Do it Again!

I have been praying and contending for breakthrough in my finances. One important area where I have needed breakthrough is in paying off my tuition for BSSM this year. I owed about $2000 several weeks ago. 

Recently, there was a testimony given at school of a student receiving a $4000 gift toward his schooling. In the past, I would have been happy for him on the outside, but inwardly feel a bit jealous, almost bitter. I wondered why God was answering other people’s prayers for their tuition and not mine.

However, when this testimony was shared, I made a different choice. First, I rejoiced with him like it was my own story. See, the truth is that we are family in the Body of Christ, so my brother’s breakthrough is my breakthrough. It takes faith and a heavenly perspective to celebrate with others before we get our own breakthroughs.

Second, I chose to value the testimony. When I heard the story, God put it on my heart to write it down in my journal. This is not something I am accustomed to doing. I wrote it in my journal and left it at that. We then went into an extended time of worship.

When I checked my email after worship (yes, I check my email compulsively. Who knows if another message may have arrived in the 45 seconds since I last looked?), I found that, within ten minutes of me writing down the testimony, an unexpected donation of $500 had arrived in my account! Now I got to rejoice in my own breakthrough!

What’s the point? If you are believing God for something, guard your heart against jealousy. When someone else gets breakthrough before you, celebrate. The Bible says to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15). This is a demonstration of love for the other person and an aggressive act of faith. Also, value the testimonies of God moving in the lives of people around you. Write them down. Talk about them. Blog about them, if you are so inclined. As you rejoice with others and value the testimony, you will see more and more breakthrough in your own life!

If you would like to be a part of my continuing testimony of God’s provision, you can click here to give to my tuition. As of today, I need $1283 to pay it all off. If you prefer to give a tax-deductible donation, I am going on a mission trip to Georgia in March for which I need $1150. Just choose the appropriate option when you click the link.

Most of all, look for where God is moving today and rejoice in Him with all your heart. He is a really good Dad! Every good and perfect gift is from Him!    

Heavenly Daddy

As part of my time here at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, I am part of a team planting a house church in a lower-income area here in Redding. Last night, we met for the third time. The first two weeks, we had about 8 adults and 15 children, aged 8 and under. We had a few less people last night, but we had several new faces from the community. I gave a brief message, we saw someone healed of back pain, and had 2 salvations (or re-dedications). It was really an exciting time together. However, the most profound ministry for me personally was not as obvious:

Jessica is a single mother of 5 girls. Her father was never in her life. None of her girls have a father in their lives, either. There are several men involved, and at least 2 of them are in jail. It is so sad when men abandon their families. I hesitate to even refer to them as fathers, because it seems to undermine the very meaning of the word.

Jessica has a 7-month old daughter who is absolutely beautiful. I held her during the meal and during our worship time. She pretty quickly fell asleep on my shoulder, where she rested for a good 15-20 minutes. Knowing that she does not have a dad in her life, I counted it a joy to be able to hold this precious daughter. As I held her, I prayed blessing over her and released a father’s blessing over her life.

I know that receiving blessing from one generation to the next is a big deal. I can’t fully explain it, it’s just how God set things up. I don’t know how her life will be different because of my prayer, but I suspect the hand of God to be on her in a new way. As I laid hands on her and imparted the heart of Father God, I know there was a release of His grace on her life that was not there a moment earlier. (Being only 7 months old, she didn't have any unbelief getting in the way!)

I wish I had taken a picture, because the image is such a profound demonstration of our Daddy God’s heart for us. We can be at total peace in His arms. He has fully adopted us in Christ into His loving family. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. So this Christmas season, know that He’s your Dad. Whatever your earthly father is/was like, Father God is a bajillion times better, and then some.

I pray today that you would know Him in a deeper way as your Heavenly Dad. His love and care for you are unending and unconditional.

Update

Dear friends,

We have wanted to write an update for some time, but have been finding it hard to put our experience in California to words. It has been that good. J Nearly five years ago, Amy had a dream that we moved to CA. Though at the time she was pregnant with our first child, in the dream we had a two-year-old son and two daughters. Four and a half years later, as the idea of moving to CA resurfaced, we realized that our circumstances (two daughters and a two-year-old son) now exactly matched the dream. It was the confirmation we needed. Without going into all the details, the end of the dream showed us in a place of freedom, fulfillment, and joy—a place of destiny. That describes perfectly what it has been like for us to be here. God has been blessing us with His presence, with community, with healing, with opportunities, with supernatural encounters, and much more!

