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Images of grace God works with images. Throughout Scripture, you see God trying to paint an image in our hearts so we can expect his goodness at all times.AI technology revealed Rembrandt's original 1642 “The Night Watch," vivid under-drawing and hidden compositional choices. AI-reconstructed missing side strips and restored colors were finally revealed to the public; viewers saw a completely transformed image that changed their entire understanding of the artist's original intent.Over time, the "soot" of human anxiety, doubt, and daily distraction obscures that divine intent, making goodness feel hidden or distant. God wants you to see his preexisting plan for you. You must perceive what was previously invisible. When everything appears gloomy, we must never forget that above the clouds, the sun is still shining. Eventually, the clouds will give way to the light's brilliance. Perhaps you are reeling from a painful diagnosis. For some, the distance from a loved one leaves you estranged and aching. For others, it is the daily reality of a physical limitation or a long-term chronic illness.  Remember: above the clouds, the Sun of Righteousness is shining upon you, and you will see His gracious intervention.(Malachi 4:2) "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. The rising sun, with its "rays" or "beams" of light stretching out like wings across the horizon. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall." Young cattle cooped up in dark, constrained stalls during winter or night, suddenly released into the blinding, warm, life-giving freedom of the morning sun. God desires for you to do more than merely exist; He wants you to truly live.  A person in a hospital bed may be breathing; however, depending on the illness, they may not be experiencing the fullness of life. Your Heavenly Father wants you not just to survive, but to live joyfully as His beloved child.What should you do if you find yourself stuck? When we do not know what to do, we should always pray.James 5:16 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Do not stop praying. Maybe you just came out of a prayer campaign or fasting commitment. Don’t stop praying yet. Our prayers have the power to open the clouds of heaven, not because of our intense effort, but instead because of Christ's finished work, which grants us confident access to the Father."Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Whatever brings joy to your heart, your Heavenly Father knows it and wants to give it to you.Matthew 7:11 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!The feeling of giving is what moves so many philanthropists. I was reading about Larry Stewart (April 1, 1948 – January 12, 2007), better known as "Kansas City's Secret Santa.” He gave away more than $1.3 million. What moves God’s heart is His loving heart for you. For some, it is improved sales in business. For others, it might be a simple phone call from a beloved son or daughter. For me, as a pastor, the greatest joy is seeing salvation, church growth, and families completely restored by grace.A Future and a Hope Whatever it is, our Father delights in the welfare of His servants. He has good plans for us."For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. "(Jeremiah 29:11) Taken out of context, this verse can lead you to believe faith should bring easy, trouble-free living. Yet God’s plan for His people, especially during exile, involved enduring seventy years of foreign domination before experiencing restoration.  Many times, God’s shalom comes through perseverance, not instant relief from suffering.(No projection)John 16:33 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”2 Timothy 3:12 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, This means we must wake up every single day with the right perspective of God’s heart of love toward us. He is unconditionally fighting for us, even when we are under great trials. You wonder, "I experienced this trial, this financial hardship, this marital disagreement when I was young. Now, at my age, I am still going through this. Doors are closed. What is wrong with me? Why have I been betrayed again? Why am I not multiplying my LifeGroup?"It is scientifically proven that living in a constantly overcast, rainy city can lead people toward depression. Nevertheless, winters are not meant to last forever.  If you have grown accustomed to bad news as a normal part of your daily experience, remember: above the clouds, the shining light of the Sun of Righteousness is ready to usher in a new season of multiplication.God Loves Multiplication There is a vast difference between knowing that God is able to multiply and knowing that God is able and does love to multiply.Think of the difference in flavor between a meal prepared by someone who merely knows how to cook and a meal prepared by someone who truly loves to cook. It is completely different. Let’s look at some pictures of the multiplication of grace to fill our hearts today.Isaac - Blessings the enemies envy.Genesis 26:12-15 12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 14 He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him. (Genesis 26:12). That was a test for Isaac. There was famine there. He could be tempted to move out from God’s place.