Hey pastors and ministry leaders, take care of yourself!!!

The demands of ministry can be draining, so you must refuel. Stress in leadership can ruin your ministry. A stressed minister does not reveal who you really are. But a joyful minister means a joyful ministry.

As my mentor Rev. Rose Gillespie always told me, we minister what we are, not just what we say.

The Sabbath principle teaches us to give six days of hard work every week, but every seventh day is to be a day of rest. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath. This means it’s to our advantage to have a Sabbath rest every week. (Ex 20:8-11)

The word “rest” means to cease or unplug from your regular labor…what you do the other six days of the week. This is so you can refresh and renew your relationship with God. Just having a “day off” is not enough. It’s about hitting the reset button on your relationship with God.

This is why being faithful to worship with your local church on Sunday is so important. Attending church services is one of our reset buttons. But for a minister, Sundays are often not a day we cease from our regular labor. Your “Sabbath” may be another day of the week.

Whenever you “rest”, realize this may mean “fasting” your cell phone, lap top, and social media. Yep, My wife reminds me of this one. 

This may include starting a new book, visiting a friend (not in your ministry), taking a nice ride on a motorcycle (a personal favorite), finishing a household project, a hobby, or sitting in your backyard listening to the wind blow through the trees. Just you and Jesus hanging out, and saying no to the impulse to plunge back into ministry responsibilities. (I am doing better at this, but it does take practice.)

And it may mean getting a little more, well, rest. Sleep in, take a nap. Some people really need to catch up on sleep. A recent study I read said that people who get 8 hours daily live longer than those who only get 6 or 7. Hmmm.

But take time for just you and God, to worship Him sincerely, to wonder at His Word, and to contemplate your place in the cosmos.

I get fresh perspective every time I do this, and I didn’t have to take a vacation to Hawaii (although that would be nice too). What I am saying is that renewal is within everyone’s reach. It just takes doing what Mary did – chosing that which is to your advantage. (Lk 10:38-42 AMP)

You work hard in the ministry serving others. Don’t let it burn you out. Jesus had his disciples come apart before they came apart, and so should you. Remember that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matt 11:28-30)

The law of diminishing returns catches up to every one of us when we don’t take time for ourselves. It’s not a selfish thing to do. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most sincerely loving things you can give your church or ministry… a refreshed you.

So stop beating yourself up every time you think about doing this. It may be God talking to you.

Give your brain a break. Give your emotions a break. Give your body a break. Take care of yourself as God intends. Remember that a dull ax requires more work. (Ecc 10:10) Keep your edge by taking care of yourself. You will like yourself more, and so will others.

All for Jesus, George W Black

ONE THING IS NEEDED

Opening Scripture:

Lk 10:38-42 NKJV “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

1. If you are a leader you must be led. If you are a feeder, you must be fed.

Pastors, ministers, worship leaders, and all church/ministry leaders exert an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy leading and feeding others. Take time to refuel every day through personal devotions just for you. This is different from preparing to minister to or lead others. We need “me time” that nourishes and strengthens us personally. Jesus told Martha that “one thing is needful.”

“The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” Luke 10:41-42 Message Translation

The Amplified translation says “Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage]…”

 We make this choice every day…to be a Mary who chooses what is needful and to our advantage, or a Martha who neglects what is needful.

 

2. It’s not about chosing between “sitting” like Mary, or “serving” like Martha. God needs us to do both.

But all serving must be preceeded by sitting. We must get our direction from God by waiting on Him, before we try to serve Him.

Don’t get caught up in the work of the Lord before you get caught up in the Lord of the work.

God doesn’t need us to work for Him. He wants us to partner with Him by hearing His heart and getting in the “yoke” of divine fellowship. When we do, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

When we are stressed, overwhelmed, drained, running on fumes, and generally miserable, we need to make better choices, and it begins with putting Jesus first in our life before anything else.

Matt 6:31-34 NLT “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

 

3. Remember that Christianity is about a relationship with God, not trying harder on our own.

Jesus is the secret to EVERYTHING! We can’t live a Spirit-filled life without spending personal time with God. He is our life, and the One who empowers us to be overcomers.

Song of Solomon 2:10-13 NLT

“My lover said to me,
“Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!
¹¹ Look, the winter is past,
and the rains are over and gone.
¹² The flowers are springing up,
the season of singing birds has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.
¹³ The fig trees are forming young fruit,
and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.
Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!”

 

4. Make a quality decision to seek Him first in His Word and prayer today, and everyday, and watch God fill your spiritual tank and restore your life to one of joy and victory.