Our lives are busier than ever, and it would be impossible to describe all we are experiencing. But we’d like to give you a peak.

Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry

I (Mark) have been having an unforgettable time at BSSM! In the couple of months that I have been in school, God has done more in my life than I would have expected in an entire year. I have personally experienced His love restoring me from many hurts from my past. He has restored a boldness and confidence to me that I had lost. I know now that I am fully secure as a son of God, and that identity is affecting the way I live. I am making better choices when temptations come, I am stepping out in ministering to people, I am dreaming with God again.

House Church

One aspect of BSSM is outreach. I am part of a team that is planting a house church in a local apartment complex. Part of the complex is devoted to transitional housing. It is run by a multi-church ministry that takes people who are struggling with various addictions and/or homeless and helps them get on their feet. Dozens of people have been set free from addictions and moved on to a place of their own after graduating the program. Our church will be serving these people right in the midst of their transitional season. It has always been my dream to be a church-planter, so I am thoroughly excited about this opportunity. It is a safe place to take risks and to learn and grow in my gifting and call.

Georgia Trip

In March, I will be going on a mission trip to Georgia (the state, not the country). About 15 of us will be going to release the manifest presence of God to several churches. We will also be ministering on a large university campus to many world-changers. Our whole mission is to see the Kingdom invade the Bible Belt! I had a powerful time in Birmingham, AL, after high school, so going back down south is special for me.

Financially, we have been doing well. God has really been blessing the work of our hands. At the same time, we would like to invite you to partner with us for my tuition and mission trip. Right now, I need $1170 to cover the mission trip and $2000 for the rest of tuition. Missions giving is tax-deductible; gifts to tuition are not. However, both come with the same heavenly rewards. We would appreciate and value your support in this season of our lives. God is restoring our foundations and speaking to us about our destiny. The beauty of partnership in the Kingdom is that those who give get to share in the rewards of those to whom they give. Here is the web address where you can make a donation: https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate.

Love After Marriage

LAM is a 36-week marriage workshop at Bethel, led by Barry and Lori Byrne. The large group is divided into tables of four couples, and the class consists of listening to teaching as well as participating in personal sharing and discussion with your table. We have been incredibly blessed, not only through what we’ve learned, but especially through building relationships with the three other couples at our table and through watching Barry and Lori do couples counseling with various couples in the class. It has been incredible seeing people experience real breakthrough in their relationships with each other and God. Our experience of community and honor in this settling has also been very healing for us.

Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders

When we moved here, I (Amy) was thrilled to discover a mom’s group at Bethel. RTL, which meets every other Thursday morning, is comprised of a large group time, with worship and a speaker (often one of the Bethel leaders), and then a small group time where we discuss our reading assignments and pray together. My small group (12 ladies from four different nations) also meets once a month in the evening to build relationship and community. It has been just incredible to learn from so many amazing moms, and already I have been stretched and challenged in so many ways.

Aurora Writing and Editing Services

God has been blessing my (Amy’s) writing and editing business in amazing ways, and since we’ve moved, many exciting doors have begun to open for me (check out my new website at www.aurora-pub.com). Some of the projects I have had are literally a dream come true for me! I am so thankful for the work and so blessed, at the same time, with the revelation that God is really our provider. In the past, sometimes I have lived from a place of striving and always feeling driven to work harder, but it was rooted in fear and a lack of trust. God really challenged me on that, however, and now I feel free to work hard and trust Him simultaneously. It is amazing!

The Kids

Our kids have settled in nicely. They love our house with a big back yard, their classes at church, and the beautiful weather. Abigail attends preschool at the same time that Mark is at BSSM, and she loves learning and making friendships. At home, she loves helping with cooking, playing imagination games, and feeding Susanna. Evan has finally shed the last of his baby pudge and is tall, thin, and long-haired. He is sweet and sensitive, yet also very rowdy, and he especially loves playing outside and getting as dirty as possible. Susanna has grown quite a bit since we moved and is now crawling and pulling herself up. She also has learned a few words and some baby signs. She is quickly leaving babyhood behind, and it is such fun watching her learn to play with her siblings. We are so thankful for our kids and the joy they bring into our lives. What a privilege to be able to share life with them and help them grow into their destinies!

So there’s your snapshot! J Hope you enjoyed it!

