Enlisting in God’s Army

Imagine with me: You have just signed up to the national armed forces in medieval times...

This is not an army for just anyone. You have to be called and chosen, personally selected by the commander-and-chief himself. After an amazing welcome ceremony and extensive training you are standing alongside a platoon of new recruits. The air is buzzing with excitement. Suddenly a helmet gets put on you, then body armour, belt and shoes. Finally a sword and shield is thrust into your hands. You gaze your eyes over them and notice these are no ordinary weapons. They have amazing detail and have been carefully crafted. You feel amazing!

 

2 Timothy 2:3-7 NIV

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Soon you are all transported to an unknown destination. The target is a small castle located on top of a hill. You are told this is new territory that has to be taken. Together with a small company of soldiers in a covert operation at night, your feet hit the ground and you start running. Suddenly the enemy comes out like a flood and all of hell is unleashed against you!

You start fighting back and thrusting your sword. You make some progress, but all of a sudden ten arrows get lodged 100km/h into your shield; and these arrow tips are on fire! The shock scares the living daylights out of you and you step back momentarily. You get hit in the side and you retreat back to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

A few weeks later you are back on the battlefield and the enemy comes right at you. You start fighting one on one – parry… thrust… parry… thrust. You refuse to step back but press forward until the enemy is backed into a wall. You strike him down and on the third blow he is destroyed.

The same happens with other enemies that come at you. You find that your sword and shield is far superior to theirs. You strike them down easier than you had imagined. You and your fellow soldiers take the castle and put up the flag of your kingdom. VICTORY!

Several days later you are back on the battlefield with a platoon of soldiers and leaders fighting with you this time. The general advises everyone of a change in direction. You are ordered to head down a dark path in a forest you are sure is unsafe, riddled with booby traps. Suddenly, the enemy comes out like a flood and has the entire platoon surrounded.

Booby traps go off everywhere and many soldiers are hit by incoming fire. You fight back to back with your officer and make some progress. Suddenly you get hit from behind sure your leader had your back. The call to retreat is sounded and many run but some sadly taken captive. You are heavily wounded but still manage to evade capture.

The pain this time is unbearable. You lose all rational thoughts of thinking and feel terribly insecure. Trust in those above you has been broken. Others who were fighting alongside you also got wounded, everyone except the leaders. Some you started out with leave the army and encourage you to do the same. But you press on, there’s no turning back. You have come too far. There is too much at stake. You reason there is nothing worth going back to anyway. Besides, you have been chosen by the commander-and-chief himself, and you don’t want to let him down.

A few months later you are back on the same battlefield with the platoon and the enemy comes right at you. You’re a different man now; more resilient, stronger, wiser, experienced. Attacks don’t surprise you anymore. In a matter of moments the enemy is defeated, one after the other after the other.

You take new ground and are at a place you have never been before. You come across the POW camp and release the prisoners, declaring freedom to the captives. Later you are promoted to a platoon of soldiers for excellence in bravery and overcoming against the odds. You put up the flag of your kingdom. VICTORY!

You feel invincible. The following week there is another castle still to be captured. It is deep in unchartered territory but you reason victory is achievable. Against orders you venture out in a covert operation with a few chosen soldiers, trusted and experienced in battle. You are full of destiny and vision but pride and ego have now set in. You don’t want to admit so you conveniently ignore it. You set out and your unit is ambushed by the enemy. You fight well for a time but you get hit with your shield not proving to withstand the onslaught of fiery arrows. You retreat back to the medical hospital questioning all the way just what went wrong…

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The Fight of Faith

Welcome to the battlefield Christian. What did you expect? A walk in the park? Strolling through tulips and roses?  Faith isn’t casually heading down a path leading to heaven without any problems. The truth is there is a spiritual war raging all around you against your soul.

When you give your life to Christ you automatically enlist into God’s end time army. Opposition and battles come your way as a by-product. Being a Christian is warfare on a galactic scale. Heaven knows you and hell knows you. You have unlimited potential to take much ground and achieve greatness for the Kingdom of God. You are a massive threat, so all the enemy’s forces will stop at nothing to take you out.

The enemy is very cunning and scheming. He has had centuries of experience and knows human nature very well. He has no new tricks because the ones he uses are always effective. His weapons are only lies of discouragement, disappointment, fear and intimidation. We are the ones who choose to believe them and let them lead us astray or not.

Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Much is at stake and God needs more than conquerors in His army. The fight of faith is to be bold, dedicated and strong in the day of trial and temptation. It is also to be incredibly surrendered and humbled. To have childlike faith, a pure heart and clean mind. To be shrewd as snakes but as innocent as doves.

The fight of faith is similar to castles and domains that you need to take. Battles can be against areas of strongholds, temptations to overcome, difficult people and physical places. Hardship handled correctly is greatly beneficial and profitable. Always know that the enemy is never people – it is the devil and the kingdom of darkness.

Capturing fortresses, mountains and castles is your objective. Every battle you go through you only get stronger in your authority. When you beat that castle you beat that area in your life! It is okay you will make mistakes along the way. We will all fall at some point – ourselves and others. If you get wounded church is our hospital for restoration, healing, guidance and strength in our time of need. We learn greatest by making one major mistake over 100 successes any day.

Ephesians 6:13 NIV

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Take heart today Christian. The enemy is fighting a losing war. You are on the winning side, victory has already been declared. Our role is to simply be faithful and go where the Holy Spirit guides and leads us. When you’re going through a battle, always remember at the end of the day… we win!!

Chess and the Kingdom of God

Life in the Christian faith is very similar to chess…

Chess is a game of ultimate patience, planning and with one main objective – to gain territory and checkmate the king. It requires aggressive tactics, cunning strategies, and always thinking ten moves ahead. The end goal is everything. It’s not how you start but how you finish that matters.

Chess is a fascinating game on so many levels. It is a game for Kings with everything at stake and the game in balance with just several key moves. Choices and decisions can have significant implications. You need to be always thinking several moves ahead and always putting the enemy on the defensive.

It is a game that teaches you about yourself and your opponent. You can learn a great deal about somebody by watching them. It is an opportunity to teach your enemy what you want them to learn about you. For them to think that your weaknesses are really your strengths.

Likewise, the Kingdom of God is intense spiritual warfare. The souls of billions lie in the balance and when captured can never be recovered. The world is one MASSIVE chess board with much territory to be taken! God’s aim is to slowly check mate the devil and He uses us as His chosen instruments. We have been drafted into his army to fight for the King and His Kingdom – Jesus Christ.

Consider the following:
• Chess has an obvious theme in the traditional White against Black sides, good versus evil. White always moves first.
• The pawn represents the frontline foot soldier that can only move forward. They begin side by side and are essential to the kings success.
• They can be promoted to another piece at the masters choice (Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen) if it advances all the way to the opposite side of the board (proves itself faithful, fights the good fight of faith).
• Connected pawns which are diagonally adjacent form a chain that protects the one on front, are essential at protecting the more valuable pieces.
• The only difference with chess and God is He never sacrifices one piece for another of greater value, and the game has already been won!

Pieces:
• King - The Leader and the most important piece on the board
• Queen - All the King's secular forces combined into a powerful tool of his administration. Starts at his side, to show His dominance. Straight and Diagonal movement shows the ability to apply to all problems and situations.
• Bishops - liaison between man and God, the administration of the House of the Lord on Earth. Keeps to one color, to show that the church has limitations in its applicability, but there are two Bishops, one for the Church, one for the congregation, and between the two of them, they can get anywhere.
• Knights - The Special Forces, able to attack from unseen angles, and retreat across obstacles. This 90-degree component is seen by many to symbolise the duality of God's might and man's will.
• Rooks - Portrayed as a castle, examination of early structures lead many to conclude it is actually a church. Usually exemplifies a building made of stone, and ‘on this rock I shall build my church’.
• Pawns - All the multitudes of man, serving God best by stepping boldly forward in Faith!

If you allow it chess can teach you to make better decisions in life and the absoluteness of your actions. As your options narrow and you are left with only sacrifices to make, you understand more about how the best decision to make may not be one that you want.

In chess you learn to maximise your take downs and make every move count. God's plan for our lives is VERY STRATEGIC - never more like a game of chess. He has planned out every move here on earth and has divine assignments for us to fulfill. When you are moving where God leads you in life your labor is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Chess as a game is very much an end-state oriented operation. The rules of play in chess decree that the sole goal of the procedure is to bring the opponent's king into checkmate. Only moves that contribute to that end are ‘good moves’ they are good only to the degree they do so contribute.

