Church Blog
No Comments Do you ever feel like a complete failure as a parent?
Someone on Facebook posted, “Do you ever feel like a complete failure as a parent? I do right now.” Every day popped in my mind instantly. I have been struggling with that feeling myself lately. Then the Lord reminded me of my parents, how great of a job they did in raising me and my sister and how we didn’t always follow their guidance. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world and we are not our children’s only influence and no matter how we raise them, they have to live their own lives and make their own choices. I think as parents we feel like we can never be good enough for our children. We feel like we could teach them better, we could spend more time with them, we could show them more love. Well, don’t beat yourselves up parents. We are all children of God and he gave us the Bible, an instruction manual on life. He spends every second with us, never leaving or forsaking us. As for love, how could you show more love than to give up the life of your only son? Yet as perfect as He is we still rebel and sin. We as parents can only do what is in our power to do. The most important things we can do are love the Lord, trust Him, and let our children see that in us. If there is one thing I learned from my parents and I pray that my children learn from me, it is that God is good and His love conquers all. I know that I am not perfect and I will fail my children from time to time but, if they learn that one lesson, they will be o.k. and I will have done o.k. as a parent. Stay strong and never give up on your children or yourselves as parents. Teach them right and wrong, teach them about God, and live your life as an example. If you do that, they’ll turn out just fine and you can be confident that you did your best.
I Will Have Breakthrough
Me Blogging?!!!!! Seriously? I never thought I would have the courage to do it? But here it goes……
I have been praying for a breakthrough in an area of my life that I just have not been able to overcome! In fact it is getting worse “in the natural” and I must be honest, and I will say that in the flesh I am discouraged. So during my daily devotional I came across 2 Corinthians 8:2-5 and it spoke to me!!
2 Corinthians 8:2-5
2 That in great trial of affliction the Abundance of their joy and their deep Poverty abounded in the riches of their liberty.
3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability they were freely willing.
4 imploring us with much urgency that We would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints
After reading these verses there was a spirit that was awakened in me! LOL. A spirit – His holy spirit and it keeps saying and reminding me that I can do all things through Jesus Christ. I am energized, filled with vision through this!!!
If you are praying for a break through in your own life I would like to ask you also to allow your vision to be opened and enlarged. Even though things may seem a certain way in your life right now, they only “seem” that way! When we face certain obstacles we say things like; “I can’t, it’s not possible”. We give up on ourselves and we question even the moments that God uses us because we don’t feel worthy. “Even beyond my ability” YES that means that we can do all God has called us to do. Verse 4 tells us that there is power when we just allow him to fellowship with us. Today allow the Holy Spirit to get you to get a hold of this TRUTH!!! In Christ I can do ALL THINGS!!! Change your mindset and don’t give up, no matter what. Continue to be steady and be forceful in your pursuit of Him. “Even beyond my ability” what a statement!! To know that through Christ I can accomplish my purpose; even beyond my ability? Verse 5 reads “but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” Well we know by this word that it is his will for us to do ministry, to love others, to serve, to give,to have relationship, to witness. Our only job is to be obedient to His voice and to wait quietly and patiently on his timing. As we step aside and allow Him to lead our daily living, we must trust Him. For only when we trust Him and only when there is complete trust in Him, are we going to be able to accomplish wholeness.
I sit here typing this and I have examined myself and I have asked myself, will I obtain breakthrough??? Well I know one thing for sure. It will not be in my own abilities!!! But it will be through submission and total surrender to his love. Through these verses God is speaking loud and clear in my ear… He is saying that He is perfect and that, yes; without Him, I have no value, but that with Him in me I shine. He is reminding me that He paid a great price for me because He loves me. He tells me I see your weakness, but they don’t scare Me! He seeks me, and His love forces into my soul, my mind and my heart. So Yes!!! That Spirit of Might and Boldness keeps arising! I will have breakthrough!!! I will keep my faith, I will expect God’s favor in my life and it will show up! I know your favor is coming my way!
Lizzet Flores
Speak To Your Mountains
A few months ago, I was battling with smoking and what a battle it was. It started as a thought process that lasted 10 years in my head and in my dreams. I had quit smoking for over 20 years. However, the last 5 to 7 years of my life contained many heartaches, hurts, and shattered dreams. As a result, I returned to smoking and was tormented for the next 2 ½ years.