Love and blessings,

Mark, Amy, Abigail, Evan & Susanna Calkins

Honor

Yesterday in Revival Group, we had quite the experience. Over the weekend, one of the ladies in our group made some hurtful comments publicly on our group Facebook page. It caused quite a bit of commotion and was brought to the attention of our leader. Sheri, our Revival Group Pastor, decided to nip this thing in the bud to prevent any further hurt to our family.

Our friend who had made the harsh comments stood publicly before the entire group (around 70 of us) and tearfully apologized for what she had said. She was immediately forgiven and embraced by the main person she had offended. But this wasn't the best part. She, and the gentleman who had been hurt, sat on 2 chairs in the middle of the room. Then the other 65 or so people gathered around them. We released words of forgiveness, encouragement and healing to them. There were hugs, tears, and a real feeling of love in the atmosphere. You could almost reach out and touch it.

We talk a lot around here about being a culture of honor. It is a core value of ours. We believe everyone is worthy of being honored, having been made in the image of God and bought by His precious blood. It's easy to give honor to, say, Bill Johnson. Whenever he comes in to speak, we all enthusiastically stand and applaud. He's awesome!

Giving honor to a brother or sister who has just sinned is a whole different ballgame. What does honor look like when she just hurt us, very publicly?

Honor means that someone can confess their sin to us without fear of emotional consequences. We will love and treat you the very same as before you confessed. There is no probationary period in our relationship with you. We will continue to honor the anointing and destiny that is over your life, even when you screw up. (Note: I am talking about sin that is genuinely being confessed and repented of. I understand there is a time and place for discipline and correction, particularly for those in leadership with hidden sin.) God is not into punishing people who confess their sin! I wonder how many people could get free of shame if they felt safe confessing their sin to a brother or sister without punishment or emotional consequences?

I am so thankful to be in a place where we take honor seriously. Many people talk a good game about honor, but now I am watching it in action on a daily basis. Let's really love each other and believe the very best about one another. And when one of us stumbles, let us be quick to forgive and restore them. God has made each of us awesome, but we are all in process. I am committed to seeing the very best in each person. The call of God on their lives is much more significant than any past or current struggles they may have.

The best thing about this place is not the miracles, the prophetic, the numbers. It's the love, demonstrated by the honor we show for one another. All the power in the world can't hold a candle to love.

The First Week

So, I had my first week at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry this week. There are somewhere around 900 first-year students in my class. Here are some highlights from this week:

-Worship and the Presence of God: This is number 1! There is such a hunger for God among this body that, on the first day, the front part of the church was filled with worshipers before the band was done with their sound check. Once worship started, all Heaven broke loose! The Presence of the Holy Spirit was so wonderfully evident. If you've experienced worship in this kind of atmosphere, you know what I'm talking about. If you have not (come visit!), it's kind of like describing what going under water feels like to someone who has never been. How could I put such a dynamic experience into words? (come visit...)

-Power: The first day of school concluded with dozens of people acknowledging that they had just been miraculously healed during a time of prayer. Our senior leader, Bill Johnson, was in the midst of teaching, when he stopped to have us pray for some medical conditions. Many many people who had pain from various accidents and injuries saw their pain leave their body and receive ability to move in ways they were previously unable. (I couldn't believe this was only the first day. Seriously, come visit.)

-Teaching: We have the privilege of having some of the most amazing teachers. Kris Vallotton and Bill Johnson were the main speakers this week, and they will continue to minister to us throughout the year. If you don't recognize those names, look them up, buy a book, or listen to a podcast (best idea: come visit).

-The school also emphasizes growing in community with other students. This happens in many different ways. We are split up into Revival Groups which meet regularly and consist of about 65 students. We have a Pastor and several others who serve our group. Our group ranges from age 17-60+. Some in our group have left 20-year pastoral positions to come be a student. Some have traveled from Mexico, India, and all over Europe just to be here. (Before you get too impressed with them, remember that we drove 6 days with 3 kids age 4 and under :))

Seriously, hundreds of people have paid a real price to be here. Personally, what I have received this first week has been worth every bit of sacrifice. I'm told it only gets better from here- I honestly can't imagine how! (maybe you should come visit)

Lastly, we are still in need of some tuition money. I have not brought this need to my friends and family yet, but here it is. We KNOW that God will bring the supply we need. Even as the sun rises faithfully every day, He is faithful to His word. I'm just asking that you would consider whether it would bring you joy to give to us in this season. If so, please make a gift of any size here: https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate. Just click the link and follow the instructions. God loves a cheerful giver, so if you can smile while you give, give! He is our supply and yours and He loves to use us to bless one another! Ha ha!

