Be HIS Witness

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”—Acts 1:7-8

This was Jesus’ response after His resurrection to the disciples.  What was the question you ask? “Are you restoring the Kingdom to Israel at this time?”  Jesus pretty much tells them look God in His own authority has periods and times set and these times and periods won’t always be something you will know or should know etc.  God has times and periods already in motion from the beginning of time to the end of time.  What is my role and function in this?? Jesus tells them after His initial response--- your role and place in God’s times and periods is to be a witness, and for this you will receive some help—my Holy Spirit. This might seem very Christianity 101 but how come it’s so hard to do that one thing? Be a witness. 

I’ve been pondering upon this for about three weeks now. I think sometimes too much knowledge of theology or the Word gets in the way of the supernatural pure power of the Holy Spirit. We want to explain everything by the theories and interpretations of the Bible. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying we need to put aside the pure gospel. What I am saying is sometimes like the Bible says; too much knowledge puffs up.  Too much theology gets in the way of me walking in the pureness of God’s spirit and simply being a witness.  On my way to work this morning something spoke to my spirit: “be my witness.”  Just that…and then it kept ringing in my ears—“you will be my witness.”  Sunday at church we heard pastora say “forget about representing the church, REPRESENT JESUS!” This is very true.  We are not called to be Jesus’ attorney and defend Him, he can do that on His own. We are called to be a witness.  It’s so true how easy it is to play church and just attend a church meeting and use only that meeting time to worship God in song and raising of my hands.  Nothing wrong with this—not at all, but God and Jesus His Son called me to something big— that as I do that something, I’m worshiping, investing in the Kingdom, and touching heaven!! Jesus’ answer is clear to all of us---the Kingdom isn’t just for Israel the Kingdom is for everyone and when you are a witness you are taking the Kingdom to the ends of the earth and to mankind. “Be my witness”  Jesus says.  He says this every day and until He returns.  That’s my calling---to be His witness. That’s the reason to fill myself with Holy Spirit power to—Be His Witness.

Remember, until we fulfill the purposes of God  we will be truly at peace with ourselves and our life.  The main purpose we are here is to be His witness. When we tap into this I promise we’ll find the answer to our questions.  And we’ll be at peace and rejoice that we’re a part of that question and answer Jesus had with His disciples thousands of years ago.

So go now and BE HIS WITNESS….

Going Through the Process

“There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.  After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.”—Mark 7:32-35 NKJV

Wow What a passage!! So much revelation for me here------- this is the 2^nd Word from the Scripture that confirms what God has been teaching to my Spirit this whole year and what I’ve been sharing to some and speaking on Thursdays at our sessions.  WOW…God is good!!! I am praying 11^th hour breakthroughs meaning breakthroughs right at the end of the year and confirmations from God are right on!!!  Read the text above---the people “begged Jesus to place his hand on him.”  They were begging Jesus to work a miracle---Jesus not only worked a miracle He did it HIS WAY!! And His way was nothing like what the people were “begging” for.  The man didn’t do anything wrong it’s just Jesus had another method in mind!!

Jesus first pulled the man aside where no one saw… “away from the crowd.”  Jesus breakthroughs won’t always be in my typical prayer request mode---Jesus will expect and need me to spend time alone with Him to see His power.  Once alone Jesus touched the man, what the crowed asked him to do,  but in an odd way.  His fingers in the man’s ears?? Spitting? Touched the man’s tongue?? What a gross healing process.  What a way to work---and then He simply says, “Be opened.”  Why not do that right from the beginning?? Because He had a process!! And He wanted to see how wiling this man was to be healed---would He get in the way of the process?? Would He question it? Would He complain or murmur? Would he have an attitude? Or compare himself to other healings..well the others weren’t healed this way?? Why me?  It was Jesus own thing---He could do as He pleased and well the man just wanted a breakthrough.