Choosing that which is to your advantage is the answer.

Matt 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Martha or Mary…God loves them both, but which will we be today? Which will I be today? It’s not too late to start again. Let’s choose to be both a Mary and a Martha, but in the right order, with the right priorities, and God will bless us and help us to glorify Him with our lives, which is what we are created for. God bless.

GWB

ARE YOU READY FOR JESUS 2ND COMING?

Opening Scripture:

1 Thess 4:15-17 NIV  “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

 

1. God’s Relaunch Plan for your life includes getting you ready for the second coming of Christ when God takes His obedient children home, and finishes His work on earth.

 

2. The 2^nd Coming of Jesus Christ has two parts:

• the secret coming (rapture) when Jesus returns for His church,

• and the public coming when He returns with His church to defeat the antichrist, overthrow evil, and establish His millennial reign.

A. The secret second coming is not to the surface of the earth, but only in the air.

1 Thess 5:2 NKJV “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

1 Thess 4:17 NIV “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

“Air” – “Aer” Greek ἀήρ – air, atmosphere

This first coming is often called the “rapture” of the church, a term in English that describes the Greek word used for this event called “harpazo”.

“Caught Up” – “harpazō” Greek ἁρπάζω – to snatch away, take away by force, to catch, steal, carry off, to convey away suddenly, transport hastily.

The “harpazo” is the pre-wrath coming of Christ to take His church home to safety before the coming of the Great Tribulation, which is God’s judgement on the earth for its evil and wickedness. Like the Ark was for Noah’s protection, so the “harpazo” (rapture) will be for the Church.

1 Thess 5:9-10 NIV “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.”

B. The public second coming is to the surface of the earth to set up His Millennial Kingdom. Jesus will rule and reign on earth for a thousand years. Rev 19:11-16

 

3. Our Prophetic Future: Labor pangs / Rapture / 7 Seals / 7 Trumpets / 7 Bowls / 2^nd Coming / Millennial Reign / Great White Throne Judgment / New Heaven & Earth

The world today is in the “labor pains” stage of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The future is being born just as surely as a mother with child.

1 Thess 5:3 NKJV “For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.”

 

4. How can we know we are ready for the “harpazo” (rapture) of the Second Coming of Christ, and will not be LEFT BEHIND?

Matt 25:1-13 NIV  “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 

⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

A. Am I a virgin? Have I been cleansed in the blood of Jesus and all my sins washed away, leaving me justified – just as if I never sinned.

“the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom”

B. Do I have oil in the lamp of my life? Have I been filled with the Holy Spirit, and am I staying filled (extra oil).

“Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.”

C. Even if Jesus never comes during my lifetime, am I living my life in anticipation of His coming?

“The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’”

Heb 9:28b “To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

 D. Am I keeping watch for His second coming and telling others about Him?

 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Amp  “Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.”

GWB

 

 

Pt. 2 of 4 – Five MORE Necessary Things For Your Relaunch

Opening Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

 

1. God wants to do a new thing in every one of His children, and help us go on to maturity and grow up spiritually. This is what “Relaunch” is all about.

 Heb 6:1-3 NKJV  “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, {2} of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. {3} And this we will do if God permits.”

A. Repentance from dead works – principle of separation

B. Faith toward God – principle of justification

C. Doctrine of baptisms – principle of integration

D. Laying on of hands – principle of impartation

E. Resurrection of the dead – principle of glorification

F. Eternal judgement – principle of destination

Mat 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, {20} “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.”

 

2. A renewed commitment to obedience helps us break the hold of “gravity” and propel us to escape velocity.

 Sometimes Christ-followers get sidelined on their journey and waste precious time.

Heb 5:12-14 NLT  “You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. {13} And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. {14} Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.”

Heb 12:1 NLT  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

 

3.  Catch a vision of what can be, and you will be inspired to continue the journey God has for your life.

Rom 8:29 NKJV  “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”(2 Cor 3:17-18 NKJV)  “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. {18} But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Gal 4:19 NKJV  “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,”

NLT “until Christ is fully developed in your lives.”AMP “until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you”

MES “until Christ’s life becomes visible in your lives”

 

4. Understand that Relaunch is not about what will make you happy, but what will make you holy, and complete God’s purpose in your life.

Acts 14:21-22 NKJV  “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, {22} strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.””

Rom 14:17 NKJV  “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

 

5. Our greatest need for a personal Relaunch is humility.

When we humble ourselves to those around us so that we may benefit from their gifts and experience. This relationship is called “submission” and means placing ourselves in a position to receive from the gifts and experience of others the supply we need to continue our journey.

