Pete McKenzie 0:00
Nobody enters otherwise. And that’s basically coming to the place where you realize you’re spiritually bankrupt. You have no way to make it your own and your own power and wisdom. And if you have nothing to offer the guy, all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. And so we all fall short. And we always will be kidding. We can’t fix ourselves. We can’t redeem ourselves. We can but we often don’t forgive ourselves. But we can’t forgive ourselves our sin Jesus has to be. He has to cleanses he has to give us his righteousness. So we’ve talked about blessing. Today we’re going to talk about blessing as always in the morning is a word that used in this translation, the strongest word for mourning,

mourning the passionate kind of grief, such a hold on a man that it cannot be hidden. And so it’s been absolutely crushed. It’s like Peter after he denied Jesus. And the third time the rooster crows locked eyes with Jesus. And the rooster crows in the locked. Theater saw that look with grace and love and forgiveness. After all, it said, Lord out of the jail, really, Peter had to find out that he was spiritually bankrupt. He couldn’t do it on his own. When he saw Jesus his eyes and after him not in three times, he ran off into the 90s couldn’t believe it. He gave up his whole following. You know, it says Blessed are those who mourn. And there’s three ways we could actually think morning. One would be a man who has certain things that can only be learned through sorrow. Unless you go through those things, the things you’re going through the now the things you’ve been through, things are gonna go through. tough things are hard. You can’t see the way or the way things you’ve done and you can’t believe you’ve come to a place of being crushed. Realizing that you cannot help ourselves we have to turn that

around. We could take it literally morning over you know, usually one morning in that regard, we can find two things about sorrow. One we can find out compassion and mercy and kindness and

think about the time people came along next to you could have been financially it could have been given taken care of. It could have been a card and

a slap on the back or

someone coming along and helping me find out that there are people out there that’s where you know, no other country, no other nation in the world. Either one’s called in the corporation to help. Got john and

welcome back.

Everyone sharing the gospel. That’s another way to look at this. That’s not what Jesus had in mind. He says following through So basically what he was talking about yesterday, sorry. theater was desperately sorry. You have rushed over our sin. Have you ever been desperate and just go? What am I can’t keep from doing this in Romans seven? Cause frustration, you know, the things I know I should do? I don’t do. I know I should do them every now and then. But I can consistently do

things I know I shouldn’t do. And the devil comes along about that. You made the commitment. And now you’re not. He said, You’ll never do it again. And

that will come along and he accused. Jesus will come along. And that’s reasonably right. Because I know when you get a letter from God, he’s

not going to be right, you might think he would have looked on his face when he saw things. I mean, what the devil always heard those reports. You give in to those voices. And it’s not that he’s wrong. You did it. We did it. But God’s given us a way out. That’s killing us. Just reminds us that apart from him, we can do nothing. If you abide in Me and my word about you will bear much fruit for me not have to wait, there was a quote. According to the Spanish the more man grows, the more the more a man grows, the

more you breathe.

Basically, the same goes to the light, the darker your ship. So what God has done is he says, you’re gonna be broken over this difference in Saul and David. Solomon. God calls us to kill our children

trying to keep them

most of the trouble we get into we get into the wrong hands. And some of your friends got in trouble because you are the wrong man from the congregation. Good preaching going to meddle in your love.

Life in the world.

The world of business. You know if you’re going to if you’re going to mourn over your sin

worn open before you go if you don’t know how bad you don’t know what

you don’t feel like you feel you understand what sin is and what it does to you and what it’s done to you. God knows God.

I’d say that makes him pretty terrible. Anything that could do that. And that’s what we battle every day. And we could go on and on the rest of this man has broken heart. So the point is, I can’t reinvent the wheel. I’m sorry.

I don’t know about you, you came to Christ. That’s what Christianity desperate meaning I cannot quit sinning. Stop doing what I know I shouldn’t do and start doing what I know I should understand. And even when I do so we’ll start right. About

a year and a half.

There’s a lot going on. We need to understand the disposition and morality and wrong

decisions.

When it comes to seeing you need to know yourself and know your Bible teaches at all. I have the disposition

because of this,

I know that there’s no right or wrong. move us Meanwhile, is a bonafide genuine

love the dog

still loves. Now the Spirit of Christ for fundraising grace of god no one is wrong. Even when I do right or wrong reclaim my life Jesus died on the cross and God for Jesus to stand on himself this is what he says listen to those who are blessed because they can be comforted. competent

smart

dental client

lorded over,

no way, no way, find freedom. And no way to find comfort from the sea, and all the chemicals, and all the repercussions and all the destruction. I can only find it in front. When we go to the cross we see like seeing it now the loveliest life that ever lived,

took the flour and crushed it. And that’s what it did. And that’s what we justify, we rationalize. Because we can’t handle the guilt, shame. God has called Of course. And then that brings us to a place of mourning over confessing and we need to confess we’ve been called in the way we get to make people reality. We can make ourselves smell good, smells sweet aroma. To me. We have been beat down by sin that crushes

and even if he doesn’t

realize in the middle of his sin he doesn’t realize the consequences. Which is the root of the gospel, though and share with people the good news that they don’t have to die. They don’t have mercy. You wonder why we don’t praise Him. We wonder why we’re not more we wonder why we’re not more excited.

I think it’s because we’ve gotten used to call that selfish spirit. You get resentment built up for things that people have done to us

and we feel righteous and then we all we all have our skin terrible horrible to the point where anyways, we saw the tortures, knew they were telling us he was going to the crops and then as humanity

he didn’t want to do that.

So three times, three times to bother get off. Because he did that God gave everything Jesus Christ everything without every name. Every Democrat in the every Republican, every time in every name of every black every white, brown, yellow, every ethnic. Every meme about Jesus Christ is Lord. Do it in joy and praise others desperation they’ll do it wishing. Wishing wishing wishes as forgiving tuition. So we have grace. We have mercy. Don’t you think for one second, she can take your eyes off the cross and

always have crazy under God gives us and giving us grace of God said it this way, you’re saying that grace, say, from what saved from all this sin, all the terrible things he’s doing. And I love brother, Lord, when he said, I’m not surprised when I say, and I’m surprised when I don’t.

That’s what I do. When I’m left to myself, I sent her to talk about gossip. That’s what I do when I’m listening. He came in to give us a new line to start a revolution

in crises and found that sin doesn’t have that power. And given a new power, in which you might have wanted to have an abundance, and the only way I can have an abundant life, and the only way you can have an abundant life. And when we do sin, and we do, we’ve been given that to confess your sins, he’ll be crushed, will be broken up. If you’re acknowledging, as we call it, what it is to confess your sin, I’ll be faithful. You can count on me. I’ll be faithful and I’ll be righteous without bringing justice. You deserve to be faithful and righteous to be taken from took it on myself on the Forgiving thing. Here’s from all sin crushermobile Quinn’s from Austin. And that’s what he does. And that’s what he loves to do. That’s what he came to doing that is strong and has to make a man. Like all things given hope, given purpose came That You Might Have Life. So that’s all that we have in Christ. Listen to those who mourn for they will be comfortable. And you’re comforted every time they’re forgiving. They’re comforted every time you admit your sin and acknowledge it before he comes

along. And he said to me one time if you asked me to forgive you, and I said,

why’d you come back and ask him? I don’t remember it anymore. Can you imagine that I’ll be up in this office in all the hate all the selfish.

I don’t have a file with your name. And I’ll keep record of this. I want to give you and as we’ve seen sin abounding in our lives in our world today we sit down and all God wants to say people would come into Christ in the Middle East and throw. God is wrapping it up. He’s making things happen to save and getting the word out. People are desperate. People are suicidal, their

car wrecks. Life is not all there is preparation for the life. So I don’t know what you’ve been like in the past. I don’t know what you’re saying. I don’t know what you’re assuming. And I suggest and recommend to deal with it. Starting by being aggressive. To be crushed that I think you need to go to the cross and see

the suffering

Sacrifice installed us to do the same thing. It’s called sacrifice. He’s called us to be the kind of men of God to be not by not by we used to be with you

without them without them without them without them send me for your shirt Give me your code let them know what really matters to me that be that man be the man who created this not just enjoy forgiveness and help other people that’s what we get when we become in a prayer the word Lord of our life we chase after the chase in Africa we do it all to give it away so that mentor that knows the life that I found that that we have missed

and maybe you’re not feeling forgiven this morning maybe you’ve been in some Sam you can’t shake shake it off make it about Christ. And see the blood sacrifice rejoicing raises name thought there were three freedom to live not in beating yourself up and feeling guilty and ashamed.

Just keep going to him when you’re sad you find that sin becomes the safe word you don’t want it anymore sacred to walk away from that if you’re not going to him and ask him for forgiveness if you’re not going to the cross and see if you’re not pasting and not doing you’re not going to be you’re not going to be shake it What a great guy what a wonderful say I will exalt you oh my god oh team and I will list your name forever and ever. Every day I will know a phrase your name forever and ever sounds like a man that just wrote Psalm 51 he said the merciful the male God according to your loving kindness according to the greatness that your compassion brought out sounds like he got forgiven every day I will bless you and I will praise your greatest one generation phrase your words glorious splendor wonderful words. Enjoy sleeping awesome. Morning gration. Morgan,

all your work. You enjoying this kind of praise and worship and thanksgiving in your life. You telling the Lord every day thanks for giving me some grace and mercy. I need to have a lifestyle. I need to remember every day what God has done and we do appreciate the gospel.

thinking they’re a good means to try the way you live in order to stave off open your hand what’s your

what’s God’s saying you right now focusing on understanding the focus of you forgiving yourself you’re gonna keep fighting the good fight against Santa he’ll fight and fight right now we get we get to get to get we get the gift you can’t do it ourselves so we’re alive and that’s what the Lord has we close today we’re just writing any man here that doesn’t know still wondering things more often our next day Thank you going forward in all these ways all God’s men said him Heaven guys

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Pete McKenzie 0:00
Are you in despair? Are you depressed? Are you grieving? Come to me. And he made himself the answer. No, it’s an amazing kind of bliss. It’s an amazing kind of blessing. Because it ends in him. And if you don’t find the blessing ending in him is just a temporary blessing. But the peace that surpasses all comprehension is eternal. It never ends. It doesn’t matter what comes in or what goes out of your life, you still have that peace. Now, there are three ways we could take this morning, actually, one is you could take it literally like the man who’s endured the most bitter sorrow, the greatest loss, there are certain things that can only be learned when your heart is broken. It’s the same thing that I’ve shared with you guys on many occasions about sitting on the bench and having a hard time because the guy in front of me, I thought I was better than him and all that. And God taught me through that whole thing that there were some things I could only learn on the bench I couldn’t learn in the game. I’ve been in the game, I’d been an all star had been all that stuff I played every night in the lineup. But he put me on the bench. It was kind of like when we go into Eastern Europe, and I was going God, why am I going to Eastern Europe? I can’t speak at retreats. I can’t teach couples classes. I can’t counsel guys, I have to teach or train to interpreters and translators. Why am I going to? I can’t use my gifts, why am I going to Romanian, Hungary and all these places? And God says, What if I don’t need your gifts? Yes, I never thought that I could do not need my gifts. And God said, there’s something you’re going to learn over there that you can’t learn here do exercise in all your gifts. So a broken heart is a certain kind of bliss and a certain kind of comfort. And it leads you to that. When we’re out of the game, and on the bench, we find that our bitter sorrow teaches us the greatest lessons. That necessarily it can, in sorrow can do two things. two things. One, it can show you the kindness and compassion of your fellow man. Because when we’re down and out and a brother comes along and helps us, helps us in counseling helps us in find our way helps us in financially helps us in different ways. And a lot of times that’s where people have found their lifeblood, they found hope. Because they had people around them. And that’s what the church is about had people around them The reason we have benevolent funds, some reason we have scholarships, that’s the reason we have different things that help guys when they’re down and out and they desperately need it can also show you the compassion of God. And the comfort and compassion of pm when you’re totally empty and you have nowhere else to turn. In a turn to Him you find there’s where the peace was all along. There’s where that help was there’s where the strength was, and where the hope was. So there are some things that sorrow can do. But you know, when things are really going well, and there’s no pain, there’s no sorrow, you’re on the top of your game. The finances are there, the family’s in good shape. You could just live that way for years. But you’re not learning anything. And I would Don’t you wish and I wish I wish we could learn those lessons that we can only learn through sorrow and pain and grief. I wish we could learn those in a classroom. We just read a book. But you can know a lot about it, but you’re not going to know the depth of it until you go through it. Now Life is full of problems and trials. Jesus said that marriage is full of problems. Paul said that you guys wish you were like me and he was single at the time evidently. He says I’m single. But if you get if you got to get married, it’s better to marry than burn. But if you marry you’re going to have trouble. Can I get an amen from the congregation? Jesus said it too. He said in this world you will have tribulation but it didn’t leave us there he said But take heart. I have overcome the world. The world doesn’t have to head us you like my dog does his rag doll shakes it and everything. I’m finding cotton all over the floor now is shaking the cotton out of it. And that’s what the world does to us. It grabs us by the nape of the neck and just shakes us like a dog shaking a rabbit. He’s got that in it has no compassion in that regard. The thing that’s important about sorrow,

