Every trip on a commercial aircraft begins with the safety information.  Passengers are advised in an emergency to fix their own oxygen mask and then to help someone else if needed.  The same advice holds true for our life journey that we need to be strengthened in our connection to the Lord before and while we help others.  During this 21 Days of Drawing Near the Harvest family has focused on Strengthening ourselves in the Word and in Prayer.  During this final leg of the journey we are looking at Strengthening our Connections and Encouraging one another. Increased strength is not just for us but for others as well!

In the Old Testament we observe that David strengthened himself in the Lord (I Samuel 30:6) and in other situations his companions, his mighty men strengthened him.  Jesus spent time with the Father on a regular basis and set aside time to pray alone.  Just before the Cross Jesus invited his closest companions to go with Him to pray in Gethsemane (Mark 14: 33-34)
at a time when He needed great strength. We need each other to strengthen, encourage and walk together our lives of faith.

From the early days of the Church we see lives of faith as community and mutual building together.  in Acts 4:32 (TPT) " All the believers were one in mind and heart.  Selfishness was  not a part of their community, for they shared everything they had with one another.".  Paul tells the believers in the Thessalonian church : "So speak encouraging words to one another.  Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it."   (I Thessalonians 5:11 The Message).  In the difficult places of life, in the swirl of chaos around us in the world we need to be always looking out for each other with help, strength and encouragement.  

I challenge us all to be strength builders for each other, to help the weak, to lift up the stumbling, to cheer on the discouraged and to build hope for the hopeless.  We are all tellers of Good News, the Gospel, to the lost and to the believers as well as we walk by faith.  Start at home and with those closest to you and speak an affirming, encouraging word over them today.  Look at  the people that are around you in your daily work, school, marketplace routine and notice, affirm and strengthen them with kindness and compassion.  Let's be the voice, hands and feet of Jesus in all places today.

When we begin to think about the life of Jesus here on earth we often think first of His many miracles.  People who don't regularly attend a church could probably tell you that Jesus walked on the water and He fed the multitudes with a little lunch.  The miracles of Jesus drew the crowds of people as He healed, raised the dead, calmed the storms, and cast out demons.  They wanted to witness and to have the benefit of Divine intervention into difficult or impossible situations.  The people heard the teachings of Jesus that often accompanied the miracles and they heard the Good News of the Kingdom of God here on earth as in Heaven.
The words of Jesus brought instruction, correction, hope and life to ordinary people like us and His Words that we now have in written form continue to instruct, guide, shift our perspective, and give us hope in our circumstances.

Jesus had a group of close followers (that we call disciples) and when they had time with Jesus they didn't ask Him to show them how to do miracles, to preach, to teach or how to heal.  Those disciples asked Jesus with a purposeful intent:  "Lord, teach us to pray . . ."(Luke 11: 1).  Apart from all the notable things that Jesus demonstrated and taught, the disciples recognized that
the real power in Jesus' life sprang from His prayer time and His connection with the Father.
We should also with purpose and intent ask Jesus to teach us to pray.  Despite what we think is prayer or patterns or words of prayer we need to know the real source of life and power from connection and communion with God.  

God has always been interested in and in pursuit of connection with His Creation or His Family.
From the first chapters of Genesis we know that God walked in the Garden (the dwelling place of His created man and woman) and God wanted to talk with them and spend time with them.
He wanted to communicate with them and hear their heart and to give them further instruction and direction.  The disconnect of the relationship between God and man because of sin and the reconnect of that relationship by the sacrifice of Jesus has always been so that the connection and communication between God and Creation be restored.  He wants to hear our heart and give us instruction and direction.  Our life and circumstances are not at all as glorious as the Garden where God and man first met but God has solutions, comfort, instruction and life for us in every season of our life.  He just wants us to talk with Him and that's the simple description of prayer.  

When we have made prayer complicated, confusing, and ineffective, we just need to ask Jesus to teach us to pray. When we feel bored or bothered or frustrated by prayer we just need to ask Jesus to teach us to pray.  We have His Words and His model of Prayer (Luke 11: 1-4). We have examples of prayer in the Scriptures from Old and New Testament and we have the Words of God to effectively pray in agreement with His Will.

I encourage us all to take some quiet moments and picture walking with God in a garden.  Share your thoughts and listen for Him for He wants to talk to you.  Ask God to teach you to pray in a particular situation or in your general life rhythm.  Comment and share what you feel God is speaking, showing and teaching you about prayer.

Here we are in 21 Days of Drawing Near to God.  He tells us in the Word that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and Jesus said He is with us always even to the end of the age
(Matthew 28:20),  Yet God instructs us to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us (James 4: 8).  The act of drawing near to God is a move or a response on our part to set aside time and attention, to clear our schedules and to choose to listen for His voice in the Word and in our hearts.
Our 21 Days is a practice of setting aside activities, affections, entertainments and even food for the purpose of drawing near to God,  In the time that you might spend on media, movies, television, social media, hobbies, or attention to meals, you instead spend that time reading the Word, praying and listening to God, reading or studying books about spiritual practices or just being still before the Lord. By setting aside distractions and disciplining ourselves to focus in the Lord and His Kingdom we position ourselves to hear more clearly from Him, to grow in our spiritual life and to become a more active participant in what God is doing now.  We want to be like the five wise virgins in Matthew 25 who had their lamps filled with oil and they were ready for the return of the bridegroom - that's Jesus! We want to be ready and available to Him whenever He calls us.