1 Pet 5:5 NKJV  “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

Eph 5:18-21 NKJV  “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, {19} speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, {20} giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, {21} submitting to one another in the fear of God.”

GWB

GOD’S RELAUNCH PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

Pt. 1 of 4 – Five Necessary Things For Your Relaunch

 

Opening Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”

 

1. Father God is doing a new thing in His people today around the world, that at Rejoice we are calling “Relaunch.”

2 Cor 3:18 NKJV “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 Matt 9:17 NKJV “Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and thewineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into newwineskins, and both are preserved.”

 

2. God’s Relaunch for your life means, no matter your past, God has a Great Big Plan for your future.

Is 43:18 NIV “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

Phil 3:13-14 NLT “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

 

3. In order to receive God’s Relaunch in your life, you must take the limits off of God.

Is 43:19a NIV “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Mk 11:22-24 NLT “Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. ²³ I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. ²⁴ I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

 

4. Every Relaunch plan faces challenges, but trust God in the middle of difficult circumstances.

Is 43:19b NIV  “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Jer 29:11 NLT “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

5. Realize that God is the source of your Relaunch – your new beginning – and that He is also the ultimate purpose for your life as well.

Rom 12:1-2 NLT “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

 

YOU ARE GOD’S TROPHY

Opening Scripture: 1 Thess 2:19-20 LB “For what is it we live for, that gives us hope and joy and is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes back again. ²⁰ For you are our trophy and joy.”

“Trophy” –  (1) A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit.  (2) a cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success.

 

1. God gave everything He had to win you as a trophy of His grace.

Jn 3:16 NLT “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

 Rom 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?”

 

2. God’s plan for your life is better than anything you can come up with on your own.

Rom 12:1-3 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

 

3. The Apostle Paul became a trophy of God’s grace.

1 Tim 1:12-16 NLT “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, ¹³ even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ¹⁶ But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

1 Tim 1:12-14 AMP “ give thanks to Him Who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for this], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful andtrustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry.

¹³ Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageouslyand aggressively insulting [to Him], nevertheless, I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

¹⁴ And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.

¹⁶ But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to [encourage] those who would thereafter believe on Him for [the gaining of] eternal life.”

 

4. Like Paul the apostle, you are becoming a trophy of God’s grace, to be presented to Christ when your assignment on earth is finished.

2 Cor 11:2 NKJV “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

 

George W Black

YOUR BREAKTHROUGH TIME HAS COME

Understanding The Process

Opening Scripture:Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV  “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Definition of breakthrough: The act, result, or place of breaking through against resistance, as in warfare. This means there is a hindrance to overcome. God wants to change us. He wants to break us free.

• God wants to bring you into your breakthrough on a personal level.

• God wants to bring your church into a breakthrough on a corporate level.

 

1. God has a process for breakthrough: Promise, Problem, Principle, Purpose, Provision.

Mark 4:35-41 NLT “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!”Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

A. The promise – let us cross over to the other side

B. The problem – the storm arose

C. The principle – To believe the promise more than the problem.

D. The purpose – To teach them nothing can remove them from their destiny.

E. The provision – The storm stopped, and the boat was immediately at the other side.

 

2. Another Example: The Promised Land.

A. What was the promise? A land flowing with milk and honey.

B. What was the problem? There were giants in the land and walled cities

C. What was the principle? To believe God rather than your circumstances

D. Those that applied the wrong principle died in the wilderness.

E. What was the purpose? To learn obedience

F. What was the provision? To inherit all that God had for them

 

3. DON’T CAST AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE!

Hebrews 10:35 AMP “Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.”

A. Patience is a bridge you are building between the will of God today and the promise you are reaching for in the future.

B. If you are not doing the will of God on this side, you will not receive the promise on the other.

C. Today’s obedience positions you for breakthrough tomorrow.

D. The quickest way to lose out is run out of patience during the process. This blurs our focus and gives us a fragmented vision.

 

4. What you focus on you will determine your breakthrough.

Remember that God has a Process in everything, and keep your eyes on His Promises, as He takes you through the Problem, Principle, and Purpose, and you will reach your Provision.

Hebrews 11:13 AMP “These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God’s] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth.”

 

George W Black

VISITATION, HABITATION, DEMONSTRATION

Don’t Miss Your Moment

Opening Scripture:Mk 16:15-16 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

1. God has called us to be “fishers of men” and to become intentional in our outreach to others. Remember, heaven and hell are real, and we are still alive because God wants to use us to take others with us.

Matt 28:18-20 NKJV “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, evento the end of the age. Amen.”