 How bad do we want to see God answers in our life??? Some of us want results but we at the moment a process of God starts in our life start with the complaints, suggestions, and analyzing.  We quickly get in the way of what God wants---in the summer I had a moment of interruption. I almost got in the way of a God process and I wanted to rebel and quit.  I wanted to cut back because I felt I was doing the same thing over and over.  I felt God had something for me and why should I have to invest so much?? Well that was and is God’s process for me.  Would I have stopped I would have interrupted my own process.  Why the spitting Jesus?? Nothing more gross than that?? Who likes to be spit on? Jesus was humbling this man into a breakthrough.  God knows if we were to receive the fullness of Him we’d get so puffed up. Sometimes with the little God lets us see we feel we’re God’s gift to the church. LOL….well maybe that’s a little exaggerating but you get me.

At Jesus command the man was able to speak and hear.  That was some spit!!  Trust God’s touch and process---He knows what He’s doing.

 It says Jesus looked up to heaven---and sighed----wow---Jesus was involving heaven.  Any process from God to bring us a bigger blessing and revelation is from heaven.  Any breakthrough is from heaven.  Any unexpected answer comes from heaven.  Luke 3:21 says Jesus prayed and heaven’s were opened---what was He praying?? 

 What are you “begging” God for?? How long have you been begging Him?? How about you stop begging and start being part of God’s process for you?  Do you know what that is?? Have you had enough insight to see it? Sometimes everyone around us can see it expect us!!  The process won’t be revealed until you get alone with Jesus daily. Until you let Him take you away from the crowd---

 God is good and His mercy is great---- 

Adelante!! 

Bea

Generation Glory

Iglesia Cristiana Adonai

My Nothings vs His Somethings--

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”-Jn 15:5

Paty shared a message about this yesterday and I kept chewing on it throughout the day.  One of the things she said really rang deep inside my heart—she said when we first get saved we are immediately connected to the vine.  We don’t have to remain there---we aren’t forced to stay there but if we want to bear fruit and survive we must continue to be connected etc.  Although this may sound simple its actually very deep and profound.  Why? Because sometimes we assume we’re connected but the fruit we bear is fruit of our own strength and wisdom.  Not bad---we are smart, strong, and intelligent individuals.  But what happens is although we’re bearing fruit like Paty shared yesterday its not fruit pleasing the king!! Especially because He is pleased by His own fruit production.  As seasoned Christians how do we know if we’re producing Spirit fruit or man-made fruit?? You all have heard of Castaic Lake—that’s a manmade lake.  But its still nice and good for boating and swimming. I love going going boating on lakes---especially Castaic. Its close and it has these coves where the boat can go into and almost feel like there’s no one else on that lake.  I have swam and done or attempted to do some water sports on that lake and its real water.  I have had wonderful days spent on the lake and I wouldn’t care if its manmade or a natural lake.  I have driven by Lake Isabella heading towards Bakersfield.  It’s a huge manmade lake---how can you tell? You can see trees come up to the surface meaning there was life there---I believe Lake Shasta is also man-made I am not sure---but all these bodies of water are still good for fun activities.  Meaning just because its man-made doesn’t take away from its use and beauty!! But God isn’t looking for man-made ministry or fruit!! He wants spirit produced!! He tells  us look you can’t do ANYTHING apart from a daily life of devotion and worship!! Whatever you do on your own is basically NOTHING.  Because He says, “apart from me you can do NOTHING.”  So what I can do apart from Him is nothing!! Leads to NOTHING. .Results in NOTHING. And Will have a value of NOTHING in eternity! This doesn’t mean the “nothings” aren’t beautiful, fun, and entertaining…but I want fruit that lasts!! Its easy to assume we are doing things for God under the direction of God but if there is no Spirit fruit in the mix then let me look at my ingredients again.  A lot of times we function on robotic mode.  God doesn’t want spirit robots---He wants a pure intimate lifestyle.  The fruit is evident in my worship, words, life, actions, decisions, offerings, love, humility, willingness, obedience---man the list goes on. My own strength doesn’t like to submit, pray for long periods of time, fasting etc.  Just because I show up to a prayer meeting doesn’t mean I’m connected---its what is inside.  Am I passionate and awake to prayer in my lifestyle? Am I putting and saying no other things so I can devote myself to prayer?? Jesus was so deliberate about praying He would many times leave the group to retreat with the Father. He would leave ministry to focus on the Father and their time together. It showed in how He spoke:  Jesus said “apart from me you can do nothing.”  The Father said in Is 43 “I am the Lord apart from me there is no savior.”  See the similarity?? The evidence of time spent with the Father was Jesus’ imitation of His father in words, life, and devotion!!  May our words and worship be something that comes out of a result of our devotion. 