Over the course of the last six months, a couple of influential people spoke into my life two very important things. One reminded me that I knew the voice of the Lord and that when the enemy attacked me, to tell him that “it is done”. It was done when Christ paid the ultimate price for us on the cross. Every affliction, every sickness and disease, it was all conquered on the cross.
The second reminded me how God had spoken everything into existence. I had stopped speaking over my life as I had come to a bad place in my own life and in some ways, had given up and began to accept things the way they were not expecting anything good to come from it.
As I began to listen on that faithful Wednesday evening about speaking to the mountains in my life, I took both principals shared with me, to heart and began doing what they told me to do. It didn’t happen overnight, slowly – but all at once – I was delivered from that nasty habit. I know that things started moving and changing in the spiritual once I started speaking it in the natural.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. God spoke everything into existence. When we hear God’s word, our faith is being built. When it comes to Spiritual matters, water is a representation of the Spirit. It is a fact that sound travels 2-3 times faster in water. When I got that revelation in my spirit – water – i.e. it went from my head to my heart – things went into warp speed.)
There is a distinct difference between positive affirmations and standing firm on a word God has promised you and not letting it go. He had told me that there was coming a day soon when the thought of a cigarette would disgust me and that rather than making me want one, it would play a powerful role in my testimony as I shared what God had done for me. However, when I was in the midst of it all, the thought of one didn’t disgust me. It made me want one more! If I had any sort of conversation about what I was going through, I would go smoke because the conversation would get me to thinking on it and I’d want one!
I would say, (as I was smoking a cigarette) “it is done”. I felt like quite the idiot as I was speaking this thing into existence. The whole while, Satan was also in my head telling me how stupid I was for lying to myself and to God. He went on to tell me that there was no way the Lord could really deliver me if I wouldn’t have the obedience to put them down and not light up to begin with. The problem was, that deep down, inside my heart I really did want to quit. I prayed many times for God to give me the “want to” to want to quit smoking. That may sound goofy, but as much as I hate to admit it, I really had no desire to quit and truly enjoyed it. Or I should say, my flesh enjoyed it.
Many times, when God is looking for our obedience, it’s not always in the natural – such as not lighting up, or deciding not to go to that porn site or deciding not to cheat on your spouse although there is a “sense” of obedience in deciding not to do the things we know will get us into trouble. More importantly, standing on the promises he has given you. Whether those promises were 20 years ago or yesterday. Many times its simply saying “it is done” and then reminding ourselves as well as the devil that it’s not that we say so, but that the Lord says it’s so.
We all have our own “sack of rocks” so to speak. Whether or not we choose to carry them around with us for the rest of our lives or allow God to chisel them and refine them into beautiful diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires is up to us. He will not take us where we are not willing to go. Knowing and understanding where that is, I believe can be a lifelong journey. Many know what they are supposed to be doing, but because of lack of faith in themselves they never rise to the occasion. The understanding of this principle is imperative to moving into one’s destiny. It is my desire that this is merely something that will drive the point home that was opened up to me and that I believe the Lord wants the church to know. The time is now and time is short. God wants to do something mighty in His house. We, as the church, have no idea of the magnitude. This is only the beginning.
It’s time we start taking our lives back, our homes back, our families back and our dreams back. Begin speaking to your mountains today. Stand on God’s promise and tell the devil that IT IS
DONE.
By:
Stephannie Martin
Live Through Him
The Bible says that we have the ability to “live THROUGH Christ…” (1John 4:9) That means we have the ability, the right, and the authority to LIVE OUT of the LIFE of Christ. I am learning to live out of what Jesus died for. He died for my freedom… I choose to live free from all care, burdens, weights, and sins! Jesus died for my victory so I choose to live in victory and be bound by nothing! I am not bound by fear, rejections, condemnation, or opinions. Jesus died so I could have a personal relationship with Him, close to His heart. With Him every moment of every day. So no matter what the world or
my flesh tell me… I will not let ANYTHING separate me from His love for me. This is what it means to Live the Life of Christ or live Christʼs Life. These are just to name a few of the things Christ died for, so that you and I can live through. I donʼt have time to talk about His Authority, His peace, His dominion, His foreknowledge, etc. Just let me say…you lack nothing while living THROUGH the life of Christ!
Making History,
Pastor David Edmondson
Parents, Pray The Answer
Are you praying the problem or the answer? Often times, we have situations in our lives that challenge our faith and prayer lives. How we respond to these challenges has the potential for either building our faith stronger than it’s ever been or leading us into a wilderness that’s hard to maneuver.