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped around their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” – Charles Spurgeon

“Any church that is not seriously involved in world evangelization has forfeited its biblical right to exist. Any Christian who just flat does not care whether or not people crash into eternity without God does violence to the heart of the gospel and the heart of Jesus. Such a Christian is a walking paradox, no matter how orthodox his or her theology may be.

“When you leave the plains of mediocrity known as “the balanced life,” you begin to scale the heights and breathe the rarified air that invigorates faith, hope, and love. Love is the mainspring of all effective ministry and the source from which all missions passion flows. God is ready and willing to give you a fresh baptism of compassion. He wants to perform ‘eye surgery’ so you can see once again with clarity, sharpness, and focus. Are you willing for this surgery?” — David Shibley in THE MISSIONS ADDICTION

2. God visits us to prepare of for what is next. Don’t miss your season of visitation, implanting, and impartation, or the field of your future will not be ready to produce the harvest God has for you.

Job 10:12 KJV “Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.”

Lk 19:43- 45 “For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

1 Pet 2:11-13 NKJV “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

3. “Relaunch” is God’s visitation for Rejoice Church, and for you personally. But Relaunch is not an event, it is the cultivation of a field God wants to plant his destiny in, so that it He can come down and inhabit us with a fruitful future that glorifies Him.

Ex 15:13 NKJV “You in Your mercy have led forth The people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength To Your holy habitation.”

Ps 26:8 NKJV “Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.”

Ps 22:3 KJV “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

4. God’s visitation leads to habitation, and habitation leads to demonstration. Any atmosphere you sustain becomes the “culture” you demonstrate. If you sustain mediocrity, you will create a culture of mediocrity, and this is what you will demonstrate to others. But if you sustain the habitation of God in your life and habits, you will create a culture of God’s presence that demonstrates Him to others.

1 Cor 2:4-5 NKJV “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

5. Don’t miss your moment, your season of visitation, so you can receive God’s habitation, and become a vessel of demonstration.

1 Chron 12:32 NKJV “…of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;”

Don’t miss your moment.
Moses and burning bush
Abraham and Isaac
David and Goliath
Jesus and wedding at Cana
There’s just lots of times you work hard for something and then nothing happens. That wasn’t your moment.
David worked hard tending his father’s sheep and killing the lion and the bear, but that wasn’t his moment, that was preparation for his moment.
When his moment came he was ready, and his destiny to become king of Israel began.

Relaunch is God’s moment for Rejoice, and it could be a special moment for you as well.

Hunger is an incredible motivator. I know if I start craving Mexican food, it won’t be long until I show up at a Mexican restaurant, or Taco Bell (semi-feeds the need lol), or I will ask Cathy to do her amazing Tex-Mex “whatever”, which is all great.

Are you hungry for God? I mean really, are you hungry for His glory – His tangible presence in your life, or is a snack on Sunday morning all you need each week?

I believe hungry people show up for what they are hungry for. When people are hungry for God, really hungry for God, nothing else will satisfy.

Jesus said if we are hungry for God, He will fill us. (Matt 5:6)

This Sunday Aug 17-24 begins our bi-annual prayer and revival week at Rejoice Church, with nightly services. We call it Rebuilding The Altars, and this years theme is “Reaching Escape Velocity.” I have been thinking a lot about what draws a person to something like this, and why some are not interested.

Perhaps the reason so many are not hungry for God (and why there have been times I was not hungry for God) is because we are already full of something else.

A scientific principle is that a vacuum always fills itself. A light bulb holds a filament inside a vacuum, allowing it to burn brightly for long periods of time. But crack the light bulb and the atmosphere rushes in and the filament immediately burns out. A submarine can dive to great depths while maintaining a vacuum relative to the outside ocean pressure. But if the hull of the submarine fails, the immense weight of the water outside will crush the submarine as it rushes in to fill the vacuum.

Another way of looking at a vacuum filling itself is when we are hungry, we eat. No more “vacuum.”

My wife is so funny. Sometimes when I ask her what she wants to eat she has said, “doesn’t matter…when we are full we won’t be hungry anymore.” Cathy is amazingly practical, and I try never to take that for granted.

Spiritual hunger is meant to create a vacuum that God comes in and fills. However if we have already filled up on what the world offers…busyness, so many cares of this life, tons of entertainment sources, an endless list of movie channels, sports channels, food channels, and a lot of good-but-not-godly filler, it is no wonder so many people have no hunger for God. And with all our mobile devices, we are never without the filler.