(No projection)Genesis 26:1-2 1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. This defies logic. It is not naturally possible for a man to sow and reap such a miraculous, outrageous harvest in the very same year. That level of abundance can only result from divine intervention. Isaac sowed in the land he was already in. The place of multiplication is where God has placed you. It did not seem like the right time to sow. There was famine in the land. You are exactly where you are called to be. The promise of multiplication is meant to happen right where the Lord has called you, not somewhere else.  What’s truly staggering about Isaac’s story is that a hundredfold harvest in a single year is like gathering a hundred years’ worth of normal harvests all at once.Imagine starting a new job and, in your very first year, receiving a salary advance equivalent to working there for a century. Would that change your life? I know it sounds almost too good to believe. Yet, that is exactly what happened to Isaac. Because we believe in Christ, we are the spiritual offspring of Abraham. The same God who multiplied then, in Isaac’s life, is able and willing to multiply now in your life.Psalms 35:27-28 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare [shalom] of his servant!”28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long. Throughout the psalm, the enemies "delight" in calamity, but verse 27 inverts that delight. That belongs to God and those with His righteousness. Those who receive His divine shalom. Isaac's prosperity had nothing to do with his management abilities, his personal merit, his deserving behavior, or his family background. The sole reason he prospered so abundantly is that "the Lord blessed him."Elisha and the Empty Vessels"When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped." (2 Kings 4:6) The question for us today is: Do you have more space for God's blessings in your life? Are you providing enough room in your ministry for His multiplication? Are there empty vessels waiting for multiplying grace in your marriage and your family? Do your dreams provide enough space for His multiplication?  Regarding your giving, is there space for God to multiply your generosity?  We must be clear: God's acceptance is never tied to our financial giving. He does not love us more when we give. But the truth is, there is no prosperity without giving. They are interchangeable in Scripture.The Catching of Fish - Your one catch can change your story"And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking". (Luke 5:6) Fish come in different sizes and hold different values in the marketplace. During Jesus’s earthly ministry, He directed three distinct miraculous catches of fish. The first happened through a massive number of smaller fish—what scholars believe were tilapia, later known as "St. Peter’s fish." The catch was so large they had to request help from other boats."And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink." (Luke 5:6–7) After the resurrection, there was another miraculous catch. This time, it was a specific number of large fish—153 to be exact. "So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn." (John 21:11) A catc

Double Portion Two very famous prophets appear in the Old Testament. Elijah, whose stories appear mainly in First Kings, and Elisha, whose stories appear mostly in Second Kings. They seem to have started a school of prophets in the Old Testament.Samuel originated the prophetic bands in the 11th century BC. However, the formal, school-like communities known as the "sons of the prophets” were institutionalized and brought to their prominence under the leadership of Elijah and Elisha in the 9th century. Their relationship exemplifies how you can expect increasing favor in your life. In this story, Elisha, as Elijah's successor, experienced a double measure of miracles.Causing a drought (1 Kgs 17:1)Provision of flour and oil for the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:14)Resurrecting the widow’s son (1 Kgs 17:22)Calling down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18:38)Bringing the drought to an end with severe rain (1 Kgs 18:45)Calling down fire on Ahaziah’s captains and their fifties (2 Kgs 1:10–12)Parting the waters of the Jordan River with his mantle (2 Kgs 2:8)(Note: Divine provisions, such as ravens feeding him or angelic sustenance, are typically acts of God upon the prophet rather than miracles mediated by the prophet's agency).Elisha records the following supernatural events:Parting the waters of the Jordan River (2 Kgs 2:14)Healing the contaminated waters of Jericho (2 Kgs 2:21)Pronouncing a curse resulting in bears mauling forty-two youths (2 Kgs 2:24)Providing water for the allied armies in the desert (2 Kgs 3:20)Multiplying the widow’s oil (2 Kgs 4:6)Prophesying the birth of the Shunammite woman's son (2 Kgs 4:16)Resurrecting the Shunammite woman's son (2 Kgs 4:35)Neutralizing poisonous stew in Gilgal (2 Kgs 4:41)Multiplying twenty loaves of barley bread to feed a hundred men (2 Kgs 4:43)Healing Naaman the Syrian of leprosy (2 Kgs 5:14)Transferring Naaman’s leprosy to Gehazi (2 Kgs 5:27)Causing a borrowed iron axhead to float (2 Kgs 6:6)Striking the Aramean army with blindness (2 Kgs 6:18)A dead man resurrecting upon contacting Elisha's bones (2 Kgs 13:21) There is a path we need to walk to experience that increase.From Priesthood