About Mount Hope Church

We Are Family. Mount Hope Church is a community of people who love God and others—and that includes YOU! As a church family, it’s exciting to grow alongside others of all ages and backgrounds, coming together to experience the hope that is found only in Jesus. It is our desire that as you encounter God’s love and amazing grace at Mount Hope Church, you will truly feel a part of the family as we say, “Welcome Home!”

Praying As A Family

Creating Culture:

In creating a culture of prayer in our homes, the first two things that pop into my brain are the things that have become a cliche’ in the conversation of prayer at home—pray before bed and pray at meals. That’s step one: this is communicating that we are wanting to thank God for what he has given us eg: food, home, family. And also thank him for his protection and love covering us before we sleep.

Example:

When working towards building a culture of prayer in your home, it starts with you, the parent, guardian, or grown-up in the household. How are you showing your prayer life to your kids? When you’re having your prayer time, invite your kiddos to join you! Give them the space to see how you interact with God. Kids learn from watching you, they will model what they see. That’s why it is so important for them to see how you interact with God.

Share:

It’s not only important for your kids to be allowed into your prayer time, but for your prayer time to seep into your life. When you’re doing life, how often do you stop and acknowledge God’s presence in the space you’re in? This is a healthy way to model how God is always with us and wanting to talk with us. Praying when something amazing happens and giving thanks to God lets our kids know we are a thankful household. When we talk to God when we are experiencing something difficult, we are showing that we are trusting God even when we don’t know the outcome.

Talk About It:

Another way to create a prayer centered culture in your home is to have conversations about prayer, what it is and how we pray. We are created to commune with God. What a great opportunity we have to steward the little hearts we have in our care towards the heart of the Father.

It is such an amazing opportunity we have to help our kids get to know what prayer is. Understanding prayer is a foundational concept which they can carry with them their whole lives. As a parent, or guardian, it is so amazing that we get to share what this means and we get to model this for our kids! Below we have some questions and conversion helps for you and your family to engage in a conversation about prayer!

Questions and Conversation Helpers:

  • What is prayer?
    Prayer is the open door God has given us to talk with him. Prayer is a conversation that doesn’t ever have to end. When we talk to God, we can talk to him about anything. Something so great about prayer is that God hears us everywhere we are!
  • Why do we pray?
    When you accept Jesus into your heart, that was the first day of your relationship with God! When you’re friends with someone you want to tell them everything and hear everything they have to say; that’s how it is with God. He wants to hear what you have to say and wants you to be able to hear what he has to say to you!
  • How do we pray?
    Praying is talking to God, you can pray with other people, or by yourself. You can pray out loud or quietly. There isn’t just one way to talk to God, He can even hear your thoughts, so you don’t even have to speak out loud at all!

Called Out – The Church

The word “church” comes from two Greek words: Called and Out. The Strong’s Concordance reads this way: “called out from their homes to gather together.” We know the Church is not a building, and the Church is not just believers in Christ. The Church is believers called out—yes, called out of darkness and into the light of Jesus, and also called out of our homes to gather together.

Over the last year, many believers have become accustomed to watching the Church instead of gathering with the Church. Please hear my heart, I understand some are unable to gather right now. One of my concerns about this season is that believers may settle into a routine of being apart from the family—the local Church—and that’s a dangerous place to be. When we become born again, God adopts us into His family. He puts us into a local church that gathers together to worship. 

The bottom line is that we were never called just to watch. Out of all the things we watch in life, the Church is not supposed to be one of them. The believers gathered—that’s the Church—something we participate in. We all play our part to help somebody else grow. We encourage one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens… and mostly, we love one another. We gather to be equipped for the going. I love you and want the best for you.  

I could not be more excited about the moments we are living in. Something from Heaven that will go global is about to be birthed out of this family called Mount Hope Church. I feel it in my bones. I’m so glad that the Lord has added you to The Hope, and I am so looking forward to seeing you soon!

Getting Out Of A Spiritual Rut

Refuse to go through the motions without emotions.

Pray right now, asking the Lord to wake up your sleepy heart. If receiving holy communion doesn’t move you emotionally, you’re in a rut. If your heart no longer erupts with joy as you sing about the grace of God and the blood of Jesus, you’re in a rut. If that is you, take heart. The Lord loves you so much He comes to you, He comes to wake up His sleepy Bride. The Apostle Paul spoke to sleeping Christians in one of the greatest churches of the day, Ephesus, and said: “Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14). Now stir up the gift of God that is in you. Get around some people that are passionate about God, let the embers of their life light up something fresh from the Spirit in you.

Choose holier over older. 