We are so thrilled at what God is doing in our lives since moving here. We are soaking in every moment we have, because the day will come when He sends us out from here to reproduce this amazing Kingdom culture in cities around the world.

Many blessings to you!

Mark, Amy, Abigail, Evan, Susanna

Back to the Future, part 1

Last night I watched Back to the Future for the first time. Now, I don't generally go looking for spiritual lessons in movies (let alone those featuring Micheal J. Fox in ungodly tight jeans), but something struck me as I watched this masterpiece of American film-making.

In the beginning of the film, the aforementioned tight jeans-wearer is with his family. His parents marriage seems rocky, his dad is a wimp, and his mom drinks a lot. Later, when the young man goes back in time, he encounters his parents when they were in high school. True to form, his dad is a wimp, and his mom has already begun drinking.

SPOILER ALERT**** If you haven't seen the movie and don't care to have the plot ruined for you, turn back now! In reality, after about 15 minutes of the movie, the plot is very predictable, so it shouldn't ruin your movie-watching experience much.

When Marty is in the past interacting with his parents, he convinces his dad that he is strong and confident. He also suggests to his mom that she stop drinking.

When he gets BACK...to the....FUTURE! he finds that his parents are still wildly in love, much wealthier, and his dad is confident and successful. The man who bullied him in high school is no longer his boss, but is working for him!

What's the point of all of this? Marty was able to bring encouragement into the lives of his parents in their youth, and it brought about drastic change in their future.

Here are a couple ideas to chew on from this:

*Look around at those you would consider deadbeats, losers, criminals, etc. Is it possible that they did not have someone in their lives as youth to encourage them in their true identity and potential? Perhaps no one looked them in the eye and called them into their destiny. Perhaps most of the people in their lives spoke down to them, saying they would never amount to anything. Before we judge, criticize, and condemn them, let's consider their probable history.

*Consider also the potential positive impact of an encouraging word.

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)

According to the Bible, the things we say can actually release grace to those who hear us. Grace is God's empowerment to live victorious lives. We can actually impart His power to people through our words. When I tell someone who is discouraged, 'You can do it', I am actually giving him the power to accomplish his task by my words. God has given us that much authority by our words! (Now, people can resist that and nullify the power of the encouragement by not agreeing with what we say, but that's another story.) Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a word in due season (see Isaiah 50:4,5) that could shape the course of someone's life today!

There are other spiritual treasures hidden in this movie, but you'll have to pull out your VHS player and watch it yourself to find them :)

Settling In

A couple of weeks ago, my family set out on a drive across the country, from Rochester, NY to Redding, CA. We braced ourselves for the joys and frustrations of driving 40+ hours with 3 kids (aged 4, 2, and 10 months). It ended up being a phenomenal experience. The kids had their moments (so did Amy and I) but they actually did extremely well. It was a real privilege to be able to see our great nation up close and personal for a week. The view ranged from the spectacular (Rocky Mountains) to the...boring (pretty much all of Nebraska). America is really, really big and beautiful. (I almost broke out in patriotic song at least once)

We have been settling in to our new home in Redding. The kids have a yard for the first time (though with temperatures over 100 degrees, they have not spent a lot of time outside- we also have central air for the first time :)

We had purchased an entire household of items from a family, mostly sight unseen, prior to moving out here. So, our house was pretty much set up for us when we arrived.

Our first couple of weeks at Bethel Church have been great! The first week we heard a testimony of someone from the church (presumably a woman) being miraculously healed of an Ovarian Cyst. Today we heard a testimony of a dead baby that had to be removed from the womb. After the procedure, the baby was raised from the dead. For real. The parents now have a perfectly healthy baby, no ill-effects from the procedure at this point! This just happened this morning! It's awesome to be in a place where the evidence of God's hand is so strong! More, Jesus!

We have been able to pick up our routine that we had in Rochester. Amy is editing and I am with the kiddos about 40 hours per week. We are praying about other potential income sources. (We can and have lived on Amy's editing, but more wouldn't hurt :)

I will be starting school mid-September. In the meantime, please pray with us for some new friendships. We don't really know a single person out here, other than our landlord. We'd really like to meet some people before school starts. If you know any cool people in Redding, let me know.

