The Holy Spirit in You

'I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind...' John 14:27 NLT

Life comes with surprises. Some of them you welcome, and some of them you don’t. One summer you take a trip to the beach, next summer the beach is covered with oil. One month your stocks are soaring and your investments are growing, then suddenly it all comes crashing down. That is life and when it's good, it's good. But when it's bad, it's really bad. We rely on our government and all they can say is ‘We just never anticipated this.’ And in those rare seasons when you think the world has settled down, watch out! A malignant cell shows up in a colon, or a tornado rips through a neighbourhood flattening a house. So what are you going to do?

When Jesus told His disciples He was leaving them, they were in panic mode, so He said to them, ‘…When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I’m leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’ (John 14:26–27 NLT) You need to recognise the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, and build a relationship with Him. He’s not an ‘it’ or a ‘thing’ or an ethereal spirit that’s beyond your reach. He is Christ’s ‘representative’. He’s willing to teach you what you don’t know, and to remind you of the things you so easily forget. And best of all, He will give you ‘peace of mind and heart’, regardless of what life throws at you.

You are Loved!

The Aroma of Christ

'...We are...the aroma of Christ...' 2 Corinthians 2:15 NIV

‘We are…the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved, and those who are perishing. To one, we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life…’ (2 Corinthians 2:15–16 NIV)

When the Roman army won in battle, they paraded their defeated foes through the streets in chains. And as part of the celebration they burned incense on a series of altars throughout the city. That way those who couldn’t see the procession knew the army had triumphed because they could smell the incense. The aroma was symbolic of their victory—and there’s a lesson here for you.

As followers of Christ we’ve been called to carry with us ‘…the fragrance of the knowledge of Him…’ (2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV) Forget Estée Lauder and Chanel No. 5; your life should be so permeated with God’s presence that people around you sense it. After all, you are the most compelling evidence that Jesus is alive and well in His children. In the great cathedrals of Europe you’ll see beautiful stained glass windows portraying important events in the life of Christ. And while it’s good to appreciate such craftsmanship, God doesn’t need church windows to tell His story.

Like I said yesterday, He uses born–again, tuned–in, turned–on believers to do that. Have you ever noticed that the longer some husbands and wives live together, the more they begin to talk and act alike? It’s the same with us: the more time we spend with Jesus, talking to Him, meditating on His Word and basking in His presence, the more people are going to ask, ‘What’s so different about you?’
You are Loved!

Don't Quit

"So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Galatians 6:9 NLT

Harvesting is a long process. You plant a garden, and then you wait, ultimately reaping a full growing season later than you when you sow it.

We are in a season where I believe God is telling us to not give up before we see the fruits of our labor.
One of the area's we are working on at CFW is helping you work through the daily things God has for you. Our Prayer is you'll see God work through you to develop an abundant life and help you fulfill your true calling. You will move from mediocrity to meaning in your life. You will have a heart to do things well. Satan wants you to give up...

Don't give up just before God does something incredible.
"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." William Carey knew this principle well. He labored SEVEN YEARS in India before he saw his first conversion to Christ. He faced great opposition from his own British government. But he ultimately prevailed and inspired the worldwide missionary movement of the 19th century. He is now considered the founder of our modern missions.

The cycle is this - you plant, your nurture then you harvest. Don't miss the critical nurturing period. I'm encouraging you today to really give God the opportunity to work in your life and show you that you can do more for Him than you believe.

Because that is why we are all here - to accomplish great things for the Kingdom.

Let me speak to you Today. I can tell you that many people quit on God or the church just before the harvest comes. They give up because of the smallest opposition or the faintest financial pressure.

Don't let that happen to you! Stay the course. God has brought you into this Church for a purpose. Together, let's stay committed to abandoning average and transforming lives. 

You are Loved!

 

Who Is Around You?

"Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm." - Proverbs 13:20

 

How often do you think about the company you keep? There's a quote from author Jim Rohn that I've found to be very true when it comes to our circle of friends - "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."
We are greatly influenced by those close to us - they affect our way of thinking, our attitudes, our decisions. And for believers, the impact is even deeper - it can affect our ministries and what we can accomplish for God's Kingdom. 