Samson fell into the trap of getting older, but not any holier. He had the call—he was God’s man of the hour—but he thought that his conduct didn’t have to line up with his God. His self-deception led him to eventually lose his eyes and then his life. If you take a glance at your life for a minute, are you getting holier? Do your conversations sound more like the way Jesus talks? Are the fruits of the Holy Spirit evident in your life? (See Galatians 5:22-23.) The Scriptures say, “Wake up to righteousness, and stop sinning” (1 Corinthians 15:34). I encourage you to read the book, “The Beauty of Holiness” by Pastor Dave Williams. As he mentions right on the cover, it is an exciting pursuit!

Stay tight with the family. 

I’ve noticed something while making campfires. If I want to get a fizzling fire to start bursting into flames, I just push the burning embers together. If I want to get a fire to go out, I just spread the embers out, and eventually, the fire dies. In these last days before the return of Christ, you can expect that persecution will increase as sin will run rampant everywhere. At the same time, there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like this world has never seen before. We are told that many in the last days will depart from the faith as the tension between this world’s kingdom and God’s kingdom increases. The Apostle Paul said, “Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Your alliances are critical in this season. 

Dust Settles

We were made by God out of dust, and if we are not careful, we will act just like dust and settle. When COVID came on the scene last year, I remember telling our church family, “When the world goes back to normal, don’t go with them.” But I think we did, at least to a degree. In some ways, we slowly settled back into our regular routine. No more! I felt strongly a few weeks ago that we must break out of the rut. We simply cannot experience the transformation God has for us this year as long as we keep doing the same thing. The word of the Lord to Moses speaks to us today: 

When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord God said to us, “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It’s time to break camp and
move on.” – Deuteronomy 1:6-7

The Lord was telling Israel there was a promised land for them, flowing with milk and honey. He was saying, “Look! I’m giving it to you, now go in and occupy it!” Where the Lord has taken us as a church family is good, but we have not arrived. I hear the Lord saying to Mount Hope, “Come up higher! There is more than what you have been walking in. I’ve given it to you. Wake up, my Bride… wake up, my Beauty!” If you’ve found yourself in a spiritual rut, how do you get out? 

I Feel It In My Bones

Dear friend, I love you, thank God for you, and am praying for you. The last several months have been filled with both immense challenges and tremendous opportunities. I see God at work, positioning us for another Great Awakening. I hear the sound of a transformation coming! Look what happens when the sounds of Heaven hit the earth:  

When they heard the loud noise,
everyone came running! – Acts 2:6

The sound from Heaven filled the house where they were sitting. Then everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages (Acts 2:2-4). A new sound came out of the believers that day. First, there was a sound from Heaven, then a sound from the Church, and so it is today. 

I hear a new sound coming out of the church today. It’s the sound of hunger, thirst, repentance, and uncontrollable joy! Years ago, I woke up prophesying loudly in my sleep, “The hungry are coming! The hungry are coming!” Now I see them—I  see among us the hungry and thirsty, the very people God promises to fill (Isaiah 44:3). I hear the shouts of joy! Joy comes, and it’s on the way! Joy is coming! As the Scriptures say, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalms 30:5).

Come Up Here

Tension… have you felt it lately? 

The Apostle John, and the Christians in the churches he is writing to, stand between two worlds… and there is great tension. In this world, Satan has his throne surrounded with sexual immorality, compromise, mixture, and mass deception. John, in the midst of this world, was “canceled,” rejected, and put on an island full of prisoners. The cancel culture of his day sought to cancel his voice and his faith… and eventually cancel his life.

At the same time, John was part of another world. As a child of God through faith in Christ, he was part of a heavenly family. So there he was worshiping the Lord, becoming more aware of God’s kingdom and God’s throne when he suddenly heard the Lord’s voice and saw a glimpse of the Master. His feet were on the earth, but his heart and mind and emotions were in Heaven. Then it happened…

“Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.’” – Revelation 4:1

I hear the Lord saying to us… “Come up here. I want you to come up higher.”

“When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on.’” – Deuteronomy 1:6-7

The greatest threat to the Church is not the liveliness of sin around us, but the deadness in us.  It is the Church settling for life stuck in a rut. In becoming so much like the world, if we don’t feel any tension, we will make no impact. Remember that the Church is made of believers called out to gather—the gathering of the saints. It is not any more or less than the individuals that make up the gathering; you cannot change the Church without changing the individuals. So, the Lord is personally calling you higher!

John saw a door standing open in Heaven—a door that shows us the unlocked access. For some, Heaven seems distant to everyday reality on Earth, yet it is close at hand and saturates all that takes place on Earth. This opened the Apostle John’s senses as he took the journey higher. He would see and hear things he never experienced before:

“I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.” – 2 Corinthians 12:4

“And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.”  – Revelation 4:2-3

Jesus said we get to come boldly before the throne! We have been seated with Christ in heavenly places. While we are all too aware of what’s available in this earthly realm, we do not want to miss what’s in Heaven that we can bring to Earth.