Our emphasis during the 21 Days of Drawing Near in 2024 is being strengthened in the Lord.
This is a season of strength training so we are active participants, ready workers and holy habitations for God to dwell. The word strengthen is defined as build up, establish, increase, invigorate, restore, step up and empower. Isaiah 40: 29 tells us that God will increase strength to the weak.  That is good news that in any area of your life you feel weak, you are a candidate for increased strength!

This week we are focusing on being strengthened in the Word of God.  The Scriptures are the Words of God given to us and by His Word we build a solid foundation in our lives (Matthew 7: 24-27), Storms will come to us but we will have authority over storms and we will advance after difficult times when we are built on the solid foundation of the Word in us.
We are born again by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) and the Word is an incorruptible seed that produces good fruit in our lives. The Word of God is a weapon in the hostile environment that we live in (Ephesian 6: 17). The Word is like a sword that cuts away things in our thinking and in our heart that are not in alignment with the Kingdom of God.  We must not only read and listen to the Word but we must be active doers of the Word as well (James 1: 22-25).  It is easy for us to be complacent listeners of the Word so we must stay sharp and immersed in the Word.  We can never wander away from the wonder and power of the Word of God.  Our faith and our very lives depend on the Word!

I am encouraging a practice this week of reading Psalm 119.  It is the longest Psalm (176 verses!) so we are breaking it up into 25 verses a day with one day of 26 verses.  It is intimidating to tackle a big project so be empowered to read it all the way in small bits.  Read slowly or read out loud so the meanings of words can get into your thinking. Pause and ask the Lord how these Words of His shape your life and your thinking.  Highlight verses that are significant to you  and even memorize some of those verses.  Psalm 119 is a good tool to stir up your affection and attention to the Scriptures.
Because we are together in this season of drawing near to God we can encourage each other in our strength training.  Leave a brief comment on this post and tell us what verse or verses from Psalm 119 have challenged or motivated you in your attention to the Word of God.

A common question that I get asked is, "How can I be a powerful person, like Jesus in my family relationships?" There isn't a cut-and-dry answer because each family is different and its dynamics are hard to understand unless you are inside the family. But by examining what we see from the life of Jesus and whole, healthy families, certain truths are made clear. Below are 6 Traits of Powerful Families & Their Dysfunctional Opposites and you can check out the sermon "6 Traits of Powerful Families" for more!

In Powerful Families - 01. Love is the Driving Emotion
In Dysfunctional Families - 01. Fear is the Driving Emotion
It has been said that every action and every emotion can be taken down to two roots, fear or love.
If you ask yourself the question, “What am I afraid will happen?” and you get an answer, fear is at the root.

Powerful Families – 02. High Autonomy, Low Control
Dysfunctional Families - 02. High Control, Low Autonomy
Definition of Autonomy - the ability to make your own decisions without being controlled by anyone else.
As children age, parents let go of control and encourage autonomy. When a child leaves the home or gets married, parents have no control. Healthy relationship skills are then valued to maintain connection.
This graph shows the progress of autonomy:

Powerful Families – 03. Take personal responsibility
Dysfunctional Families – 03. Blame shift, usually to those they deem
I expect respect from my children, not because I am the parent, but because I am respectful and model respectfulness.
You cannot expect something from others unless you walk in it and take personal responsibility yourself.

Powerful Families – 04. Vulnerability and authenticity are practiced
Dysfunctional Families – 04. Performance and shaming are encouraged
Lying and hiding are hallmarks of dysfunctional families because love is tied to performance.
Shaming is not allowed in healthy families. Vulnerability and authenticity create an atmosphere for support to change.

Powerful Families – 05. Believe the best about others
Dysfunctional Families – 05.  Speak the worst about others
Dysfunctional families demean others to diminish or hide their dysfunction instead of confronting the areas they have problems.

Powerful Families – 06. Rubber band, they return to joy quickly
Dysfunctional Families – 06. Fracture, are brittle from dysfunction
All families have elements of dysfunction. To measure that they practice healthy powerful traits is to the measure that they are able to stretch when difficulties arise.
Dysfunctional families are brittle because of the ongoing negative traits and even normal situations are powder kegs. 

6 Traits of Powerful People in Relationships by Freda Thomas

The most powerful person that ever lived was Jesus! He was without sin and only did what he saw his father (God) doing. As we look through the New Testament we see examples of how Jesus operated in relationships and they challenge us to become more like him.

01 – Powerful people do not try to control others!
Jesus’ example – He let the rich young ruler walk away. Matt. 19:16-22
Powerful people do not try to control, convince, or manipulate other people or their behaviors.  
It’s not their job.  It’s their job to control themselves.