There was a time in my life where a change in my response made a huge difference in the strength of my faith. My teenage son had turned his back on God and family and was living a life that would keep any parent from sleeping at night. People at church would ask “How’s your son doing?” My response was usually something like “He’s still living in the world.” until one day when I was praying and I kept hearing myself say that over and over. I felt weaker every time I heard it play in my head. I remember saying to myself “You’ve been praying the problem. Start praying the answer.”. From that day on, my response was “He’s coming home!” And he did. A few months later, my son came home. He was skinnier than I had ever seen him and his skin had a green tint. His body was not healthy from everything he had put in it. But my God is bigger than any damage he had done to his body. My prayer and “answer” was then “Lord, You called my son to Your work at a very early age. I don’t believe You will let anything he did in the world hinder Your will in his life. Thank you for delivering him from evil and for restoring his health so that he can serve you all the days of his life.” I held fast to Isaiah 53:5 which tells us we “are” healed by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It was done over 2000 years ago. I believed God had delivered my son from every bad chemical he put in his body but I also believed that God was restoring his body and that no negative impact on his body could exist.
Over the next few months, God had me breathe life back into my son by way of speaking His Word to my son, and edifying his spirit man. I began to see my little boy come back alive minus the rage that had previously been there.
Twelve years later and my son is an incredible man with a heart for God that melts my heart. He serves our Lord with zeal and in ways I believe only he, with the experiences he went through, could think of. He found the wife God had picked out for him and together, they have a beautiful daughter who also has a heart for God and His love. God’s favor has certainly found a home in my son’s life and I thank Him every day for loving him through all the “junk” to get him to a grace-filled life.
I share this because I believe there are parents today that are discouraged by what they see their children doing. Pray the answer! Not the problem. God hears your prayers and responds. Believe it! I did.
Bamboo
You can’t have fruit without the root…
Today, while reading my devotional, God revealed several things to me. The first thing is that we tend to get hung up on the little things. I think that is true for many people in this world – both saved and Read More…
Golden Nuggets
Ya know, everyone has a story. Everyone. Every Christian has a testimony. Some are more dramatic than others, but each and every one has something someone can relate to. I’m really beginning to understand that we all do truly have a purpose, a position we alone can fill. In building that testimony, God may take us through very different training programs to accomplish his will. Each person has a Read More…
The Higher Standard
Many times in life, as we are growing in the Lord, He will ask us to give up some little something we may be putting before Him. Sometimes, it’s a secret – maybe it’s lust, or a crutch– such as cigarettes, Read More…
The Trust Factor
In my prayer time today, God revealed something to me. One of the things I was thinking and praying about was for a friend who was not really worried about their finances, but had been thinking about it enough to bring it up. The tone in their voice told me that they weren’t worried about the Lord providing, but maybe the how to of it all. Anyway, in that moment, God spoke to me and said, “Many can trust Read More…
Be Still
So I’ve been feeling the urge to do a blog but honestly I’ve been too scared. Then I got reminded of doing one a few days ago and it’s been in my spirit but I haven’t had anything specific to say. I just started taking my first year of Covenant Life Seminary and we are required to read a book called “Dialogue With God” by Mark and Vicki Virkler (highly recommended). We have learned how to communicate with God on more of a personal level than anything. I couldn’t put this book down. It really helps you and teaches you how to turn off your mind and turn on your spirit and your heart in order to really hear the voice of God. Well, tonight I was going to give it a go and practice what I’ve been reading and studying. The one thing I kept remembering is to turn off the analytical and turn on the spontaneous. Last class we learned and read on how to just BE in God’s presence. To just BE still and let God speak. So this is what I did. Now, I’m not gonna lie, I sat there. And I sat there. I wrote a Read More…
The Marriage Preparation
If you are married you know first hand of all the detailed, carefully and deliberate arrangements that are required for a wedding. Planning usually starts months and months ahead of the wedding, and is not uncommon to start even years before the actual wedding. If you are the bride you know this to be especially true, as in our western culture and most others the wedding is centered around the bride, not the groom. Grooms, you too take part in this planning, however it is usually the bride who labors most and harbors and cherishes those times in her heart most. If you’ve never been married, most of us have been in a wedding, or know of people who have labored to prepare for the wedding day.