Apart from Jesus my nothing is nothing! I don’t want to live in nothings---I want somethings!! Its 4 weeks away from the new year.  I am waiting on God for some 11^th hour breakthroughs.  I realize these will be Jesus somethings not my nothings!! Yesterday I told Jesus---if I have been getting a little disconnected because I’ve been so busy I’m totally plugging myself in and tightening the connection!! I realize I need to be superglue connected to see somethings in my life!

God bless!!

-Bea

Youth/ Young Adults/Singles Pastor

Generation Glory

Your Victory Today

17)Though the fig tree does not bud

   and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

   and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

   and no cattle in the stalls,

18) yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19) The Sovereign LORD is my strength;

   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

   he enables me to tread on the heights.

                                    -Hab 3:17-19 NIV

These words from Habakkuk are meant to be a song—at the end of the chapter is the footnote “For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” So not only does it tell us its meant to be sung but its meant to be sung with a stringed instrument I prefer a guitar.  What a song!! What a praise and worship.  Habakkuk hasn’t received the best of news!! He’s just been told by God that Babylon will come and pretty much invade the people as a judgment.  And Habakkuk believes God. He foresees the disaster and invasion.  Fear even comes over him in vs. 16 he says, “I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled..”  He sees the reality of this moment and his human reaction is everything human!! But then at the end of vs 16 he also says, “Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.”  Even in his fear there’s hope. Hope in the words God has spoken.  The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between Habakkuk and God.  Habakkuk asks and God responds. What a relationship!! Now that’s intimacy!! Habakkuk asks God when will you administer justice? Your justice? How long will you put up with wickedness in these people?? God responds in chapter 1 vs 5 and says the following famous line: “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”  That is God’s response to describe the devastation that Babylon will bring upon the peoples.  What is interesting is many times we use this verse alone and out of context.  We use it to say something big and good will happen to my life.  I don’t disagree God can use a verse to speak but its important we read the verse in the context of the text.  How is it being used?? What is being said? And what is God talking about in this particular case?? And well the Word of God is the word of God He can use it how He sees fit!! However we must be careful to use it within the text and not give it our own human twists.

What led me to read Habakkuk was I received an email with this verse (vs 5) as the verse of the day. I read it and thought what a nice verse when read by itself! J  Let me see why God is saying this and who He is saying it to etc. Not that it can’t apply to me but I wanted to understand it better.  And that’s how I read the book of Habakkuk today!!  If you read all of chapter 1 you will find vs 5 isn’t so much a beautiful promise from God but a dreadful prophetic word of a devastating judgment.  God was going to judge the heck out of them people!! And it was going to be so bad no one would believe it if they heard it.  Wow what a different meaning it takes when we put it into context.  So rest assured if you got this vs texted to you today God isn’t going to slam the life outta you. LOL. You’re in good God hands!! What I did take away from chapters 1-3 is Habakkuk’s response to God’s words: WORSHIP AND SINGING.  Wow…what a man of God.  What a great man of God.  What an example.

Habakkuk doesn’t forget God always enjoys a good song.  And although His heart is troubled and worried He has time to pick up a guitar or a stringed instrument and sing some praises to God.  Its during this worship he receives the strength He needs as evident at the end of the chapter and book.  “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”  What started out as a man fearful and shaking in his boots of upcoming events turns into a man strong enough to “tread the heights.”  He was low in spirit with fear now he’s climbing mountains. How’d he do that?? Worship took him there!!

Let’s worship the heck out of our situations that want to burden us today!! We’ll end up climbing great heights before the day is over! Your victory today will be found in worship.

Adelante!!