and I had my four m group meet, we met for dinner last night. And every one of us are going through something. one guy’s got a disappointment because he had a job. It was his, he didn’t feel qualified. And he told the guy, that one that hiring, he said, You’re the man that for the job, you’re the guy we want. He had been looking for work, and he had had enough money in the bank to keep them going. But now he was going to get this job. He’s going to be the CEO of this new startup. And then right at the last minute, they just pulled the rug right out from under him. And they shared some of his job description that he told him that he had no experience in that. And they said, Well, that’s what you’re going to be doing. And what about the money and funding? And they said, Well, you were looking to you to do that. And, well, how much are you putting in? Well, we’re not putting in anything we’re looking to you. And so basically, that didn’t work. And he’s neither know what he’s doing and didn’t know what God’s doing that and so we had a great time to talk and encourage each other last night. another guy’s going through a marriage crisis. I’ve got things going on with my brother, I just found out that my brother in Alabama has prostate cancer so bad that it metastasized to his femur and was causing great pain, it metastasized to his lungs into his ribs. So I’ve probably hidden back there in the next week or two and seeing what’s going on and seeing how he’s doing. The point is, everybody’s got something, and it just keeps coming. This out of heaven, we’re gonna have tribulation, there’s going to be trials, there’s going to be sickness, illness, desperate times. But the Lord says bless it to you when you mourn. There’s another thing it could mean, it could mean that you’re desperately sorry for the suffering in the world. When you see someone that’s down and out or hurting or in desperate straits, and you have compassion for them, and you look at some around the world, and you know how you can look in any direction, and then you’ll run into that in our country. Right now, people are in desperate straits. They’re seeing everything that’s good, become evil and evil become good. They’re seeing a world turned upside down. They’re saying lunacy. And what’s the thinking of people, and we could name all the issues that are going on there. But I don’t need to you know what’s going on. And so they’re getting desperate. Kids are starting to commit suicide, their own social media, and they’re not measuring up and they’re doing desperate things on there. And they’re been locked down and not around their friends and getting depressed and it’s just a mess. But if you’re feel compassion for people, and you take action to help and relieve the pain, that’s mercy, and compassion. That’s another way you could look at morning. But the really the main thought, looking at lesser the poor in spirit and what Jesus is talking about here, as he’s talking about blesser that is a man who’s desperately sorry for his own sin and his own unworthiness. He’s come to this place in his life where he realizes that he’s a sinner, that he misses the mark, that he’s can’t live up to all the vows that he made, like Peter did, Lord, I’ll go to jail for you. I’ll die for you really, Peter. And Peter had to come to the place and he did after he denied Jesus at third time when that little girl came up to and said onto one of his seminars saying you with him? And he cursed and he said, No. And then about that time, the rooster crowed, and Jesus locked eyes with him, he is being led out of where they have been slapping him around. In his eyes caught Peters eyes. And I got a feeling Peter broke even more than he would have because he saw the grace and compassion in Jesus’s eyes. He didn’t say that look, that said, I knew you wouldn’t stand up for me. I knew you wouldn’t be faithful and loyal. He didn’t say that. look into his eyes. And if you’ve ever looked in Jesus’s eyes, you’ve never seen it either. You may have the kind of Jesus It was like your dad or your drill sergeant or your coach, or your wife. And you seen that look before you get the look. Have you ever gotten the look? Do like that if you’re married. Look, it says I could you do that. That’s a stupid thing to do. You did it again. I knew you. I knew you wouldn’t be there when I needed you. I knew you wouldn’t come through. I knew you’d forget. And that’s what’s kind of Things that we do we forget and don’t come through and don’t show up.

Not on purpose, not cause we need to because we didn’t do it on purpose. As we weren’t making sure that we did. Maybe not important enough. You know, we taught our kids when they were growing up, you know, let me tell you how you know, you have the wrong friends, if they have no fear of future consequences for present actions, and that’s wrong friend, they’re doing stupid things. And they’re not concerned about the consequences of those things. They can’t look up the road and see what happens because you’re doing those things. That’s a wrong crowd to be with. Because there are always consequences for breaking the rules. Normally, and you can say, well, that’s not a rule, and I’m not going to obey it anymore. You can say that all you want to, but you can tell, you can look at a guy and say, I don’t believe in gravity. I just don’t think it’s in vogue anymore. So you can go up on the roof and jump off and it doesn’t matter where you think it is or not, it’s gonna have its way with you. That’s the way sin is. Sin is gonna have its way with us whether we acknowledge it or not, or we’re afraid of it or not. Or we’re careful not to do it. Christianity begins with a sense of awareness of sin, bless it of the poor in spirit. Bless the man who is brokenhearted by what his sin did to God and His Son Jesus, and what it’s done to himself. I can’t repent unless I’m sorry for my sin. Jesus came Puritan and john the baptist came preaching repent, first thing out of their mouth. But if you’re not sorry for your sin, what are you repenting over? So there are a lot of people that have said, they’ve come to Christ, but there’s never been a repentance for sin. There’s never been a repentance for broken ness, and all the things that they’ve done. They found a way and maybe to justify it and rationalize it and say, well, it’s not sin. Well, everybody’s doing it. Well, it’s okay. It’s not that bad. We compare ourselves with others and say, Well, I’m a lot better than our two guys share a testimony yesterday, I asked him how it came to Christ. And he said, Well, I was looking at my brother. And I’m thinking, Man, I’m not as stupid as him, look at all the stuff he’s doing. I’m a good guy. And so there was couldn’t repent with that spirit, heart and attitude, because he was comparing himself to other centers and coming out pretty good. But God won’t let us get away with that. We look at our own sand, it may have different looks, it may have different habits, it may have different experiences, but it’s still sin. And until I understand that I’m a sinner that I fall short of the mark. And one of the tip offs to me that I was a sinner is I felt guilty and ashamed all the time, because I couldn’t keep the rules. I couldn’t be a good little Southern Baptist boy. And I didn’t know how to do it. So I’d go rededicate a life and never been dedicated in the first place. And that was a more frustration. But it always helped when I’d walk the aisle and rededicate my life because it at least 24 hours, sometimes 48 hours. But then I’d be right back in the same old deal again, and then I’d have to put it off and put it off the to just as I am without one Glee and I surrender all and now the verses that they had seen till somebody came forward would do rock scissors paper at the back row to say, who’s going forward this week, so we can get this thing over with. And I lost every time. There’s a Pete McKenzie Memorial carpet in my church I grew up in I can’t be sorry for my sin unless my eyes are open to what sin is and what sin does. And you know, I was teaching on this a few years ago when I started writing on sin. And what sin does to us in what sand really is, now as this three and a half pages, and I won’t have again, stand reading them all. So I’ll read you some of them. And we’ll start when the Lord says stop, but it’s really important that we understand what sin is and what it does to us, and had the effect that has on us in the consequences of sin. And what it does to God and y’all got to do is go to the cross to see what it’s done to God and see what it did to his son. They say salvation is free, but it costs God His son and his son his life. You must be a pretty horrible thing, this sin thing.

The disposition of sin is not immorality and wrongdoing, but the disposition of self realization, which says I am my own God. I can handle this I’m not giving up, I’m not gonna surrender. I’m not gonna give in. I’m not gonna let go, I’m going to run my ship, I’m going to Captain my ship. I want my way, my Will my thinking my wisdom. And that’s a root of pride and sin, Know yourself and know your enemy, for they could be the same. The Bible teaches at all I’ve sinned, which means that I am a sinner by nature. I have the disposition of sin since my birth, and it’s my natural DNA. Because of this, I know that there is no goodness or righteousness in me. I’m a slave to sin, and cannot find freedom in my own self effort. I cannot fix or save myself, and I’m spiritually helpless and hopeless. My sin does not make me a sinner. A sin because I am a sinner. My sin is not something I do. It’s something I am. The root of my sin is pride, and selfishness. I cannot defeat my sin by focusing on it. defeated by focusing on Jesus Christ. Jesus deals with sin and redemption. Meanwhile, my sin nature is independent from God in His outright rebellion against him as a bona fide genuine sinner. I love the darkness because my deeds are evil. The result of my sin is death in hostility to a loving God who offers me life. I am capable of committing the most awful sins and atrocities. My sinful heart and mind does not desire to submit to God. It’s all about self as a center, no matter how hard I try, I cannot earn my salvation, or get God to love me more, or accept and approve of me. He already does. Without the Spirit of Christ in me I am controlled by and kept in bondage by the devil in his demons, and our desire to do His will. The devil tempts me to sin and then accuses and shames me when I do. I ruthlessly defend my selfish control oriented right to myself. Apart from the grace of God, I am the spirit I am in spiritual darkness in my best efforts will not get me out. In my deceptive sin nature. I can be in spiritual darkness thinking I’m in the light. Left to myself because of my sin, I am set to self destruct. I know what is wrong, but cannot keep from doing it because I have no power over it. Even when I do right my sinful heart can do it with wrong motives. In the presence of God, I find that I am a man of unclean lips, living among the people of unclean lips. My sin hurts others and sometimes I care. My sin separates me from God and others because it’s all about me. My sin breaks hearts steals betrays loss covets, hates in lies. My sin deceives in cons masks, wears mask and cheats, manipulates and disrespects others. My son loves things and uses people. My sin weakens me. It makes me dysfunctional and bankrupt smart character. My sin is ruthless with others and soft on myself. My sin is materialistic, shamanistic egotistical, vengeful, angry, resentful, bitter, and Savage. And just in case I haven’t hit on something that bothers you, I’ll keep going. My sand results in making me feel guilty and ashamed. My sin makes me ineffective, impotent, feeble, frail, and fragile.

My sand makes me insecure and inadequate, fearful, isolated and lonely. My sin makes leads me to having pity parties, and feeling contempt for others and myself. My sin causes me to hide and wear a mask, which robs me of my dignity, self worth, and value. My sin robs me of spiritual authority and makes me timid and fearful rather than bold. My sin by blinds my eyes so that I cannot see it or know or do the Truth. My son rationalizes my crimes justifies my actions minimize it’s my guilt. My sin hardens my heart. It’s unloving, unforgiving, boastful, proud, arrogant, rude, rash, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, slanderous, without self control, brutal, treacherous, mean, violent, conceded and unavailable for anything but self gratification. I don’t know if he can stand anymore, but we’re going to get a little bit more my cn can focus on another Christian sin against me to the point that I now see them as a center and give myself permission to hate and reject them. My sin must protect my outward image and reputation and threaten and silence those who assaulted. The guilt of my sin causes me to flee when no one chases me. My sin makes me defensive, explain myself, make excuses and become a victim rather than taking responsibility for my mistakes and wrongdoings. My sin can lead me into every kind of sexual immorality, and perversion coming from the wickedness of selfish lustful heart that says, I love me, I want you my sin aids me and declaring that it’s okay and permissible to damage and abuse others while it’s actually offending My Holy God, I fully sin is quick to claim our rights in any demon will make sure that I get them. My sin causes me to expect much from others, but little from myself. My sin leads me to make vows and promises that I cannot and will not keep, because it doesn’t serve my selfish purposes. It’s all about me. My sin loves impurity and indecency. It worships idols practices disobedience likened to witchcraft, and sets itself up against every law, command and standard of a holy God. Sand spreads Discord.