to Prophets Moses established the Tabernacle and the role of the high priest. They were appointed to lead the people spiritually and civilly. The Israelites had no king in those early days, so the high priest guided them. Not long after, the high priesthood failed. Aaron's sons offered unauthorized fire before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-2), and we see later, in the days of Eli (1 Samuel 2:17; 3:13), his sons profaned the sanctuary and brought God’s judgment upon themselves. God established a monarchy, with kings leading Israel and the high priest assisting them. But even great kings like David sinned. God then introduced the prophetic ministry, starting with Samuel, the first prophet. Unlike kings and priests, the prophet's role was not hereditary. No succession was guaranteed; God simply raised up a prophet wherever He chose. The primary word for "prophet," occurring over 300 times in the Old Testament, נָבִיא (naví). Meaning "one who calls/proclaims”. Or "one who is called [by God]”.(Acts 2:17-18)"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18.even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Corrupt Age During the most corrupt era in Israel's history, the nation split into two: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. During that time, God raised Elijah to speak over the northern kingdom, which had reached unprecedented corruption. Ahab was king, and he had married a wicked woman named Jezebel. She was ruthless and entirely given over to darkness. She tried to force the Israelites to worship Baal, the false god of rain. Here we have the stories of Elijah and Elisha starting in 1 Kings 17.1 Kings 17:1 1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” Baal worship involved fertility rites filled with rampant sexual promiscuity. Worse still, people sacrificed their own children in the fire as offerings to Baal. Elijah came to expose that corruption and bring judgment over the false gods. That is why the most notable miracle of Elijah is his calling fire from heaven over the sacrifice. A battle against the prophets of Baal. Remember that we are looking for Christ. Elijah points us to John the Baptist, while Elisha points us directly to our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Elijah came before Elisha, John the Baptist, under the spirit of Elijah, preceded Jesus.Elijah and Jesus The name Elijah combines "Eli" (my God) and "Ya" (Yahweh). His name means "my God is Yahweh.” Or "my God is the LORD." The name Elisha, however, means "my God is Yeshua"; Yeshua means "Yahweh is salvation." That is the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yeshua, meaning "my God saves." In contrast, these prophets point to different dispensations. Elijah represents the Old Covenant and judgment. It is God as the lawgiver, ready to punish. Elisha, by contrast, represents the New Covenant, the time of grace. If Elisha’s ministry foreshadows Christ's, one of the most remarkable events in Elisha's life is the resurrection power of the incident with his bones.2 Kings 13:20-21 20 So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet. Jesus' death is what brings ultimate life to the world. Life flows abundantly. The Cross, the very place of death, now brings life to whoever believes. All who listen to the message of the cross can receive eternal life.For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) We must throw those in our family who are dead into "Elisha's grave," so to speak. It is the power of Christ's death that can give life to those who are dead. Only by touching the cross will they receive resurrection life. The message of the cross either confuses or enlightens, either offends or empowers.(1 Corinthians 1:23-25) "But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."During the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires, millions of acres burned, drawing horror from the public and media as flames engulfed ancient forests. To many, it appeared as pure tragedy and destruction. Yet, forest ecologists understood a hidden purpose: Lodgepole Pines, accounting for nearly 80% of Yellowstone's forests, produce cones sealed with a thick resin. These cones won't release seeds under normal weather conditions; they require the intense heat of a fire (113° to 140°F to melt the resin) to open. The very fire that destroys is essential for releasing new life. Within just a few years, millions of new lodgepole saplings had sprung from the ashes,The Path to the Double Portion Towards the end of Elijah's ministry, he journeyed with his disciple Elisha through four different locations. These places represent four stages we pass through to grow in grace and receive a double portion of the Spirit. We will look at the first appearance of those places in the story of the people of God.(2 Kings 2:1- 9)Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel …So they came to Jericho. … Then Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you."…When they had crossed [the Jordan River] , Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me."Gilgal2 Kings 2:1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. When the people of Israel entered Canaan, Gilgal was their very first stop. The word Gilgal means "to roll away." What exactly was rolled away? The spirit of shame. The Lord completely removed their reproach. It was also in Gilgal that the new generation of Israelites born in the wilderness had not been circumcised. Gilgal, therefore, also represents the cutting away of the flesh.And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. (Joshua 5:9) Forty years had passed since they left Egypt, yet the shame of Egypt still clung to Israel. A mentality of slaves prevents us from believing God for great things. Whenever a spirit of shame operates in our lives, it hinders our ability to receive abundantly from God. The Bible notes that Israel crossed the Jordan River on a very specific date.(Joshua 4:19) The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.These dates have significance. The first month i