We will be updating this page regularly, so go ahead and subscribe and you will have the posts emailed to you when they are ready!

Blessings!

Mark, Amy, Abby, Evan, Susanna

A Powerful Seed

"Thank You Lord for not giving up on us." ---Amy Calkins, this morning in prayer

You ever feel like you might be on the brink of God giving up on you? You know He has great things for your life, but you just seem to fall short repeatedly?

Yeah, we know that feeling.

This morning, as Amy prayed that prayer, I had an unmistakable impression from the Father:

"How could I give up on you? I've got too much invested in you to ever give one thought to giving up on you."

The impression came with a sense of warmth and tenderness that touched my heart. My soul found rest in the notion that He is fully invested in my life and destiny, and He doesn't make unwise investments. He sowed a most lavish Seed into my destiny:

"He who did not spare His own Son..." (Romans 8:32) 

Be encouraged today that Your success in carrying out the plan of God for your life is more determined by His investment than yours. Yes, we have a responsibility to steward that which has been entrusted to us, but the power of the Seed in you is far greater than your power to screw things up. If your heart is His, and you are diligent to pursue His plan for your life, He will see it through to completion. So work hard, but be at rest in His grace today.

"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, but he (He) who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6)

New Doors

At the end of June, our family will be relocating to Redding, California. Mark will be a student at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, under the leadership of Bill Johnson. If you are not familiar with Bethel Church, I strongly encourage you to visit www.ibethel.org and listen to a sermon on their site. We've been impacted tremendously by the ministry of Bethel Church. Whenever we've listened to a message or heard a live speaker from there, we've felt transformed and inspired. 

For a number of years, it has been in our hearts to go, but the Lord has stirred our hearts that the time is now. We feel a strong call to church-planting and leadership and are moving to Redding to be further equipped to pursue our destiny. 

We will be using this page to share updates from our journey as well as things that the Lord is teaching us as we go. Our desire is that you would be blessed in reading this blog in the days and weeks to come.

One last note: If it is on your heart to support us financially, there are a couple of ways for you to do so. We know that He is our Provider, but if you feel stirred, here's how to give:

1. For a non tax-deductible gift, you can use the paypal button on this page. This will go straight to us, after paypal collects their transaction fee.

2. If you'd like to give toward my tuition for school, go to: www.ibssm.org and follow the instructions. 

3. To receive a tax-deduction, you can mail a check, with a note attached specifying that it is for us, to: New Hope Community Church, 3355 Union St., N. Chili NY, 14514.

4. Lastly, I will be posting some links on this site to books from some of the leaders at Bethel. Please use these links to buy them. In doing so, we generate a commission (it's not much, but you get an awesome book and we get a little cash :) For starters, here's a link to Bill Johnson's first book, When Heaven Invades Earth. If you have not read it, it will absolutely rock your world!

Blessings friends and we promise to stay in touch!

Mark, Amy, Abigail, Evan, and Susanna Calkins

Jesus Revealed, Today!

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21, emphasis mine)

Jesus promises to manifest Himself to those that love Him.

According to the notes in my bible, the word translated "manifest" can mean: to appear, come to view, reveal, exhibit, make visible, present oneself to the sight of another, be conspicuous. If you are a lover of Jesus, you have a right to ask Him to manifest Himself to you. The truth is, He wants to reveal Himself more than you want Him too.

Rather than writing a long post today, I want to encourage you to ask Jesus to manifest Himself to you.

"Jesus, thank You that You long to manifest Yourself to me. Today I ask that You would make Yourself visible in my life. Lord, step right into my path and be conspicuous. In the places where I have not recognized Your face nor Your hand, please reveal Yourself. My greatest desire is to see You and know You more today."

If you prayed this prayer, pay attention over the next 24 hours to the ways Jesus Himself shows up in your life.

Refreshment

Jesus was a busy Guy. Take Mark chapter 1, for instance. After a full workday, the sun had set.
He had retired to a home to rest for the night. Instead of being given space to recuperate from His day, the people of the city brought to Him all who were sick and demon-possessed. It says the whole city was gathered at the door of the house. He went on to heal and deliver many many people that night. If you've ever been in a situation where you are laying hands and praying for a lot of people, you know how draining it can be. It is real work!

Most of us would be inclined to sleep in the next day to rest our bodies. Not Jesus:

"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35)

Now, there is nothing wrong with getting proper rest for our bodies. However, Jesus understood His primary need in this situation was spiritual, rather than physical, refreshment.