My sin spreads Discord. And leads me Where was my sin loves impurity and indecency. It worships idols practices disobedience like into witchcraft and sets itself up against every law, command and standard of a holy God. My sin spreads discord, envy, hate division, dissension, factions and jealousy that destroys relationships and families. My sin is marked by selfish ambition, and the desire to profit at the expense of others, and to use them to get ahead. A sinful pride will not allow me to make peace by humbling myself to ask forgiveness, or make restitution. I’m tired of reading that. I don’t know if I’ve covered anything that you’re saying. But I may have touched on something. I’ll just given my own testimony, actually. But it’s everybody’s testimony. If you’re a living, breathing human being you’re dealing with these issues. And everybody has different responses. You may feel like you’re a pretty good guy, and you probably are pretty good guy, you may feel like you’re in a pretty good husband, I’m pretty good father, a pretty good grandfather, you’ve been a good employee, your employee. But sin is going to find you out the sin of selfishness and I’ll be my own God, the sin of comparing yourself to others. All the sins that we talked about in there and I think that we all need to be aware and confess that we’re capable of any sin. And if you know you’re capable of any sin, you’re not going to be too judgmental of others who sin. You’re not going to be critical or holier than thou or not feel compassion and mercy for the even the worst sinner. And that’s what Jesus Christ had to do on the cross. The worst sinner the valets, dirty, dirtiest, meanest, most cunning, merciless compassion Lois center. He died on the cross far. He died, the nail center the cross, in the blood that he shared would cleanse us from all that sin. And once we’re cleansed from that sin, and once we’ve mourned over that sin and we’ve come to the place where we’re poor in spirit, we realize we have nothing to offer God. I have no goodness, no holiness, is no righteousness of my own. I can claim some. But I can only do that when I compare myself to you. And when I compare myself to you, I’m either going to feel better than you, or worse than you. And both of them are sin. And the only thing I can compare myself to and come out with is a winner is Jesus Christ. And when I compare myself to Christ, I see how far short I fall. And I see how I need to repent. It brings me to repentance, I can look at you and I might be brought to repentance because I see in you the righteousness of Christ. And that’s why Jesus calls us to righteousness causes us to holiness. It calls us the mercy and grace and forgiveness. Because he wants us to live lives that make other people see him. He wants to conform us to his image, so that when we’re living with people, they’ll look at you and they’ll see your good, righteous living, and they’ll say, that’s what I need, whatever you got, I need. So it’s not about us being holy and righteous and attractive to others. It’s about them, seeing Christ in us, the hope of glory, the hope of solving our despair and our guilt and our shame, our depression, our moodiness. God wants to heal other people by his wounds. And he wants to heal others by our ones that have been healed by him. And so we forget about ourselves. And we think about him, we forget ourselves and we can consider others is better than ourselves. That’s what Jesus said through Paul in Philippians. have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped or held on to, but he emptied Himself, bless it to those who are poor in spirit. He took the form of a man being made in the appearance of a man he humbled himself, even to the point of death on a cross. And you know, he was comforted. Jesus took the pain, he took the lashes, he was beaten to a pop, he was criticized Milan lot about false witness is good. It was evil spoken off.

He was spit on and humiliated. He, you know, he did that all because that’s what it took to nail send the cross. And he took it on himself. We have a savior who took your sin, all the stuff we read about in about two more pages worth in here. He took it on himself on the cross. And every time I resist sin and turn to Him, He blesses and comforts me. And Jesus was comforted by his father in heaven, who gave him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. men that have come to Jesus Christ and have realized their centers and have been broken over their sins are the most worthy man, the most fortunate men, they’re the most blessed man bless it are those who realize and mourn over their sin, for they will be comforted. And the comfort comes in forgiveness, comfort comes in grace. The comfort comes when you get unmerited favor that you don’t deserve. And it’s given by someone who didn’t have to give it but that’s who he is. And he had compassion on us when he saw us in our sin and selfishness. When we were proud and arrogant, he had compassion on that. We the judgment came when in the consequences of sin, of being proud and arrogant, of being ruthless, merciless, jealous, envious, and all the things that we read about. And so he took it on the cross on himself. And he said, Paul said, I am crucified with Christ of crucified all that. He gave me the privilege and the honor of crucifying myself. I have to walk up to the cross and crawl on him and say, put the nails in my hand and the nails in my feet, to my pride, to my arrogance, to my casualness to my carnality, to my not caring to my hurting others and not feeling bad about it, to my main, falling short of the mark, when I have everything in me, they could live up to it, to judge others, to be hard on them, to be compassionate to be unforgiving. That’s all in my heart. And unless I’ve come to Jesus Christ and realize and confess to him that that’s in my heart, I have no hope. I have no hope of healthy relationships. I have no hope of helping others. I have no hope of being the man that God created me to be to take his wounds. It’s like he took them and let my people be healed by my wounds. my sorrow my brokenness, the things that I’m going through. And then I get to respond the way Christ respond and have this attitude and you think of others is more important than yourself. And that’s a comfort in the freedom that we have when we come to know Jesus Christ. He comforts us by giving us a freedom from sin, yes, I still sin. Yes, I will send until I die. It’ll all be over. When we get to heaven, we won’t have to worry about being centers anymore, being prideful or arrogant, somehow, and I can’t wait. That’ll be over. But now, while I’m still here, and I’m breathing, and I’m walking around, and I got you to deal with and you got me to deal with, then we got hope, hope that we can deal with each other and be free and comforted in that you can not misunderstand me and I can still have peace and comfort. You can rely on me and I can still have peace and comfort. You can still from me, and I can still have peace. I don’t have to be unforgiving. I don’t have to be bitter. I don’t have to be angry. I don’t have to be you can he takes a fight out of you. I had a friend the other day and we were talking he says my wife and I are at it. Again, we’re just fighting. A Sit down. Do you know that Jesus takes a fight out of you? Come you’re not spending time with him to the point where he could take the fight out of you. You don’t have to be a fighter. You don’t have to stand up for your rights. You don’t have to say everything that’s in your heart. You can repent of your heart and your heart actions and attitudes God’s given us the power and the ability to do that. So ask him to take the fight out of you. And if you don’t have fight in you, you don’t have to get in those fights all the time. And that’s the way that were comforted. We could go on and on about the comfort and I think I’m convicted now that after writing all this about sin, I gotta write about comfort. And all the way God’s comforted us, and all the way that he comes alongside of us. And he puts his arm around us even in my anger in my bitterness in me my resentment, you can imagine him coming and putting his arm around and squeezing Muay Thai,

not saying a word. But he doesn’t have to know what he’s saying. I know what I need to hear. I know what I need to do. And he does it without a word. He just comes alongside and puts an arm around you and squeezes your tie, squeeze you until that anger goes squeezed until the bitterness goes squeezed until forgiveness and mercy and grace comes. But if you’re never in his presence, if you don’t come to him and never happen, and you’re left in the consequences, you’re sad, even if you’re a Christian, even if you’re say you’re following him, and you may be saved as though through fire, the scripture says, but you’re never free. You’re never free of that bitterness and that anger and that self. And God came to set comfort us and we’re comforted when we’re set free from that. Can we do we have a great God or why? A God who took all this stuff and more that we talked about, and he put it on the cross. And he got let them nail him there voluntarily went to that cross. They couldn’t make him go the cross speeder took a sword and tried to protect him. Put up the sword Peter, he who lives by the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you know I got 10,000 angels out there with their hands on their sword ready to come defend me, keep him from spitting on me and treat me like this. And they led me to a cross. And he asked his father, is there any way that I could escape this and you could take this cup from me? And he said no son, God had a plan all along to take care of our sin, to put us in a place where we could mourn over it and be forgiven for it. And then we could help others. What a God, what a Savior we have in Jesus Christ. And if you’re saved today, don’t pat yourself on the back. It’s all the grace of God saw the mercy of God. It’s nothing you did or nothing you could do. You can’t save yourself, fix yourself, deliver yourself, redeem yourself. Only God could do that. And he’s done that in your heart today. This stop right now. And thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for giving me all the time I have in Christ. Thank you that I know I’m going to heaven. Thank God my brother is going to have an algo CMEs eaten up with cancer but he’s going to heaven. And I’ll see him there and we’ll spend eternity together. I got goosebumps, not just call this air conditioning. Because I got a God who gives me goosebumps when I think about what a great God he is and what a great eternity we have and what a wonderful life he’s given me. Amidst all the sin and all the crud. We have the abundant life that he came to give. I came there to my life and have an abundantly. Amen. Father, thank You for life that we have abundantly Thank you for taking our sin on the cross. Thank you for giving us power over it and it can’t rule us anymore because your spirit is in us and you’ve forgiven us and you’ve cleansed us. And you’ve given us power through the Holy Spirit and we’re so grateful. Thank you in Jesus name And all God’s men said give them Heaven, guys.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Pete McKenzie 0:11
I guess you know if we didn’t have such good speakers speaking today we’d go home. But that ain’t me. We have the privilege of having feel him on here feel is come on up here feel you guys know feel a lot of you fight feels a firefighter in Long Beach.

I’ve been to Israel will feel I’ve seen him in action. He had tough duty during the whole lockdown and so many people are getting COVID. And he had a few people with his ambulances. He was driving around for the fire department just die right in his arms. He said COVID himself, recovered, quarantine. He’s got a beautiful wife and two daughters, Phil and I’ve been buddies for a lot of years, I had a chance to see him in action in Israel. Garin back there and myself and about 10 or 12 other people went to Israel a couple of years ago. And I got to see what I think was one of the finest young leaders that I’ve ever seen. Take charge of that trip and take care of his people and take us around Israel and not just see things but do things in serving law, the Israeli people. So Phil is going to speak to us today I asked him to speak because he’s given a couple of messages on spiritual leadership in our continent, our retreat next weekend. And so I asked him, if he’d give us a taste some you guys aren’t going to be able to make that retreat. And so I asked feel if he’d give us a taste of what we have to look forward to out there. So give him a big hand as it comes through.

Phil Hanlen 1:56
Man, that’s a humbling intro. Thanks, Pete. You like my sweatshirt? Does everybody know about this, this show the chosen. Alright, I’m wearing it. It’s a little warm in here. But I’m wearing it to specifically plug this show. If you haven’t looked it up, you guys need to be watching this, we all do and then paying it forward. But more on that later, more than another time. I’m excited to be here in front of you guys, again, I love you guys, this place has been such an important place for me. And you guys have all been such important influences for me the last 11 years or so. And just to be up here is it’s confusing to me. And it’s humbling, that I would be able to even be up here talking to you guys. So it’s a privilege, I hope we can hear something from the Lord together today. So let’s have a prayer. And I’ll start talking. Lord, thank you for this time in this place, and these men, thank you for your word. Thank you for your spirit. Thank you for making yourself available to us all the time. It’s so confusing to me that you would be the God of all the universe that we can’t even fathom how big and how vast and how great you are that, that you created all things and you can do whatever you want, you can do, you can choose to run this whole show however you want and you choose to make it that we would actually be able to have a relationship with you and be able to hear from you and have your help and have your guidance in our life and, and give us peace that surpasses understanding and it just doesn’t make sense. And and I just am so grateful for the Lord. And I know all of my brothers here are as well. So Lord, we just, we praise you, we thank you for that we thank you for for everything that you give us. And we just ask that the you would once again just be in this place that we would we would hear from you. And that that each man in this place would would have something touch his heart from you specifically Lord. It’s in Jesus name we pray. Amen. There’s one slide we’re gonna show real quick, just so I don’t sabotage you at the end. We had the first through his eyes Thursday, last Thursday for those of you that remember this, and it was awesome. And we are the train has left the station. And this is going to be a really cool thing and influencers initiative, where we get kind of start to work on getting the next generation of guys into this ministry, and then gleaning off of Pete and the teaching that we all have gotten to for years. So I’m going to talk about that at the end. But I felt like it would be a sabotage if I didn’t at least show you the slide real quick. So that at the end, it’s not like this big build up for me to just then plug this new ministry so it’s coming at the end. So you can take the slide off for now. But anyway, more on that a little bit. The message I have for you today. It comes at a special time for me. I just turned 40 on Wednesday, and thank you and I just was thinking it’s just like it’s amazing. 20 years ago I was lost and a total mess. And now I’m found in a total mess. So small difference and big difference, but