How many other men I capture, how many of my own men I manage to protect, how soon I get one of my men into his king row, how quickly I make my moves, how many different pieces I use, how much my play impresses the spectators - these have zero significance if they do not contribute to my checkmating his king.

Notice that, although material considerations are very important in chess thinking, one doesn't win by having the most pieces. All that matters is delivering the final checkmate. The end is the measure for everything that happens within the game itself, from first move to last. This is precisely how God deals with us.

God Can’t Lose and the Devil Can’t Win!

This is true whether devils and man believe it or not. The only reason the enemy is still existing now is for God's use as tools for our processing and education to grow in Faith. The PLAN is to erase them and the ‘chess board’ (the earth) permanently by fire (Matthew 23:33, 25:41). For the world and its evil desires will pass away but whoever does the will of God will live forever (1 John 2:17).

Only two things in this world are eternal - the Word and people. It only makes sense to build your life around these two things that will last forever. Think about it: God’s Word will last forever - people last forever - everything else disappears.

In light of this reality how should we live? We should live our life backwards from the judgment seat of Christ and ask, “What difference will my life make in 10,000 years?” Most of the things we work for or worry about won’t matter in three weeks, let alone three months or three years. We focus on the trivial and forget to pursue the eternal. But 10,000 times 10,000 years from now, you’ll still be glad you invested your life for Jesus Christ and spread the gospel in your world in influence.

Of course, the black side has the same pieces and represents the devils forces. The Dark One has his followers and his Bishops which are the false religions he deceives man into believing. Satan is our opponent. His ‘pieces’ are all his evil spirits who attack, possess, and control men in the wickedness of their roles as black pieces (John 9:24; Romans 7:15-25). When he captures pieces they are effectively lost forever.

God has been playing a chess game with vindictive and ignorant demons using them as tools for His greater purposes. They are the objects of humour for heaven as they try to defeat God (Psalm 2:4, 37:13).

Have perspective today Christian, the game has already been won. Stay faithful, obedient and strong in Faith to the very end. Because at the end of the day - we win!

CRAZY for God

CRAZY, in a positive sense, refers to passionate, enthusiastic zealous and devoted…

It reflects a person who goes to the extreme and beyond the expected. CRAZY people get things done. They inspire followers, challenge systems of thinking and bring a revolution.

Jesus was, in every sense of the word, CRAZY. He went against the culture of His day and set a new standard of living. He drove the religious police mad and picked a fight with the devil and won. Jesus was a revolutionary. He changed the world forever.

He broke all the rules, went against cultural norms and pushed the barriers. He gave EVERYTHING He had so others could live and be set free. He walked worthy of the calling. He blessed others when they reviled. He did not repay evil with evil, but loved all those who crucified Him. He was hated, despised, accused of evil, betrayed, rejected and sentenced to death for the crime of being the Son of God. What He lost, we gained. CRAZY…

Matthew 10:39 NIV
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.


Jesus calls us to be CRAZY. He left us an example to follow. To be radical and unashamed. To live a life totally against popular opinion. To live for Him and His ways. To be just as CRAZY and revolutionary. Not stupid and reckless Christians, but anointed and victorious in life. Jesus asked for EVERYTHING and expected nothing less. When you lose your life in Christ, you find true life.

It is a call to live OUTRAGEOUSLY in faith to the One who gave everything. Daily laying down our lives and seeking first the Kingdom of God. To put away our selfishness and let others needs come first. What we lose, others gain. To give away anything that hinders this pursuit. To abandon the evil things that this world honours. To lay down our lives daily and even die for His purposes if asked. CRAZY…

I’m CRAZY and I’m proud of it. I give sacrificially to church willingly and cheerfully. I give my time weekly to build and empower others in the Faith. I’m sold out to the gospel to the point no one can ever shake me from it otherwise. Even if I’m going through hell and it’s easier to quit, I’ll NEVER giving up my Faith in Christ. Everything I do is inspired and done to honour Him to build His Kingdom.

When others call me CRAZY it’s a compliment. The opposite of CRAZY is normal, indifferent and lukewarm. That is what scares me. To be another face in the crowd, heading down the current of the river with the world to ruin. But no matter what I go through, I choose to be CRAZY. How about you? Are you in?

Matthew 10:34-38 NIV“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.


Why be CRAZY?

God’s Word says we are to be CRAZY for Him in how we live. He did not promise an easy life but in fact the opposite – trials, warfare and persecutions. He calls everyone to make a stand and choose to follow Him. To leave behind family and friends if necessary. To be willingly to give up everything, take up our cross and follow Him. Just as He was CRAZY to save mankind who had rebelled against Him and made salvation possible, we are to be CRAZY for Him.

Jesus asked for EVERYTHING and expected nothing less. Every step of Faith should be one step closer to losing your life. The more of you, you lose, the more of Christ’s life you gain. The life your losing is not the life you want anyway – IN Christ is the real you who God created. We are to follow in the same footsteps as those who have gone before us:

• Moses was Crazy
• David was Crazy
• Peter was Crazy
• Paul was Crazy

In all truth, you need to be CRAZY for God. There is no other way. It is His way or the highway. To the measure you are CRAZY for God is to the degree that you are in the Kingdom of Heaven. You need to be CRAZY to be a follower, disciple and leader. To fulfill your calling and be found faithful and obedient. There is no other choice.

This week I dare you to be CRAZY. To live like Jesus and turn over tables in the face of hypocrisy. To go against popular opinion and to fight for the Truth in a world of lies. To make a stand in your Faith, no matter what the cost. To live radically and revolutionary. Because at the end of the day, you’ll be CRAZY not to be CRAZY…

The Greatness of our God - Book Preview

Welcome back to 2012 for Faith, Hope and Reflections! I have a feeling this year is going to be a great year of favour, transformation, healing and breakthrough for you personally…

To begin this year I would like to forward my new book which will be available in February ~ The Greatness of Our God.

The idea of this book came during a men’s bible study I lead on Monday nights. After prayer one afternoon on the beach, the idea to study the nature of God gave me the inspiration to teach on it as a seven part series. It was a huge success which brought rich understanding to all of us. Some nights the studies just left all of us totally speechless. Immediately I thought to myself - others need to hear this too…

It is my conviction that we need to know the nature of God now more then ever before. It is this revelation and understanding that will keep us in the faith during the hard times, and on the path of eternal life.

The nature of God tells us that we are here for something so much greater than what the world tells us. That He is the reason for our existence and there is a divine calling for every individual for themselves to discover.

Below is a quick preview of what the book will cover and an idea of just how Great our God really is…

Enjoy!

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Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3

The majority of people do not understand the true nature of God. Many today have an incorrect and twisted opinion of who God is, what He is like, and His reasons for things happening.

The enemy has worked overtime for centuries speaking lies into the hearts of people about the true character of God. Words of lies have become beliefs and strongholds in the minds of many.

These beliefs sadly keep many away from discovering that He is in actual fact a Great God. Additionally, by perverting our perception of Him, when times get tough people can easily lose heart and walk away.

But this should not be the case! If our foundation in God is strong, when the storms of life come we will never doubt God’s purpose in using events to mature and strengthen us. This book will look at seven of God’s greatest characteristics, backed up entirely by the Word of God.

A thorough and deep understanding of the fundamental nature of God is essential for every individual to discover for themselves. Topics covered in this book will include:

• Is God really Great?
• What is God’s nature like?
• How does God’s Mercy balance His Judgement?
• Can God ever not always be Good?
• What is our response to God’s Love, Grace and Faithfulness?

It is my prayer that God will reveal Himself to you in a whole new way, and will be the start of a brand new journey, as you discover for yourself – The Greatness of our God!

Staying IN Christ

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is IN Christ…

One of the greatest understandings we can possess, is the supernatural power of staying IN Christ…

Being IN Christ is to stay in relationship with God, to stay immovable in Faith, to stay strong in Freedom. When you’re IN Christ your lost and dead to everything else.

The Bible is full of statements declaring that we are ‘IN Christ’. Everything Christ bought back for us was so we could fully experience relationship with Him and enjoy life. We must purposely position ourselves there through determination, commitment and sacrifice.

The enemy’s aim is to keep you out of your relationship IN Christ. The enemy can not stop you going to church, praying or reading revelation from the Word. But he can fill your heart with things that will keep you from wanting to.

Offence. Pride. Discouragement. Lust. Fear. In this state of heart, a Christian can be in church but far from God. They can still own their life, cling to the past, and live a defeated life.

As we end this year, we need to be reminded of the importance of staying IN Christ. I see too many Christians backslide and think that they will be happier if they do life their own way. This is nothing further from the Truth. The opposite of Freedom is bondage, which is to live life away from God, church and faith. You’re not free to sin - you’re bound to sin.

People who walk away from God lost being IN Christ. The Bible is full of warnings of the importance of us remaining IN Christ. This is to stay humble. To remain pure. To stay strong in the faith. Ultimately, if we don’t remain, God will remove.


1) In Christ: We Have Freedom

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Many people today are living in bondage to fear, pain, addictions and sin. This is far from God’s best and not where we should be living. God is an expert in setting people free. We must do everything to stay in this freedom, and look out for others to be set free. Check out these amazing definition of Freedom...

Freedom:
1. The condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without restraints
2. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, bondage or self; deliverance
3. The right to unrestricted use; full access; given complete freedom
4. The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship; the freedom of the city.

2) In Christ: Redemption

Ephesians 1:7 IN Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Redemption is to pay the required price to secure the release of a convicted criminal, or slave from bondage. As long as we remain ‘IN Christ’ we will be free from these prior penalties. If you have Christ on your heart, spirit and mind - you have peace. Liberation is the first purpose of redemption. Christ came to liberate us from sin and death.

Redemption is not just about the future, it's for right now: bad things can be turned around. Blessing can't come if a curse is still active. Jesus took the curse from you on the Cross. Once you are living in Him, everything is working together for good, even bad things! Because we have tough times in God doesn't mean we are not in the will of God.


3) In Christ: Seated with God

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places IN Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us IN Christ Jesus.

Being seated with God has a price. Those prepared to live a life of discipline with boundaries will reign seated with God in this life and the next. God is not waiting for us to do something to merit grace or favour. All the promises in the book of revelation are to the Overcomers. It is only by faith that we can rise above our circumstances and be seated with God.

4) In Christ: A New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is IN Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!

God’s purpose in conversion is to regenerate and then upgrade your life! Don't forget who you are. As long as your mindset is chained to the past you won't believe that you are a new creation.

In the parable of the lost son, the younger son knows what he has but forgets who he is. The older son knows who he is but doesn't understand what he has.

Take nothing of the old into the new. This is to have (1) NO shame, condemnation or guilt (2) NO sin and death and (3) NO devil - the dominion of the enemy is broken when we come to Christ (Romans 6:14; 8:1-2, Colossians 1:13).


5) In Christ: Chosen and Accepted

Ephesians 1:4 Just as He chose us IN Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved...

Being chosen lies in the fact that we're ‘IN Christ’. You were chosen, 'In Him' before the foundation of the world. Amazing! IN Christ you are without blame and without shame. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Your Spirit must be filled with the life of God. Your Spirit transforms your life, attitudes and actions. Remember: You are highly favoured in Him. God has chosen you and neither blames, nor judges you.


5 Keys to Staying IN Christ for 2012:
1) Stay in relationship with God – prayer, the Word, worship
2) Stay in relationship with strong believers
3) Stay in the House of God – planted, serving, giving
4) Stay disciplined away from areas that tempt you and cause you to sin, lose your focus
5) Cut off anything and everything from your life that hinders you from staying in Christ!!


Ephesians 3:12 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children… This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. IN Him and through Faith IN Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Seed Time, Harvest Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…

There is a universal principle of the power of sowing and reaping…

It works for anyone who uses it, without favourtism or partiality. Throughout our lifetime there are seasons of seed time (sowing) and seasons of reaping (harvests). A season is an unknown time period with a specific purpose ordained by God. There is no greater feeling than the joys of harvest time!

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.

Every seed is a tiny beginning with a huge future. A tomato seed has a hidden set of instructions on how to grow tomatoes. They are precise, specific and detailed.

The only condition is if the seed has the right circumstances for it to grow. Likewise, our conditions are Faith and total obedience to the Word and specific instructions from God in order for our seeds to grow.

‘Seeds’ are best sown into people. Your love is a seed. Your time is a seed. Your finances are seeds. Your prayers are seeds. You are a walking warehouse of seeds! Change the seeds if you don’t like the harvests you are producing.

Your seed is any gift, skill or talent that God has given you for you to sow into the lives of others around you. The soil is the person you are helping. You need somebody to help you sow the seed you already possess to reap your harvest!

Isaiah 55:10-11 The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

God receives much glory when something small and insignificant becomes abundant and extraordinary. God’s greatest seed sown was Jesus – the Word became flesh. Jesus legacy of three years of ministry in 33AD with 12 average disciples, turned the Roman Empire to Christianity by 312AD! Today, over a billion people confess the name of Jesus as their Saviour.

