As we continue our 21 Days of fasting, and as we have...

...just finished our annual week of prayer, and as we again have our One Church/One Family Service, I want to exhort you to keep praying. Again, we welcome Pastor Neftali, Shelia, and La Vida Church with us today. Please put on your seatbelt and let’s see what God will do. Jim Cymbala says, “Prayer links us to the promises and power of the Almighty. Calling out to God threatens Satan’s kingdom because it brings the blessings of heaven to earth and grants salvation to the ungodly.”  We have shared with you about going through that great and effective door and I truly believe that we are. 1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” The truth is that if we will go through that great door and even the double doors it will be accomplished by praying! Isaiah 45:1-3 (NKJV) "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” 

The early church devoted itself to prayer. Acts 2:42 (NKJV) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  It prayed the Apostle Peter out of prison the night before his scheduled execution (Acts 12), and they responded to persecution for the first time by prayer (Acts 4:42).  God responded by granting them a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit and a boldness to witness for Christ.  When Ananias was so fearful to go in obedience to Saul who became Paul God gave him this sign to let him know he had changed:  Acts 9:11 (NKJV)  “...behold, he is praying.”

We all in one accord say that we want to go through that great and effective door and we all acknowledge that there are many adversaries. Listen to the exhortation of our Lord:  Luke 18:1 (NIV) “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” If you have not arrived at your destination yet...do not give up and do not stop praying. The Scriptures we read about putting on God’s armor also tells us: Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Brothers and Sisters, keep praying and you will get through God’s door! 

Today I am going back to the series called “Courage.”

 2 Samuel 23:20-21 (NLT2) “There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. Once, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.” Your defining moments will also double as your scariest decisions. But you have to face those fears (lions) and begin the process of unlearning them. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear.

1. Unlearning is Hard. Just like a hard drive with a computer virus, our minds have infected files. Irrational fears keep us from operating the way God designed us to. Those fears must be uninstalled. As you study Jesus’ teaching you realize that learning was not His primary goal. His primary goal was unlearning. He was trying to reverse engineer religious minds which can be the toughest. Two phrases that you heard Jesus say in His Sermon on the Mount…You have heard that it was said…But I tell you. What was Jesus trying to accomplish? Uninstalling OT concepts and upgrading NT truths.

2. The Importance of Unlearning. The cripple man at the sheep gate is such a great example of unlearning. He had been crippled for thirty-eight years when Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well. This man believed there was only one way to be healed. His assumption of how he could be healed may have cost him 38 years of his life. I wonder about the assumptions we have when it comes to Jesus and healing and what that costs us. You need to see this…Jesus didn’t just set this man free physically, he set him free in his mind. Faith is unlearning senseless worries and beliefs that hold us captive. 

3. Unlearning by Downloading the Mind of Christ. We think we can win this battle by simply modifying our behavior. Few ever win this way. We win by downloading the Word of God and getting the mind of Christ. Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” How do we unlearn false beliefs and how do we renew our minds? How do we get ourselves out of the pit with a lion that we got ourselves into? The way to upgrade our minds is to download scriptures. Philippians 2:5-9 (NKJV) “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Today let’s learn the Word of God and let’s unlearn all the junk we have received all of our lives. Praise the Lord!

Happy New Year’s Day!...

...In Zechariah 4:6‑10 (NKJV) So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?” 2023...Can you believe it is here...are you ready for what God wants to do?

1. It is Time to Wake Up! Zechariah 4:1 (NKJV) “Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.” You would think that churches would be full with the condition our world is in. Political Leadership tearing down traditional marriage, killing babies, hurting families, making us vulnerable to our enemies. Church, it is time to wake up from our sleep and hear the Word from the Lord.

2. It is Time to Stand Up! Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) “So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.” God wanted to use Zerubbabel to rebuild His temple and God wants to use us to rebuild His church. Zerubbabel you are going to build my temple, not thru your own effort but thru the power of Holy Spirit.

3. It is Time to Break Up! Zechariah 4:7 (NKJV) “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!” What is in your way...a mountain? What is a mountain before the Lord God Almighty? 

It is time for your mountains to be broken before the Lord and for you to lay the capstone. No other foundation that has been laid other than Jesus Christ with shouts! 

4. It is Time to Rise Up! Zechariah 4:9 (NKJV) "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.” God was encouraging Zerubbabel to finish what He had started...God is speaking to you today saying this year is your year to complete what you started...time to rise up! 

5. It is Time to Think Up! Zechariah 4:10 (NKJV) “For who has despised the day of small things?” It is time to stop thinking small...it is time to think up. A small beginning is a beginning! Philippians 1:6 (MSG) “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Amen! 

Merry Christmas, Life Church, La Vida Church, and Life Church Villages...

...Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I was so lost, but something happened, and I had an encounter with Jesus Christ, and I found His name to be Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. As I attempt to magnify Christ today I want to take these words from Isaiah and share what an incredibly awesome God we serve.  

1. Jesus is to be called Wonderful! How many of you with a shout will say that you believe Jesus is wonderful? The main reason I believe that Jesus is wonderful is this: Psalm 40:1‑ (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, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock…” He is wonderful because He listened to my cry. He is wonderful because He brought me out of a horrible pit...shout to Him! 

2. Jesus is to be called Counselor! Isaiah 41:28 (NKJV) “For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.” Isaiah tells us

help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news. Help is on the way. Unto us a Child is born...Immanuel...God with us! The Counselor is here! The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus Christ and He is our Counselor.

3. Jesus is to be called Mighty God! Unto us a child is born...unto us a Son is born...and the government shall be upon His shoulder. Who else can handle the government being on His shoulder other than the mighty God...Jesus Christ! He is our Mighty God...shout and give Him praise!