4320 I’m hearing that yeah, it doesn’t feel like my brother Guerin. Here, he and I moved about 3000 bricks into my backyard. And I don’t feel I feel 40 now, but muscles that I didn’t know I had or are sore, just wait, yeah. But I’m blessed. And not only is it 20 years ago, you know that it’s been another 20 years. I’m 40 now, but it’s my it’s my spiritual birthday, because this this year is 20 years since I was born again, coming up in the fall here. And that’s the real birthday, right. And I just, it’s amazing to think back I mice, my spiritual journey started at Ground Zero in New York. And right after September 11, that whole story like most of us, captivated me. And it really just before I knew the Lord, it just, it just drew me to want to go and help and do something. So I ended up doing a crazy thing and going over there to help. And when I got there, that’s a long story very short of how that all happened, how I actually ended up there. But when I got there, before I even saw the pile across the street, you know, I’m in the middle of New York, and just like, wow, the Holy Spirit just showed up. And, and all of a sudden, I’m in his presence, like, I’d never been in my life. And he just was there waiting for me this patient, loving Father, right, the Holy Spirit is waiting for me. And that’s, that’s 20 years of not a fun 20 years prior to that. That led to a very different me at that time. And all of a sudden, he’s just waiting for me. And it just crushes me and I’m sitting there. And I’m just like crying. I mean, like all kinds of fluids are just like falling out of my face onto the sidewalk. And he’s just doing work. And all those last 20 years are just getting dealt with. Right, just just a cleansing, completely spiritual experience. And I probably could have just stayed there and cried like that for hours. But he had purpose for me, right. And so he gave me this vision of a lion that I wish I could show you guys, but the best way I could describe it was like, like, if you could imagine suddenly being in the presence of a lion, that kind of like, there’s a lion right there, he just stepped into view. It wasn’t a mean, Lion gonna attack but just look eye contact, and it snapped me out of it. And it was like I was new. And I had this mission to go and help Ground Zero. A couple days later, another spiritual experience, where he called me to be a firefighter, which was hilarious. Like, when I went back to tell the buddies that I had at the time a man I’m gonna go be a firefighter, they laughter like you’re gonna be a firefighter. You in a uniform and a badge, like, come on, man. Five years later, I’m a firefighter, you know, and just following him through those things, and it hasn’t been like, he has like, you guys know, it’s not like suddenly I was floating around on a cloud and no more sin in my life is perfect. Like, please come on. I mean, it’s been like I said, I’ve The only difference now is I’m found still a mess. But I’ve got a, I’ve been with my department now for 15 years. I’m a firefighter paramedic in Long Beach. My wife and I’ve been married for 17 years. And we have a an amazing story of God’s presence in our marriage. The amount of ministry things that like God’s done through my life or that I’ve led or been a part of, it’s it’s crazy. I’m an elder at my church. We have a ministry ambassadors and embassies, where we go on the serving tours to Israel, I facilitated seven tours to Israel. I’m not gonna sit here and go down the list. But I mean, it’s when you when you look back, you know, starting back from like, just greeting outside church, you know, volunteering to be a greeter all the way through this, like, just in like, I’m looking at me, and I’m going like, there’s no way this is it. What I love most about it is that it shows God and shows off God. And it makes me feel vulnerable to talk about my life and sit in front of people because it’s like, to really see how awesome God’s been in my life, you’re gonna see what a knucklehead I am. But I got to do it. I got to continue to just tell the story of how glorious God is and how much his presence and His Holy Spirit is alive and well and real and available for all of us and he’s leading and every time I humble myself, I repent. I come back with all the broken pieces from my life and bring him to dad again and say I broke it again, Dad, you know,

he’s there to bless it again. He’s there to pick us up. And so as we talk about as we get to the point of talking about spiritual leadership, it’s it’s first most important to really focus on how to hear the Holy Spirit and how to look for his activity in our in our everyday life because he’s the same spirit that’s all throughout Scripture is alive and well today and all around us and in our hearts and with us and everything. But he doesn’t shout he doesn’t come and grab you by the collar and throw you into what you need to be doing. He He asked that you would Seek right? Jesus stands at the door. And if you’ll knock, he’ll come in. And so I’ve learned a way to understand his spiritual voice is the best way I can describe it. I use illustration of the day with Bill Molly’s bill, again, if I if bill is walking in a direction, and I can see that the actual direction that he should be going is this way, I’ll come to bill and use, I can’t just communicate directly to him, I have to use my words to tell him, Hey, Bill, this is actually the way you should go right over here. And if you go this way, you’re gonna end up in the right place, and then Hill Hill. Now, that’s not something he thought of somebody told him that, but now he has that he now knows the direction he should go. God skips that whole talking part. He’s spirit to spirit, he’ll put that on your heart. And so the times that I’ve encountered him is, is when I know it’s him putting something on my heart that just is in early on it. It’s a seeking, it’s like, Lord is that is that you, but now, I’m telling you, after enough reps, you just begin to interact with the Holy Spirit. And you know, when he’s guiding you, you know, when he’s, you’re, you’re where you’re supposed to be, you’re in that sweet spot. That’s been my experience, but, but that spiritual voice of something that he puts on your heart and redirects you, if you’re seeking him again, right, if you’re looking for if that’s your goal in life, is to know what he wants, he’ll help you reach that goal. He’ll be there to talk to you, he’ll be there to guide you. It’s a very, it’s a very normal part of Christianity, right? It’s not this weird, like spooky ghost like it. We’re talking about the Holy Spirit present in everyday life. And we need to take the weirdness out of it in a lot of ways, especially when you’re talking to young guys like me or younger, really introduced into the spirit. I mean, God’s gonna be the one that guides that. But when Jesus told us, the Holy Spirit was gonna come, he started out by saying, It’s to your advantage that I go away, which would have blown your mind, right? You’re the greatest person ever. You’re the greatest thing to happen to any one of our lives, why would it be good that you’re going to go away? And he says, because if I go, I will send the Holy Spirit, its Holy Spirit’s a big deal. Right? Because then he will be there everywhere. Right? He will guide you into all the truth, I’m in john 16, He will guide you into all the truth. He’s a big deal, we need to pay attention to him more than anything. Right, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you acts one, eight. And earlier in john six, you remember there’s when Jesus says nobody comes to the Father, nobody, nobody’s going to be saved unless the spirit calls him right. This is all pre planned. And we can’t figure that out. We could read every word in that Bible, we can know every word cover to cover, we could go to theology college and get all kinds of degrees extra name, which confuses me, I can’t even understand a lot of the words those guys use when they have those doctrines and whatever I’m like, simple small words, please. We can be you could be on any level like that. But absent of actually having the Holy Spirit leading you, you might be just next to useless in this whole commission of reaching the world. Right, just slightly below me, it’s great that God’s word is amazing. And if you know it all, and you’re speaking it, God’s probably gonna move in that space as you speak it but if you’re not in the spirit, if you’re not looking for him, and being a spiritual man of God, and you’re just kind of navigating it your own way. Like I have many times like I’m sure we can all say we’ve been in that place. We’re missing it. So we’ve got to get in touch with the Holy Spirit to become spiritual leaders, right? Paul gives us the advice do not walk according to the flesh. That’s us. That’s our, our understanding of the world around us. The physical world, that’s the the spiritual, that are the neurological pathways that we’ve created, the way that we see things because of choices we’ve made, how we do our thing, our personality, our emotions, all that stuff that’s from us here. We need to surrender all that. And that’s and then we walk in the Spirit, we surrender all that to God and ask him to be the best version of us. Do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the Holy Spirit. I’m in Romans eight for this. Set your minds on things of the Spirit, the mind to set the mind on things of the Spirit is life and peace.

And it’s tough. It’s not easy. And we need peace right now. And we need men of God, we need Christians to have that peace about them in these crazy times. I’m telling you, and as we look at the next generation, these guys are facing a world that’s more convoluted and more chaotic in so many ways, especially spiritually and personally than we’ve ever seen. And so we’ve got to really trust the spirit and just begin to be men that move in the spirit. It actually says in verse seven and eight, you could read that it says if you’re not if you’re not in the spirit, you’re actually you’re actually considered hostile to God. Like you’re doing your thing as a Christian man of God and and putting your badges on your chest because you know so much, but you’re outside moving in the spirit where he actually He wants you to be one of the words one of the translations as you can be, you’re being hostile to God that you’re avoiding the actual Holy Spirit. So that’s my best way to describe that I can in the amount of time I have, finding the Holy Spirit, following him how important it is, and just, but I do know that whatever it means to you, whatever you heard, and what I said, I just know that if you truly are desiring the Holy Spirit, He will find you he will be there for you. And if that’s the position of your heart, not that you want this president to be elected, that you want this policy to be driven, that you want this to happen at your job, that you want your wife to do this, if you’re if the number at the biggest position of your heart is him, and you want more of him, and you want to just want to know, God, am I am I where you want me to be? Is this, am I seeing this the way I should see it, I just want to know that, if that’s your desire, I know God, I trust and I know he will meet you there. And so but that’s my version of it. That’s how I would describe all that. Which brings us to spiritual leadership, the spiritual leadership, we can need to look no further than Jesus Himself. Jesus was the ultimate example of a man of God, of a leader to follow. And so in looking at this, this model of spiritual leadership and spiritual leadership is in your, your family, it’s in your job, it’s in your ministry that you’re doing whatever, whatever it is, it’s the man that you are day in, day out every choice you make, that’s, that’s where spiritual leadership is applied. And so the four points that I’m talking about today, which we could go on and on about Jesus, and we will go on and on about him forever. He was a servant leader, he led by by serving, he was humble and lowly. He knows he drove home the importance of knowing God’s word. And he was always praying, servant leader, humble, knowing God’s word and praying servant leader, in regard to servant leader, Matthew 20. You know that the rule is as Jesus talking, you know, that the rulers of the world, lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many servant leadership is sacrifice. And it’s going to sting sometimes. And it’s not it’s not necessarily fun. And that’s not what it’s about. And so I think when I’m in those times that I’m serving, or I’m, I’m trying to be that and it’s hard. My question is not Lord make this easier. My question is, again, Lord, is this. Is this where you want me to be? Is this what am I did like, I get off course here. And now this is hard. And I’m having a hard time because it’s something I’m off course from you. If so correct me. But if this if I am where you want me to be, that’s the only question on my heart. And if I am then embrace the embrace the hard part, right and go through it. Because you know, God’s doing something. God’s doing something when it’s hard, God’s doing something when it’s confusing, and when we’re serving, and we’re putting others above ourselves. And we’re taking the hard road and we’re doing the hard job, and we’re lifting others up around us. It’s It’s not easy. It’s hard. And a lot of the time you didn’t like the guy that you’re serving, you know, I can like this guy, why am I doing this?

Right? But that doesn’t matter. Like this. That’s how I see this guy is not how God sees him. Nine times out of 10, God sees each one of us completely different. I don’t have the patience to be God. You can all be very thick. Thank God for some today, thank be thankful that I’m not God, because I could not handle it. And I you know what I mean, nor could nor would I be patient with me the way he has with me, or love me the way he’s loved me. I look at that. And I’m just I’m humbled by His grace. So we see him and we and we continue to be a servant leader. We’re not looking to get everybody in a row and lead him and tell him what we wanted to do. We want to lead by example, we want to be, we want to be able to go the extra mile, right? We want to give people the shirt off our back. Let them know that that there’s really nothing we won’t do to show them God’s love, like I mean, they need to see that sacrificial counter narrative to the rest of the world leaders. It’s got to be different servant leadership. Jesus said, Come to me, humble and lowly Jesus said to come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn from me because I am lowly and humble in heart. And you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. When we’re looking for Jesus. We’re trying to wonder if this if we’re in his presence, if you want a clue. He is humble and lowly and he find rest. It’s like fresh water for your soul. There’s a piece that doesn’t make sense when bombs are going off, all around you. There’s a piece Right I love Pete describes it as a bubble, right when you’re in that Holy Spirit bubble where you know that the enemy is working through people to try to knock you off your saddle and take you off your course. But it’s not working, and Jesus and you’re just in that bubble protected by that you could see the attack. So you can see that things are, are dicey out there. But you’re you’re safe, you’re moving through because you’re in that place that God has you. You’re the bubble that you’re that the Holy Spirit puts you in. And if you’re wondering if you’re in the right bubble, just no God, no, Jesus’s character is not going to shout at you. If you feel that pressure and just driving you like Hold on a second. Let’s pray, Lord, ministered to me right now. I’m feeling a completely different feeling than I know you to be because he’s humble and lowly and He will guide you gently. And we will get to where we need to go. Knowing God’s word I think that’s, that’s obvious, right? But even even from when Jesus first got tempted by the devil, he he made it clear, right? Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, know God’s word. I counted like 20 to 30 scriptures, capturing moments where Jesus quoted God’s Word in correcting religious leaders and doing his ministry like he’s pointing to the Word of God and how important it is. You think about even when he was a child, that time when he got lost?