Jesus found His refreshment in the secret place of prayer with His Father.

Jesus, in His humanity, received everything He needed from His daily time with the Father in the secret place. Before choosing His 12 closest disciples, He spent the entire night in prayer (see Luke 6). Think of it, Jesus is the perfect, spotless Son of God. If He needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we?

The example that Jesus set for us is not a religious requirement. Time spent with God does require discipline, but it is so much more than a ritualistic hoop to jump through. Jesus' example is an invitation for us to enter into the most glorious relationship we will ever experience. I love meeting with God alone. He brings peace. He brings love. He brings empowerment. I feel His pleasure over me as I simply sit with Him.

If you have lost your passion to spend time with God, I want to invite you to re-kindle it. Ask the Holy Spirit to light a fire for Him in your heart. If you feel nothing emotionally, great! Demonstrate your commitment by making a choice. The emotions will follow. Set apart some time- 15, 30 minutes, 2 hours, whatever- to be with God alone. Grab a bible (and, for extra anointing, a cup of coffee), open it up and let God touch your heart. You schedule the appointment, He won't miss it.

Power for Today

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:33-34)

It's always today. No matter how much you think about tomorrow, it's always today. Here's the good news about today: God has fresh mercy and grace for you. His mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22,23). Grace is divine enabling (power). As we go before His throne in prayer, we receive mercy and grace (see Hebrews 4:16). If you meet with God daily, He will empower you with what you need for the present day. 

Today, you don't have grace for tomorrow. But you will tomorrow. This is why Jesus instructed us not to worry about tomorrow. Take care of today, because He has given you what you need for today. When you wake up tomorrow, ask for grace for the new day.

Let's say you are a mother of 1. One child seems like a lot to you, but you can handle it pretty well. But the thought of 2 children seems incredibly overwhelming. Do you know why it seems overwhelming? It's because right now you have grace for 1 child. When you have 2 children, God will give you grace for that.

Don't let anxiety over the future steal your present from you. The present- today- is all you have. 

Philippians 4:6,7- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

"God I trust You with today and all my tomorrows. Thank You for empowering me to succeed today. Thank you that I can receive fresh grace every morning. Help me to trust You fully with my life. Amen."

Other verses for your consideration:

Psalm 37:8b- "Do not fret- it only causes harm."
Isaiah 26:3- "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

Happy Giving

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity (under compulsion); for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:6, emphasis mine)

My 4-year old loves offering time. At my church, while the adults sit there looking bored while the baskets are passed, the kids go to the front and place their offering in a bucket on the edge of the platform. We always go up with Abigail as she joyfully throws her dollar (or 5 or 20) into the bucket. Before I go to work, I sometimes tell her that I need to go work so we can have money to give to God at church. She gets it and she loves it! We are raising a cheerful giver!

We are able to raise a cheerful giver because we are cheerful givers. Seriously. There have been seasons when we have looked forward to the offering as much as any other part of the service!

So why are we cheerful givers? The verse above is the number one reason, in my book, to be a cheerful giver. God loves it when we give cheerfully. If you search the Bible, you will find a bunch of things God loves and some He hates. When the Bible says that God Himself loves something, that's where I want to be.

The kids at our church are engaged in their offering. They physically get up and bring their offering before the Lord. Now, there's no magic in walking your offering to the front of the room. But, there is power in being connected to your giving. I challenge you to engage your heart in your giving. Smile and celebrate His goodness as you give. The promise of Scripture is that, when we give happily, it brings pleasure to the Father. We have the amazing privilege of bringing pleasure to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. So, smile when you give and know that He is smiling back :)

Live Blessed!

"God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations." (Psalm 67:1,2)

When a disaster occurs, many evaluate the nature and ways of God in light of the calamity. In our passage, we see the true way that God desires to reveal His ways to the world. The psalmist prays that God would bless him and give him favor. As the people of God, we need His blessing and favor on our lives to be so outrageous that it unmistakeably reveals the goodness of God to the world around us. If His face is shining on us, the people around us will be able to look at us and see the ways of God in action. If we are not walking in His blessing and favor, they will look to earthquakes.

Asking God to bless us is the least selfish thing we could do. We need to shine with the ridiculous, over-the-top favor and blessing of God. We are called to be living examples of His goodness- the highest revelation of His nature.