02 – Powerful people refuse to play the victim role.
Jesus’ example – “I choose to lay down my life, no one takes it from me. - John 10:17-18
Powerful people know that they can’t always control what happens to them but they can choose how they respond.

03- Powerful people require others to be powerful too.
Jesus' example - He asked the cripple, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:1-14
Powerful people offer an "I can't" or "I have to" person only one option, what choice are you going to make to become well?

04- Powerful people are honest! They own their strengths & weaknesses
Jesus' example – "Let your yes, be yes, and your no be no." Matthew 5:37
•Powerful people are honest about who they are.
•Powerful people are honest about what they can do.
•Powerful people are honest about what they can’t do.
•Powerful people own their strengths and weaknesses and are comfortable in both.  
•People who aren’t comfortable in both, tend to hide and tell what they consider to be “white” lies.

05 – Powerful people only allow responsible people access and favor
Jesus' example -  “Those that are faithful in little will receive much.” Luke 16:10
Powerful People love unconditionally but only give favor and access to those who are responsible.
Powerful People give a little access, or a little favor and see if a person will be responsible with what has been given. If they consistently won’t be responsible, access and favor are lowered.

06 – Powerful People respond to vision not need
Jesus' example - He saw (vision) that Lazarus’ sickness (need) would not end in death, so he waited…3 more days.  John 11:6-10
Powerful People seek the Lord for His vision first and then decide what to do about the need.
Powerful People know that reacting to need from fear of "what if" or out of guilt will cause good actions to go astray.

I have been a baker for many years and I have experience baking all kinds of bread.  A recent challenge for me has been starting and maintaining a sourdough starter which is a sustainable way to a constant source of bread.  Sourdough is a fermented use of the airborne yeasts that are captured to make a loaf of bread.  For centuries bread has been baked using sourdough starters and recent years has created a surge of interest in creative sourdough baking.  I began exploring the use of sourdough and even after research and practice and experiments I have learned that sourdough is not an exact process but an organic learning experience.  Every use of sourdough and every loaf of bread is different in some way and requires attention and adjustment.  I began thinking that using and maintaining a sourdough starter is similar to our spiritual life in Christ.  Here are a few thoughts for bread making and growing to maturity in Christ.

Sourdough starter begins with just a little - flour and water are the base.  Our spiritual growth starts with what seems to be a little in that the Word of God is like the flour building block and the Holy Spirit is like the water that activates the Starter.  
A bread starter develops with time when airborne natural yeast joins the flour and water and causes growth.  Faith begins the growth process.  It can't be seen but it exists and joins the Word and the Spirit to begin growth.
Sourdough starter must be consistently fed with flour and water. Faith must be consistently fed with the Word and the Holy Spirit.
As starter begins to grow and activate, some is discarded on a regular basis.  Our early beliefs are sometimes discarded for new growth.   As a believer renews their mind with the Word, old thoughts and beliefs are discarded for God Thoughts to grow.
As sourdough starter grows and matures bubbles and expansion are visible.  In spiritual growth faith activity can be observed and begins to expand.
Time to maturity depends on the environment and strength of the yeast. Our timeline to spiritual maturity depends on an environment of faith and community and the strength of faith developed in the Word by the Holy Spirit.
When mature starter is ready, begin to regularly make bread!  When believers begin to grown spiritually we must begin to regularly produce fruit for the Kingdom.
Mature starter must be regularly fed and used.  Spiritually mature believers must be fed and used in obedience to the Lord
Every baked product from starter is different depending on environment and ingredients.
Spiritual fruit is always different in different situations
To become proficient in sourdough baking, keep producing!! Your mistakes and imperfect
product can still be used and enjoyed!  When we are becoming proficient in spiritual maturity we must keep producing and embrace the mistakes and imperfect products!

In our consumer society that focuses on bargains and discounts (have you ever paid full price at Kohl's?) we often loose the meaning of consecration and the cost to the one who dedicates something to the Lord.  The account of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus in John 12 gives us a picture of one who consecrates their life to the Lord.  What did it cost her in that act of love?

Just before the betrayal of Jesus, His trial and His death we see a scene of celebration at the house of Simon the leper.  He is hosting a dinner party and the guests included Lazarus who was recently raised from the dead and his sisters Martha and Mary, Jesus and His disciples as well as other distinguished religious leaders. As the dinner is finished Mary who has been serving the guests shifts the focus of the evening by her unprecedented action of devotion.  She breaks open an alabaster box that likely contained her portion of the family inheritance and certainly her dowry to ensure her marriage and future security.  The contents of the very expensive perfume are used to anoint the feet of Jesus.  Mary begins to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair in vulnerability and pure devotion.  One of the disciples of Jesus, Judas, is angry and indignant that the perfume was poured out and could have been sold to give to the poor.  Other gospel accounts record the anger of the religious leaders as they continued to look for ways to get rid of Jesus who threatened their authority.  The tension of the moment pivoted the celebration of the miracles of Jesus and His Words and Works to the anger of man and hostility of enemies.  The harsh words of the accusers are silenced by Jesus Who tells the the listeners that she has done what she could and has even begun to prepare His body for burial.  Her act of devotion would echo through the ages and into every place where the Gospel of Jesus is preached.  Mary risked her reputation, her future security and her dignity in her act of worship. She consecrated or set apart her priceless possession and herself as an act of devotion not duty to the Lord.