Harvests can be anything too – financial increase is a harvest, reconciled relationships is a harvest, salvations from friends/family is a harvest, new opportunities is a harvest. A harvest is any person or good thing God sends into your life that blesses you.

You are responsible for your life, your seeds and your harvest, no one else. God’s abundance, open heaven and riches need to go to someone…. why not you? So, what are you doing with your seeds?

The Process of Reaping a Harvest

Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus [said]: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”


1. Planted – Sowing into the House of God, People (Psalm 92:12-13)
2. Death – Dead to self, your agenda (John 12:24)
3. Moisture – Feeding your soil with the Word, Worship, Prayer (Matthew 13)
4. Weeding – Removing sin, cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches (Mark 4:19)
5. Support – Remaining in Christ, fellowship (John 15:4; 7)
6. Pruning – Cutting off things that hinder us, addictions, mindsets (John 15:2-3)
7. Fruitfulness – Harvest time!! (John 15:16)


Growth itself transforms us. We change in shape, attitudes, and priorities as we grow. A seed is a possibility. It is not a guarantee of anything. A seed is potential of a great plant. It has the potential of creating a thousand more plants by becoming fruitful. Cutting things off our life that are hindering us is short term pain, but long term happiness and life!



All of us have been given a garden, a field to tend to. We have a field of souls to harvest. We have a field of ministries to harvest. We have a field of money to harvest. We have a field that will yield nothing to us unless we tend to it.

Still not convinced? How about the seed of the living and active Word of God that was sown into your heart? You now have Jesus. You now have Eternal Salvation. It changed your life forever. That was good seed sown...

EXAMPLE – Isaac’s Harvest

Genesis 26:1-3; 12-14 Now there was a famine in the land … The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live” … Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him…

Harvests come when you sow in the right fields… the House of God. Scripture is clear that those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish (Psalms 92:13-14). There are many churches for us to go to but there might only be one right for you.

Isaac reaped a harvest while sowing in a famine because he was obedient to where God had called him to be. The blessing is in God, not your geography, circumstance, economy or family situation. If you remain in God, He will remain in you.

We have to constantly 1) Remain 2) Dig again and 3) Push through. Don’t let go of God to lay hold of a job, relationship, options. Never underestimate the power of remaining in God. His blessing falls on a person, not a piece of dirt. The only issue you’ll have is not everyone is going to be happy that you’re blessed!


Harvests take hard work, careful discipline, much prayer, great Faith and endless patience to last for years! How many people have enormous potential yet fail to achieve anything? Having potential alone is not going to make you successful.

It’s never natural talent or skill that unleashes full potential. Its discipline, hard work, following sound advice, being teachable, getting organized, planning your work and working your plan.

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

God’s Word says we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Get a paradigm shift, nothings impossible with God. If God says He will do something, He will do it. There is nothing more powerful than the word of God. Do good, sow your seeds, be patient and expect your due Harvest!

The Father Heart

Romans 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory...

The primary purpose of your existence is to know God as Father. He created you for relationship, intimacy and fellowship. To enjoy, rejoice and worship Him - now on earth, and forever into all Eternity. Within this relationship we discover our identity and purpose in life.


Scripture confirms this by giving us the right to relate to God with the title ‘Abba Father’, an expression of affection and tenderness under parental authority (Rom 8:15). This is an incredible privilege and invitation to all mankind. We are to relate to God not so much as our Creator, our Master or the King of Glory…. but our Abba Father.

The truth is you will treat yourself and others according to the way you think God feels about you. All of us have gone through moments in life where we have experienced rejection, shame, betrayal or disappointment, at a peer level and parental authority level. Even when we have stuffed up, God is never ashamed of you as His child.

‘In love He predestined us…’

Ephesians 1:3-6
In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

We have literally been hand picked and chosen by God, before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. We are children of the King. We have been predestined to be adopted as His sons.

That means Father God treats us as His own beloved children. We no longer are alone, or outcast or abandoned. When we meet Jesus, the adoption by our Father is guaranteed!

We live in a world that is strongly performance based, where a person’s value and worth is determined by what they do, not who they are. But this is the direct opposite with our relationship with God. When we come to Christ, we have value and worth because of who we are, not because of anything we ever do.