I want to challenge you to strongly consider this: "Who is around me that's helping me to abandon average?"

To keep committed to the "All In" Lifestyle - which rebels against average and mediocrity - you need to surround yourself with friends and peers who can challenge you to grow and bring out the best in you. Evaluate who are your influencers and if they can really help you get to the next level.

The good news is that as part of an amazing church, you now have a built-in community of like-minded people who are all on the same mission to abandon average in their life and ministry!  You are in a team environment, complete with other strong players who will pull you up to your highest level of potential in Christ. 

One of the first things you realize after joining our church is that you are on the same team. You are a part of a community that encourages you to attend church and grow in your faith. They are your teammates - remember the greatest thing you can do is give them a hug and tell them you love them in Christ and to practice the principle of Learn and Return. It's simple - when you learn something, you pass the knowledge along to the others around you so the Kingdom of God can be advanced. 

The enemy has decided to do all he can to trip you up and keep you mired in a life of mediocrity. He doesn't want you to abandon average. He hates the thought of you living our God's vision for your life and for your church.

But with the support and encouragement of other's on the same journey, you will be better able to thwart his attacks and stay passionately engaged in accomplishing the vision God has given you. 

You are Loved!

Growth is a Choice

"Growing churches are led by growing leaders and followers." - Rick Warren

 

Can I ask you today, are you growing? If you are a leader or follower in our church you must continually position yourself for growth - the growth and health of our ministry depends on you! All of us bear full responsibility for that growth and it must be a choice in your life.

You must make choices to grow daily.
One thing God has been challenging me with is that we can never settle for an environment of average. The only thing we can settle for is an environment of hope and growth.

Transformation is the goal as we spiritually grow in Christ. Moving from mediocrity to meaning in every area of your life is crucial if you and our church are going to grow. And the only way to do that is to be an active participant in your own development. When you grow the church grows. 

 

When you stepped into the church, you immediately became a leader, whether you were prepared to be one or not. All of us have the responsibility to fulfill the vision God has given us and the church no matter how scary that may seem sometimes.

There are four key components to growing well: You must (1) continue learning, (2) be eager to engage, (3) be quick to anticipate, and (4) make wise decisions. 

Your growth starts with that first key - remember we are all learners? If you want to grow you have to decide to be a lifelong student of your calling. 

The choice to keep growing is yours - and yours alone. 

You are Loved!  

God's Will for You (3)

'...Prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.' Romans 12:2 NKJV

In order to fulfil God’s will for your life, you’ll have to deal with what other people want you to be. Your boss wants you to be more productive. Your health club wants you to be fitter. Your credit card company wants you to be deeper in debt. It seems like everybody has an agenda for you and, if you spend your life trying to meet their expectations, you’ll never be free.

Sometimes loving people means having to disappoint them. Seeking to become the person others want you to be is a shallow way to live. Nobody can tell you exactly how to change, because only God knows. Even you can’t tell yourself how to change, because you didn’t create yourself. To love someone is to desire and work toward their becoming the best possible version of themselves. And the one person in the entire universe who’s qualified to do this is God. Unlike people, God has no hidden agenda or unmet needs that He’s hoping you can help Him with. He knows what the best version of you looks like. He delights in the very idea of it, and is already working to bring it to fruition in your life. The Bible says, ‘…In all things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Romans 8:28 NIV) That means God is at work every moment to help you become His best version of you. And you’ll only be truly free when you make up your mind to be happy about being the person God meant you to be—the one He’s working on every day.

You are Loved!

