(I Timothy 2:3-4) - Featuring Special Guest Speaker, Ret. Navy Seal Michael Imhof
Special Guest Speaker, Ret. Navy Seal Michael Imhof, delivers a powerful and engaging message on the epic war we face as believers in a world that is dominated by the influence of Satan, the flesh, and the environment and culture that is orchestrated by both. In that, we as believers need to view ourselves as soldiers in a battle, and as soldiers, we must train, prepare, and be aware. Michael Imhof shares his experiences from his real-life missions as a Navy Seal, and couples them with the Biblical principles that guided him through those missions with perseverance and discipline, and led to victory and missions accomplished. In this bold and packed message, you will also learn what forces hinder the resolve of fighting these battles, and how to recognize, avoid, and even resist these forces, so that you can remain focused in yielding to God to assure your victorious outcome.
When one examines the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, one cannot describe in words the amazing factors that go into the details. When you look at the witnesses who saw it (shrouded in questions that were rooted in doubt), how it was all recorded, and the confirmation of it all in not only Christ appearing to over 500 people, but eating food and showing the scars of the nails and spear to the side, it all reveals the power of Christ over death, hell, and the enemy, in a very real and tangible way. And why was this all brought about? Because we TRESPASS against God, His holiness, His plans, and His laws. His blood was the currency for which a purchase was made for you to be paid for. The only thing is that you need to accept it and receive Jesus, because when you step into eternity, and you have not personally made that decision for Christ, you are on your own. This is WHY the message of the resurrection is so important. It is the most wonderful, powerful, and needed event in world history, and we are given a gift, a gift of salvation from our trespasses, and an eternity with God through Jesus. We have no idea when our time will come to step into eternity. That is why TODAY is the day to make that decision for Christ, and revel in the joy, celebration, and triumph over the things we are most deservedly destined for; death, the grave, and hell.
Jesus knew that the people in Jerusalem wanted POLITICAL peace, prosperity, and the glory days of King David to return. Jerusalem is God's throne is, and where the Messiah will rule and reign forever. Jerusalem didn't understand that the peace that Jesus was about to bring to them was peace with God, not political peace (at least at this point in time). Though thinking that He was going to bring them political peace at that time, people wanted Him to be their King, and celebrated the idea by waving palm branches at Him, in the same way one does a CONQUERING KING. This moment in time reveals a fundamentally thought-provoking question; do we truly recognize who Jesus is, or do we have a misguided or misunderstood idea about Him? Pastor Troy Billow "peels the layers" off of this question in a deep, meaningful, and challenging way.
In our special "countdown to Easter" message series, and a follow-up to the previous message on the blood of Jesus Christ, Pastor Troy Billow continues to "peel the onion" on the depth and dimension regarding the theology of the blood of Jesus Christ and how that cleansing power alone makes us presentable in the presence of God. What does that mean? The Old Testament priests were up to their elbows in blood, literally, because of the constant state of sin in Israel and Jerusalem. Why? Because without the shedding of blood, there is no atonement for sin. In other words, you cannot enter the presence of God unless you are perfect, and none of us are perfect. Jesus is the only one who qualifies, and it is by the shedding of His blood, that we are cleansed and in that, made perfect in the presence of God. The message of the entire Bible is rooted in atonement. The blood aspect is the most powerful and convicting aspect of God's love for us, Christ's obedience, and an exchange made on our behalf at the cross. This becomes more clear in these passages as Isaiah is given a supernatural look into the life/suffering/sacrifice of the Messiah, Jesus Christ at the cross.
In our special "countdown to Easter" message series, Pastor Troy Billow explains the importance of "the shedding of blood for the remission of sins" (Hebrews 9:12) aspect of Jesus Christ giving up His life, and shedding His blood as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. Drawing from the Suffering Servant prophecy from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, Pastor Troy Billow explains the history, the theology, the importance, and significance of the blood of Jesus Christ, and why that element is the most powerful and important thing in the universe in reconciling us with God through Jesus Christ.
People are like children sitting in the marketplace, playing. They are self-absorbed, uninterested in things that are important, and don't know what they want. That said, you can't make them happy. When John the Baptist was delivering a message of repentance with urgency and clarity, people accused him of "having a demon". Yet Jesus said of John the Baptist that "there is no one born of a woman who is greater than John". However, today, God equips us not only to be transcendent of people who live like children, but He offered us a way to go beyond the greatness of John the Baptist. By trusting in God's wisdom, trusting in His Word, applying the truth of His Word, and delighting in it, you can have a changed life and a spirit that builds bridges. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God work hand in hand to make Kingdom Leadership a powerful and effective force both for you and your life as well as the lives of those around us.
Sometimes Kingdom Leaders struggle with doubts. John the Baptist asked Jesus if he was THEE ONE, or if there was someone else (Luke 7:20). Despite that, Jesus held John the Baptist in the highest esteem as a Kingdom Leader. Jesus used John as an example of who God is looking for to be leaders in His Kingdom. The interesting thing about this is that John didn't LOOK the part. He looked like a "wild man", wearing a burlap sack for clothing, eating locusts and wild honey for food, and as such, didn't look like a real sophisticated man, much less a spiritual leader. However, John was solid in his foundation, not tossed around like the wind. He was persistent and consistent in his call to repentance. He was alone with God and getting strengthened significantly by that. He was not a compromiser to the Word of God, but a vessel to reinforce the importance of repentance. These qualities are what pleased God. In the same way that the disciples and John the Baptist were chosen, YOU are chosen as a Kingdom person/ Leader. The question is; do you feel that way?
Christian leadership is not something that you look for. It's something that you are CALLED for. Sometimes you are CHOSEN whether you like it or not, and as God prepares you to lead in some area, it comes to you and at that point and beyond, you follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist was such a man. He exhorted repentance and felt a sense of urgency in proclaiming the arrival of the prophesied Messiah, whom he did encounter in the midst of his preaching. Jesus came to the water to be baptized by him. The Pharisees and the Sadducees hated John the Baptist. What came out of John the Baptist was a genuine call to the heart, not disconnected religiosity. John the Baptist's message even reached and confronted Herod Antipas (the son of Herod the Great). Leadership like this comes at a great cost, and can even lead to death. So, how does God reward those who take on such a great responsibility with such eternal consequences. Find out this and much more as Pastor Troy Billow explains.
If there is one attribute that is most important for the people of God to have, it is LOVE. Why? Because it reveals your heart, cuts through hardened hearts, and has a positively effective impact on people's lives. This is what Jesus Christ does with those who truly experience it. To long for someone with the affection of Christ Jesus is something special. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow does more than just speak of God's love as a concept. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow will explain love as a POWER that radiates joy, increases insight, and supplies you with depth and dimension to enable you to share that love with others, and expand that power, and cause people to seek God to experience this power for themselves, and spread it abroad.
Jesus travels to a town called Nain, where he witnesses a funeral procession taking place for young man, who was the only son of a widow. Moved with deep compassion for the widow, Jesus approached her, told her not to weep. approached the coffin, and commanded the young man to rise. The man sat up, began to speak, and was presented to his mother. Jesus raising someone from the dead got significant attention and instilled, with shock and awe, to those watching, that God had really come to help His people. Jesus' radical act of love and compassion in this case, not only pointed the crowd in this instance that God loves them, but if there is any doubt in regards to how much God loves you, all you have to do is look at the cross, respond to the call that it conveys, and experience that love on a number of levels and plains.