Jesus said “but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” Mk 4:19 NLT

My wife Cathy has always tried to make dinner a family affair. Even now with the kids all grown and gone, it is important to her that we have dinner together. I love this. Sometimes with our still very hectic schedule it is a very late dinner. But we always have dinner together when possible.

There have been various times when I was really hungry before coming home for dinner, and I have stopped at a convenience store to fill up on junk food. Maybe it was a coke with peanuts (you have to be from the South), or an especially big temptation for me is Zingers, a raspberry and coconut crème-filled snack cake like a Twinkie…only better.

The problem is that when I got home and sat down for dinner, I was no longer hungry for Cathy’s good food. (Is anyone getting a sermon?) Junk food had taken the place that good food was supposed to fill.

This is the problem with much of modern America today. We are so full of “junk food”, we are no longer really hungry for God.

THANK GOD THERE IS A SOLUTION!

One of the secrets to being hungry for God is learning to do our “push-aways.”

A big problem in the South is we want our guests to pile on the food, then go back for seconds. That has always been a part of hospitality in our Southern culture as far back as I can remember. The problem in our over-weight world today is we need to learn to do our “push-aways” after the first helping, and push away from the table before seconds. (I am preaching to myself ya’ll.)

The same is true with all the distractions of this life.

Learn to do your “push-aways” from the world so you don’t end up immersing yourself in a fruitless and unholy life.

When you unplug from the world, turn off the television and put down the mobile device, you are creating a “vacuum”, a space in time, that God wants to fill.

It takes time to be holy, and holiness attracts the glory, because they are inseparably intertwined. Have we forgotten the call to holy living? Remember that The Helper’s first name is “Holy”, as in Holy Spirit.

Look up the word “holy” and you will be amazed how many times it is used in the New Testament, under grace.

2 Pet 3:11-25a “Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, ¹² looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along.”

If you are hungry for God, you can stay hungry by always making room in your schedule for God to fill your life. Stop run, run, running, without running to God. Priorities are not wishful thinking…they are what we actually do.

If you are not hungry for God, but you want to be, start doing your “push-aways” today. Rebuilding The Altars week is a prime opportunity. The more you push away from the worlds table, the more of a vacuum you will create for God to come in and fill.

Here is the beautiful thing about being filled with God instead of the world…when you let God satisfy the hunger in your life, the hunger for the things of this world disappear.

Jn 6:35 NLT “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Are you hungry for God? Are you really?

Hungry people show up for what they are hungry for.

George W Black

Click for more on Rebuilding The Altars week.

Opening Scripture: Col 1:9-10 NKJV “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; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”

Music Video: Casting Crowns – Thrive (Official Lyric Video)

Joy Unspeakable,

Faith Unsinkable,

Love Unstoppable,

Anything is possible!!!

The Church that Jesus Christ started did seven things that provided every new believer with a personal relaunch out of their old life into God’s new life.

If we want a relaunch in our lives, we need to do what Jesus taught them to do, because that’s what He is teaching us to do as well.

 

1. They began with repentance.

Repentance is changing our mind to agree with God, and then making the needed changes in our lives to conform to what we now believe.

Acts 2:38-39 NKJV “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Have you repented of your sins and old life, and do you still repent when you drift?

2. They were baptized.

Baptism is changing our identification with the world to identifying with Christ, and His family on earth, the church.

Have you been baptized, surrendering your life fully to the Lord?

3. They received the Holy Spirit.

The disciples of Jesus Christ were asked to wait in Jerusalem until they received an enduement of power from the Holy Spirit. Some treat this as optional today, but Jesus meant for every follower to receive His power to live the Christian life, and be a witness to others.

Have you received the Holy Spirit the way they received the Holy Spirit in the New Testament?

4. Next they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the Word of God by the apostles.

Acts 2:42 NKJV “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Do you continue steadfastly in the teaching of the Word of God?

5. They continued steadfastly in “koinonia” fellowship – intentional relationship building for mutual benefit.

Do you intentionally invest the time needed to build meaningful relationships with your brothers and sisters in Christ outside of church services?

6. They continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread through common meals (love feasts) and encouraging faith in one another for the things Holy Communion reminds us Jesus died for

Do you continue steadfastly in sharing common meals, and encouraging faith in one another for the things Holy Communion reminds us Jesus died for?

7. They continued steadfastly in praying together.

Do you continue steadfastly in prayer times with your leaders and church?

Here’s what’s waiting for you if you will take the challenge of these seven steps:

Joy Unspeakable,

Faith Unsinkable,

Love Unstoppable,

Anything is possible!!!

Get ready for a RELAUNCH…your life is not ordinary…God wants you to THRIVE!