The occupied throne is the focus of all John sees in his visit to Heaven. It is significant to point out that the throne is a powerful declaration of God’s presence and sovereign, rightful reign; His responsibility to guide, care for and judge His creation. We won’t think rightly about anything in life until we settle in our minds that there is an occupied throne in Heaven, and from that throne, God actively rules over the affairs of the earth right now.

The atheist says, “There is no throne, no seat of authority or power that the entire universe must answer to, no God who gives us life or guidelines for living.” The humanist says, “There is a throne and I sit on it; I make the rules for living as I see fit.”

As a Christ-follower, if you see God on the throne, you won’t keep trying to get on it. When you see that the throne is not empty, you get some peace that God knows what He is doing… He has the proper time. Your prayer has been heard; now trust in God’s proper time for the answer.

An angel told Zechariah: “For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” – Luke 1:20

What does John see happening around God’s occupied throne?

Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”  – Revelation 4:4-11

We live with the tension of being between two worlds. The question is: How do we live in such a way where we become more aware of the Kingdom of Heaven than this earthly kingdom? How do we awaken our spiritual senses?

Repent!

The transformation of our life starts right here. REPENT. This means an absolute and ultimate surrender to God and decision to turn from our sins. In the letters to the churches we’ve been studying in Revelation, Jesus called them to repent five times!

“Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.” – Revelation 2:5

“Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again.”  – Revelation 3:3

What is it you heard and believed at first? Hold firmly to it.

The word repent is for the church, not just those who don’t know Christ. Repentance is a growing, Kingdom lifestyle, not just a one-time thing. The Lord, in His amazing grace, has been taking us through a season of repentance… and it’s making our spiritual senses come alive!

Worship.

Want your spiritual senses to come alive?  Look what John did:

“It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.” – Revelation 1:10, 12

While John still had the smell of the prison in his nose, when he could hear the prisoners, when he could still feel the sting of being canceled, rejected… he worshiped!

Worship is foundational to your life as a right view of God! Knowing God’s hand is on everything in your life will banish fear. Knowing angels worship God nonstop, shouldn’t that prompt our worship also? As we worship, we begin to see all of life from Heaven’s perspective. This means we rise above the hysteria, hype, and deceptions in this world. A life of worship is to live above the temptations to conform.

Worship also paints a powerful picture of unity. In Revelation 4, we see the unity of the elders and the four living beings. The elders represent the people of God—the Church—all the faithful, different people of different times, worshiping together in unity! Church, the family that should be worshiping together has been fighting. Satan has tried to divide God’s family. How foolish to allow the issues of this passing world to divide people from another world. Let’s be reminded that the things that unite us are bigger than the things that could divide us.

Bring Some of Heaven to Earth. 

Remember how Jesus told us to pray… as it is in Heaven let it be on the earth. This is what we do when we live in with the tension of a world filled with sin, with evil all around us.

In Acts 2, they prayed down rain. They were promised power from Heaven. They prayed, they waited, then sounds from Heaven filled the room and tongues of fire settled on each person. Then, “when they heard the loud noise, everyone came running” (Acts 2:6).

Rain doesn’t fall; it is pulled down by gravity. Read further into Revelation 5 and see the prayers of God’s people being stored up til they get to a tipping point. Then like gravity, the rain is pulled down to the earth. Yes, we are to pray… and then obey! Don’t try and only pray down something that the Lord is telling you to do. Be encouraged—the Lord will be right with you.

What happens when some of Heaven comes to the earth? We get to be part of what God is doing as He sends us out to: heal the sick, cast out demons, be His witnesses, tell our story, care for the poor, orphans, and widows… and overcome evil with goodness. With God, we have the power of prayer, the joy of obedience, and the sweet wonder of His presence!

DIVE DEEPER:

The Lord is calling you to come up higher!

Awaken your senses. Take a few moments to meditate on these thoughts:

  • See: Faith sees. Jesus said He only did the things He saw His Father doing.
  • Hear: I want to hear. Give me ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying, Lord.
  • Smell: I want my life to be a sweet fragrance to the Lord. I want to smell his presence.
  • Taste: I want to taste the goodness of the Lord.
  • Touch: I want to feel the warm of the Lord’s embrace, His smile and favor in my life.

Repent.

The word repent is for the Church, not just those who don’t know Christ. We would only have to repent once if we only ever sinned once. It’s part of growing… daily. As the Lord takes us through this season of repentance, take time this week to discover those things you see in yourself alongside what the Word of God calls us to. Here are some great passages to start:

  • The Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes: Matthew 5
  • The Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5
  • The “Love Chapter”: 1 Corinthians 13

As you read and listen to the Holy Spirit, write it down. For example, if you are not a patient person, but God’s Word tells us that love is patient, simply write, “I am patient.” Pour out your heart to God and see what He does! This is a simple but powerful exercise.

Worship. Get Heaven’s perspective.

  • Read Romans 12:1-2 this week.
  • How is your daily life an act of worship?
  • How can we choose to worship God in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Bring some of Heaven to Earth.

  • Don’t just pray… obey!
  • What is one thing the Lord is prompting you to do this week that will bring Heaven to someone you encounter?
  • Read some stories of the Azusa Street revival. The Lord has done it before; He can do it again!

Laodicea

Why do you spit something out of your mouth? If it is disgusting to you and you find it beyond unacceptable, you are quickly compelled to spit it out. The same could be said of the condition of the church in Laodicea; they were found to be lukewarm.

Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” – Revelation 3:14-16

Lukewarmness is a picture of compromise. It’s the Christian trying to become like God and become like this world at the same time. In trying to be both, they end up being nothing.

Lukewarmness is a picture of uselessness. “Hot water heals, cold water refreshes, but lukewarm water is useless for either purpose.”

There is no one more miserable than the lukewarm Christian. They have too much of the world to be happy in Jesus, but too much of Jesus to be happy in the world. They may call themselves “transformed,” but they aren’t acting any different than they used to. To the unbeliever, the lukewarm Christian is doing more damage than they are good.

Take a look at the first-century Church. They had lost their first love, tolerated idolatry and sexual sin, permitted in the church what should never have been there, were self-deceived into thinking they were perfect and fully alive, but Jesus saw them as dead. And today Jesus looks at the Church and sees much the same.  Yet, God loves His church, His bride. They are the people that He sent Jesus to save from the bondage of sin in this life and the pits of hell throughout eternity.

What is the Church? The word comes from two Greek words: Called and Out. Called out ones.  Called out from darkness and into light. And, specifically, called out from their homes to gather together, and we are still called out to the gathering of the saints today.

Over the past year, because of shifts caused by COVID, people started watching church instead of engaging with the church family. I understand that some have been unable to gather for a season, but this is not meant to become a permanent habit. We are meant to be connected together, carrying out the “one another” commands: helping one other, serving, praying with, encouraging, and ministering to one other.

Laodicea

The name Laodicea means “rule of the people.” This church represents a church run by majority rule instead of God. Everything is decided by popular opinion. In wanting to be everything to everybody… they became nothing and reached nobody. In efforts not to offend the people around them, they offended God who created them. Could this also sound familiar today?

“You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So, I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”   – Revelation 3:17-19

Hear what they had to say about themselves: “I am Rich. I have everything I need. I don’t need a thing.” In working to build their net worth, they failed to realize they had become worthless. At the heart of their problem was blindness – they couldn’t see their true condition. They wanted to be seen rather than wanting to see! They needed to follow the example of the blind man:

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi, the blind man said, “I want to see!”  – Mark 10:51

I’m stirred by this man’s prayer! I want to see Lord. I want to see the condition I’m really in. I want to see His name became famous in the earth, not my name. I want to see His goodness, His glory.

How does Jesus see this church that He loves so dearly? They were wretched and miserable—being religious, but not living in a vital relationship with Jesus.

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!  – 2 Timothy 3:5

They were poor, reduced to begging, thinking they had it all. They were blind, unable to see their true condition. They were naked, shameful, without even knowing it. In the Scriptures, nakedness is often associated with shame. They became like the ungodly culture around them.

How does this relate to us today? Looking at the culture around us, it is not difficult to see what is good is considered evil, and evil, considered good. Some churches and many who claim to follow Christ have conformed to the world. Instead of being a light in darkness, they are just getting darker, coddling people in their sin as they march to a fiery eternity in hell. In the effort not to offend people, they choose to offend God.

“So, I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”  – Revelation 3:18-19

The most important point of the verse is that the remedy in each case was something beyond their own resources. The solution must be bought by Christ, obtained by Christ. “Buy from me…” He knows they are poor; they can’t buy anything from Jesus. But they can come and admit they need His mercy. We can come to Him and say, “You have what I need, and I don’t have the means to buy it from you… HAVE MERCY LORD.”

When you come to the end of yourself, you have reached the beginning of God.
When God is all you have, He will be all you need.

The Lord corrects and disciplines everyone He loves! Jesus came not to wound them with His harsh words, but to get them in a position of healing. He was seeking a transformation in them! This message from Jesus shows that this book was written not just to comfort the afflicted but to afflict the comfortable, to stir them out of complacency and sinfulness toward true repentance and change.

Out of love, God is not leaving His church alone. His instruction to be diligent; be zealous means to BURN WITH ZEAL, to be heated or to boil. Be lukewarm no more!

I hear the Lord saying, BE HOT… be on fire! How do you get this way? How do you keep this way?

Turn to Jesus and become rich in faith.

The solution to your poverty is to buy pure gold from Jesus—gold that is precious, costly, valuable.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.” – 1 Peter 1:6-7

What test have you been through lately? What happened to your faith in that? You became rich in faith. What will gold obtain for you? What will faith obtain for you?

“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.”  – Psalms 31:19

When we go to Him for protection, we are assured of His goodness. Our faith is in Him alone!

Turn to Jesus and let him cover your shame.

The solution to your nakedness, your shame, is to buy white garments from Jesus. This is all about HIS righteousness! Real righteousness is receiving God’s covering instead of trying to cover ourselves. Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin (Genesis 3:21) but God provided them with a covering that came from sacrifice (Genesis 3:7).

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. When the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden, they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”  He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”  – Genesis 3:7-10

There is no healing in the hiding!

You cannot be hot for God when you are hiding in shame, when you feel God is mad at you. But receive His love and He will light up every dark place in your heart. Receive His amazing grace and your life will be hot with the embers of His love! There is a great difference between the work of the enemy and Jesus. Satan exposes and loves to shame, while Jesus loves to cover and give grace.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.  – Romans 5:1-2

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  – Romans 8:1

Turn to Jesus and let him open your eyes.

Get relief from spiritual darkness through Christ, so that you may see.

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”  – John 9:39-41 

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.” “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”  – Revelation 3:20-22

Jesus stood at the door of the Laodicean church knocking at the door. He stands knocking at our door. What will we do? How long will He knock? He won’t knock the door down, but He waits for us to open. He says, “If you hear my voice.” This is the heart of the matter: IF YOU WILL.

Remember that the Church is made of believers called out from their homes to gather together. It is not any more or less than the individuals that make up the gathering; you cannot change the Church without changing the individuals.

“And then we must not talk about setting the church right, we must pray for grace
each one for himself, for the text does not say, “If the church will open the door,” but
“If any man hear my voice and open the door.” It must be done by individuals: the
church will only get right by each man getting right.”  – Charles Spurgeon

When Jesus says any man, anyone, He is appealing to the individual. Even if the Church as a whole does not heed the warning, any individual may. 

Will you open the door to Him today?   

DIVE DEEPER 

Read 2 Timothy 2:22-24.

  • What do you need to run away from?
  • What should you run toward, to pursue righteous living? Name some specific ways you will pursue righteousness, starting NOW.
  • Who are you supposed to join in companionship with?
  • Have you found yourself taking up foolish and stupid arguments… maybe on social media? See Proverbs 15:1.

What are some examples of self-deception? Ask the Lord to search your heart and point out any area(s) you think you are in control, but you are not. There is no healing in the hiding.

As you pray through these areas this week, you may find yourself without words… weeping, maybe groaning. My friend, joy is coming! I hear the sound of joy from those what have turned to Jesus!

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.  – Psalms 30:5

The same grace that saved you will sustain you ‘til you finish strong!

Your Defining Moment

What to do when you are going through hell

By Kevin Berry

Position yourself for blessings.

It is with great love and a strong sense of urgency from the Holy Spirit that I bring you amessage from the Word of God.

The Lord led me recently to the book of Daniel, chapter three, where we see a defining moment in the people of God that strongly resembles the days we are living in right now.

We are being positioned for a massive grace awakening as we have never seen before. This is a defining moment for you, your family, and the Church. Your response in the heat of the moment either positions you for the blessings of God or keeps you from miracles God has prepared for you to walk in.

When fear fills the atmosphere, trust in God.

Let’s look at the account in Daniel 3. Because of Judah’s sin and outright rebellion against God, Judah was taken into captivity. The people of God that were set free from slavery were slaves once again—not because it was God’s design, but because they sinned and would not repent.

Daniel and a few of his friends watched King Nebuchadnezzar destroy their families. Their lives were being turned upside down. They were taken as captives to the foreignland of Babylon. Everything they knew to be normal wasn’t normal anymore, but they trusted God. God protected them and promoted them to positions of authority in Babylon. They went through a cycle of trial and promotion, tragedy and triumph. Something bad would happen, then something good would happen.

The evil king made a gold statue and set it up about 16 miles from Babylon.

Whenever music was played nearby, those who heard it had to fall to the ground and worship the statue. Daniel was in an epic spiritual battle. His battle was not just abouta king making a statue; there was very real satanic activity behind the whole thing. I feel the same about the season we are walking in now.

Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. – Daniel 3:6

What? The furnace was something you could see, something you could smell. Fear filled the atmosphere. Satan was behind the fear, behind the false worship. This was an epic spiritual battle between unseen forces. Behind all the noise and confusion of our day, there is an epic spiritual battle with dark, demonic forces.

Today, people are afraid about COVID, politics, and the possibility of losing their jobs, to name just a few. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, fear can fill the room. If you have lost your job, been through the pain of betrayal, or experienced death in your family, fear and anxiety may feel close at hand.

There is a shaking going on in the world today, but you can walk in peace. It is your inheritance in Christ to be unshakeable. You need not be shaken by the toxic environment that comes with fear. The Lord your Maker sees you, loves you, and is for you. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you. The Lord, who holds the world in His hands, is holding you.

When fear fills the atmosphere, faith stands out all the more.

So at the sound of the musical instruments, ALL THE PEOPLE, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. – Daniel 3:7

All the people bowed—except for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three men stood alone! This was their defining moment. Imagine being pressured to bowdown while being able to see smoke coming from the furnace. They watched as men bigger, and perhaps braver than them, fell to the ground to obey the command.

What gave courage to those three Jewish men? They were friends of Daniel. They were in relationship with a man of God. They had seen him interpret dreams, stand in faith, and they saw his custom of praying to God three times a day. They had been around a man who had the kind of courage and faith that could look a lion in the face and not cower in fear.

It’s who you are in relationship with that equips you for your defining moment!

They dared to go against the current and trust God. They refused to bow their knee toanyone but God. Hear my heart, this is your defining moment!

Will you sound like everybody else who is quick to judge and slander others, or will youstand out from the crowd?

Let me be clear, in today’s current climate, I’m not talking about wearing a mask or not wearing a mask. It’s who you trust that matters! What matters is if you are conforming to the culture of this world, or if you’ve been transformed by the power of another world (Romans 12:2).

When fear fills the atmosphere, know that God is able.

If there was ever a time for Christians to sound different, it is today. Oh, that a sound of repentance and praise would come out of us in this season.

At that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. – Daniel 3:8

More than a bunch of kids telling on each other to get a sibling in trouble, the three men were maliciously accused. In this instance, “accused” means to chew up into pieces; it suggests a severe hatred. Satan was behind both the accusation and the hatred. Does any of that sound familiar?

We know that God is able, we know that He will rescue us.

The cancel culture was in full effect. Today, if you refuse to be politically correct, you will be maliciously accused, hated, and people will seek to cancel you! If you are not accepting of an ungodly lifestyle, social media has paved the way for what’s called “online shaming.”

When King Nebuchadnezzar heard that the three men did not bow, he was furious. I imagine he turned red, the vein on his forehead was popping out, and his face was distorted in rage. Even so, he gave them one more chance to bow and worship the statue, but if they refused, they were to be thrown into the fiery furnace immediately.

“And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said to the King, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us.

He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, YourMajesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:15-18

It was their defining moment when they stood alone, looking at the blazing furnace. The smell of smoke and fear filled the air, but it didn’t stop there. It was another defining moment when they spoke to the king. It’s what comes out of your mouth in moments of adversity that makes or breaks you! It’s who you hang out with that often determines the kind of words that will come out of your mouth.

Their reply was powerful: We know God is able, we know He will rescue us. But even if he doesn’t, we will never serve your gods.

When you are going through hell, shake it off!

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. – Daniel 3:19-20 

The king had demanded such a hot fire that the flames leaped out and killed the soldiers while they were throwing the men in the fire!

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames.– Daniel 3:23

Wait! I thought God’s people weren’t supposed to go through bad times. How couldsuch evil happen to God’s people? If we take a look at the history of the people of God, you will often find them in the fire:

  • Adam and Eve’s children: Abel stood in the furnace of hatred as his own brother was determined to take his
  • Noah was laughed at and called a fool for building a boat on dry land. He stood inthe furnace of
  • If you want to see the people of God in history, just look inside the smoldering furnace of Egypt.
  • In Acts 28, Paul was in the furnace of having no hope, almost being killed as the shipbroke apart in the Then on top of all that, a snake came out of the fire andlatched onto his hand.

Your response when going through the fire is part of your defining moment! Just as Paul shook the snake off his hand and it fell into the fire, you have the opportunity to shake it off and allow God to burn some things off of you. When it feels like you are going through hell, remember a sacrifice was not a sacrifice until it burned.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. – Romans 12:1

When you are going through hell, sing your way out!

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it reads that when Daniel’s friendsfaced the furnace, they sang. They sang praise!

Psalms 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praise of His people, or that God is enthroned in the praise of His people. What does that mean? When the Lord’s people praise Him, He sets up His throne to act as Judge over a matter! The Lord came in themidst of the three men as a King greater than King Nebuchadnezzar; as Judge, Hewould set things right.

The moment they started to pray and sing, miracles started breaking out! They were not shouting for their rights or about how messed up the evil king was. They were shouting: God, You are good, Your mercy endures forever; Forgive us God, for we have sinned; We get why all this bad stuff is happening, but You are full of mercy, Lord; You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. I get the picture that it was the sound of their singing that got Nebuchadnezzar’s attention!

When you are going through hell, know that God is with you!

 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied. “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” – Daniel 3:24-25

In the fire, there is smoke, burning, loss, discomfort—but God is in the fire! Most likely the fourth man in the fire was God in the flesh. The three men experienced this promise:

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. – Isaiah 43:2

How were they walking when their feet and hands were tied? The only thing that Godallowed to burn in the fire was the ropes that bound them. Ropes don’t burn unless you get in the fire; you have to face some heat to be set free!

You have to have your defining moment to be free.

What has the enemy tried to put on you? His ropes can sound like you are not enough, telling you that you are not wanted, and that you never will be.

Know this: Not every fire is of the Lord’s doing. Not every person in a fire is a believer being made better. However, God does allow His children to go through the fire. Why? There are some things He wants burned off of you!

God knows what is best for you!

In nature, controlled, prescribed burns are allowed on purpose and are crucial to release seeds and growth in certain trees. The result turns into nutrients in the soil and gets rid of too much vegetation so new plants can grow. A controlled burn is what is best for the forest.

In the same way, God knows what is best for us! We can see God in the midst of the firethat gives us reason to hope and be at peace. If you don’t look for God in the fire, all you will see is panic, chaos, and the need to try and control what’s going on. What if we trusted God to burn up what should be burned up? What if we stopped trying to save what He wants to burn? If we trusted more, we would be at peace more.

The goal of the fire is not to destroy you, but to position you.

 When King Nebuchadnezzar saw the men remaining unharmed, he called out to them:

“…servants of the Most High God, come out, come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. – Daniel 3:26

They walked through the door—they came out of the fire! You are going to come outof what you are going through. Trust the Lord that the fire won’t last forever and you are going to come out of it!

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:30 

First there is the problem, then comes the promotion.

You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. Then you put aleader over us. We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance. – Psalms 66:10, 12

The Church is being positioned for a great awakening, a final outpouring of theHoly Spirit, that includes you! You were made to go through seasons of fire—purging, refining, shaping, pruning. Everything of value has to go through the fire—a diamond has to be cut; gold and silver must be tried. It is because you are valuable that you must be tried by fire. Fix your eyes and thoughts on the Lord, and He will keep you in peace throughout the process!

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. – Isaiah 26:3

Transformation is Coming!

As the disciples were crossing a lake at night, a great storm began to toss their boat and they were terrified. Jesus saw them in trouble and came to them. How? He was walking on the water! Thinking Jesus was a ghost, they were even more afraid. But as Jesus tried to calm them, Peter needed to know if He was real:

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”   “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. – Matthew 14:28-29

What was Peter thinking? He stopped thinking there was a ghost, and he began to think differently. All of a sudden, while his eyes were on Jesus instead of the storm, he thought, HOW ABOUT I WALK ON THE WATER, TOO? 

Your biggest help is not always having the Lord yank you out of what you see – the storm around you. Rather, help may come by simply hearing what the Lord says when you are in the middle of it.

Lord, give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in the middle of the storm. We cry out for your help!

I was up before sunrise, crying out for help, hoping for a word from you! – Psalm 119:146 MSG

Then remember: Every word from God comes with the power to make that word happen. All Peter had to do to walk on water was hear the words, “Yes, come” (Matt. 14:29). Those simple words came with the power to make it happen, but Peter’s own thinking then got in the way. What he saw around him became bigger than what he had just heard.

But when he saw the strong winds and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. – Matthew 14:30

Sometimes we make the same mistake! We look at the circumstances in the storms around us and if we are not careful, we will allow what we see to become bigger than what we hear.

Peter was on a journey of transformation, and we are, too. There has been a series of storms in 2020 that we’ve seen across the nation and the world. From the Covid storm, to fear, to political, racial, and economic storms, to division and deception, we need to be reminded that the Lord gave us a specific word:

Believe God and you will be established. Believe his prophets and you will succeed. – 2 Chronicles 20:20

This was not just a word for us last year, but for this season. The entire year of 2020 had the word “unusual” all around it. However, if you would do the unusual, God would do the extraordinary. And you did!

As we approach 2021, I hear the Lord is saying it will be a year of TRANSFORMATION!

This transformation must be a complete and thorough change. A small change will not do; a slight move will not do for this season. There must be a radical shift, a dramatic change. It’s coming, I can feel it in my bones.

At the core of Christianity there is transformation. Being a Christian is not about changing your belief system, it’s about God changing your life. The same powerful Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside every believer. What is He doing? Transforming you!

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor. 5:17

The Lord is after this goal of dramatic change in you, in us! While the world gets darker before the return of Christ, the Church will get brighter.

Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person! – 1 Samuel 10:6 MSG

And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image from one degree of glory to another; this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.  – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

It’s important to note the word, “let.” God will do it if we will lean into the transformation He has for us. Jesus is walking among the churches and calling us, and as part of the process, He is calling us to holiness.

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.  – 2 Corinthians 7:1

In this process, recognizing these components of transformation will help you learn and grow:

 

Your Troubles are Part of the Transformation.

For Peter, first came the storm, then came the walking on water. Don’t you think after Peter walked on water that his faith grew, and he trusted God deeper than ever before?

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-9

Good people will go through fire, but they will come out of it! Remember the account of the three friends who refused to worship a false idol? They were bound and forced into a fiery furnace, but their story didn’t end there.

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.  – Daniel 3:26

Don’t you think when they stepped out of the fire they were transformed? Not only did they survive; they became unstoppable! They had no doubt that God would rescue them from anything from that day forward.

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3:30

The only thing the fire burned was the ropes that bound them, and they came out stronger. There are some things in 2021 that the Lord wants to burn off of you. Going through fire does something to you: You can either be fried or forged. You get to choose! In the forging, the Lord will shape you and show you things that must go. Ask the Lord to show you what may be holding you back and ask Him to burn those things away.

Expect some more fire in 2021, some more storms in 2021. The storms of last year are not over; they will likely intensify. But the fire can position you for progress and promotion… just trust Him!

Your Progress is Part of the Transformation

A big part of your personal transformation this year, and our corporate transformation, has everything to do with the word: progress! Jesus is coming. This is your year to grow your spiritual roots down deep! If they are not strong, you will be swept away in the dramas of the last days.

But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. – Philippians 3:16 NLT

Progress is expected at school, work, home, on the field. More importantly, it’s expected to be made on your spiritual journey. Ask yourself: Am I making progress? How do I know I’m making progress?

Jesus is walking among the churches right now and looking for progress. He is looking for His bride that is spotless and without fault, and we have a part to play!

“Test yourself to make sure you are solid in the faith.  Don’t drift along taking everything for granted.  Give yourself regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. – 2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG

Progress doesn’t just happen; you have to work at it. Our goal is clear – to be like Christ and to experience Christ fully developed in our lives. 

How to make progress in 2021 – It is a MUST!
  • Read your Bible, stand on it, and do it!  Read for the purpose of hearing. Learn how to study the Bible, how to apply the Bible, how to feed yourself.
  • Be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not only embolden us, He makes us holy. Holiness is a word to lean into this this year.
  • Be connected to somebody! When God wants to grow you, He puts people in your life to do that. People are helped by people, not by programs. Your relationships with other believers are pivotal to your spiritual growth this year.

Your Multiplication is Part of the Transformation

People are hungry and ready to receive the gospel, and you get to be part of giving it! When you multiply your life into other people,  it’s also transformational for you, too. Can you remember the first time you had the privilege of leading somebody to Jesus? WOW… what a transformational moment for both of you! What an honor—not only to witness—but to bring people into relationship with Christ.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.  – 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NLT

Will you be one of the people that will pick up that task this year? Christians are going to refuse to sit on the sidelines and hope somebody else points people to Jesus. You were born for such a time as this! You are going to have specific opportunities that are unique this year, for you to lead people to Christ.

Let’s do this! We need healing, we need revival in this nation. We care about this world, but remember we are only passing through it. Let’s go out and be the answer, not the problem. Let’s be transformed and then take hope and transformation everywhere we go!

Song – Spirit Move (We are fixed on this one thing) by Bethel Music

DIVE DEEPER

Key Scriptures:
  • Matthew 14:28-29 NLT
    Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”   “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
  • 1 Samuel 10:6 MSG
    Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person!
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT/ESV
    And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image from one degree of glory to another; this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
  • Romans 12:2 NLT
    Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Ask Yourself:
  • What is the greatest transformation God has brought about in your life?
  • What is the greatest area of transformation you would like to see take place in your life this year?
  • What steps are you going to take in 2021 to make progress in your faith?
  • How have the people you surround yourself with helped to determine the amount of progress, or lack of progress, in your life?
  • In what way can you multiply your life into others this year?
Action Steps:
  • Start (or continue) reading through the entire Bible with me this year
  • Complete Growth Track
  • When you are done reading the Word, ask yourself: What is one thing God is speaking to me from the Scriptures I have read today?
  • Make a list of what you would like to see transformed in your life. What are the areas you would like to see progress in? What steps will you take?
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