God's Will for You (2)

'I delight to do Your will, O my God...' Psalm 40:8 NKJV

In discovering and doing God’s will for your life, you must come to terms with what you think you should be. This is the hardest thing to do. Comparison kills spiritual growth. For example, the mother of three young children hears her pastor preach about Christians who rise at dawn every day to spend an hour of quiet time with God. The fact is, she’d love an hour of quiet time—anytime! But her kids won’t cooperate! So what she takes away from the sermon is that she doesn’t measure up as a Christian. In essence, she’s practising ‘spirituality by comparison’ and living under a cloud of guilt. It doesn’t occur to her that the love she expresses to her children counts as a spiritual activity. Or that she may be serving God more faithfully than somebody who gets up at daybreak in order to have that hour of quiet every morning.

Another example: a gregarious, spontaneous husband is married to a woman who enjoys solitude. It comes easily to her. Nevertheless, he feels like he’s a failure when it comes to prayer because he doesn’t enjoy being alone the way his wife does. He doesn’t consider that his joy and willingness in serving others counts, or that the degree to which he loves them is shaping his soul and delighting God. ‘Should’ is an important word, but when it comes to spiritual growth, God doesn’t want you to obey Him just because you ‘should’. He designed you to want His plan for your life—to get to the place where you can say, ‘I delight to do Your will, O my God.’

You are Loved!

God's Will for You (1)

'Teach me to do Your will...' Psalm 143:10 NKJV

In considering God’s will for your life, let’s begin with: what you pretend to be. When you know you’re doing His will, you can drop the mask. You don’t have to convince people you’re important while secretly fearing you’re not. Nothing is more boring or disconcerting than someone who ‘name–drops’ in order to make an impression. In the ministry there are so many who only want to tell how great they are...I get tired of those whose agenda is to make you think they are spiritual when they are not.

I love the story of a newly–promoted lieutenant was eager to impress his underlings, so when a young private walked into his office the lieutenant pretended to be on the phone with the general. ‘Yes, General, you can count on me, Sir,’ he said, as he banged the receiver down. Turning to the private he asked what he wanted. ‘I’m just here to connect your phone, sir.’

Pretending to be what you’re not is hard work. That’s why you feel so tired after a first date, or a job interview, or when you’re around people who expect you to project a certain image. Inside you is an unpretentious person. And it’s such a relief not having to act humbler than you are, or feign that you pray more, or know more about the Bible than you do. The good news is that you never have to pretend with God; genuine brokenness pleases Him more than spiritual pretentiousness. To fulfil His will and become the person He wants you to be, you need to be honest about who you really are. The Psalmist prayed, ‘Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.’ So be who you are. When you do that—God will do the rest.

You are Loved!

Being Devotion Centric (3)

'Search me, O God, and know my heart...' Psalm 139:23 NIV

Here are two more reasons why spending time alone with God each day is important:
(1) To take spiritual inventory of your life. David prayed, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Psalm 139:23–24 NIV) Note the words ‘anxious thoughts’ and ‘offensive way’. These are things you start to take stock of when you are in God’s presence. For example, are you growing daily in your spiritual walk? Are you allowing unconfessed sins to pile up in your life? How about your attitudes? In order to see yourself from God’s point of view, you have to face these questions in His presence and answer them honestly.

(2) To commit each day to the Lord. The writer of Proverbs said, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.’ (Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV) Share your schedule with God, ask Him to guide you in your daily activities and alter them as needed. Ask Him to help you manage your time better so you can get more done (Psalm 90:12). Ask Him to help you distinguish between what’s truly important and what isn’t (1 Corinthians 10:23). Every day of your life you’ll have to deal with two things: problems and opportunities. And God will give you the right perspective and approach to handle both. You’ll be amazed how much more effective and efficient you are when you’ve spent time with Him.

You are Loved!

Being Devotion Centric 2

'...I will lead them...' Isaiah 42:16 NKJV

Do you get up in the morning and get giddy because you get to spend time with Jesus? I hope so...every believers goal should be to spend relational time in your daily devotions: One of the keys in your relationship should be daily guidance. Without God’s input you’re at the mercy of your own best thinking—and that should concern you greatly! The Psalmist wrote, ‘Show me Your ways…teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.’ (Psalm 25:4–5 NIV) God said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.’ (Isaiah 42:16 NKJV)

The path you take determines your destination, so before you decide to go in a given direction, talk to God. And don’t be surprised when He takes you down a road ‘you have not known’. You must trust that God knows what He’s doing. Think about it this way...'All of man’s troubles stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.’ In this fast–paced age you must take time to slow down, collect your thoughts, evaluate what’s happening around you, and get direction from the One who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). Jesus told His disciples to ‘come apart’ in order to be rejuvenated physically and spiritually (Mark 6:31). The Bible says, ‘…When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.’ (Mark 4:34 NKJV) There are certain things God will explain to you only when you take the time to be alone with Him.