What happens when He is merciful to us and blesses us? His salvation is known among the nations. Ask Him today to pour out tremendous blessing on your life. If you have a generous heart, He is glad to bless, because it reveals His nature to a lost and hurting world. 

(This post is lifted almost exactly from a sermon by Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. To view the sermon, visit www.ibethel.tv and visit the "free" section. The sermon is from March 13th.)

Divine Training

Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. According to Matthew, the third temptation was as follows: "Again the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."" (Matthew 4:8,9)

(For those of you who are new to the faith- Jesus did not take the devil up on this most generous of offers.)

The devil knew the purpose for which Jesus had come to the earth. Ultimately, all of the universe will be under the lordship of Jesus: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15)

The devil tempted Jesus with a shortcut to accomplishing His mission. This was a test for Jesus, in His humanity, to prove that He was not willing to cut corners, to do the right thing in the wrong way. He resisted the shortcut when no one was looking. What did this produce in His life? Later on, Jesus would be made a similar offer: "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone." (John 6:15)

Again, Jesus refused to become king the wrong way. He knew His mission, stayed focused, and resisted the temptation to take a shortcut.

The purpose of the testing in the wilderness, when no one was looking, was to prove that He would make the right choice in public, when everyone was.

This was true in the life of Christ and remains true for us today. What we do in private is indicative of what we will do in public. If you are asking God to use you in some extraordinary way, or if you have not received that promotion you are longing for in His service, it could be because He is still proving you in the wilderness- in the secret place. Your integrity is made of the choices you make when no one is watching. What we sow in secret, we will reap in public.

Don't take your secret choices lightly- God doesn't.

A Superior Reality

I was raised in a non-Christian environment. My parents were always loving, the best they knew how. (ever notice that love is real hard without Jesus?)

When I was 13, for some reason that I still don't know, my mom decided we needed to start going to church. (Mom, if you are reading- why did we start going to church?) This absolutely ruined my life. I am telling you this was like a death sentence to my weekends. You mean I have to get up Sunday morning before 8am and make myself presentable? Then I have to stand through a bunch of mindless songs and endure some meaningless drivel of a sermon? Deliver me! (This was actually when I developed my prayer life: "God, I don't want to go to church! Send an earthquake, tornado, break the car, anything!")



You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I would negotiate heavily to get out of going. I eventually talked her down to being able to take one Sunday off per month. I was like a little Donald Trump.

Anyways, I managed to survive, bored to tears weekly, for about 3 years. Then, IT happened. Mom forced me to go to a youth conference in Harrisburg, PA. Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. It was like Sunday morning for an entire weekend. Thankfully, I had some friends with me who were just as excited as I was to be there. This made it all easier to cope with.

Sunday morning, last session of the conference: I am completely disengaged (have been for 3 years!). I don't remember much about this service. But what I do remember has changed my life, literally, more than any other single moment in my entire life. They played some music along with some video of Jesus being crucified (still not sure how they got video of that, but they had it). Suddenly, I find I am beginning to sob. It's as if someone (Someone) has reached into my chest cavity, grabbed my heart, and began to squeeze. I sobbed hard. I held up my hands in surrender...

Since then, I have gotten to know this Man more and more. He really is good. He is the kindest person I've ever met. He reached down and met me when I had no interest in being met.

Jesus wants to show you His kindness today. I dare you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He did it for me when I wasn't even asking. How much more if we ask?

P.S. Mom- thanks again.

Romans 8:32

"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?" (Romans 8:32)

Have you ever asked God for something and thought "Why would God give me this? I don't deserve it."?

Maybe you missed your morning devotional time. Perhaps you became irritable in traffic on the way to work. Maybe you were short-tempered with a family member. Most of us wouldn't consciously admit that we believe this disqualifies us from having our prayers answered. But, somewhere on the inside, we don't quite pray as confidently when we've stumbled. We wonder if God is quite as inclined to hear our prayers when we've messed up.

Well, guess what? Before you were even a part of the family of God, He answered a prayer you weren't even praying. He gave you the greatest, most outrageous gift ever given. How qualified were you when you received the gift of salvation? My guess is you came to Christ like me- completely messed up, broken, and on a path that would've lead you to despair. Yet, somehow, God came to you! His mercy reaches far beyond what we've done or haven't done. He reached the whole way across to us.