The Promises as a BlessingRemembering the promises of God.Fasting periods are an excellent opportunity to reflect on God's promises in our lives. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)Fasting helps us detach from distractions that can divert us from God's calling.Hold to the PromisesAnchor your life in God's Word and His unchanging promises. It is easy to let temporary hardships dictate our ultimate reality.We stare at concerning lab results, check our shrinking bank accounts, or receive devastating personal news, convinced that the story is over. However, we are called to live by what God has spoken rather than what our eyes can see.Jacob received the crushing news of his beloved son Joseph's death. Do you remember how that story unfolds in Genesis 37?Driven by bitter envy over their father’s favoritism, Joseph’s older brothers sold him to passing merchants as a slave. They covered the truth from Jacob. Taking Joseph's famous colored robe, they drenched it in goat’s blood and carried it back to Jacob.Jacob had all the facts, so he concluded: My son is dead.It was factual. All the evidence pointed to that conclusion. However, it was not the truth. But because all he could see were the facts, a lie became the grievous reality for Jacob. Genesis 37:34-35 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.This very sad scene I have experienced myself through my personal experience of losing a son. Unfortunately, I have also been present to comfort families such as mine. It's a devastatingly sad moment.In Jacob’s case, however, there was no real death. But he accepted the only evidence he had as the final truth. That was the only news Jacob had. A lie that became Jacob’s permanent truth. Jacob believed Joseph was dead for 22 years.Are you doing the same now with the last news you received from your doctor? Is the report from your family permanent, devastating news? Maybe you have been hovering over the loss of that broken relationship for years. But these facts are not meant to be your final truth.In the story, the same sons who had brought false news of Joseph's death years earlier returned from Egypt to tell Jacob that Joseph was still alive.Jacob was so accustomed to living with the undeniable pain of loss that he could not believe it.Genesis 45:26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. The good news of Joseph being alive has always been the real truth. But Jacob got so used to the pain and grief that when the good news was revealed, his heart was numb.Perhaps you are like Jacob now, with a numb heart from positive and hopeful words. You no longer believe, exhausted from confessing, praying, and declaring for that miracle. Maybe you are close to giving up.You have spent weeks, months, or maybe even years trying, feeding your faith, saying the right words, and forcing a breakthrough through your own spiritual willpower. You are exhausted.Genesis 45:27-28 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”It is time to believe God's old promises again.To beleive He is able and willing to do far more abundantly than all that you can ask or think."Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20)Only when Jacob saw the wagons that Joseph had sent did his heart revive again.Today, God will open your eyes, and you will see his promises afresh.(2 Corinthians 5:7) "for we walk by faith, not by sight."Do not give up yet. Hold on to God’s promises. He knows how to turn our devastation into a miracle story.An entrepreneur spent over a year working late nights in a cramped apartment, building an online business with zero traction.Exhausted by mounting debt and dead-end analytics, he decided to quit, hovering their mouse over the button to shut down the server and delete the store forever.What he couldn't see was that a major industry influencer had just featured their product as a hidden gem, and thousands of orders were already quietly queued up to hit their site the very next morning.(Hebrews 10:23) "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."If you were considering giving up, today is another opportunity to try again. The strength you need doesn’t come from your own motivation; it comes from God's promises.