It is common in America these days for couples (and parents) to spend thousands of dollars, and sometimes tens of thousands, on that single day. Reserving the reception hall and church, picking the colors and theme of the wedding/reception, the dresses and tuxedos, the music, the vows, the minster, the flowers and decorations, the reception food and decor, the photography and videography, the cake, picking the small things out like napkins and dining ware, the invitations, the balloons, and the list just never ends. It takes months and months and for some years to choreograph all of these things into the perfect wedding.
And all of that for one single day. That day will come and go just like every other day since God set night and day into motion. That day can never be relived, replaced, nor restarted. It is a day in history, and for the most of us a sweet day of precious memories that will live on with us.
This one day sets the stage for a lifetime of marriage to our spouse. It is, in essence, the launching pad for our marriage. From this day we vow to love and cherish our spouse, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. What a sweet experience a wedding is.
Several days ago, early one Saturday morning I was driving to my squadron, listening to some deep worship and singing along, praying at times, having a quick time with God on the way to work in the car. I was worshipping to a song about the marriage super of the Lamb. The song is an IHOP song I’ve listened to countless times over the last year or so. I felt the presence of the Lord come over me while I was driving and as clear as someone talking to me I heard the Lord ask me, “What are you doing to prepare for the marriage of the Lamb? Are you preparing yourself as the bride for the groom?” I quickly found myself in tears from just the awesomeness, for lack of better words, of being in the presence of God and hearing His voice. This was one of those moments when you felt like you had just been hit in the gut. I pulled into my squadron’s parking lot with a hurting heart. I had to quickly put on my military face and get inside for roll call. Throughout the day I kept thinking of those two questions God asked me. I just knew those questions were meant for me personally, but also for the body of Christ.
Later, after work, I had some free time to do some searching in the Word. Revelation 19:7 says “Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself”, key phrase “…and His wife has prepared herself.” Revelation 21:2 says, “And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband”, key phrase there “prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband.”
In these two verses it is important to note that in both cases the bride was “prepared”, she took the necessary steps to make herself ready for her future husband. I think “prepared as a bride” means one doesn’t just become a bride by default. It takes work and preparation to become the bride. Can you imagine a wedding today where the bride was not prepared, the necessary plans and arrangements had not been set into place, nor arranged for? What kind of wedding would it be? What if the groom had prepared himself and expected his bride to be prepared also, but was sadly surprised? I can imagine that wedding would have an awkward undertone at best.
I love my wife Crystal with everything that I am, and although we didn’t have a big, elaborate wedding, she prepared herself to be the bride. If I, who am not good, born into a sinful world, love my wife with everything I am, how much more then can the Lamb of God, who is good and perfect love His bride? My love can be measured because everything I am is limited, but Jesus is limitless and his love is so great it cannot be measured. He love His bride, you and I, with this same love. He longs to be with us, He loves everything about us, He is attracted to our human nature, He longs to wipe our tears and embrace us as His own. His passionate love for His bride simply cannot be expressed in words.
Right now Jesus is preparing himself as the bridegroom. John 14:2-3 says, “…I go to prepare a place for you.” In the ancient Jewish culture, weddings were centered around the groom, not the bride. They also took place in a series of events: before the betrothal, the betrothal, and the marriage. It was customary for the groom’s father to arrange for the marriage of the groom and bride to be. God the Father is responsible for this according to Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved)”.
During the betrothal a ceremony was held where the groom and bride to be would publicly express their desire to be engaged to each other. Jesus did this for us on the cross, as Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” There a couple of other things done in the betrothal, but I’ll skip those for now.
Last the wedding. Before the wedding, and just after the betrothal, the groom would begin to prepare a place for himself and his future bride, oftentimes in the home of the groom’s parents. The groom’s father would oversee this process and would not allow his son to go get his bride to be until he felt that the dwelling place was ready for the new couple. Once the father approved, the bridegroom would set off to get his bride, where his bride was waiting for him, prepared to leave with him at any given notice.
Right now, at this very moment, Christ is preparing a dwelling place in his father’s House for His bride and Himself! Again John 14:2-3 says, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ is preparing himself for His bride! Yes, even Christ, who was tempted in every area of sin yet did not sin, the same Christ who was and is perfect and is spotless without blemish, the same Christ who has all power, all authority, in heaven, on earth, and everywhere, and sits at the hand of God, the place of power…is laboring for you and me and his bride. If this is so, and believe me it is, how much more should we, as the bride of Christ, live by His example and prepare ourselves for the wedding of all weddings, to the King of all kings and the Lord of all Lords? And the answer to that question is by every measure given to us.
Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that having denied ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live discreetly, righteously and godly, in this present world, looking for the blessed hope, and the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a special people, zealous of good works.” This passage says it all, “we should live discreetly, righteously and godly, in this present world.” By doing this, we are preparing ourselves to be the bride of Christ!
This all takes full circle when in Revelation 19:8-9 John writes, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God.”
We are all called to be the bride through Christ Jesus. Prepare yourselves as a bride who is loved passionately and immeasurably by her bridegroom. Search out the Word on living a life of righteousness and holiness, and then do just that. Jesus is not looking for a bride who recited a 2 minute prayer on asking Him to come into their heart and has perfect attendance in Sunday School. He is looking for a bride whose heart is genuinely given to him and whose life bears witness of this by the producing of good fruit!
I urge you and encourage you to search your heart now, to prepare yourselves as the most beautiful and magnificent bride that eternity will ever see, to be given to the bridegroom who will never leave you nor forsake you. Do this and I believe that Christ’s breath will be taken away when he sees his bride, prepared for Him. Prepare yourselves
The Strong Man
As I have been praying and studying for a Word from the Lord for His people, I have been lead to deal with the subject “The Strong Man”. Jesus says in Luke chapter 11:17-21 “But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace:” We know that Jesus was being accused of casting out devils by the spirit of satan. But Jesus knew what they were saying and addressed there misunderstanding by presenting us with an incredible spiritual truth. Jesus talked about division and basically shows us that no matter how strong we are, if our homes are divided then they will fall. You see when it comes to fighting spiritual battles, it doesn’t matter how physically strong you are, how much money you have, or how much wisdom you have. If your home, church, work place, or team is ambushed by a plague of division then that kingdom will fall.
Jesus told the people that you can not over take a strong man’s house with out first binding up the strong man. Now Jesus was speaking straight to the face of satan and hell itself here without the people even knowing it. Jesus later says, “Unless a stronger man comes and overtakes the strong man then the house can not be destroyed. Jesus was declaring that His Kingdom had come to provide victory to all of man kind. That the Spirit of Jesus was stronger that satan himself or any and all of his demons. Jesus was declaring that He was stronger than them and that He had come to bind satan and his demons to eventually destroy their kingdom! You better know one thing for sure… Our God is ALL POWERFUL! He has given us the Power of Holy Spirit that through the Name of Jesus EVERY strong man of the enemy has to fall at our feet! The gates of hell shall not prevail… is what Jesus told Peter. Because of the “ROCK” who is Jesus we have the strength and authority to protect our homes, churches, families, and lives and to destroy every kingdom that satan tries to set up around us!
We must realize that God has given us as men and women to be the strong men of our homes. The enemy will come and try to bind us. He will try to bind us with addictions, arguments, disagreements, and such but these are all tactics to bring division within our home so he can bring destruction. We have the power, the authority, and the right to stand against him and we will win! Notice the scripture says, “a strong man who is armed…”. We must be armed properly to defend our homes and our children. Ephesians chapter 6 verses 13 through 18 says, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” If we will arm ourselves and stand in the gap for our home and our families then we will be victorious. The same power Jesus proclaimed he had to over take the enemy and to destroy his kingdom has been given to us. We are the Strong Men and Women of our homes! Arm yourselves and Stand!
Making History,
Pastor David Edmondson
New Sermons Online
The past few weeks church services are online now. You can watch them at http://covenantconnectionschurch.com/church-online/archived-sermons
No More Dry Seasons
As I was preparing for Sunday morning service I was prompted in my spirit to write a blog to give you a Word… a taste of what God is going to speak to us this Sunday at Covenant Connections Church, Flowery Branch. I want you to read this blog and allow Holy Spirit to speak to you and prepare your hearts for the message this Sunday!! I heard the Lord say on Tuesday… “No More Dry Season”! I believe that there is a place in God where we can live in total victory ALL THE TIME! I donʼt believe that Jesus would die to give us life more abundantly than the world, then choose for us to be up and down and in and out of living the victorious life. The abundant life is the ability to live in victory throughout every season of your life. I believe this with all of my heart and the Bible backs up my theological view as well. So what is the problem. Why were you on fire for God 3 months ago but now you are dry and parched in your walk with God? Why, during the last season of your life were you full of faith and expectancy, but now you are ready to throw in the towel on your relationship with the Lord and your church.