You are Loved!

Being Devotion Centric (1)

'...Your servant, who is devoted...to...You.' Psalm 119:38 NKJV

Do you know what the word devotion means? You know I'm going to tell you..."The word ‘devotion’ implies total commitment to someone—giving them your time and attention, enjoying their company, seeking to please them, and making them a priority in your life." Being Devoted hits many area's of our lives, the biggest of course should be our relationship with Jesus.

So how do we avoid the pitfalls of losing our devotion when life gets rough:
(1) ‘Me–itis’. God has promised to bless you, but when you seek His blessing instead of pursuing a relationship with Him, you become me–centred rather than Christ–centred. The truth is you can pray until you’re blue in the face but God won’t give you certain things, if you’re not mature enough to handle them. More than anything in life, Abraham wanted a son. And God gave him one. Yet when God asked him to offer his son as a sacrifice, he didn’t hesitate. Abraham proved there was nothing he loved more than God, therefore God promised to bless him and multiply all that he possessed (Genesis 22:17). Abraham became one of the most successful men of his generation, but his real claim to fame was that God referred to him as a ‘friend’ (Isaiah 41:8).

(2) Being too busy. One of the dangers in working for God is that you can fail to spend time worshipping Him. The Psalmist said, ‘Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name…’ (Psalm 29:2 NIV) The word ‘due’ means ‘deserving of’. When John saw the multitudes in Heaven praising God, they were singing, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…’ (Revelation 4:11 NIV) So start your daily devotions in praise by saying: ‘Lord, I’m here because You deserve to be worshipped and adored.’

You are Loved!

Take the Initiative

'...It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35 NKJV

When the Good Samaritan saw the wounded man the priest and the Levite had already ‘passed by’, he took the initiative and went out of his way to help him. Jesus ended His parable by saying, ‘…Go and do likewise.’ (Luke 10:37 NKJV) Sam Walton, the founder of Wal–Mart, taught all his employees ‘The 10–Foot Rule’. It says, ‘I promise that whenever I come within 10 feet of a customer I will look them in the eye, greet them and ask if I can help them.’ As a result, stores worldwide implement Sam’s rule every day.

Most of us recognise the value of taking the initiative. We acknowledge its importance in relationships, yet we still have a problem doing it. We wait for the other person to make the first move, but all that does is lead to missed opportunities. Think about this for a moment...‘If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you’ll end up not doing anything for anybody.’ If you’re serious about helping others, and you want to walk in God’s blessing, don’t wait—initiate! The ‘perfect moment’ seldom arrives. An old Jewish proverb says, ‘The wise do at once what the fool does at last.’ Initiating a conversation often feels awkward. Offering help means risking rejection. Giving to others can lead to misunderstanding. You won’t feel ready or comfortable in such moments; you just have to learn to get past those feelings of awkwardness and insecurity. To help people, you must go ahead and do what others never quite get around to. So right now take the initiative. Go out on a limb—that’s where the fruit is.
You are Loved!

Takers and Givers

'...It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35 NKJV

What a question to ask so early in the morning...Are you a taker or a giver? If you’re not sure how to answer that question, think about your favorite TV personalities. Even though they have genuine talent, their main motivations are ratings, image, approval and profits. Check their background. Most of our celebrities lives are really messed up... think about the little girl who dressed up like Cinderella and insisted, ‘Look at me,’ now lives and performs for the approval of the crowd. Or the little boy who beat his chest to attract attention and shouted, ‘I’m Tarzan,’ now goes around with a sense of entitlement.