(2 Corinthians 1:20) For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. Genesis 46:30 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”Jacob did not die. The truth revealed, the promise unfolded, the real good news sustained the old Jacob alive for more than 17 years.2 Corinthians 4:17-18 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.God's promises can accelerate the multiplication of His grace in your life.Genesis 48:3-4 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’That promise did not fully come to pass with Abraham. It did not fully happen with Isaac either. Jacob reminded God of the promises. He was passing on the promise not as a hopeful desire, but as a blessing.For Jacob, after he learned that even after the facts of death and hopelessness, God is faithful and will fulfill his promises, he declared the promise as a blessing. Genesis 48:15-16 15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”Learn to declare the promises of God as an inevitable reality upon your children and upon your business and ministry.(1 Thessalonians 5:24)"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."The Grace AdoptionJacob called Joseph's sons to his side to impart his blessing. What a father spoke over his children in his final days carried immense weight and would affect them for the rest of their lives.(Genesis 48:5) "And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are." Jacob surprised everyone in the family, saying, "Joseph, I am adopting Manasseh and Ephraim as my own sons. They will receive the exact same inheritance as my other children." The boys’ mother was Egyptian. That means her family did not know or serve Jehovah; they were idol worshipers.You might think you are disqualified from God's blessings because you come from a family with a terrible history. Maybe you are the first to beleive in Christ, and all the others are still in false religions or atheism. You may have many reasons why you feel you do not deserve His goodness.God adopted us into His own family. "Despite your past, despite your mistakes, and regardless of what your family has done, I am adopting you as My own son, as My own daughter."Be free from every fear of generational curse. God chose you to begin a blessed generation. He is establishing a generational blessing through you.We believe that even from a young age, children can understand important values. Recently, a brother shared that his partner received a call from his 4-year-old child while he was working. The child was proudly showing off himself riding his new bicycle. The dad told him, “I love you, son." The son replied, “I love you too, Dad, but I love Jesus more." When asked if he attends church regularly, the partner said, "Not often, but my son is a student at Vine Christian Academy. And man, They really teach these kids to know Jesus." You will positively affect all your descendants.Accelerated blessingsWhen Jacob surprised the entire family, he ignored the boy's mother's heritage. But also, as grandsons, these boys naturally would have had to wait an entire generation to receive what Jacob was giving them.Normally, the blessing would flow first to their father, and then Joseph would pass that inheritance down to them much later. Instead, these boys received an inheritance way earlier in life.Breakthroughs that would normally take years of human effort to accomplish can come quickly. It can take years to get out of debt, years to break free from an addiction, and years to establish a new standard of living. If you believe, God will do for you exactly what He did for those two boys: He will propel you years ahead of schedule.You will see things happening much faster than you could ever imagine, because you have honored God. Because you have declared, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," things will accelerate in your life. What might normally take a lifetime to achieve through striving will happen in a fraction of the time by His grace.When Joseph's brothers saw his sons receiving t

Why People Give Up.Recently, as we’ve been preparing for the mountaintop on October 1st, I have been in meetings every single morning at 5:30 AM.The Christian life was always intended to be intense, intentional, and passionate.Why do some give up? Why do some let discouragement take over?First, know there is a difference between giving up and surrender.It is ok to surrender."Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22)"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)We are not called to just go through the motions, punch a spiritual timecard, and coast. If it is not to live a passionate, purposeful, meaningful life—it’s honestly not worth it. Christ did not give His life so we could live lukewarm lives.How to overcome discouragement? How can we keep a burning heart?I know that life happens. Disappointments come. Our expectations get shattered, and the passion we once had can quickly cool off into apathy or discouragement.How does that happen? How to overcome hopelessness?Read Luke 24:13-35The right placeThe two disciples were actually a husband and wife: Cleopas and Mary.They are walking away from Jerusalem. Later, Jesus would make it clear that Jerusalem was the specific place they needed to stay to wait for the Holy Spirit—the place they would be filled with power. "And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)There is a specific place you need to be to stay encouraged. Many believe it's about finding a new place or leaving God's designated place, but in reality, doing so often leads to discouragement instead of encouragement.The right place brings Multiplication.A hundredfold multiplication is ahead. Just stay in the right place. Genesis 26:1 1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.Genesis 26:2-3 2 