4. Jesus is to be called Everlasting Father! Maybe some of you did not have a good example of a father or maybe you did not have a father at all. This God child has been born so that gap in your life can be filled.

This Everlasting Father is the great gap filler...He can pick up where man failed.

5. Jesus is to be called Prince of Peace! I have anything but peace today. I tell you run to the Prince of Peace!

Psalm 29:11 (NKJV) “The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Your peace has been made available at a great price...This God child came to give Himself for us so we can have peace. Isaiah 53:5‑6 (NKJV) “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” 

As I sought the Lord about what to share I was very aware...

  ...that it is Christmas time but I was also keenly aware that we will be challenging you to fast with us Jan.1 for 21 days. I felt that God wanted me to tie Christmas and fasting together. If we can give our first fruits to the Lord…dedication to God’s house. To worship, and to fasting and prayer, blessings will come. Let’s look at Anna: Luke 2:36-37 (NIV) “There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” Fasting and prayer are the push that will swing open the door that we are praying for. The dreams we are believing God for! New Campus! La Vida!

1. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna had a dedication to God’s House. Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple…” Church was not optional for her but she had a passion for God’s house. Let me encourage you in this coming new year to make God and His House a dedicated and faithful priority. Make a decision that nothing will keep you out of God’s house. With everything being shaken that can be shaken...get to God’s house...His refuge for us! If you are going thru a tough time, if you have a prodigal, if you need a break through...get to church.

2. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna made a choice to worship God night and day. Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day…” Just an observation: those who make the choice to worship God night and day, thru the bad and good, thru blessed times and rough times...those individuals have peace with God and experience His presence! Anna cried out and the Lord heard her…she saw the deliverance that she had prayed for all those years. She prayed for Messiah to come!

3. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna spent time in God’s house, she worshiped, and she fasted and prayed. Luke 2:37 (NIV) 37…She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

Your pastor and church leadership are admonishing you to join with us in fasting and praying beginning January 1. Could it be that 2023 will be your year! Our year! We are asking you to do a true biblical fast...fast food...Crucify your flesh! We are asking for 100% participation...we are asking for you to especially join with us starting Monday January 1 for the 21 days of fasting and January 8 for our Annual week of Prayer. It is imperative that we are faithful to God’s house, that we worship Him, and that we fast and pray! With 2023 upon us, let’s seek God!

Today is our Christmas Program, “Savior for All...”

 ...As I prayed about the production this year, a word jumped out to me from the title. The word “all” kept being magnified to me. Why a “Savior for All?”

Romans 3:22-24 (NCV) “God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ.”

1. All are the Same. Romans 3:22 (NCV) “God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same:” It does not matter if you are rich or poor, black, brown, or white. We are all the same. You are never entitled to any special privileges because of your nationality or color. When it comes to the Savior, there is no white, black, or brown privilege. We are all the same according to God. God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. You get no extra blessings because you think you are all that. You need Jesus.

2. All Have Sinned. Romans 3:23 (NCV) ^“ All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory,” Romans 3:23 (NKJV) ^“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” It does not matter if you were raised in church or raised in a home where God was only mentioned in a way of cursing. All of our sin nailed Jesus to the tree. Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV) “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” All means all. Many believe sin is only learned. It can be learned but this may be a shock for some of you. Psalm 51:5 (NLT2) ^“For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” All are the same and all have sinned. 

3. All Need to be Made Right with God by His Grace. Romans 3:24 (NCV) ^“ and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” All are the same, all have sinned, and all need to be made right with God by His grace. God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His son for us all to be saved. That’s grace. He is the Savior for All! All of us! Romans 8:32 (NKJV) “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Amen!

Today we continue the series “Courage”...

  ...We will look and see how God wants us to have the courage to trust Him with everything in our lives. Even small things.

1. A Ridiculous Prayer. As we read through Scriptures we see an infinite God Who can do anything but who is also concerned about everything in our lives. I have heard people say ridiculous things about situations in their lives. The sons of the prophets are going on a tree cutting expedition. 2 Kings 6:5-7 (NKJV) “But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it. I am sure Elisha’s wheels are turning in his mind so he says to the apprentice, “Where did ax head fall?” What difference does it make? It’s gone but it fell at this spot. Though it is not recorded I am sure Elisha prayed a crazy prayer, received wisdom from God, cut a stick, and then throws it in the water. Something happens…iron floats. A miracle. Batterson – God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him. God is great because nothing is too small for Him either.

2. We Tend to Rank Prayers and Miracles. Similar to the way a judge at a gymnastic competition ranks a routine based on the degree of difficulty, we rank our prayer requests the same way. We have big requests and little requests. We have easy requests and difficult requests. But our thinking is all messed up. Why? To the infinite God all finites are equal. With God there is no big or small, easy or difficult, possible or impossible. When it comes to God, there are no degrees of difficulty. It really does not matter like with Benaiah how many Moabites you are facing, how tall your Egyptian giant is, and the size of your lion is not your issue. The issue is this: How big is your God.

3. God, our Father. You may be thinking, even if God is great enough to do absolutely anything, why would He answer my prayer? Why would He do a miraculous thing through me? He is our Father. Pastor Mark, “Our good good Father! Please do not dismiss this simple truth…God is a proud parent and you are the “Apple of His eye!” I believe He celebrates our accomplishments. I really believe our Heavenly Father celebrates when we are willing to allow Him to defy the odds in our lives. No matter the giant or giants, the lions, or what enemy attacks us. Lion chasers defy the odds and make their Father proud.