Parents of the year, right when they get like three days on their journey away from Jerusalem, they’re like, where’s where’s Jesus? Where’s the Savior of the world that we are raising? Does anybody know where their kid is? You know, I love that story. And they go back and they find him what he’s schooling. All the religious leaders in Jerusalem they’re gathered around Bible says they’re marveled at his teaching and his answers God’s word, we have to know it. And then I always intend we’re talking about commandments, God’s word. Always just ring that bell one more time, the two greatest commandments. Love God with everything you can possibly muster in your life, all your heart, strength, soul mind. And number two is Love your neighbor, as you love yourself, we I don’t my house take that very seriously. And our community, the people that live around us are the most important people in our life. And they know it. They know that and I think that’s important. So who’s your neighbor? Who’s your neighbor in your neighborhood? Who’s your neighbor in the county? Who’s your neighbor? And who are we neighboring neighbors, that something should ring about that Jesus said, that is the number two out of like, 600 he said, in doing that, you encompass the entire commandment, all of God’s commands doing that. So pretty important. But God’s word, know God’s word servant leader, be humble. know God’s word and pray always. Prayer for me. touched on the way I see the Holy Spirit’s voice in that leading spirit to spirit communication. Another cool tool that I picked up along the way something to remember as far as prayer goes, prayer, I love it. When it’s described this way prayer, think of prayer, like, like background music to your life. Like it’s something that’s always going that dialogue. It’s not it’s not only when you stop and pray, when you stop and pray. That’s just turning the volume up on what should be always going on. Pray without ceasing is what it says in Scripture, right? Pray without ceasing means like you’re, it’s that position of your heart. Your prayer is going on all the time constantly loaded, my where you want me to be, is that how do you want me to handle this situation? Am I handling this situation? Lord, forgive me for that what I just said, Lord, forgive me for what I just did. It’s caught, you’re constantly your heart, every every available moment of attention should be when you wake up to when you go to bed and all throughout your day, your neutral position should be communicating with the Holy Spirit. That’s your neutral position, your default position should be a dialogue with the Holy Spirit. And then when we pray, that’s just that’s just saying it out loud. It’s just turning the volume up. Background music to your life. I love that. I didn’t come up with that. But I stole it. Do not babble. That’s another good one, the Lord’s Prayer, right? Jesus retreated to pray alone all the time. Why would he do that? I mean, if nothing else, to show us that we should do that. Everything Jesus did is a good example of something we should do. As a man of God, and Jesus, countless times went and retreated to a place of solitude as he often did, to pray. So I’m thinking that’s something we need to do. Like on a regular basis if we’re missing if we’re not if there’s not at least one part of your day where you are just talking to the Father privately by yourself. You’re missing and a major part of your day. And the more days in a row you go without actually having that like deliberate just quiet moment with the Lord. Man you’re falling behind in what could be available to you right? Not in like a you’re feeling like you’re not doing something, you know, bad you. But like the opportunity that Jesus is, the God of all the universe is saying, I’m right here. I’m right here. And I want to be a part of what you’re doing. And I want you to, I want you to hear from me. Let’s talk. So at least once a day, quiet time with him. And I’ll tell you what, like So many of you guys, this world is frustrating. Frustrating right now, right? Smith, our mission is to make disciples of all nations and the Great Commission is to bring the gospel to the world. And we’re like, I don’t want to, I don’t want to co bring it to them. Right like them, man. Right? And that’s us, that’s our flesh. That’s our flesh to sit there and say, I got across what it perceives to be enemy lines. And instead of drawing lines and saying, we’re gonna be over here, you guys are gonna be over there until Jesus comes back. We got it, we got to build bridges, we got to continue to find ways to go into communities like the LGBT community, whoa, easy. I know, buzzwords, triggers. And we get their hand on their sword as I need to talk about certain subjects, right? social justice, I hold on, don’t throw anything. People are all over the place. And the enemy is just like a puppeteer just all over. And we’re sitting here because we’re so frustrated, because we it comes from a good place because we know the Lord. It comes from a good place. But we get to the point where we’re just like, offended on behalf of God like these people. But we got we got to start over, man, we got to, I’m putting my arm around you guys, when I say that, like I know, man. I know. It’s frustrating. But that’s that’s where prayer comes in, where the Holy Spirit is the only one that’s going to take us from where we are with all this truth.

And add grace to it and have the perfect balance of truth and grace as we go into the world and be in the world but not have it and continue to love the last who. It’s scary, man. It’s it’s hard out there. But we’ve got to remember that and so so we go to prayer, fervently. We’re praying constantly, we have those intimate times of prayer, so that we can reset and see the world through God’s eyes. That’s all we were all we should all want to do. And that gets us back on point with the mission. Right, which is in the same way, Jesus came, reached a bunch of disciples, send them out into the world. And it’s been a chain reaction of person to person to person, ministry, to ministry to ministry, passing the baton all the way till it reached my hand, till I got the good news of Jesus Christ, the one and only way to God, it’s cut. That’s how God wants it to be done. That’s how he’s doing. He’s moving through us. So we’ve got to get back on our horse. And I know me, I can’t do that by myself. I know that it’s the Holy Spirit. I know. It’s through prayer. And I know it’s him, correcting me, and putting me in the right place that I need to be. I have a quote. And this is before we leave off talking about through his eyes. Have you guys all read the book principles of spiritual leadership? Have you heard of that book? Jay, Oswald Sanders principles of spiritual leadership must say it one more time. Principles of spiritual leadership, Jay Oswald Sanders, extraordinary book. It’s right it’s, I did a little paraphrase of chapter 10. And this is kind of what I’ve been trying to say all along. I probably could have just read this and saved you guys the last like 20 minutes. But check this out. Regarding spiritual leadership. spiritual leadership has many essential qualities but requires spirit filled people. A guy can have a brilliant mind and possess all kinds of skill. But without spirituality, he can’t truly provide spiritual leadership. selection of leaders for the kingdom has nothing to do with worldly values like wealth or status. It is primarily spirituality. Holy Spirit does not take control of anyone against their will either. To be filled with the Spirit means simply that as a Christian, I voluntarily surrender my life and my will to the spirit. When I do that, my personality and my mind are taken over by the Spirit, my mind my will, my emotions, and even my physical strength all become available for the Spirit to guide. Amen. To drive that point home. Thank you, Warren. Yes. That was awesome. I lost my point. physical strength Yes, under the Spirit’s control, natural gifts of leadership are lifted to their highest power and sanctified for holy purpose. The filling of the spirit is essential for spiritual leadership. Our task is to remain yielded to him. So lead the next generation of men. Feeling the anger at the state of the world is not enough. commiserating with each other. On the state of the world is not enough. You will not feel better by only doing these things. Be the spiritual leader to the next generation who are inheriting a world far more confusing and convoluted than yours. And Jesus says go make disciples. So spiritual leadership is the point of this conversation. always leads to discipleship, which then leads to the ministry I want to mention. So if you guys could put that up on the screen real quick, Glen, that’d be great. So, as we close here, this is a new influencers OC initiative. Okay. We’ve been praying for a number of years. And talking about the next generation of guys, it’s out there, right? Because I’m the young guy in the group. The it’s been like that for a while. There’s a few more young guys around here, my brother right here. I see we’re close in age, right? Yeah. I brought my friend My brother Garin here for my forehand group. So we got a couple more in the room now. So that’s good three. You see my point, though. I have sat and been taught by P and been discipled by P for years. And he sits up here and he is one of the best Bible teachers one of the best, if not the best, Pastor to men that I’ve encountered. And I’ve seen, right, amen. Right. Amen. For 100%. It’s been a privilege and a blessing. And it happens right here, right? Friday mornings, where no millennials will ever dare to go.

We’re not going to it’s too early, you know. So it really just got to put a vision on my heart for this ministry A few years ago, and it sat dormant every time I prayed about it, it just didn’t wouldn’t call it forward. It was just this cool idea. I’m like, I wonder what that’s all about a couple months ago, like a bomb, it just ignite just went off. And it was on and I brought it to bill and P we started talking about it and in. So the trains left the station guys. And this is where we’re going to, we’re going to dive into the issues that are confusing and convoluted. And we’re going to look at everything from a biblical perspective and see the world through God’s eyes. And it will be worth he was here last week, and we’re working on a new look, it might change locations every time but it is the same day each month, third Thursday of every month, so it’s easy to remember, the acronym is through his eyes Thursdays, but when you look at it, it also says the cross. So that’s going to go to the next slide. So the cross come to the cross is the way we’re pitching it. And I’m not looking for you guys to necessarily all show up on Thursday night. I know you guys have stuff going on. And we’re actually trying to build up the younger generation, right? So we want to get the younger guys to these events. But where you guys fit in? Is discipleship. Go to the next slide for me, brother. Yeah, we could skip that one, too. I already covered that. Next one. And got all that Yeah, one more. I think we’re right here. Closer looks. Okay, here’s, here’s the mechanism. Got younger guys, we get them to these Thursday night events, we’re gonna have good worship, a good message. We’re going to be authentic and raw, we’re going to talk about things that a lot of times I think churches on the weekends are probably afraid to talk about. But we’re going to be bold, and we’re going to be Spirit led, we got a core team of guys that is going to look at the message, pray about it, be sure about it, look at it again. And when it’s ready, that’s what we’re gonna have on that night. And you know, it’s gonna cause some questions, it’s gonna, it might just make people hopefully just make some thrilled and excited to just be on fire for Christ again, because we’re gonna bring everything to the cross, we’re gonna bring everything back to the gospel and present the gospel, these Thursday night events are going to be awesome. But after it’s after they’re they’re done. What we want to do next is start to connect younger guys with more seasoned Christian men. And that’s beginning to do discipleship. So I want to make it easy for you guys to get this thing started. Go to the next slide for me. We’re looking for like two time slots a month, what are those? anytime you want, anytime you have you look at your calendar, you look at your week, and you’re like, even if you’re the busiest guy, we all have 168 hours in a week. Okay, if you could have one of them. And it can be at any time, I use the example of like, let’s say the only time you see yourself having time is 10pm on a Friday night or 8pm on a Friday night, like literally, that’s a finished dinner, I you know, I could I could I could I could sit I could sit down for an hour right then. Perfect. Give me that time slot, I’ll make it I’ll make it available to guys. And that might be the way God’s gonna use the randomness of all this. And connection is that might be the one time that some young guy is like, man, every Friday, I’m like about to go to the strip club and I’m tired of it, I need something else. That’s that would be perfect timing. And they click and there you are. And you can listen to that brother. And he’s fighting some temptation. And you’re right there for him. God’s gonna do some amazing things and break strongholds, we don’t even know. So it doesn’t matter. Go to the next slide for me. This is what they’ll see they come to a Thursday night. This is just a generic one that I built. And all those time slots will just be the times that you guys have given me, whatever it is five in the morning on Thursday. I mean, it doesn’t matter, whatever you wherever you can fit an hour in that you can pivot from whatever you’re doing and talk to a guy. I’ll put it on there while this whole calendar and so when they look at that, they’ll be like, Oh, I could do that time. I could do that time somebody might not even click on your time. But if you give me this inventory of like when you could possibly fit it in. I’ll let you know if somebody grabs that hour and then it begins, the relationship begins and you want to meet in person go to the I think the next slide is one I want to show you. There you go. I get it. I get it. Go ahead, say zoom meeting one more time. We’re all feeling that way, right? We want to meet in person, we miss each other. I know, I know. We were driving by them on the fire engine, am I back up, I gotta get a picture of that.

But right here, all those guys were available. That’s this is where they’re right here all the time, looking at porn, looking at YouTube, looking at media that they shouldn’t be looking at communicating people that they don’t need to be communicating with. The enemy is using this thing like crazy, right? We use it as our Bible app, which is awesome. We use it as communication. So let’s, let’s make this device in their pocket somewhere where there’s a dude on the other end, who cares about him deeply who knows the Lord and can show him and then next week, meet him for coffee. Right? Start the relationship in that means you can take whatever you’re doing. And you can pivot from whatever you’re doing. Have an hour long conversation with a guy in your same seat and then turn back to whatever you were doing. And start this thing. All right. discipleship, does everybody agree that discipleship is important? It’s exactly what Jesus said, right. And I’m the first one to admit that I’ve been guilty about not putting it as the most important, the most important things that I’m doing. But that changes now. All right, and so let’s let’s do this work with me on this last slide. Here you go. This is what I want you to take your phone out, take a picture of that, pray about what I’m talking about. If you guys, okay, and email me, and all you got to say is I’m in. And then I’ll get you set up. We’ll talk more, and we’ll get you we’ll get you lined up. Right. Leave that slide up there for me, you guys get your phones out. Take a picture of that. That’s all I got for you guys. Today. We’re gonna see each other again in Malibu. And we’ll talk more about spiritual leadership there if you’re going to be there. And then I’ll let’s let’s have a pair. We got Pete coming up and Bill coming up. You guys got my backer, they’re swarming me.

Unknown Speaker 36:57
I just want to say this about when Pete and I met with Phil, and Phil put on his heart about this ministry. I was a little skeptical only from the standpoint is I know how heavily involved he is in his church. And so it was on my heart to say, Well, why are you doing this with the influencers, and with a sincere heart. He said, The Holy Spirit put on my heart. It’s an influencers, ministry. And it means it’s not just this man’s ministry. It’s not pizza ministry. It’s not mine. It’s all of our ministries. We have an opportunity to pour in a man’s life. You do all the time. And I just appreciate what Phil’s doing. And I just wanted to lift it up. And Father, we just pray. He and Phil and I have a meeting with the pastor at Living Word Calvary in Irvine, as a permanent, hopefully, location for this, this coming Tuesday at two o’clock. And so Father, I lift up that meeting and I pray for Terry Walker, that he would be open to that. And that we would have a permanent location to begin calling it a home for this ministry. That’s an unimportant it’s just the guys know, each week or each month, I’m sorry, each Thursday, third Thursday of the month, where we’re going to meet. And Father I pray that you would give us that location or whatever location you have in Jesus name. Amen.

Pete McKenzie 38:33
Amen. Fail. Thank you guys. Sorry, I went long.

You know, is a cap on this saying and I’ve had a very close friend and brother, for Gosh, I don’t know 20 years. And his name is Frank wine. And Frank is a pastor of Woodbridge Community Church, if you don’t have a church, and most of you do have a really good church, you like it, but if you don’t, I would highly recommend Woodbridge Community Church over on Burbank in Irvine. But you know, Frank is not just a pastor, that church Frank, would you come on up here now, I’ve asked Ryan to come this morning. He’s not just the pastor of Woodbridge Community Church. He’s also the chaplain for the police department here in Irvine.