And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.Because Isaac chose to settle in Gerar, Genesis 26:12 tells us that he planted crops in that land and "the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him." He experienced supernatural multiplication of favor, precisely because he decided to stay where God planted him.Genesis 26:12-13 12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.For Isaac it was Gerar. For the disciples it was Jerusalem. Do not walk away from your Jerusalem.There is a specific place where you must be in order to stay encouraged.This is beyond a geographical location. This speaks of the people you are connected with. You may even move to another place, but your heart remains connected to the correct, godly, purposeful group of people who are part of the purpose of God for you now.However, if you don’t set your heart correctly with the people God has placed in your life, and you don't make a deliberate decision to honor that, you can be taken prematurely from where God wanted to bless you abundantly.May the lord open our eyes today. May our ears be discerning today.Many, when they feel spiritually dry, look for a new place, a new job, a new church, or isolate themselves entirely. But moving out opens you up to discouragement instead of encouragement. When the pressure at work gets too heavy, or when family dynamics break your heart, the temptation is to pull away from the Church, to stop going to your LifeGroups, and to walk that seven-mile lonely road to Emmaus.How is your hope?The couple listened to the good news of resurrection. But it had no effect in their hearts.Luke 24:21-23 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was aliveYou are here today listening to the good news of Jesus’s complete work.Let your hope be in the right person. In the case of these two disciples, they were hoping for a “different Jesus.” A political leader. A revolutionary. A prophet. Have you ever been there? I had hoped this marriage would go more smoothly. I had hoped my finances would be stable by now. I had hoped having children would be simpler. I had hoped my kids would be walking with the Lord. I also imagined other results by pursuing ministry.Unmet expectations are the breeding ground for a cooled-off heart. These two disciples had a very specific framework for how God was supposed to act. When the cross shattered that framework, they couldn't even see the Jesus walking right beside them. It seems all the disciples had the same attitude with the gospel message.Luke 24:10-11 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them Fear and doubt dominate. Their hopes have been crushed. Their leader was crucified. Their hearts were cold and heavy. The news of an empty tomb didn't matter to them. The tomb was empty, but Rome was still in charge, so as far as they were concerned, God had failed them.You think, “If I can just fix this. If I can just get my finances to this specific number, if I can just control my family, then I will have peace…”You sit in the service, and the pastor preaches the gospel. It is the greatest news in the universe! But you walk out to your car feeling just as heavy, just as anxious, and just as discouraged as when you walked in. You wanted Jesus to fix, balance the budget, and change your boss.A customer relationship that will always frustrate you and an unsatisfiable heart attached to things, time and worries.May the Lord open our eyes today. The risen Christ, the resurrection and life, the joy of heaven, the peace that exceeds knowledge, is here speaking and rekindling our hearts again.Exhort one another every dayHebrews 3:12-13 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.I asked my son to take care of the lawn, which he was supposed to do weekly. Grass grows quickly, so it needs to be mowed regularly. However, he decided to mow a week early, thinking, “Let me cut the grass as short as possible because it will grow back anyway, and I’ll have less work next week.” When I saw the lawn, I was very frustrated. The grass was sparse and bare in places. I knew what was coming—improper pruning weakens the grass. Weeds tend to grow faster than grass, choking it and stealing nutrients from the soil. So he had another brilliant idea. He used a heavy dose of fertilizer and applied it at the wrong time of day. It burned the weeds and any other grass buds. As a result, I now have neither healthy turf nor grass, as it is all dead.Weeds appear. No matter what. Naturally, you will be drawn to an unbelieving heart. That is why you must be surrounded by other believers. Weekly pruning. Weekly mowing. That is how we grow.If you don’t do the daily work of "exhort one another every day” eventually the good news will not sound like good news to you.Hebrews 4:2 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.Have you met brothers who, when we try to speak the good news to them, seem almost offended? They think, “Pastor, what are you talking about? Jesus takes care of me. What do you mean? Don’t you see the immigration situation? Don’t you know the cost of gas? Have you made groceries recently? And about the “snowbirds…” they are already here, getting on our nerves…”I have a problem with believers who, instead of being inspired by the invitation to lead a group, serve on the encounter or the mountain track with us, reply that we have crossed a line of disrespect by challenging them. I will tell you, if you don’t like to be challenged, you will have to choose another God to follow.Let the Scripture reveal JesusIn the coming days, we want you to see Jesus Christ every single day. If your eyes and ears are open, you are certain to see Jesus Christ through Scripture; your heart will burn again.