore. There is an answer to your lack, to your pain, to your sickness, to your frustration, to your loneliness, to your hunger, to your need…to your 10% and His Name is Jesus…run to Him! Acts 4:12 (NKJV) ^“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Get up! You can’t stay under this tree. Amen!

Today we are starting a new series “Under a Tree”...

    ...that I feel is going to resonate with many. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place much like Elijah. He is running from Jezebel. 1 Kings 19:1-8 (NLT2) “Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life.” We feel one more criticism from our spouse, one more negative thing from a church member, one more straw on the camel’s back and something is going to break. We hear about a wonderful breakthrough: Gordon MacDonald, “We were trying harder, working longer, breathing heavier, and getting wearier. And it was an unpleasant journey when it should not have been. We would have never admitted it, but we were tired of God, of faith, and faith’s people. Now, how could a call to abundant living turn into such dullness of spirit. That we should tire of Him was not God’s fault. Rather this weariness calls into question the system of spirituality many of us have been taught.” 

1. Between the promise and the prize there is a process. It is during the process where the battle is won or lost. We can all come worship God on Sundays or Wednesdays, but we need more. Until we become transparent about the alone times and the struggles we have, it will be hard for us to find healing and wholeness in our lives. We all have been hurt or we have hurts we are dealing with now. Luke 4:18 (NCV) “God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly.” There it is…God sent Me to free those who have been treated unfairly. During the quiet times we try to process why people and even why God is treating us unfairly. 

2. It is much easier to tell others how to get out of their pit than to get out of ours. Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV) “I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, “ We just want to hear he is out of the pit. God wants to bring you out of your pit, to set your feet upon the Rock (Jesus), and to put a new song in your heart. 

3. I can’t stay under this tree. So why am I preaching this series? I believe there is a real group of American Christians who are growing more and more weary as they continue on this journey.1 Kings 19:4 (NLT2) ^“He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life.” Elijah was physically, spiritually, and emotionally worn out.  God had a word for him and for us!

Get up and eat! Declare…I Can’t Stay Under This Tree Anymore!

Happy Father’s Day! This is a day set aside to celebrate...

  ...our earthly fathers and to express love to them. Many of us our fathers have passed away but I am sure that their influence is still with us in some way or the other. There are times that I do something or say something and I realize that is exactly what my dad would have done or said. The impact of a father on his children cannot be measured but rest assured that it is one of the most important jobs on the planet. Paul was giving Timothy instruction about being a true father to your children. 1 Corinthians 4:15-16 (NKJV) “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, imitate me.” Dads, can our children imitate the lives we have lived before them or have we left them wondering what true Christianity is all about. 

Because of my love for Holy Spirit and because today is Father’s Day, how can we tie the role of a father to the power and in-filling of God’s Spirit? I am so glad you asked! The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit...” What is Paul saying here? He is saying do not be intoxicated by anything that will destroy your life but rather be filled with the Holy Spirit. Dads, it is important that you walk in Holy Spirit before your children. They need an example of what the Spirit-filled life is all about. Galatians 5:22-25 (NKJV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Many fathers are intoxicated by their work spending way too much valuable time away from their families and away from their heavenly Father. I exhort you, Fathers, to not get caught up with anything or anyone who distracts you from your God given responsibilities. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and lead your family into God’s presence at home and church! When I was a much younger pastor I would go to many ministerial meetings and God gave me the wisdom to listen more than I talked. I listened to older ministers with tears in their eyes talking about how their children were away from God. They would say, “I should have been there for my kids.” Enough said! Remember Jesus’ words: John 10:10 (NLT) “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Get baptized in the Holy Spirit and lead your family! Happy Father’s Day!  

Today we continue “Who We Welcome and Why” talking...

  ...about Holy Spirit baptism. This is Part 2 of last week’s article. Luke 24:49 (NKJV) “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." We are talking about Holy Spirit and we are talking about the New Testament experience that is available to every believer…Holy Spirit baptism.Five reasons we should welcome Holy Spirit baptism: We will discuss the last two today.

1. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues because it is biblical.

2. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence.

3. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues helps us communicate better with God.

4. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues moves us toward the mission of God. It is so apparent in the Book of Acts to see the connection between Holy Spirit baptism and fulfilling the Great Commission…missions. Once baptized with Holy Spirit, we see disciples who could not even stand for Jesus and now, they are boldly standing and proclaiming the Good News. We can see in Acts 2 where Holy Spirit empowerment transformed Peter become a mighty witness to all who were there at Pentecost. Timothy Laurito “Given the connection in the Book of Acts between Spirit baptism and missional empowerment, we must not overlook the importance of seeking Holy Spirit today. A decline in Spirit baptisms will lead to a decline in missional effectiveness.” If we are not Holy Spirit baptized, we more than likely will not be missionaries or be supporters of the Great Commission. Without Him we just don’t get it. So, speaking in tongues is not just about Pentecostals continuing a tradition, it is about us receiving power to be the effective witnesses God called us to be. If you care for the lost, get Spirit baptized.

5. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues gives us a glimpse of our future hope. In the AOG we have emphasized in our doctrine and in our preaching that there is coming a day when Christ will return for those who belong to Him. How are you connecting Holy Spirit baptism or outpouring on end time events or hope? Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV) 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.” Holy Spirit preaching led to repentance, water baptism, and Spirit baptism. Matthew 24:14 (NKJV) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” 

Today we continue the series Who We Welcome and Why...

 ...and I want to speak to you about Holy Spirit baptism. Luke 24:49 (NKJV) “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Today we are talking about the New Testament experience that is available to every believer…Holy Spirit baptism. You cannot do an honest, sincere, and exegetical study of the New Testament without seeing Holy Spirit baptism as a viable experience for the believer today.

1. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues because it is biblical. Let me say here the reason we Spirit filled believers speak in tongues is because it is in the Bible. Either we believe the supremacy of the Scriptures or we don’t. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The New Testament tells us speaking in tongues is valid and valuable. Acts 2:4 (NKJV) ^“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 19:6 (NKJV)  “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” 

2. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence. Speaking in tongues is an outward sign of an inward work of Holy Spirit. The Bible identified those who were Holy Spirit baptized by saying they were speaking in tongues. At Pentecost. At Cornelius House, and at Ephesus. How do we know when someone is Spirit baptized? They heard them speak in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:18 (NKJV) ^“I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.”

3. We welcome Holy Spirit baptism because speaking in tongues helps us communicate better with God. The apostle Paul spoke in tongues as he prayed and worshiped God. 1 Corinthians 14:15 (NLT2) “Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.” Most of the time when someone is Holy Spirit baptized, it is in an atmosphere of prayer and worship. Holy Spirit helps us when we pray.  Romans 8:26-27 (NIV) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.” Do you want to be powerful for God? Do you want to pray the will of God in every situation? Do you want help when you feel weak? Welcome Holy Spirit and be Spirit baptized and pray in tongues (in Holy Spirit).