The Father Heart desires to completely shower His unconditional love on all those He has called and chosen, simply because we are His children. Our role is to simply respond to Him and receive! It is His passion and heart for us to fully experience an incredible relationship with the Father Heart. To feel His embrace, to be secure in His acceptance, to know Him on a deeply personal level.

Spirit of Sonship = The Fathers Heart

However, many believers do not experience this incredible relationship for a variety of reasons. Life can throw us many difficult challenges and bring many hurts and pain that put up walls between us and the Father Heart. Specifically, there are two types of spirits we can possess as believers which determine our ability to receive the Father Heart…

Spirit of Bondage / Slavery
• Independent and self-reliant, insecure with no peace, works mentality of striving to please God, competitive, compares easily, can’t 100% trust God, struggles in faith

Spirit of Adoption / Sonship
• Feels free and secure in God’s Love, free from guilt, shame, condemnation, value and value in relationship with God, experiences deep intimacy, peace and joy in God

The journey from Slavery to Sonship generally does not come to us naturally at salvation. An orphan or sonship spirit can reside over an individual, a church, a city or a nation. The transition from an orphan to a son comes when we have an experiential revelation of the Father God’s love for ourselves, as well as a repositioning of our heart toward sonship.

God wants to pour out this Spirit of Sonship and adoption into our hearts, until we know just how extravagantly we are loved and delighted in. Once we know how loved we are, we will invite others to come up to the table and feast with their Father.

You are already a complete success in your Abba Father’s eyes - not for what you have done or will do, but simply because of what Jesus did for you on the cross.

John 17:22-23 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May 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.

The greatest hindrance to receiving this gift of sonship is trying to earn what we have already been freely given. The harder we try to earn it, the further away we move away from Him. This is self-righteousness. What we need is the new kind of righteousness that comes only by faith.

Jesus took our place on the cross so that we could take His place with the Father, the glory of sonship! Our salvation is all-inclusive, both redemption and adoption. Have you experienced this blessing Jesus bought for you? If not, “Ask and it shall be given unto you” (Matt 7:7)

Testimony #1 - Unknown
At one meeting, a pastor from a large church in Asia wrote, "I see God the Father as distant, unapproachable, unreasonable, hard to please, strict, perfectionist, demanding, silent, absent and to be feared. I see myself as unworthy, insignificant, a failure and disposable.
He was projecting the rejection and judgment he had suffered from his earthly father onto God and interpreting everything that was happening in his life through his past experience.
"I now know that God is not like that. He is not hard on me. He is gentle and humble of heart. He doesn't see me as never measuring up. He sees me covered with grace, and He alone will strengthen and perfect me."

Childlike Faith the Key

Matthew18:2-4 The disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child … and said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The simple truth is that we need a father., to be parented. Inside each of us is a little child that needs to be loved. That is why Jesus says we must humble ourselves and become like little children.

How can a grown man become like a little child? Men are just little boys, and women like little girls who have just gotten big! - Anonymous

Testimony #2 – Peter Jackson, Canada
Through the window of His eyes, I saw into His heart. With one look, He communicated that He loved me with his whole heart. He wasn't measuring me by my works to see if my works deserved His love, He loved me regardless of my works. He could see right through me, into my heart. He knew me completely: present, past and future and still loved me. He knew my weaknesses, my failings and my sin. He knew how many times I had made promises only to break them. Yet that had not diminished even a tiny bit of His love.
My worth to Him was not determined by anything I had done in the past or will do in the future. It was solely determined by what Jesus did for me on the cross two thousand years ago. He has always loved me and always will. I knew that I would never be able to add to that value by what I do. I received in that moment a gift of God's grace, the gift of sonship. I knew now that I had the same value that Jesus has to the Father and knew the meaning of Romans 8:15 … but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'
It was like the day that I became a Christian. I laughed and cried at the same time realizing that God, my Father loved me with an unconditional, everlasting love. For the first time, I felt true honor. I was already secure in the love of Jesus, but now I know that I am secure in the love of the Father as well.

Believe today that you are a cherished Son of the family of God first, a servant a distant second. Church and Heaven are a place of Total Acceptance. Everyday you should be getting up in the morning and your first thought is knowing you are loved and accepted by the Father God.

His heart is that we would run to Him in every moment of crises, every moment of success, every moment of temptation, and every moment of suffering. God is saying to all of us ‘come home’. Where is home? Anywhere He is…


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