Why were you involved in church and ministry just a few weeks ago but now you have backed off from all ministry outlets and your vision for your ministry has dried up and blowing away in the winds of the “valley of dry bones?” The answer is… you have gotten to far from the water. Psa. 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man, Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. You have allowed yourself to change seats. You use to praise God through every circumstance but now you have become critical and questioning. You use to sit in His presence and bask in His love, but now you are to busy sitting at the mall…the ball fields (oh me, sorry Lord)… and listening to other peoples opinions about what you should do or not do. The well you are drawing from has changed. You serve the same God. He has the same promises for your life. He still wants to bless you and be a part of your life, but you have changed wells. You have gotten to far from the water! So what now? Should you quit? Should you throw in the towel and go back to living in sin? No!!! Listen to what Job 14:7-9 says, “For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant.” I want to tell you that if you will draw near unto God that He WILL draw near unto you! I smell the scent of water! God is ready to poor out His Spirit upon ALL flesh. He is ready to refresh us and bring us into an everlasting season. A season of blessing, visions, and promise. I smell the scent of water! I sense roots in your spirit are growing again! I hear things cracking, snapping, and popping! It is the sound of your roots reaching out for the water of His Spirit! You can enter into a place of No More Dry Seasons! Itʼs your choice. Pull your seat back up to His table and refuse to leave. He is sitting on the well… He is waiting on you to come!
Making History,
Pastor David Edmondosn
Super Jesus
I recently preached a sermon at Covenant Connections Church, Flowery Branch. I drew a parallel between Jesus and Supermen. I would like to take a few minutes and share with you some incredible thoughts that I brought forth from that sermon. I hope you enjoy and I pray the Father brings encouragement and vision to you as you read this blog.
We all need a super hero at times in our lives. We all need someone who is stronger than we are in that moment, under the pressures of that particular circumstance to come an lift us up when when have fallen down. After all Jesus fell under the weight of His cross, so what makes you think you can carry the weight of your cross all by your self?
Now we are not children any more… We know and understand that when we are in the midst of trouble that Spiderman is not going to come repelling off a sky scrapper to swoop us up and deliver us from our circumstance. We know Batman will not come screeching around the corner in His bat-mobile to step out with his side-kick Robin and fly us back to the safety of peace. The Incredible Hulk is not going to come and lift your house payment off of you, or pick your car payment up and throw it into the dark abbis. When you get into trouble… We know that not even Superman with His Blue Suite, Red Cape, and Golden “S” symbol will not be flying in to swoop us up and carry us away to a safer place. But there is a Super Hero that will come! A Super Hero we can depend on! His Name is Jesus!!!
Think back to all the accounts you have heard from the Bible. Memories of Jesus healing the blind, raising the dead, healing the leper, and giving strength to the legs of men that never walked before. God is able and God is willing! Jesus will come. He will show up in the midst of crisis and make a way of escape! There is a way of escape but often times we must find it. We must wipe the tears from our eyes, stand up, and begin to search for the way of escape that Super Jesus has prepared for us. He will supply for our need! He is a God of preparation. Nothing sneaks up on Him. God never intended for man kind to experience sickness but He created our bodies with an immune system. He is prepared to be you hero! Are you preparing to allow Him to be?
One important comparison between Superman and Super Jesus has to do with the popular “S”-shield that is upon Superman’s cape. The “S” on the cape of Superman is actually Kryptonian meaning “hope”. Oh my… every time someone was in a crisis and thy saw that “S” symbol flying through the air. “Hope” means “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, • a person or thing that may help or save someone, • grounds for believing that something good may happen, or a feeling of trust. See we must know and have an expectation that there is someone who will come and save us. There is a God that is touched by the feeling of our infirmities… His Name is (Super) Jesus!