And as I said, Frank and I have been brothers and walking together for a long time, and I couldn’t be more proud of what he is as a pastor. But I know that it’s been a really tough time with a police department. Could you share a few things about that was

Unknown Speaker 39:42
Hey, so first of all, when I was young pastor, pizza guy that mentored me and I, I totally have fellowship with everybody in here who loves this man because a lot of us do, and he’s amazing. And we love you big time. who I am today is because Pete sat down and just coached me. He became a chaplain in 2000 Six. And I’ve been a chaplain for Irvine PD ever since then. And you guys what you did this last week when we finally had a chance to get into the facilities and love up on them was awesome. What the banner you guys made had impact. And so our chief texted me after we had left. And he said, Frank, thank you so much. That meant more to us. And you guys know, which was pretty cool. So I’m just like firemen, policemen are. They’re amazing people. They’re there. Most of them are honest, hard working. People trying to do a job and they’ve been beat up this last year, really bad. morale is really low. What Pete gave a great message on how when Jesus was going to a cross, and probably he’s going to suffer for you. And most people don’t even care. It was perfect brother, because those guys are out there every day and a lot of suffering. And most people don’t even care and they’re trying to do the right thing and a good thing. And so you guys, you you really touch them at a very special time. And I don’t know if you completely totally know that. But you did. And well done brothers and so I just want to say that and man can I encourage you when you see them maybe sitting in a corner of a restaurant or something like that. Just tell them hey, appreciate what you do and praying for you guys because the more that because they’re they’re low man that they just feel beat up. So that’s all I want to say it’s an honor to be a pastor I just get to go bring Jesus to the police department. So you know if you see me in a cop car, you know, I’m not don’t call my elder bored or something. Yeah, no, I’m not I’m not in trouble with it. I’m just trying to bring Christ into somebody. So usually I’ll get like a man whose marriage is falling apart or Who’s this or that and a chaplain go right with them. So I’m, that’s been my goal and just bringing Christ to our officers. So that’s me.

Pete McKenzie 42:15
Well, you know, Frank, when someone commits suicide in Irvine, guess who they call? I call Frank winds. When a police officers having marriage Trouble, trouble were who they call. And he couldn’t get in. Nobody could get into that. The police department at the City Hall they’re in here in Irvine, during lockdown. And so Frank had no access to him just call out just a call outs when they would call him. So anyway, I want to pray for Frank here and for his ministry to the police department here in Irvine, as well as for the police. So let’s stand the hand toward him. Father, we’re thankful for Frank, we’re thankful for the life you’ve given him in the ministry, you’ve given him the great family you’ve given him. And Lord, we’re so thankful for his willingness to be there. It’s you can say you care all you want, but nobody can fake showing up. And Frank shows up for these policemen. And I just pray that he had sent your bubble around him, that protecting him and his heart, given him words to say and wisdom when he needs it to minister. Christ in peace and health and, and healing to these policemen in their wives and their families. So Lord go before him in closing behind thanks that we have a part in this and we could encourage them in Jesus name And all God’s men said, Amen. God bless you guys. Thanks for coming today.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

God Works Best With Nothing

Oswald Chambers’s devotional from July 14 is about Matthew 5:39,. When someone humiliates you by slapping you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek. The world says that to retaliate and hit back is the right thing to do. However, Jesus said, it’s a blessing to subject ourselves under his control when we’re humiliated according to the world’s standards. Humiliation teaches humility. We need to forsake our pride in order to approach the Lord’s throne of grace. To honor him we need to dis-honor the things of this world, especially selfish worldly pride, self sufficiency and self justification. I must decrease so that he may increase. Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.

To approach the Lord, we must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. When we come to understand that I have found the enemy and he is me, then we can lay down our burdens, take up our cross and follow him. The cross of Christ crucifies our selfish pride, guilt, and shame.

The Lord’s way is contrary to the world’s way. He is the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to the heart of God. Jesus said, I am the way the truth, and the life… no man cometh to the father except by me. When we forsake our pride to follow him, he blazes the trail to God’s heart.

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Poverty is either the bare subsistence of a working man or it can also mean those who are absolutely destitute. In order to come to Christ, a man needs to come to an understanding that he is desperate… that he is poor in spirit. The world praises natural ability… those who are naturally talented, wise, and wealthy in the things this world holds dear. However, when a person comes to Christ he realizes that there is more to this life than the world can offer. He is convicted by God’s Holy Spirit. The spirit of God afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

The prophet Isaiah needed to be brought down by a fantastic vision to realize that he was destitute and insufficient to approach the Lord. According to Isaiah 6:1-7:
1. “IN the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

The word of God reflects who we really are without God and without hope in a world of darkness. For those who are poor in spirit and who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the word of God and the spirit of God convicts us. Then when he purges us and fills us with his spirit we can perceive the word of God with Christ’s eyes behind our eyes. His word will reflect who we really are… for we all with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of God’s spirit) by the spirit of the Lord.

The kingdom of Heaven is high above worldly perception. It is not bound by earthly time and place and space. The kingdom of Heaven exists in the eternal now, for there is no time in eternity. Therefore, Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him… now and in eternity. In Jesus Christ’s presence, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the (eternal) kingdom of heaven.

Humility is the characteristic of Jesus Christ himself. He took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death upon the cross.

After Mother Theresa had spoken to congress, a senator seeking publicity approached her while the TV cameras were rolling. He said, “On behalf of my constituents, I’d like to present you a check for one million dollars for your foundation, the Sisters of Mercy.” She replied, “God has taken good care of us and will continue to do so. Thank you but keep your money. God works best with nothing. Please go home and become nothing so you can serve the people you represent.”

God doesn’t call the equipped and qualified, he equips and qualifies the called. He doesn’t need our sacrifice. He doesn’t need our natural abilities. He needs our obedience. Then when we obey his word, it is God who worketh in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Humility teaches us that life is not about us.. Christianity is not about who we are but rather, whose we are. For he alone is worthy. Blessed are the poor in spirit. God works best with nothing…. its none of me and all of thee. When we love God above all, he is the object of our affection, our obedience, our all in all.

…that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Pete McKenzie 0:09
But I think before I turn the mic over to him, we need to sing happy birthday. He’s 40 years old today. Now for 40 uS 40 used to be pretty old. But this group makes it pretty young. So he’s just a young man and let’s sing happy birthday to feel this morning. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday.

Unknown Speaker 0:43
Happy

Unknown Speaker 0:44
birthday.

Phil 0:47
Thank you.

Pete McKenzie 0:48
Now for those of you who don’t know Phil Phil’s been a firefighter for 1515 years he’s got a beautiful wife Katie and two young daughters and one of them I just found out has COVID and she got it at Camp when she was there but it was worth it. I think she had a great time at camp at Hume lake and and all that but field has been around our ministry for years we’ve been meeting together and I’m fanning his flame. My life mission statement is coming along next to a guy like field and fan his flame and chokin his dust. Thanks for choking me on your desk.

Phil 1:22
Not even close. Thanks, Pete. Yeah, I’d love to thank you. If I’ll need that. Good morning, guys. That was super embarrassing. A totally asked specifically not to sing happy birthday to me. I should have I should have known that there was no way. Yeah. But what a birthday present. I’m stoked to be here. This is awesome. It’s a beautiful day. We’re all alive. We’re breathing God’s air. Amen. Let’s have a prayer. And then I’ll dive into what I was gonna talk to you guys about. Lord, thank you. It’s an honor to serve you. It’s an honor to be a part of this story. I’m humbled. We are humbled God that you would be the awesome powerful God of all the universe that you are. And you chose to design this whole story this whole life that and actually include us in what you’re doing and come near to us and be our friend and be our our leader of your Lord and interact with our small, little, seemingly insignificant lives. They’re significant to you, God, it’s it’s humbling just to be in your presence this morning. To be able to shout your name, Lord, it’s just, it’s just a blessing. And so thank you for this time. God, I pray that that, that, who that I would minimize, Lord, that I would become small that you would become great in this room right now that your spirit would fill this place. Lord, we want to hear from you. We want to hear what you have for us this morning. And we want to see all this through your eyes, Lord, so So would you bless this time with us in Jesus name? Amen. All right, guys. Let’s see what I can do here. Everybody, everybody feeling good? sound good. This morning was that was awesome worship. Thank you guys that like inspired me. I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present than getting to do that this morning. 20 years ago, I was I was lost and a mess. Now I’m found in a mess, which is the only difference. But it’s special to me, you know, I turned 40. So first 40s out of the way. But really this last 20 years is my my story of walking with the Lord really because my story began 20 years ago, this this coming October, really September 11. Like Pete said, I’ve been a firefighter for 15 years as my department married for 17 years now. And you know, just the look back at the amount of the amount of ministry amount of things that God’s done through my life is when I look back and kind of count it all it’s staggering and I just am humbled by it. I’m not worthy. But it’s it’s a blessing to be an elder at my church leading the spiritual leadership training for the last five years at our church heading up, that’s an eight week course that’s a robust dive into God’s word. And, you know, hundreds of people have come through that thing. And that’s humbling, you know, I’ve facilitated six different trips over to Israel. You guys have probably seen me up here before talking about leading these totally serving tours to Israel or bless the Israeli people. And that’s crazy. I’m like this blue collar firefighter doing these international missions and leading all these different ministry things, leading the men serving at my church.

Unknown Speaker 4:42
You know, the teaching the kids for a number of years, getting to teach in a number of different places. So and I I’m not looking for these things, I’m just following you know, and, and going where I feel God calls me and doing my best to steward in those places and it’s just been amazing to Looking back at this time, but really, like I said, 20 years ago, my story really started I wanted to share, kind of First of all, before we dive into the the message on spiritual leadership, and what we’re, what that means to me and how I have kind of discern what God says about that, just share a little bit of my like my story, my testimony, because I think you guys will find it interesting. And it’s, it’s a blessing. And it’s God’s story from my life, ground zero in New York. So right after September 11, you know, that that whole thing, just like everybody captivated me, what had happened there. And I was definitely lost at the time. It wasn’t anywhere near God. But I was so drawn to that tragedy that I needed to go, I felt like I needed to go there. And I ended up buying a plane ticket and going over there and, and just seeing if I could help ended, I ended up being a volunteer at Ground Zero. And I served there for nine days, working with the Salvation Army driving a forklift. That’s what I kind of decided at the time. But But the moment that I got there, right, as I’m walking through downtown Manhattan, the Holy Spirit was just waiting for me. And it was it was incredible, because up to that point, you know, I didn’t know His voice. I didn’t know his his presence. So I hadn’t seen how he had coordinated every single thing that had gone. The way it went to get me there. But suddenly, I’m standing there in the middle of New York. And right as I write, as I see the the rubble in the, in the beginning of the pile, across the street from me, right before that, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. And I still tremble when I talk about it. And I still get emotional when I talk about it. Yeah, well, I always will, every time because it shook me. And the first 20 years were hard, you know what I mean. And in that moment, he just cleaned a lot of things out. And it was crazy. And I and I stood there with my head down. And I just started to just all kinds of fluids were just falling out of my face under the ground below. And I tried to figure out how long I was there for I think I was standing there for like, probably 30 minutes, just crying out whatever that first 20 years was, and just being ministered to, by the Holy Spirit. That’s how I would describe it. And the way he wrapped that up was this vision of a lion that snapped me out of it, it was an intimidating lion, not like he was about to attack me. But when you are in the presence of a lion, you would feel that weight, and it woke me up kind of snapped me out of it. And I had new mission, I had new purpose. And he showed me that the my heart to serve had brought me this far. But he was actually the one bringing me here. And we had work to do. And I set out on a mission. And I mean, my whole life changed at that at that moment. And I began to go around and try to help with the tragedy and found myself at the Salvation Army. And since then, it’s been this continued Holy Spirit interactions that for the last 20 years, I could describe time and time again. I’ve just, once I once I learned what his presence felt like. And it was just my heart was seeking more, right? That’s what you want to know, like, where are you? And how do I go there? Where are you leading me? And how do I follow you? You are You are everything to me. And it’s been I mean, it’s been a rocky road. It wasn’t like, okay, they’re 20 years now I’m sin free. And I’m floating around in the cloud for everybody to just observe me going by like, believe me, it’s, like I said, I was a lost mess. 20 years ago, and now I’m just a found mess. But

