Luke 12:48 says “…from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” You want to see more amazing things happen?…increase your level of expectation. Increase your level of trust. Increase your level of sacrifice….whoa…that one might hut. Are you willing to increase expectation in order to experience more of Christ?

Don’t grow complacent. That’s the enemy of a life of power.

Expect!

Expect!

Expect!

M

What a great video of a man walking from the East Coast to the West Coast. Just think about all the places you might yet to visit in the good ole USA.

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I love my music and my iPod, there’s no doubt about it. I think the thing that bothers me the most is that they did it in front of my house where we were all sleeping.

After I was over the shock of it, I realized something much deeper. The night before we had an amazing time of prayer at church. I’m talking about lives are changing, healings are happening, marriages are being restored, salvations are taking place. You think the devil is angry? You bet. He hates me right now. He wants nothing more than to frustrate, discourage and disarm me. That ain’t happening!

This morning was a wake up call. The enemy is pissed at me, my family and this church. My iPod was the payback. Well you can have my stinkin’ iPod and I’ll take the changed and set free lives any day.

Bring it on devil! Have you ever heard of 1John 4:4 ?

M

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These guys are the real deal…

Check out their video (with a few Christian artists endorsing) as well…

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In the error of my ways, God revealed this to me….

Just imagine if my children constantly asked me for toys (which they do sometimes). Everywhere I went they asked for toys….toys…toys…toys. “I need you to get me some toys…I truly love them”. “Come on daddy, please buy me some new toys…!”

Now imagine that their hearts were more for the toys than pleasing my heart and listening to my instructions. That instead of coming to me and giving me a big “daddy hug” they continued to beg me for these toys without trying to hear my instructions and just simply loving and listening to me. Imagine if they NEEDED me to buy them these toys in order to truly love me. Imagine that my actions of giving them something actually then caused them to love me? Is that the kind of love I want to foster in my home? How soon before that latest toy got old or broken do they desire another one? Now I got to “earn” their love again by giving them something.

Would you consider that true love?

Wouldn’t that be a love based on performance?

Wouldn’t that be a love based on what you can give me?

That’s not true, passionate, full out LOVE! That’s not the kind of LOVE God deserves or wants.

Most of us (me included) have prayed for things to happen (healings, answers to prayers) and for God to show up. We passionately cry out to God for Him to do something amazing in our services. We want all the “toys” (blessings) He can give. We start to cry out for THAT more than we cry out for HIM.

See God doesn’t always show up the way we want. In fact He doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we think He should. That’s because He knows what’s best. When we cry out for His blessings more than we cry out for Him, we aren’t truly in right relationship with Him.

Let’s go back to the kid/toy example. When my kids truly show that they love me….when they listen to what I say, give me those big “daddy hugs” and tell me that they love me, I want to naturally bless them with gifts. It’s not a matter of them “performing” for my love (it’s not works that earn our love) it’s called relationship. When my kids are in right relationship with me, “toys” will be given naturally. (Matthew 7:11)

I know that if we, as a church, passionately cry out to God with love and obedience, the healings, miracles and deliverances will happen. (2 Chronicles 7: 14-15) As churches today, we need to stop seeking out the “toys” and start seeking out the Father.

M

If you are wondering why you need to get baptized, check out this perfect explanation from Healing Place Church .

If you have already accepted Jesus into your heart, then you are ready to be baptized! Just like a wedding ceremony shows the public that a man and a woman have decided to pledge their life to each other, baptism shows the world that you have accepted Christ as your Savior and are now living for Him. Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, it is an act of obedience. Jesus also set the example for us by being baptized by John. In Matthew 3:15, Jesus told John that He should be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Though we do not believe it is a condition of salvation, it is a crucial part of our testimony. It signifies to the world that our old man is dead and gone and a new man is alive in Christ.

It’s truly an amazing day. Come join us as we cheer on those that are publicly confessing their faith!

M

I love this new worship album. As a pastor, I also love watching this video about their church. There is something special about a church that believes in great worship and is willing to invest in it. I believe it actually helps drive your ministry to a much deeper level. Especially if you set up camp in an area of the city where people have no hope. Check out this church and worship band.

M