John writes about a man, Diotrephes, ‘who loves to have the pre–eminence…’ (3 John 1:9 NKJV) Which means he walked around thinking everyone owed him something. Reading a book about leadership recently the author wrote: ‘If communicators teach out of need, insecurity, ego, or even responsibility, they’re not giving. The needy person wants praise, something the audience must give. The insecure person wants approval and acceptance, something the audience must give. The egotistical person wants to be lifted up, to be superior and just a little bit better than everyone else, something the audience must give. Even the person motivated by responsibility wants to be recognised as the faithful worker, to be seen as responsible—something the audience must bestow upon them. Many communicators teach in one of these modes all the time and aren’t aware of it. Then there’s the giver. This person teaches out of love, grace, gratitude, compassion, passion, and the overflow. These are all giving modes. In each of these modes of the heart the audience doesn’t have to give anything—only receive. The teaching then becomes a gift. It fills and renews.’ Today, ask God to help you become a giver and not a taker.
You are Loved!

A Question for You?

Good morning...as I was reading and getting ready to share with you today the Lord led me to Acts 16 and I came across Paul and Barabbas's parting ways. The Holy spirit began to speak to me about relationships and how fragile they really are. How can people be for one another one moment, saying all the right words like I love you in Christ, and the next there be division or they just leave a church. The apostle Paul is a example of conflict, when in a moment he and Barnabas parted ways.

"After a while Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back to every city where we spread the Lord's word. We'll visit the believers to see how they're doing."Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along. However, Paul didn't think it was right to take a person like him along. John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to work. Paul and Barnabas disagreed so sharply that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to the island of Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and left after the believers entrusted him to the Lord's care."

 

Over the years in ministry I've had relationships that seemed right and in a moment were over. Those leaving the church have devastated my heart because I loved them. Being the Shepard of the flock and losing a sheep is never easy but we always go on.

 

On Mondays I pray with a group of pastors that I support and love very much. One of the pastor's came with a heavy heart and shared how a very close friend in his church who he prayed with daily and loved as a brother just up and left his church. He was devastated and like many pastors asked the question, why? I've prayed for the answer to that question many times. As we sat there understanding the pain this man was going through we had little words, all we could do was pray and listen. Having only been in a pastoral role since I was a young man, I thought I would see if you could help with the answer that every pastor asks...so my thought today is not really a thought but a question. I would love for you to interact and give me a response to a question only you can answer...Why do those in the body of Christ leave their churches for no reason? Why does a conflict always mean someone has to leave when the right response would reconciliation?

 

Thank you and you are Loved! 

 

Wholeheartedly "All In"

'...[Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord...' Genesis 15:6 AMP

Abraham came from a land of idol worshippers. He was the first in his family to serve the true God. To do it he had to overcome his background, his training and the opinions of those around him. In obedience to a God he didn’t fully know, he had to leave the security of home and head for a destination he couldn’t describe to anyone. Did he have flaws and weaknesses? Certainly—find someone who hasn’t. Did he make mistakes? Yes, big ones! But it’s mind–blowing what God will do for and through a man or woman who’ll ‘trust in, rely on and remain steadfast [to Him].’ One word sums up how Abraham served God: ‘wholeheartedly’. God made a covenant with Abraham promising him personal blessings, ancestral inheritance and that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed; the number 1 blessing to the nations is Jesus the Messiah (Genesis 22:18). And Abraham’s blessings are promised to you when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior (Galatians 3:14). Tracking Abraham would have been easy because everywhere he went, he built an altar to God. There are several recorded in Scripture, the most famous being the one on which he laid his son Isaac (Genesis 22). There was nothing and no one Abraham loved more than God. And what God did for Abraham, He will do for you if you’ll serve Him wholeheartedly. He will cause people to look at you and say, ‘That man, that woman, serves a God who really cares about them; nobody else could make those things happen in their life.’ The blessing of God is what you get in exchange for wholehearted devotion. When you think about it, it’s a small price to pay.

You are Loved!