(see Ephesians 2:1-10 for more)

Instead of questioning whether God will answer us because of our sin, do what I do: Push the Divine Delete Button. Confess your sin, repent, then get back to bold prayer! As soon as you confess and repent, your sin is gone forever and has no legal right to hinder you from coming to the Father.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)

God is not offended when we make mistakes, even as I am not offended by the mistakes of my 3-year old. It's called immaturity. As long as our desire to be wholly His is sincere, He will help us to grow and overcome that which hinders us. In the meantime, know that His desire to bless you is not impeded by your weakness. So, keep on asking! He will answer in due time!

Do Not Grow Weary

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy." (Colossians 1:9-11)

This is a passage I use when praying for various people on my prayer list. Rather than teach on it, I want to encourage (dare!) you to pray these verses today for yourself and for someone you care about. These verses are incredibly rich in spiritual meaning. Pay attention as the Holy Spirit emphasizes certain portions to you as you pray. You might feel that you resonate with different phrases. If so, you can take an extra few moments and pray into them more. Maybe the person you are praying for is in need of wisdom today. Or maybe joy in the midst of a trial. The Holy Spirit will be faithful to lead you.

If you yourself are struggling and feel that it would be a stretch to pray for others while you are in a trial yourself, that's the best time to intercede for someone else. You will reap what you sow. Sow prayer and blessing into someone else today, and it will come back to you in due time.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9) 

Blessings!

His Will

“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

His throne is established in heaven! The place of His sovereign rule over the affairs of men is firmly established. He has all authority and power. Anyone with even a basic understanding of God would say that He has all power and authority. The God who spoke creation out of nothing is obviously all-powerful and carries all authority.

But take a look at the second part of the above verse- “His kingdom rules over all”. Beyond being a sound theological statement, what does this mean for us today?

First, what is His kingdom? One of the dictionary definitions of “kingdom” is “the realm in which God’s will is fulfilled.” (www.merriam-webster.com) The Kingdom of God is the place where what God wants to happen, happens. He is the King, and whatever He says goes, goes.

To make this verse practical, we need to know what God’s will is. What good is it to believe that His will rules over the world if we don’t know what it is? For the answer, look no further than the Lord ’s Prayer. In it, Jesus tells us to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). God’s will is perfectly manifested in heaven. He desires to manifest His will on earth, just like in heaven. So, when you go to pray for someone with cancer, ask yourself, “Is there any cancer in heaven?” The answer of course is a resounding, “NO!” With that knowledge, you can pray boldly that cancer would be driven out of that person’s body. It is parked there illegally.

Is there any depression in heaven? Emotional imbalance? Poverty? Sickness of any kind?

No, no, no, and no!

Not only should we know His will, we must also recognize that it is our responsibility, through prayer and obedient faith, to cause His will to be manifested in the earth. Jesus wants to partner with us to bring more and more of heaven to earth.

Pray boldly today. Thank God we can know His will. Declare that “His kingdom rules over all!” All means all! Whether your life or someone else’s, declare His kingdom and watch impossibilities bow to the perfect, sovereign will of God!

The Throne of Grace

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” (Revelation 4:2)

“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19)

When we last left John, he had just seen a doorway to heaven open up and heard a voice invite him to ‘come up’. The blood of Jesus has made the way for us to meet with God! This is the greatest truth in all human history and the greatest privilege of our lives.

Immediately after receiving the invitation, John goes into the Spirit (the realm where God’s invisible world becomes visible and tangible). The first thing he sees is a throne set in heaven, with One seated on it. As you meditate on this verse, it can be helpful to ask the Holy Spirit questions: What does the throne look like? How big is this throne? What are the colors, the sounds surrounding this scene?

Also helpful in meditation is reading through the verse several times, each time emphasizing a different word or phrase. As you focus on different parts of the verse, it will come alive to you in dynamic ways. See the following examples to stir your thinking:

Consider that the throne is set in heaven. It is established. It is firm. It is unmovable, unshakeable, and unchangeable. It is set as the pillar for all things visible and invisible. The throne, the rule of God, is the standard by which all of life is measured.

Consider that there is One seated on the throne. No one else is sovereign over the universe but God alone. He is totally set apart as having all power and authority.

Meditation is meant to lead you to interact with God Himself. The Book is wonderful, but the purpose of the Book is to lead you to the Author. As we have considered the throne of God, let's take time to actually speak with the One on the throne.

I am reminded that we can come before the throne to receive what we need for each day. Today, as you have pictured the throne of God, come before Him in prayer and receive what you need. There is fresh grace for you today, but it is your responsibility to take the time to come before Him and ask for it.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)