(Luke 24:27) “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”For years, historians and scholars had stared at ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on tombs and monuments. They had all the facts in front of them, but the language was dead. It was a mystery to the world. In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt discovered a heavy slab of black basalt that we now know as the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone contained the same decree written in three scripts: hieroglyphs, Demotic, and ancient Greek. Because scholars could read Greek, they finally possessed the key to unlock the entire Egyptian language. Suddenly, everything that was confusing made perfect sense.Jesus Christ is our Rosetta Stone.When we look at Scripture to see Christ, everything changes. The entire Old Testament points directly to Him."In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs

The Bible calls us sheep because we are ruminating, cud-chewing animals. That means you eat here, but you need to keep eating later on. Amen, everybody.Now, you need to keep meditating on the word of God. So I don't want you to just come here, you know, receive a word, some sort of religious lecture, and you go home, put this in a drawer of your memory, and forget about it. You have to meditate.And I believe the Lord today will feed you with fresh nourishment and food. I am literally taking this word fresh from the oven for you, and you are not going to leave this place the same way you came in.Amen. Close your eyes, bow our heads. Let's pray for the Lord to open the eyes of our hearts.Father, I pray that you speak to your children in a personal way that only you can do. Answer their individual needs, God, and their concerns, cares, and worries.Lord, speak to us. We bring our minds captive to your obedience, Jesus. We surrender our hearts as we sang today. Speak to us, Lord, breathe your spirit over us again to remind us of your promises, so we can leave this place confident in your promises. We pray in Jesus' name. Everybody said, amen! Are you guys ready for the word of God, everybody?Amen. Ask somebody close to you, "Are you ready for the word of God?" Pastor Simon shared with me a story about his daughter, Jessica Jasmine, studying at Oral Roberts. She was with us here for a couple of months. She was coming back from the grocery store when suddenly a stranger's car made a U-turn and came in her direction. She was using her AirPods, and a lady inside the car shouted, "Come in! Come to my car! Right now! Come, come, come!"And she was super scared. She said, "What do you mean? I don't know you." The lady said, "Come right now to my car." Then she noticed there was a Bible on the top of the dashboard of the car. And she just trusted, thinking, "Because there is a Bible, I can get into that car."Now, you can imagine a father listening to this story, how he became so anxious just hearing it. I myself here, got, you know, breathless just now.And then the lady drove Jessica to her door, and finally, Jessica asked, "But why were you in such a rush to put me in your car?" And she said, "I saw you walking distracted back to your door, but there was a man, probably with either a gun or a knife, right behind you. And he was up to do something very evil against you. So I rushed to pick you up in the car." She added, "My husband works here in the security system of this college, and I'm going to call him right now to take care of your safety."And then Pastor Simon looked at me and said, "Pastor, my friend, I know that the Lord protects my children." And that consciousness of the walls of grace around us is what allows us to have confidence to dare, to believe bigger and greater. It is when we are reminded that we have God as our shield. El Elyon fights our battles. When we are conscious of that, when we are firmly grounded in this truth, you go back to your ministry with confidence. Despite your weaknesses and failures, you can give yourself a chance again because the Lord is a wall of fire all around you.In 1937, before World War II, in San Francisco, a man-made wonder of the world was being built: the Golden Gate Bridge. The challenge was to cover a 4,200-foot span. And the project budget surpassed $27 million in the first half. Now, $27 million is nothing now, but back then it was more than a fortune.The reason why the work was so expensive and slow is because nobody wanted to work on that bridge. It was known that more than 23 men had fallen into the cold bay waters and lost their lives, until the engineers understood they had to stop the construction and build a safety net. It cost a lot—at the time, $100,000. But that cost was quickly surpassed because the workers were now 25% more effective. And they saved money for the builders, because now, nobody was worried about losing their lives. The knowledge that they were safe gave them the sense of security they needed to finish the job.Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." The Lord has a ministry, a calling, a purpose, a divine assignment over your life. Say a good amen!But you are afraid. "I may not be able to sustain myself. I may slip and fall. I don't think I can. I don't think I should get involved with this." But the Lord has prepared beforehand all the resources we need so we can walk in them. God desires us to live a life of purpose. But while we are in sheer terror of God, with the feeling that at any time he is ready to strike us down because of our mistakes—because we fail to keep our motivations pure—now our relationship with God is fear-based. Not the reverent fear of God; it is dread, it is concern, it is terror.So that's why today I want to start first by dealing with your eternal security. If we are talking about security and safety in the walls of grace, first I need to speak over your eternal security. Serving out of fear hampers our best efforts and robs us of joy. True service springs from a grateful, loving heart, knowing that we are always under God's protection. Like that safety net I just mentioned.But if you die today, do you know where you would spend your eternity? Or would you agree with those who say, "I don't think we ever know where we spend eternity until we actually die"? Well, I believe you can know where you will be in eternity.Let me speak about four types of people that exist everywhere. (I put a slide up there, Skyler.) An old proverb says: He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him. He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is simple; teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; awaken him. But there are the ones who know, and know that they know, and they are wise; follow them.All of us fall into one of these four categories. Some don't know and don't know that they don't know. Therefore, they are lost. They are separated from God. The message for those people is in Romans chapter 3, verse 10: "None is righteous, no, not one," or Romans chapter 3, verse 18: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." They cannot see. Or Romans 3, verses 22 and 23: "The righteousness of God is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All men without Christ stand sinful before God, condemned, separated to an eternity without his presence.Some, however, don't know, and know they don't know. The message for these people is 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." It is a matter of just explaining, because they are in the search, they are seeking. Or we can also read part of Romans chapter 3: "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." It's a matter of showing the message.But the most tragic category includes those who know, but don't know that they know. They are believers who are saved, and whose destiny is certain, but who do not know they are saved and are not sure of their eternal security. And the consequence of that is that they keep hiding themselves in the corners of the church building like bugs, trying to run away from the pastor. As soon as the service ends, they run away, because they know the pastor will always come with a challenge: "It is time for you to stand as a disciple-maker. God is calling you as a minister. There is an opportunity, a calling upon your life." And they say, "No, me, pastor? Not me. Poor me." Because they don't even know where they're going to be in eternity.No one has more peace and rest in this life than the person who knows God the Father through God the Son, and knows that he knows him. This isn't about being presumptuous or overly confident. It's about the truth.You know, the Lord is moving in our church in such a beautiful way. Mainly through this—like the most, for me, distinctive way is this Holy Spirit-led move over adopting kids, fostering kids in our church. Such a beautiful move of God. No one can convince a young family to bring this stranger child into their home to literally disrupt their schedule so hard. But now the Holy Spirit is moving and bringing these children from all the places in Southwest Florida to be fostered and adopted among us.And one element is so clear: some of them come to us in such a fearful place of insecurity. Some of them, in the beginning, don't stop crying. They are afraid to give their little arms to anyone who tries to approach them. But in very few days, suddenly, their little faces change from crying to a continuous smile. You can see that once they really understand they are adopted, and without any deserving it, they feel secure. And now they can rest, they finally can rest and enjoy peace.When a parent adopts a child, no matter how many rules the kid breaks, they are still part of the family. That permanent relationship can never be undone. However, bad choices may ruin the closeness and the perception of the closeness. The kid might face discipline or lose some of their privileges, but they never lose their identity. They are forever adopted.John chapter 1, verse 12: "But to all who did receive him..." Raise your hand and say, "I have received him." "...to all who did receive him, who believed in his name..." Say, "I believe in his name." Come on, church, say, "I believe in his name." God gave the right to you to become a child of God. And you are not born out of the desire of any man, nor of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will o