Unknown Speaker 8:32
the Holy Spirit is so alive and so real and such a part of our everyday life. He’s so available to us. And that that leads to spiritual leadership. And I’m gonna just so you guys know, I’m going to touch from john 16x. One, Romans eight, and then a bunch of places in Matthew, you all read them, I’ll pull the points that I want, that I’m going to use but if you want to open any of those, john 16x, one, Romans eight, and then I’ll go through some places in Matthew, but the whole the whole point of our life as a Christian man is to figure out it’s trying to figure out what God wants from us try to try to we are only question I believe, should be God, am I where you want me to be? Right? Not God, go do this thing. God make this thing happen. Prayers are welcome. God wants to hear your the desires of your heart. secret’s out, he already knows them. You know what I mean? But But the purpose of all of us should be in my way you want me to be Am I doing what you would have me be doing right now? That’s just all we want to wonder. And one thing I’ve learned about his voice that I wanted to share today, because I know it’s not it’s not that simple. You don’t just, you know, whenever you’re talking to a new believer, right? They’re like, What do you mean, you hear God talk? Like, do you hear him audibly speak in your ear? And some might say yes, I feel like that’s a little strange, but it might happen. You might hear that audible voice. I’ve never heard his audible voice the best way I could describe the Holy Spirit. speaking to you as though is the same way, if bill were if I saw bill work was going in a direction, and I saw that it was it was the wrong direction. And I realized that he should go in this direction. And I would come alongside him and quietly tell him bill, actually, this is the right way. I have the tool of my voice to communicate that but after I’ve said that, it he knows now the direction that I’m guiding him. God does that without that without the language, spirit to spirit, he puts it on your heart. So you he will direct you. That’s his voice. You know, he’s there when you you know what he’s saying you can you can see the get the way that he’s going the same way I would use it. But I have to use the tool of speaking, which is clumsy at best. But the Holy Spirit has access to your heart once you’ve accepted Jesus. And if you’re looking for Him, He will speak he will not shout, He will guide you. And that’s the best way to describe that, that God told me. God showed me where to go. He put it on my heart, you know, so he, so he speaks, that’s the way I would that’s the best way I could describe with limited human words, what it’s like to hear God’s voice, amen. Jesus, it’s a very normal thing. It’s a very normal part of Christianity to be following the spirit. Right. And I think sometimes we forget that he’s always available. And we should be walking in the Spirit. Jesus said, when he was leaving, it is to your advantage that I go, which would would shock those words coming out of your Lord and Savior, his mouth like what do you mean? They’re, they’re suffering enough to have been through those the time that they’re watching him suffer, rather, what do you mean, it’s your benefit that you get to my benefit that you go, because if I go, I will send the Holy Spirit. Right, john 16 seven later in verse 13, He will guide you into all the truth.

Unknown Speaker 11:49
He will guide you into all the truth, I’m sending you a holy spirit that will be all over the world will be accessible for all of you. Because you’ve accepted me into your heart, He will guide you. That’s what’s going to go on. Right in x one a, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you these are, these are this is God’s word here. Paul teaches that the we should not walk here we’re in Romans eight. Now, three and four, pretty much three through six here, do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the Holy Spirit. Set your minds on things of the Spirit, to set the mind on things of the Spirit is life and peace, He will guide you into all truth. walking in the Spirit leads you to life and peace. Right. And it even says in verse eight that literally if you’re not doing that you are hostile to God. Right, you could be outside of you could be have all the knowledge of the Bible and, and you could be just the AQI you can quote every scripture you want. But if you’re not walking in the Spirit, if you’re not in peace and truth and love, literally, there’s a dynamic that you could be actually hostile to God. And all you want to do is be a man of God. That’s what you want to do every day, right. But if you’re not walking in the Spirit, you’re actually in a really dangerous place. So it’s very important. It’s not just a simple like, kind of maybe you should try this. It’s literally part of what our walk should be. So that brings us to spiritual leadership, this concept of spiritual leadership. It’s, it’s, it’s kind of simple, not easy right to be walking around dealing with this crazy world out here. And the sort of darkness that we’re facing, but be spiritual, that have that spirituality about you that can’t which comes with confidence in God knowing that things are under control, his control, and trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide you and looking for him and following even into the hard spots, even into the tough conversations, even talking to people that see things different as you that leadership, simple, not easy. And the ultimate example is obviously Jesus. Obviously, he was the best example of this. He lived a life as a man for the purpose of showing us how to be a man. If nothing else, he came to pay the ultimate price for our sacrifice. That’s the gospel. Amen. But in his time, every single move that he make is a move that we should study and learn and try to emulate. And he was the ultimate example spiritual leadership. So Jesus as a leader, I got four points. He was a servant leader. That’s a term that we should all just resonate with servant leader. He was humble and lowly, which is a total counter narrative to the leaders we see in the world, humble and lowly. He said, know God’s word, know God’s word, and he was a man of prayer. servant leader, he was humble and lowly, know God’s word and pray always regarding servant leader Matthew 2025 to 28. You know that the rulers of the world, lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must Not be like that among you, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many Lord of all the earth, God of the universe, if you can we just sit and imagine the size of the universe that he created it all. He’s bigger than that beyond we could we could possibly fathom. And he’s sitting there saying, if I came to be a servant, I’m saying that’s the plan for you to servant leadership. As far as being humble and lowly, Chapter 11, of Matthew 2030, come to me, all of you, who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn for me because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find a rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Jesus was a man who was not trying to beat guys up with what he believed his message was. Come to me. And when you get here, just so you know, you’re going to find rest. It’s going to feel peaceful, you are loved. I am humble, I am lowly. We will get through the rest of this together. Come to me humble and lowly. No God’s word. I mean, how many points? Do we see Jesus using scripture 20, to 30 scripture quotes that I can count of moments where Jesus used God’s Word to, to challenge the religious leaders of the time.

Unknown Speaker 16:38
When the devil attempted and what did he say? It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Right? Think of Jesus, even as a child, that one glimpse we have of Jesus in His childhood years where they lost him. Parents are the year they go back. There was our kids. It’s been three days. Has anybody seen our kid, the Savior of the world? Let’s go find him. And we lost the Savior of the world. And they go back and they find it What was he doing? marveling the teachers in the temple? Right? He’s sitting there just schooling him. I mean, God’s word is could not be more important. Now. We live in a day and age where for the last few 100 years, we’ve got it all bound up in a nice little one place one stop shop Bible. You know, this wasn’t the case, then it was oral tradition. You had to know it here and here and study it constantly and recite it. We have the benefit even even more. Forget the paperback copy. We’ve got it digital. I mean, we’re thumbing through the highlight that I mean, just eating up scripture, my thumb. God’s word is so important. And Jesus demonstrated that time and time again. And and we can’t really go past talking about God’s Word and His commandments without the moment when Jesus said the two greatest commandments. Love God with everything you can muster. All your heart strength, soul, mind, spirit, everything you could possibly do that is the greatest and most important command if you do nothing else, love and worship the God of all the universe. And the second is like it, which is Love your neighbor as you love yourself, right? Can’t can’t overstate it can’t review that too many times. It’s the it’s the two greatest commandments. Jesus said that. So as far as God’s word goes, study irregularly and never forget those two things. Pray always, Jesus was a man of prayer. Time and time again, he would retreat to a place of solitude to pray. Right. And he, I believe he did that. It for the most part, for our benefit to train us of what to do. Because I mean, I know you guys are experiencing it. I mean, my job’s crazy. My life is crazy. My day in day out is an up and down challenge. I’m getting hit left and right with something else that wants to send me sideways all the time. And I mean, all you got to do is turn on the news. If you’re bored, and you’re not really feeling that sort of turmoil, just turn on the TV, and you’re going to start getting slapped around in different ways with temptation to be angry, to be fed up with this world to hate the people that are doing things. And our wars, not against flesh and blood. It’s against the spiritual principalities behind it. But it’s so easy to forget that. But prayer is where we go, right? we withdraw, Lord, help me see this, through your eyes helped me, help me look at this whole thing, because I’m lost. Again, I am not feeling like I want to go be a part of saving any of these people that are that are in this place that are doing this things to my nation, to my world, to my community, to my schools. I get it. You and I are on the same page with many of those things. But we got to restore back to that place of the Great Commission, which is make disciples of all nations which is bring the gospel to the world. And there’s that barrier of like, but those people suck, I don’t want to. I don’t want to do that. But that’s where at prayer, we remember that suffering is a part of it. And challenges will come. And again, if we’re walking in the Spirit, like Pete says, He always teaches, the spirit will keep you in a bubble. And I love that illustration. You’re looking around and you see the bombs going off. And you can see the attacks coming, but none of them are actually reaching you. You’re not being hurt, you’re in the middle of the battle, but you’re just in like this bubble, because you’re in the spirit. I’ve experienced that time and time again, where I’m seeing attacks come, and I’m seeing all these things that are happening. And I’m just just walking in faith and knowing that the Lord is doing stuff, I know you’re working, I know you’re working, this looks awful. But I know you’re working. I’m in a spirit, I can. And I can see him leading. And so I continue on. And you’re in that bubble, right. But that’s how that all comes from a prayer life. You gotta you got to know your Shepherd’s Voice, by talking to them by listening to him. And then then you will come to know your voice, right. And there’s countless parts of scripture where we see him where we read that Jesus demonstrated that, that alone time with God, to be able to get back back into the mission. And the mission is is in the world we are to be in the world, not of the world, and the world needs spiritual leaders, right now more than anything else. There’s a book that we use in leadership training

Unknown Speaker 21:20
that we use at our church. And it’s called principles of spiritual leadership by Jay Oswald Sanders. Has anybody read that book? principles of spiritual leadership? You guys should read that book. It’s amazing. It’s It’s crazy how it was written so many decades ago, but like, you read it, and it’s like, oh, this is exactly what we need to hear right now. It’s soaked with Scripture, and it’s totally of the Lord. But I just, I put together like a little paraphrased quote from chapter 10, that I’ll just read you check this out. So this is what I believe this is this is what I think is important. today. spiritual leadership has many essential qualities but requires spirit filled people. A guy can have a brilliant mind and possess all kinds of skill. But without spirituality, it he can’t truly provide spiritual leadership. selection of leaders for the kingdom has nothing to do with worldly values like wealth or status. It is primarily spirituality. Holy Spirit does not take control of anyone against their will either. To be filled with the Spirit means simply that as a Christian, I voluntarily surrender my life and my will to the spirit. When I do that, my personality, my mind are taken over by the Spirit, my mind, my will, my emotions, and even my physical strength, all become available to the Spirit to guide and use. Under the spirits control. natural gifts of leadership are lifted to their highest power and sanctified for holy purpose. The filling of the spirit is essential for spiritual leadership. Our task is to remain yielded to him, lead the next generation of men. Period, lead the next generation of men period. Feeling the anger at the state of the world is not enough. commiserating with each other is not enough, either. You will not feel better by only doing these things. Be the spiritual leader that the next generation who are inheriting a world far more confusing and convoluted than yours. Be the spiritual leader that that next generation needs you to be spiritual leadership leaders and family, your profession, your community, whatever you’re doing it all there is no there’s no exemptions in the in the walk that we have in the life that we lead, where spiritual leadership belongs. leaders who are repented leaders who are listening to the Holy Spirit, who are only concerned with the will of God, humble leaders, leaders who know God’s word leaders who pray, servant leaders. And so my question is, how’s that going for you guys? And that’s not really for to raise your hand answer. But how asked, I asked myself, how am I doing? How are we doing with discipleship? And I’ll be the first one to tell you and I came up here last week and shared it in my the last 20 years. That’s not been something that I’ve been super strong about. Yes, there’s been discipleship, yes, I ported other guys, and continue to but like deliberately. I’d said, God said, Go and make disciples. So brother, we put the screen up. I’m here to also to share I mentioned it last week, but this is the new initiative that we’re doing. And I wanted to come and share this as we close. I mentioned it last week, excuse me, and we had our first event and it was awesome. The next one is going to be obviously the third Thursday of next month. It’s the third Thursday of every month. And which is the 19th. Thank you August 19. But anytime you’re wondering when it is just look at the third Thursday of that month. And that’s when it’ll be and it’s called through his eyes Thursdays. What is it like it says there, it’s a monthly prayer and worship experience for men on Thursday night, uniting it together for discipleship, and boldly looking at cultural, local and national global issues. From a biblical perspective. Go to the next slide for me, brother. We call it the cross. Because when you look at the acronym, it also says the cross, come to the cross, go to the next one brother. Like I said, most critical issues are going to be preached there and for for what reason. We want to see the world through God’s eyes, obviously, and we’re being challenged all the time.