Lastly, all Super Heroes have a weakness, a thorn in the flesh, a reminder of their humanity. Superman’s weakness was Kryptonite. When touched by Kryptonite, Superman would be drained of all his Supernatural Powers and become weak and eventually He would die. We all have things that cause us to become weak and even die when we touch them. Those things that keep us from staying victorious. Things that when we choose to touch them they drain us of our spirituality and make us react in a carnal way. It’s those things that eventually destroy us and cause us to fall short of our destiny. Now, we blame God when things go wrong but in essence it is our fault. We choose to touch the Kryptonite and the Bible already tells us the the “wages of sin IS death”. But even Jesus had a Kryptonite… a weakness… a thorn in the flesh. So that every time He was touched by this one thing it caused Him to step down from His Super Natural Powers and become human again. Jesus had a desire for something that was so real that it caused Him to step down from heaven and come to this Earth just to have the freedom to tough it. As a matter of fact it was this Kryptonite that cause Jesus to eventually die. What was Jesus’ weakness… what was his thorn in the flesh… what was Jesus’ Kryptonite…..? Jesus’ Kryptonite was His BRIDE! That’s right, You are His weakness. You are the reason that Super Jesus will show up. He has always responded to the cry of His bride. So today… right now… in this moment, look to Him and I promise you will see something. You will see something in the air flying into your situation. Is it a bird… is it a plane…. No It’s Super Jesus! He Is Coming!!!
MAking History,
Pastor David Edmondson
“3 Things You Need to be a Super Hero”
I am just reflecting on the last months theme at Covenant Connections Church Flowery Branch Ga. The theme of the month was entitled “Super Heroes” and it was fabulous. The Lord really ministered to us in a speacial way. I just wanted to tell you about a few things the Lord showed us. I hope it will help you.
We found out that we all have the potential to be Super Heroes! There are only 3 things you need to be a Super Hero, the first thing you need to be a super hero is “a Crisis”. Without a crisis there is no need for a super heroe. I know you were thinking I was going to say you needed strength, or wisdom, or speacial forces but that is not the case. Every Super Hero needs a crisis. You know you never see a super hero arrive until there is a crisis. There is no need for super heroes until there is trouble. If you are facing a crisis right now… don’t give up and don’t give in… realize God is giving you the oportunity to become a Super Hero!!!
The second thing you need to be a super hero is a “Cause”. See a crisis will always give birth to a cause. A reason to fight, a reason to keep going. Without a cause you will lay down and die. King David came to the armies of Israel and looked at Goliath and said “Is there not a cause” to fight this uncircumsized Philistine. He was saying we have a reason to fight. Lets go kill this idiot! There was a crisis that birthed a cause within David to pick up his sling shot and staff and go head to head with someone who was much bigger and “bader” than he was, but we know this was God’s way of revealing to us another Super Hero!
The third thing you need to be a super hero is “Courage”. A crisis will brith a cause, then a cause will produce the courage you need to to step forward and face the giants in your life. These are the three things you need to become a super hero. We all have the potential to become a super hero! Don’t falter in crisis. Don’t forget the cause. Lastly don’t let anything still your courage to keep on fighting!!!
More to come on this topic… Next time, “Super Jesus”…
Real
There is a first for everything, and today is a first for me. Welcome to my blogattempt. I can’t promise anything …. I’ve never done this before.
When I think about writing this, the word that repeatedly comes to my mindis “real”. When you’re blogging and typing thoughts out into a proverbial crowd in cyber space, it is much easier to be uncensored or unfiltered. Instead of saying things a certain way to gain approval or reactions from the ones we are speaking with, we have an opportunity to be raw. I started thinking, what if we were to treat our relationship with God like that? Rather than trying to impress God by acting a certain way towards Him or worrying about getting the words to come out elegantly, what if we just purely and uninhibitedly interacted with Him? What if we had a meaningful relationship outside of the “shoulds”. I mean, God isn’t out there miles and miles away or high up on this unreachable level. After all, he sent us Jesus, God in man. He meets us where we are! We don’t need to have it all together or know just the right way to act and just the right thing to say. He sees us at our best and at our worst, so the only one we’d be fooling is ourselves. But to have a real relationship with Him, a real love with Him, that’s when lives get changed! He already loves us with an everlasting love! There’s nothing you could do that would drive Him away. We serve a very real God with a very real love, shouldn’t we, in turn, be just as real? By letting Him in, we’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. To fully be the church we’ve set out to be, it starts with us as an individual. Being real people opens us up to experience and give real worship and as a result, we become a real church doing real good for the Kingdom of God. I’m so excited for what the future holds!
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!
Cassie
No “I” in TEAM… but there should be!
What do you do when you have reached the place you think is the end? The place where giving up is not the easiest thing to do but perhaps the only thing to do. You have heard it often said, “When you reach the end of your rope… tie a knot in it and don’t let go.” But it is hard to tie that knot when it takes both of your hands to hold on… so what do you do? I think the best thing to keep you hanging on or refusing to quit is to look around you at those that will fall with you when you let go. I mean, when you get to a place of desperation… before you give up… think of the ones that depend on you to make it. There are people all around you that depend on you to make it through. Not only that, there are people who have died in the faith that are depending on you to make it as well.
I think the greatest enemy to greatness could be selfishness. When people get to the place where all they think about is themselves. Then they begin to make decisions based on their individual benefit. There is not one decision you have made or will ever make that will only have effects on your life alone. So when you feel like you have nothing left to give… think of others that depend on you to keep giving any way.
You have heard it said that there is no “I” in TEAM. This is true in spelling, and perhaps true when it comes to accomplishing a goal or vision, but I would dare to say that while we are promoting the “team” we are loosing the “I’s”. So many times people get caught up in the value of others that they loose the value of themselves. We say things like, “Oh somebody else will do it. Or they don’t need me.” I am wanting everyone to hear me say with and emphatic voice… there is no TEAM with out YOU! We have become a society who has lost the value of the individual while trying to strive for the unity of the team. Not realizing that it takes a lot of “I’s” to make up one team. So I would like to encourage you to look around you at all the people that depend on you to make it… and… well, make it! You are important to God or you wouldn’t be here! Lift up your head, throw back your shoulders, and smile! Smile at yourself and know that this to shall pass but it will not overtake you! There is no I in TEAM……. Well there should be!
You are the I that we need!!!
Making History,
Pastor David Edmondson
Christians Protecting Muslims During Prayer
Below is an image captured and posted on Twitter by @NevineZaki link to http://yfrog.com/h02gvclj. This image is of Christians in Cairo Egypt protecting Muslims while they are praying. This was an amazing image that I wanted to share because I believe this type of love is amazing. God is so good! Pray for Egypt and the people. God can use this situation for His good!
Living in the Land of In-Between 2
Living in the Land of In-Between; How to survive the days while you wait on His Promise
I find myself living in between life and death lately, and the stark contrast has moved my heart in ways I didn’t expect. Recently, I had the pleasure of holding a newborn baby in my arms. I took a deep breath of her sweet smell and thought about how pure she was. I prayed for her life with lots of faith that her destiny would be full of God’s promises. Her parents and I rejoiced over her new life and the New Life it will bring to their home! I honestly believe that their lives will never be the same again. It was a very sweet moment for me and I felt privileged to be a part of the beginning of this new life!
On the other hand, this past week my Dad has been really struggling with dementia. He is grappling with some news he received about the passing of the last of his circle of friends from his hometown. He feels alone and doesn’t understand why God hasn’t yet taken him. He cries daily for my mother to “come get him”. Watching him fail, physically, mentally and emotionally has taken quite a toll on me. I can see his pain and frustration and I feel a lot empathy for him. But I also sense that perhaps his time isn’t up because he simply is not ready.
Oh, he thinks he is ready but I know that he isn’t ready spiritually. His faith in his church suffered a huge blow over the scandal of priests and abuse. He stopped tithing and attending mass. He even went so far as to refuse the priest’s request to visit with Mom when she passed last year. This is why I know he is not ready—because he only sees God through circumstances and the actions of people. He is looking at man and letting the actions of men set his view of God. Man failed him, his children failed him, and thus, he sees God as failing him.
It’s a funny thing cause it’s the very same thing I did. I “saw” God as being like my Dad, who—when I was little—was a very harsh task-master. It was difficult to please him and get any sense of acceptance from him, and I let that spill over into my view of God. But God has been very good to me and in His great loving kindness, He worked to heal that section of my heart that harbored those lies—that false and warped image of God hidden in my heart. So I know that God can heal my Dad’s false and warped image of Him. And though Dad may not have a lot of time left here on earth, all that matters is where he will spend eternity, forever. So, I continue to trust God that He is faithful to the end and I can wait on His promise for my Dad’s salvation.
So today I am praying for life; a new life, one full of promise and hope, innocent and pure, undefiled, and an old life, one full of sadness and regret, weary and defiled by years and years of pain and pride. Psalm 23 is my cry. May the Good Shepherd watch over both these sheep and give each one what they need today.
I’m Lu Allison and I’m still “in-Between” but I am moving forward! Join me on my journey.