In our culture of acceptance by performance we can overlook the risk of devotion and the cost of serving the Lord.  David the King of Israel said " . . . I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing."  I Chronicles 21:24. We can do all kinds of good works and we can give conveniently but are we offering our most prized possession - our hearts and affection to the Lord?  Can we take a risk like Mary and pour out everything to Jesus?  This is an invitation from the Lord to consecrate, to set apart ourselves, our time, our attention and affection. What is of value to me that I have not yet offered to the Lord?  When we consecrate something even ourselves to the Lord we must count the cost but the reward far outweighs the costly price.  Will what we do speak of eternity in the times and places to come?

When we think about the Book of Acts church who were the first born again believers in Jesus, we often think of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the signs and wonders that accompanied the preaching of the Gospel, and the miracles that were worked by those first disciples.   A thoughtful and careful study of the Book of Acts shows much more that we would tend to overlook or like to forget and that's the persecution and opposition to the message of Jesus through the disciples. Our response might be fear or dread or complaining but the Early Church had a different response - they rejoiced!  In Acts 5 the apostles left a place where they had been beaten and threatened with death but they " . . . rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name . . .".  In Acts 13 the apostles were run out of town by persecution and slander but rather than feeling defeated they were ". . . filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."  What did the early disciples of Jesus learn about joy in every season and how can we tap into that same fountain of joy?  

People are created to be joyful and to experience joy in every situation.  We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and God is full of joy!  He laughs (Psalm 2: 4) and He rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Think how easily a child laughs each day and delights in the simplest moments.  As we grow to adulthood we loose that sense of joy, wonder and delight for the sake of responsibility and serious matters.  Our cares seem to crush our joy and laughter gets lost in the everyday hustle of life.  The sickness of sorrow invades our soul and we feel lifeless and hopeless.

How can we regain that lighthearted life of laughter and joy in every situation?  Hold onto Hope!!  Hope is a rope and our hope in God and His promises holds us as we navigate the challenged of life.  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)  We must get back to the solid foundation of Faith in God and trust in His Word.  When we see situations from God's perspective we can abound in hope and be filled (and re-filled ) with joy.  Joy spills out of us in rejoicing and in gladness and laughter.  Take some time today to refocus your perspective on God and rejoice in His Goodness then laugh at something that seems like a big problem.
Rejoice knowing that God's got this!

Joy connected to hope is a powerful life force and can affect our environment, our families and even our physical bodies.  Proverbs 17: 22 tells us a joyful heart is like good medicine and brings life to the soul.  Laughter lightens loads and can heal brokenness of body and heart.
Hope and Laughter dance together and as believers in Christ we should be the most hopeful and joyful people in the room.  We should be thoughtful and responsible in situations but we should face impossible situations with the possibilities of God.  Then we can be refilled with joy and peace in believing and laugh with God.  

Some Questions to ask yourself and to ask others:
What is the last thing that I laughed out loud about?
What is an area that I have let go of joy and hope?  What promise of God's Word can I reconnect
with and reengage with hope?  
Ask God to restore to you the joy of salvation (Psalm 51: 12)

In an increasingly isolated and divided culture people are hiding from others or looking desperately for community and connection.  We are created by God for connection with Him our Creator and Redeemer and we are designed for community with each other. How did we get so far away from Creator God's plan and how do we cooperate with Him to get back to that original family plan?
From the first of Creation we see family in the Garden.  The first man and woman were
connected to God in daily communion and transparency.  They were connected to each other and God commissioned them to build that family community across the earth. But the entrance of sin severed that connection and community and the beauty of family and friendship with God was lost.  God already had a plan to rebuild that continuity of connection and community with His Creation.  Through the ages God built His plan and sent Jesus as the One Who rebuilds connection with God and restores community with each other. The early Church began to model that connected community in Acts 2.  Just after the world changing outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the community of believers began to grow.
"They spent their time learning from the Apostles and they were like family to each other.  They also broke bread (they ate together and celebrated the Lord's Supper) and prayed together." (Contemporary English Version).
The first community of believers in Christ spent time learning from the Apostles the Ways of Christ.  They invested their time and energy into study and learning of the Lord together.  
Followers of Christ were intentionally together and spending time as family in both shared meals and in Communion or the Lord's Supper. In Communion they were remembering the Power of the Cross and calling on the Power of the Cross in their own lives, their community and ultimately the world culture. In times of prayer together they were crying out for more of God in every sphere of life.  They had experienced much but they were also longing for more of God.  How can we as believers who have experienced God and have history with His faithfulness continually cry out for more of Him?
The history and experience of more of God (what we call revival) begins with our desperation.  In our desperate frustration we must make decisions to move toward God.  We often combat frustration and desperation with mindless activity or busy-ness.  Instead we look to the Scriptures and see in the prophet Hosea the instruction to:
"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your
unplowed (hard) ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers
righteousness on you."  Hosea 10:12
Will we ask God to show us the complacent and discontented places in our heart and ask Him to break up that hard ground?  Will we seek the Lord for more outpouring of HIs Spirit in our lives, in our family, in our community and in our nation?
When we intentionally connect together as community we can hold each other up and encourage each other while we cry out for more of God.  God comes where His is wanted and together as Believers in Christ we create an atmosphere of family that is healthy in accountability, stable in corporate faith for one another and joyful in celebration of every victory in God.

David and Goliath is an account from Scripture that many people even outside the Church family are familiar with.  They even say that's a Bible story that I know yet it is more than a story as we think of as fiction.  David and Goliath is an actual event that we can relate to and learn from.  The giant that David faced is a giant that we all face in our current story.
The mighty army of Israel under the leadership of King Saul stood on a battlefield facing their enemy, the Philistines.  The champion of the Philistines was a giant of a man in physical appearance and his intimidating words were more of a threat to the army of Israel.  Goliath defied the might of the God of Israel and taunted the mighty warriors who were proven in battle but small in the sight of this enemy.  First Samuel 17: 11 tells us that "On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified."  From the king to the water carrier they were all anxious, shocked, intimidated and terrified.  The giant stood before them and threatened their confidence and existence.
A giant that we all face is disappointment and discouragement that threaten our confidence and existence.  We can be discouraged and disappointed about our appearance, our abilities, our finances, our family, and our overall circumstances.  Anxiety, shock, intimidation and fear keep us locked up away from hope and the good call that God has in store for each of our lives. We are frozen on the battlefield and we feel hopeless and helpless.
Like the army of Israel we may ask how can we overcome such a formidable opponent?
Like David in the account of Goliath, we must take up a weapon that seems small but in the hands of a skilled warrior is able to defeat disappointment and discouragement.  David's smooth stones in the slingshot were familiar to him and he used them with skill to take down the giant.  We have hope that we are all familiar with and now we need to use hope to defeat the enemies of calling, our destiny and existence.
Hope comes from God:  "Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him.  And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with HIs super-abundance until you radiate with hope:"  
Romans 15:13 (The Passion Translation).  Hope is more than wishful thinking but it is an anchor to our soul (Hebrews 6:19) that keeps us stable and solid in any circumstance. How do we hold onto hope?
*We must visit the Mountain of Transformation (Matthew 17) and receive fresh hope and insight from the Presence of God.  It's not enough to talk about experience with God but we must experience Him everyday!  We need to be refreshed with joy and re-seeded with Hope from Him.
* We must trust that God is working in every valley (Psalm 23:4) and our "Mountain-top" experiences will transform our thinking to bring solutions into every situation.
* We must embrace that everywhere is 'messy' but we are destined to be overcomers (I John 5:4) and we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21)
*We must deal with disappointment and renew our mind with what is truth from God. God has healing and solutions in every circumstance we have ever or will ever face. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God (Romans 8:39)
We can surround ourselves with others who are holding onto Hope and walking in Faith.  We can be the one who encourages others today and in doing so we reap more hope and courage in our own lives. We can be rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving thanks in all things (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18).
 
Some questions to ponder and ask yourself and someone else:
How am I connecting with God today and how am I getting ready to receive HIs solutions to every situation I face?
Where have I seen God transform a valley (low place) into solutions and satisfaction?  What valley that I see today can be transformed in that same way?
What disappointment can I deal with today as I give it to the Lord and ask Him for solutions and healing?

Every craftsman builder has a tool bag with all types of tools.  Every tool is valuable and useful depending on the situation.  Some tools have use everyday and some tools may be in
the toolbox until just the right time.  A skilled craftsman pulls out just the right tool at the right time.

As a believer, we have tools to use in our overcoming life and our encouragement of others in their journey with God.  The Scriptures and our prayers of declaration, petition and intercession are tools we use everyday to see the Kingdom of God here on earth as it is in Heaven.  Yet a powerful tool we often leave in our toolbox and don't use often is our testimony of what God has done in our life and situations.  How can we use our testimony in our overcoming life and in encouraging others in their journey of overcoming?

In the Scripture, God instructs us to use our testimony in teaching, reminding and encouraging others.  In Exodus 12 as God gives Israel instruction about the Passover, He tells them that in the future, when they are in the Promised Land, they are to celebrate the Passover each year.  When their children ask what the ceremony means, they are to tell them - to give testimony again and again of how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to this Promised Land.  The celebration of the Passover and telling of the story brings hope, inspiration and encouragement into current situations.  

Our testimony and our stories of God's work in our lives should be a powerful tool to remind us and others of God's faithfulness and His unfailing Promises.  Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 to not be ashamed of the Testimony of the Lord.  Any story, big or small, significant or seemingly insignificant can make a mark on someone.  Hope can be restored and fresh courage can be imparted as others hear your God stories.  Revelation 12:11 (The Passion Translation) tells us that "They (the saints) conquered him (the devil) completely through the Blood of the Lamb and the powerful word of their testimony."  The footnote on that verse says that the faithful testimony of Jesus has the power to destroy the works of the devil.  We can remind ourselves and others of the overcoming victory of Christ in our lives so that we have fresh courage for today's challenges.  

It may be time for you to dig your testimony out of your tool box and practice telling the stories of God in your life and situations.  Practice a short speech that gives God the credit for what He has done.  A testimony used at the right time can encourage someone, shift their perspective and bring fresh hope into any situation!

We are living in the most connected generation in history with communication and information held in your hand.  With a voice command or typed request you can speak with someone almost anywhere in the world, gather facts, see photos or videos, purchase goods, or accomplish any number of tasks.  Even in this technology connected age, we experience great isolation, loneliness and separation.  The need of people's hearts and souls is not more connection in a sterile way but in building connection in community.
Not so many years ago our lives were build around our community and the near-by people that we connected with.  We shopped local, we visited our family and neighbors in person and we shared our lives, our time and our resources.  Our primary connections may have been family or the people who lived close to our home or our church community.  As our daily habits and our culture has shifted we have often lost those connections and now we feel adrift from our community.  What can bring us back to those places of deep connection and community in a current culture setting?
God has given us the model of connection and community in the Scripture in the Book of Acts.  A new era of faith had launched in the days following the Resurrection of Jesus and the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit.  The second chapter of the Book of Acts gives us a model of connection and community that built healthy lives and a vibrant Church.  
"Every believer was faithfully devoted to following the teachings of the apostles.  
Their hearts were mutually linked to one another, sharing communion and coming
together regularly for prayer.  A deep sense of holy awe swept over everyone, and
the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  All the believers were in
fellowship as one body, and they shared with one another whatever they had.  
Out of generosity they even sold their assets to distribute the proceeds to those who
were in need among them.  daily they met together in the temple courts and in one
another's homes to celebrate communion.  They shared meals together with joyful
hearts and tender humility.  They were continually filled with praises to God,
enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord kept adding to their number daily
those who were coming to life."  Acts 2:42-47 The Passion Translation

How can we embrace that model of community and connection and experience that kind of
vibrant life?    We can begin to make the habit of regular reading and study of the Scripture
and Scriptural teaching both individually and in a group setting.  We can talk about the
Scriptures together in our homes and with friends in gatherings of all size.   We can make the
habit of regularly connecting with like minded believing friends - text or call someone today to
encourage them or simply ask how they are ( and listen to their responses).  We can make
time in our schedules for a coffee or lunch meeting.  Meals shared together builds connection
with others as we share stories, laughter and tears together.  We can determine to share on a regular basis the Communion meal either as a family or together with our church family.  We can develop the habit of daily prayer both in a set time and in a continual conversation with God.  Individual prayer is connection with God and prayer together with others is community connection with God.  Praying together encourages you and those you pray with so make a
regular habit to pray with your family, with a group of friends and with our church community together for regular services.  
It takes some effort on our part to establish and maintain connection and community!
Habits are formed over time so a small start can be a step toward these healthy habits.  We can all set a reminder on our calendar to call someone once a week or set up a meeting.  Sunday morning services can be made a priority in your personal and family life with a few hours together strengthening each of us personally. We can all set a prayer time each day with a five or ten minute conversation with God as well as listening time to be quiet with God. We accomplish a goal by taking a small step to start!

There are laws that govern us every moment of every day whether we like it or not!! The law of gravity is always in effect until the law of lift (think airplane take-off) supersedes gravity.  We are comfortable with some laws that are always in effect but some laws are harder to live with (think speed limit on familiar road).  The Law of Love is always in effect in the Kingdom of God for God Himself is Love! (I John 4:16).  He has given us the command (law) to love God and love our brother. (I John 4: 21).  Jesus said the Greatest Commandment is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  (Matthew 22: 37-40).  We enjoy the benefits of the Law of Kingdom of God Love because we know and rely on the Love God has for us. (I John 4: 16).  Experiencing the Love of God is the greatest joy of living in the Kingdom of God and walking close to Him.  Walking out the Kingdom of God love in our everyday relationships is like the law that is harder to live with!  

The current Sermon Series at Harvest about Relationships is a good check up for us in our Love walk and our everyday relationships.   The messages are pointed towards marriage relationships but the principles apply to all of our relationships.  The Church of Jesus Christ is built on relationships as Jesus prayed that ". . . they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." (John 17: 23)

How can we build and maintain healthy relationships on every level?  The standard of the Scripture should always be our measuring line.  The standard of Love outlined in the Scripture is seen in I Corinthians 13: 4-8a : : Love is large and incredibly patient.  Love is gentle and consistently kind to all.  It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.  Love does not brag about one's achievements nor inflate its own importance.  Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor.  Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.  Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.  Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others.  Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving."  (The Passion Translation).
Is Love my priority?  Do my actions and my words reflect Love as the Scripture outlines? 
  What other priorities in my life are influencing or ordering relationships? Do I need to shift any priorities to build and maintain the most important relationships?

Every homeowner knows that a check of your house foundation is essential for locating problems early and keeping your dwelling place secure.  The same is true with our spiritual foundations, that a regular check-up of healthy practices helps locate problems and keeps us secure.

This Sunday's message about Serving our Spouse was a good check-up of our attitude and practices of serving one another.  While the message addressed serving your spouse, a servant's heart and actions applies to any relationship.
Matthew 20:26-28 (The Passion Translation) Jesus tells us "But this is not your calling.  You will lead by a completely different model.  The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant.  For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give His life in exchange for the Salvation of Many:.

Let's break down the word SERVE and the idea of serving:
S- Serve what others need regardless of what you need,  want or understand.
E - Enjoy serving others and do it with a joyful attitude.
R - Reject scorekeeping and do what you do with a spirit of grace and truth.
V - Vigilantly protect relationships (especially your marriage) and keep priorities of spouse,
     children, work and friends in their correct order.
E - Expect to be blessed and don't give up- serve others by faith!

Here are some questions to explore on your own or with others:
How do you keep a joyful attitude when serving others, especially if they are not appreciative or grateful?
Do you have an example of rejecting scorekeeping and serving with grace and the situation turned out well?
How do you cultivate the heart of a servant?

Listen again to Sunday's message and add your thoughts below!

In chaotic times as this we often forget or get distracted from our Eternal Purpose which is our assignment from the King.  Discouragement or hopelessness or everyday struggles of life try to rob us of the Truth that we are loved by God, we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings and a Chosen People, a Royal Priesthood belonging to God. ( I John 3:1; Romans 8:17; I Peter 2:9).  As Mordecai reminded Esther who had been living as Royalty in the king's house  that she had a purpose for a specific time as this (Esther 4:14) so we were reminded by Sunday's message that we have a Royal Purpose in this day.  We live as a Prophetic People who hear from God and speak His Word.  God's Word, written and spoken, transforms us and in turn transforms the circumstances and culture around us.  We need to live intentionally in a place of encouragement, challenge and hope for one another.

As we dive deeper into Sunday's Message we can remember that our Royal Position cannot be changed by external circumstances or reactions.  Our greatest battle is in our mind and in our thoughts.  God wants us to be transformed by His Word (Romans 12:2) so our thinking is renewed and not conformed to the patterns of this world.  Our current thoughts and patterns are the result of the words spoken over us and the "titles" given or created by family, friends, or even our own self opinions.  Let's take a few minutes to reflect and evaluate our thought patterns and even remember our victories in overcoming damaging thoughts.

*** How have I been transformed by the renewal of my mind by the Word of God?  Is there a specific Scripture that started my journey of transformation?
***How have I been held back by themes of criticism spoken by family or others that create titles that rule over me?  Have I experienced freedom by what the Word says about me?
***How can I live out my purpose to speak the Word of God over others with Grace and Authority?   I am asking God to let me see people as they will be and not just as they are now.

Armchair Chats: Q&A on Calling

Q. You talked about a person’s “being” call and their “doing” call, what is the difference?

Your “being” call is what you are born with. It is baked into you, it’s in your DNA and the reason that you are put on the earth. God gave you something unique that only you can give to the world. This is our Who and How.

Your “doing” call is simply what you do. “Doing” calls will change with different seasons of your life such as child-rearing, a job versus retirement, being paid to do ministry, or working in the secular job market. “Being” calls don’t change but how they are expressed, “doing”, will. This is our What and Where. Obviously, God is the Why. (Below is a graphic to help explain this concept)

Q. Would God take away a calling if one chooses not to live out that calling?

In short, no. As your “being” call is a part of who you are, you were born with it and will die with it. You can ignore, deny, or choose not to live it out, but it will remain. You can however mess up your “doing” call, or your assignment in a season. For example, you can mess up being a good parent, so you missed this calling, however, God will look for someone else to fulfill that assignment such as an adoptive or foster parent for your child. Another example, you can 'miss' a significant relationship, or a certain job, but in reality, God would recalculate us back to us fulfilling our purpose. We don't think there is a 'perfect will' in the vastness of life, but there is fulfilling our purpose.

Q. Can you explain more about exploring your “being” call using the “What do you love? What do you hate?”, questions?

Many times, you can discover more about your “being” call by asking yourself, “What do I love? “What do I hate?”.  I (Justin) personally hate bad theology. The kind that limits our faith in God or even ourselves and stops us from stepping out for Him. Conversely, I love to explain, biblically who God is and who we are because of Jesus. Through these questions, I can see that at least part of my “being” call is around learning and teaching good theology to set people free. Freedom is another part of my being call, I bring that atmosphere wherever I go. I don't like Pharisee religion!

Q. How do you pursue your calling if it doesn’t pay money for a while and your day job, which pays all your bills, prevents you from ever having time to pursue your calling?

God asked me (Freda) to lay down my “doing” call of ministry for about 16 years. In the moment when God called me to change my “doing” from ministry to raising children, He promised that if I would give it to Him, He would give it back to me tenfold when it was time to pick it back up. God doesn’t waste anything you are doing. One time I was reupholstering a couch. While sewing, God said, “Because you are figuring out how to recover this couch, I will give you the knowledge for how to counsel people as if you had studied for it”. The next time I sat down to counsel someone, I had wisdom that I should not have had on how to set the person free.

Q. What do you think about different mission fields like being called to your neighborhood or other countries?

Each of us has different “callings” from the Lord that include assignments. The key is valuing each other even when someone’s calling/assignment is so different from your own.  When we move to judge someone’s call or assignment we limit ourselves. Most of our pain comes from our judgments of others, or ourselves, or our expectations that aren’t God’s expectations. Staying in our lane (what God has called us to do) while valuing others’ lanes is key.

Q. Talk a bit about Joseph’s calling journey in the Bible, what was his “being” call versus “doing” call?

Joseph’s “doing” call changed over the course of his lifetime and in fact, it seemed like his life call was stunted and thwarted in many ways. He was sold into slavery, rose to the top in Potiphar’s household, then lied about and thrown into prison, rose to the top there, and finally was placed as second in command of the Pharoah of Egypt. Ultimately, he saved his family from starvation and ensured that it became the great nation of Israel.

But Joseph’s “being” call was found in the line he spoke to his brothers, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good". No matter what tragedy Joseph experienced, his being call spoke out, “This might look bad but God will change it for the good!”. Joseph’s “being” call is still speaking to us today. We take heart from his “being” message!

Q. What are “Valley Seasons” and what role do they play in a believer’s life?

Tony Stoltzfus wrote a book called The Calling Journey. He found from coaching over 50 leaders (in ministry and secular) and through a study of the heroes of the Bible, that most people go through three significant “Valley Seasons” in their lives. “Valley Seasons” are times when God is doing a lot of inward work in our lives versus the outward productivity of “Mountain Top Seasons”. The three “Valley Seasons” are:
-The Valley of Dependence (usually in your 20’s) – “I can’t do anything without Jesus.”
-The Valley of Wholeness (usually in your 30’s to 40’s)– “I must get healthy emotionally & relationally.”
-The Valley of Identity (in late 40’s to 60’s) – “I am loved apart from what I do.”

Enjoyed this snippet of Sunday’s Armchair Chat? Watch more here:

Recommended Resources on Calling:
-Map your own Calling Journey for free at http://www.thecallingjourney.com
-A Leader’s Life Purpose Workbook by Tony Stoltzfus
-Courage & Calling by Gordon T. Smith
-The Call by Os Guinness

I have a friend* who is hitting burnout. Her body, her mind, and her will are so very tired. She runs fast emotionally and physically, pushing herself to the limits to please people, fix things and keep her life from falling apart.  In the past, it worked for her, enough victories for her to keep going, keep striving, keep doing.  But lately, it isn’t working.  Her life is falling apart so she tries harder. She is on a hamster wheel and can’t get off because what once worked, now doesn’t.

We do what we do, even if it’s dysfunctional because, in some measure it works, it bears fruit in our lives. In Mark 11, Jesus is hungry, He goes to a fig tree to find fruit and there isn’t any. In verse 14, Jesus curses the fig tree, “No one will ever eat fruit from your again!”.  Later the disciples see the fig tree and it is all shriveled up.  They are amazed that His one command does this.

Jesus sees our dysfunction, our ways of getting things from life that don’t come from Him.  He sees that our hamster wheel of a life is going to wear us out, therefore, He speaks to that area and says, “You will never have fruit again”. He in love, stops the dysfunction from having any reward (fruit) anymore.

He stops the cycle of dysfunction of desiring an outcome, attempting to get it, getting some fruit but not enough, exhaustion, and burnout. This causes us to reassess what is our source.  It makes us wake up to what isn’t working and we have to begin new patterns to rebuild.  I have been there and have counseled many who have been there. It’s not an easy process.

In effect, there are areas we have built our life on sand and not the rock of Him.  It’s hard to hear, but if your house (life) is sliding into the sea, you have to look at the foundation you built.  Was it on your relationship with HIm or on your own striving?

If you look at your life and see something is wrong, tired, or burned out, and your life is unmanageable, there is a solution.  Turn to Jesus, and begin spending 15 minutes a day with Him.  Talk out loud to Him, turn over every area of your life to Him, and learn to only do what He is leading you to do.  Begin rebuilding your life on His foundation.  It may be a slow rebuild for a while but it will then be solid.  

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:14-26

Prayer: “Jesus what dysfunction are you cursing to “bear no more fruit” in my life? What new vine, are you blessing with fruitfulness in me?”

3 Steps to Get off the Hamster Wheel of Burnout (before you fall off)
1. Recognize the reason you are running on the wheel by asking the following:
"What do I fear is or isn't going to happen if I stop?'
"What outcome am I desiring that I feel like I have to make happen?"
2. Bring Jesus onto the wheel by asking the following:
"Jesus, what do you say about this fear?"
"Jesus, what do you say about my desired outcome?"
3. Write down, repeat, and meditate (this means to chew on) what Jesus said to you.
Be willing to make His thoughts, your thoughts and to push them higher by meditating on them.

Interested in more? Pastor Freda does coaching/counseling appointments! If interested reach out to her through our website "Contact" page for more information.

*Is this not a specific friend, but many "friends" over the years.