Unknown Speaker 25:45
But beyond that, and it’s it’s an outreach to the next generation. This is this is why we believe God put this here. You guys are awesome. Love, I love seeing the familiar faces who’ve been sitting in these seats for years. I love seeing the gods that I haven’t even met yet. But either way, you’ve been even sitting here listening to Pete pizza, pizza outstanding, probably the best if not one of the best teachers of God’s Word and representatives of Jesus Christ that I’ve ever met. And we get the privilege of gleaning off of him here and in Irvine. Right? But then where do we go with it? Right, it’s a river that pours into us, and it needs to pour into the next generation. So that’s been on our heart. Next slide for me. So what I’m asking you guys to, to do is explain that I go one more. This is what this is where I see you guys fitting in, I don’t expect you guys to come to the Thursday night events. But I want you to get involved with what we’re calling closer looks. And that’s the in between time, Thursday night event once a month. And then we want to provide an avenue for discipleship. So the guys that come to these events, we want them to be spurred, and and challenged and ignited and have questions and want to talk. And then I want to facilitate those guys getting to guys like you. Okay, and this is how we’re going to do it. We’re looking for one hour here and there. And it can be anywhere that works on your calendar. If it’s Friday at 10pm. The only time you have let me know, if it’s Monday morning at 5am. Let me know, I want to build a inventory of time slots, where you say, Yeah, I could talk to a guy for an hour at that time, and then we’ll use it. Okay, go to the next one. For me. We’re looking for like maybe two slots a month a to one hour times a month, where you could sit across from a younger guy, a newer, newer, newer believer, maybe somebody who’s been straight, that’s coming back, but either way, mentorship begins, discipleship begins, we could find out if they’re in a men’s group, they’re in a forum group, we can start to just come alongside them and grow the next generation, God’s gonna use all this one more for me. Here’s how it works, we’ve got to sign up, okay. And they’ll come to the event and they’ll go click, and they’ll end up at something that looks and looks something like this. And all those little time slots are you guys. This is a generic one that I built. But each one of those time slots will be whatever those whatever time you said, right, and you could say Friday at 10pm. And nobody grabs it. Right? Or some young dude could be like Friday at 10pm. Every Friday at 10pm is right when I’m feeling tempted to go out back to the strip club. I’m going to talk to this guy instead. And click and you might find yourself in an extraordinary moment ministry and you’re ministering to a guy Watching God work right through you into this guy and you never know. So you look at your calendar, you figure out when you can fit in an hour. Next slide for me. Back one. And now I get it. I love this. We’re driving by that on the fire engine and I’m like, timeout, stop back up. I need to take a picture of that. Go ahead, say zoom meeting, say zoom meeting one more time. I get it. This last year. We’re all tired of meeting with people on a little screen. Right? I get it. but hear me out here. This little screen that’s in everybody’s pocket that the devil is using for plenty of divisiveness and evil. Let’s leverage it for good let’s use it for Kingdom work right this thing is pulling on a guy every day when what should which porn should I look at? What videos on YouTube should I look at that will do nothing good for me what content should I go read? Let’s come through these screens right into a guy’s heart and get the relationship started. If you guys are more into meeting in person, I get it it can grow to that. Make it that but if you guys will just give me your your availability, and we’ll plug you in and it can start with a zoom meeting. These interactions will begin they will grow into discipleship. Imagine if you’re at your desk right before you go to lunch. You that’s your hour you say I can do 11am you can just be doing whatever you’re doing. 11 o’clock pivot from what you’re doing. Click Click pour into a guy hear him listen To his heart, figure out where he’s at pray find out what God has for you there answer questions about faith about the things we talked about on the Thursday night, whatever it is, finish up that hour or so Hey, man, let’s do this, again. You want to meet for coffee next time you could do, you can go into direction that God leads, right spiritual leadership, follow the Holy Spirit in this. And then that wraps up, click, click pivot back to what you’re doing. The ability to use this, we’re going to leverage it for the kingdom. Okay, so I get it. We’d rather meet in person, the fellowship is much better that way. But

Unknown Speaker 30:32
let’s try this out. Consider it, pray about it, turn to the Holy Spirit. Go to the next slide for me, take out your phones. I’m gonna wrap up right here, take out your phones. Take a picture of that for me. Okay. We’ll leave that up there. Take a picture of that. If you’re in and this is tugging on you, please email me at that email. And, and we’ll get started with getting you plugged into this. The next one is August 19. So between now and then, I want to get a few dozen guys if we can, there’s to just be at the ready during whatever time works for you. Okay, is that clear? So that’s the plug on the new ministry that we’re starting here at influencers. This is an influencers initiative, the message of spiritual leadership. Let’s get out there. Let’s see where the Holy Spirit is moving. And let’s follow him in that place. And we’re out of time at this at this time. I’ll see you guys that are gonna be the Malibu retreat. And we’ll pick up kind of from that point, and go deeper. show leadership. All right. Amen. Let’s have one more prayer. Father, God, thank you for this time. Thank you for this place. Thank you that we are in a nation that we can still gather and worship you and celebrate you and study your word. Father, God, we pray that that would continue on for years and years to come. But whatever the future may bring, Lord, we just want to know that we are where you want us to be. We want to love what you love. We want to hate the same things you hate. And we want to see the world through God’s eyes. You want to see the world through your eyes, Lord, show us, the world the way you see it so that we can we can move in the spirit in our daily life to others who need to know you, Lord, which is everybody and it’s in Jesus name, we pray thank you for these men. Amen.

Bill Kauble 32:08
is a great job. One of the things that I wanted to emphasize is that Phil is heavily involved in his church. And when we met when Pete and I met with Phil, and this whole idea of this initiative, I said to Phil, why are you doing it and influencers not doing it at your church? And he said, Because God’s called me to do it and influencers. This is an influencers ministry. This is I hope, and I believe is the beginning of a new aspect of our ministry. And it unites you older guys with younger guys like Wayne and then tree so I joined this week Pete my joined as support for this because it is an influencers ministry, Lord, we just come alongside this man of God. We thank you for him and his precious wife and his two precious daughters, Lord, we pray, Father could the anointing would continue. Thank you, Father, we just lift him up and lift up for us initiative by the name of the power in the blood of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. Thank you.

The Beatitudes of Humility

Humility is a godly quality… men think that humiliation is a personal insult but humility starts with the world’s humiliation. Jesus said, if we’re slapped on one cheek with the disrespect of the world, then turn the other cheek. It’s not my prideful honor that’s at stake, but the Lord’s honor. The honor is not in recompensing evil for evil but to serve others with a heart of love.. therefore be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.

The beatitudes blaze a trail to the heart of God. Each of these beautiful attitudes progresses and builds on the previous attitude. The progression to God’s heart begins with poverty of spirit. To receive anything of God, we need to be empty so that we are desperate for his spirt. When God reveals to us the poverty, destitution, and depravity of this world, then we can hunger and thirst not after the things of this world but the things of the righteousness of God’s Holy Spirit. Repentance results when men are ready to turn their hearts from the world’s suffering and unto the Lord’s blessings.

A senator approached Mother Theresa after she had spoken to Congress. He saw a photo op so he said to her as the cameras rolled, “My constituents and I would like to present you with a check for a million dollars for your foundation Sisters of Mercy.” …She said, “God has always taken care of us and He will continue to. God works best with nothing. Please go back home to the people you represent and become nothing.”

A follower of Christ is crucified to the world so that he can follow the Lord. Jesus said, if anyone wants to be my disciple, he must forsake himself, take up his cross and follow me. He alone is my hope of glory… my worth is only in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The Old Testament law reminds us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. However, Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Our righteousness is in Christ alone, not in our deeds of the flesh. Our righteousness is not in who we are but in whose we are.

As a follower of Christ, the cleansing is in the walking: … therefore walk in the light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ shall cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

When we place ourself in the Lord’s presence because of the love he has for us and the love we have for him, we can see glimpses of the glory of God.

Isaiah trembled in God’s presence. In the year in which Uriah died…. he approached the throne of God and was undone because of his sin in the presence of God’s holiness… He saw a fantastic vision: seraphim… six winged high ranking angels of God’s heavenly hosts who said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts. The earth is filled with his glory.” The temple filled with smoke and the foundations trembled and shook. Then Isaiah said, “woe is me, I’m ruined and undone in the presence of thy holiness.” God honors a broken and a contrite heart. Isaiah said, “I’m a man of unclean lips living among an unclean people.” Then a seraphim touched a hot coal to Isaiah’s lips and said, “your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged.”

God not only sits on his throne in Heaven in glory, he also lives in the hearts of those who are meek and lowly… those who have forsaken their pride to live to the praise of the glory of His grace….

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. When we face the light, the shadow will fall behind us. When we follow the Son of God we forsake the shadow of sin and death. As children of the living God we’re God’s photo-multipliers… We reflect and intensify his glorious light so that others can see His truth. Therefore let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

When we follow in the Lord’s paths of righteousness we get a glimpse of heaven… Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. God will open the eyes of our spiritual understanding when we live according to God’s beautiful attitudes… for joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of God…

… That we may ever live to the praise of the Glory of God’s grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

The beatitudes are God’s attitudes revealed to us through the spirit of God himself. The attitudes of God call us to a higher calling… a calling that is not of this world. For all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one of us unto his own way. But God in his grace and mercy reached down through the nail pierced hands of his Son Jesus Christ and rescued us as we were falling. It would not be redemption if we could loose it in one moment of weakness… if we fall from a bad decision. In spite of ourselves, he will never leave us or forsake us.

The difficulties and trails of this Christian life spur us to overcome… not in our own strength, but in his strength alone. Peace is only available through the Prince of Peace. The seventh beatitude says, Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. As God’s children, our Father has given us a strong family resemblance… to be like our big brother Jesus Christ. The beatitudes are Chris’s attitudes. The world cannot understand these attitudes because only the Holy Spirit can reveal His character. The beatitudes are the attitudes that result in God’s spiritual blessings.

Happiness in God’s kingdom is different from the happiness of this world. The world thinks that happiness depends on happenstance. The indoctrinated people to think that everything that happens is governed by blind random chance…. that everything is a co-incidence. However from God’s perspective, there are no co-incidences, there are only God-incidences, for God is Sovreign overall.

Worldly wisdom seeks to satisfy earthly desires… that which is earthly, sensual, and devilish. However, spiritual wisdom from above is first peaceable, easy to be untreated, without partiality and without hypocrisy… Happiness according to the Beatitudes starts with humility… blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In order to approach the Lord, we must come with empty hands. We must forsake our pride to approach his throne of grace and mercy.

Paul said, I don’t want to be disqualified for service. God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called with the power of the holy spirit. Therefore Paul said, I buffet my body to keep it in subjection to follow after Christ. The trials of this world and tribulations of life prove over and over that God himself is our strength and our sufficiency in all things. For it is God who worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure when we delight ourselves in the Lord…. when we align our good pleasure with his good pleasure.

Sin has consequences. Sin means missing the mark. The emphasis on the Greek word sin is not on the missing but on the mark itself. Therefore I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Pressing toward the mark is to live within the love of our lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I have called you friends. We love him because he first loved us. Until he loved us we did not have the capacity to love him because the love of God is a spiritual reality. To love God above all, we have to receive his spirit of life in Christ, born again of His spirit. Then we love God above all, we will press toward the path that He has prepared in advance for us to walk.

Through the eyes of the spirit of Christ in us, we can perceive the truth of the beauty of the beatitudes. The gift of God’s Holy Spirit is given so we can bless God and so that we can bless others. God’s spirit separates us from the spirit of this world. His spirit differentiates us and separates us from an upside down world. Holy means separated according to the purpose for which He designed us… to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we were called.

Therefore Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you. Missionary Jim Elliott said, he is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep to keep that which he cannot lose. Jesus said, what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul. He who saves his life shall lose it but he who loses his life for my sake shall save it.

What is it that you love? What do you desire most? To what do you aspire and strive to accomplish? You pursue that which you love. It’s not about the effort, but rather progressing toward the object of your love. You treasure what you love. Therefore Jesus said, treasure not treasures upon this earth where moth and rust doth corrupt. Instead seek treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.

Sin separates our hearts from God’s heart. We can run from God but we cannot hide. Wherever we go, he’s still there. When we turn around, repent, and forsake sin by returning to the Lord, 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. According to John 3:20-21, Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God.

God met Pete at a moment of depression. Pete thought that he should be in the starting lineup but was called to pinch hit only periodically. Pedro Bourbon who later graduated to the Big Leagues and won consecutive World Series with the Cincinnati Reds had struck Pete out in a game that day. While Pete was reading Hebrews 12 in the New Living Translation, God spoke to his heart, “it hurts when a loving Father disciplines his son.” He said, “Pete, you know how to be an all star. You know how to be in the starting lineup and take pride in the praise and accolades of men. However, you don’t know how to sit on the bench. You don’t know the meaning of humility. On the bench, you’ll learn how to put your team mates first.. you’ll learn to cheer for their success and the success of the team. It’s not about your glory, it’s about loving others and then in loving your neighbor as yourself, you’ll learn how to love Jesus Christ.”

To love God above all we must be a citizen of God’s kingdom of heaven, born again of God’s spirt. We may be natural-born citizens of the United States, but more importantly we are spiritually born-again citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom. Therefore let your conversation, your behavior, your manner of living as citizens of heaven be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. The gospel is the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

God has called us as ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is the highest ranking official sent from his Sovreign Lord to represents the kingdom of heaven in a foreign land. As citizens of heaven, and as ambassadors for Christ we’re called to deliver a peace treaty from the kingdom of heaven to a world dead in trespasses and sin. Blessed are the peacemakers. This is our mission and our great co-mission… Go give ‘em Heaven!

… that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael