There is a reason why God wants your heart. There is also something built within every human being that needs God, though they may fill that need with something else. Sin created a barrier between these two dynamics, however Jesus Christ was sent on a rescue mission to eliminate this boundary and bring you into relationship with God. In this message, Living Faith's own Gust Speaker John Beechy brings a message on a life that is transformed when you take the opportunity to receive Christ and have a relationship with Him. This, along with trusting Him, and depending on His promises begins a life that will become transformed the more you depend on Him. Like a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, the metamorphosis of a person being spiritually awakened yields fruit that not only remakes a person, but also allows them to be salt and light in a dark world, and add "taste" to it.
This message asks a fundamental question; "are you walking in faith like an unassuming child?" In this passage, we see a situation unfold, in which two disciples, James and John, are arguing about which of them would be the greatest. Both James and John were zealous to serve, but in the process, a spirit of pride started to develop and foment, causing division. Jesus, knowing their thoughts and intentions, took a little child, had him stand beside Him, and told them that, โWhoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.โ While in this moment James and John were looking ahead to a position of prestige, with personal pride at the center. Jesus is looking for a heartfelt willingness to serve, with humility at the center.
Days after Jesus led His disciples into preaching the Kingdom of God, He took Peter, John, and James into the mountain to pray. Jesus made prayer a top priority (Acts 2:42) as it builds unity and attracts the attention of God (Matthew 18:20). As Jesus prayed, His countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistening. While this was occurring, two men, Moses (the giver of the Law), and Elijah (the most important/key prophet), the most prolific men in Judaism, were talking to Jesus, and in the midst of this conversation, the voice of God the Father broke through in the presence of the three disciples and told them, โThis is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.โ This sets in motion a number of dynamics, which in this message, are addressed by Pastor Troy Billow. This encounter also gives another dimension to what Paul talked about in Romans 3:19 where he mentioned that the Law and the prophets TESTIFY to the reality and purpose of Jesus Christ.
What exactly does it mean to "carry your cross"? Throughout Jesus's ministry and in the midst of his most profound miracles, Jesus challenged people to deny themselves. Jesus today challenges people to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Him. Why does Jesus ask such a thing and what does that mean for you? It is the active ingredient of discipleship. In I Peter 4:1, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, calls everyone to ARM YOURSELF with this attitude, which carries the ambition of "I am done with sin". Another way to look at it is; I am going to live my life like i am not ashamed of Him. Jesus gives motivation for people to apply this attitude so that when He returns in glory and majesty, you will be confident, happy and looking forward to this event, not sad, lacking in confidence, and ashamed.
Jesus asks a question at a key time. He asks, "who do the crowds say I am?" Jesus is fishing for perspective on the consensus of the people witnessing the things that He is saying and the things that He is doing. Then, Jesus asks His disciples on an individual plane, "Who do you say I am?" This is testament to who has access to the Kingdom of Heaven. You are a "door opener" to the Kingdom because, if you believe in Him, you have the keys to the Kingdom of God. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow brings the substantiated weight behind this question, because, after all, your place in eternity, and your role in bringing people into the Kingdom of God rests on how you answer the question, "Who is Jesus to you?'" as it will reflect whether you are answering it driven by the Spirit of God, or if you answering it based on a flawed human perspective that makes Jesus distant from your heart. This message drives home the seriousness behind how you respond to this question and why.
In this message, Pastor Troy Billow not only explains the account of Jesus's miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, but explains how Jesus taught His disciples a valuable set of lessons before He made them leaders. In this situation, Jesus healed sick people and was drawing a crowd. The disciples tried to put the kibosh on the attraction Jesus was making in the interest of getting some food and going to sleep. They told Jesus that if he continues on much longer then they will have to feed the crowd. So Jesus told the disciples to get them something to eat. With only five loaves and two fish, they exerted the impossibility of such a task. So, Jesus instructed the disciples to divide people up into groups of 50, thanked God for the food, and distributed it to the 5000 people. Jesus is having the disciples participate in what He is doing so that by Him doing what seems impossible, and having the disciples engage in what seems impossible, YOU can do what seems impossible through Him. You cannot rely on you. You have to rely on the power of God, the Holy Spirit, and for God Himself to actually step in. You have to spend time with Jesus (to rejuvenate and revive), and come to the realization that you NEED Him to take care of the matters that you cannot. Faith attracts God's attention and it is in these "curve ball" circumstances that God lays out an example for you to follow, so that He can step in and take care of what appears to be an impossible situation.
What happens when faith gets radical? In this message, Jesus gives His disciples the authority to drive out demons and cure diseases, but He adds this stipulation; take nothing with you and keep moving forward. The Gospel is not complicated. Jesus just wants us to trust Him, follow Him, and believe in Him. Jesus tells His disciples to take nothing for the journey because HE will provide for them, and if He provided for them in their day, He most certainly will provide for YOU today, as faith is what attracts and enables God to act and take care of you. Jesus wants you to keep moving forward, stay focused, and stay faithful until the situations and missions He sends you are complete. If people don't like it, keep moving. If people don't listen, stay faithful. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow explains how moving forward in faithfulness is the center of Kingdom Focus, and HOW Jesus taught us to accomplish this.
When a man named Jainus, the leader of a synagogue, experienced the death of his young daughter, He knew that Jesus could do something about it. He heard about what Jesus could do, and in that, pursued Jesus to attend to his situation. This is significant for a number of reasons. Jarius was the leader of a synagogue in Capernium. He was educated, admired, prestigious, had nice things, and wore nice clothes. He was not a man in wanting, until this situation came up. Jesus came into the house of the synagogue leader, and commanded the child to get up. Her spirit returned to her, and she got up. Believing in and having faith in Jesus is the ONLY things we can bring to the table that gets the Lord's attention. It is the only things of us that He is looking for. These accounts are recorded to PROVE the power of Jesus, and yet another example as to how believing in who Jesus is is what leads you into eternal life.
Whenever we read scripture, we need to ask ourselves, "what is this about?" and "what is this about for me?" The examples written in the Word of Jesus Christ are used to prove who Jesus Christ is. In this instance, Jesus and His disciples are trying to work their way through a crowd, and a woman who has been bleeding for some time sees Jesus. Compelled that she will be healed if she encounters Him, she works her way through the crowd and touches the edge of Jesus's cloak. It is in this moment, Jesus feels His power being pulled from Her. It is in this moment, Jesus reveals a powerful lesson about having faith in Him. In another instance, a young girl dies and her father begs Jesus to see her. He does, and He raises her from the dead. Do you know that when you need Him, Jesus can do something? These people were DESPERATE and desperately sought Jesus. Do you have the faith of a desperate person? Moments of desperation leads to real faith on one end and power radiating from Christ on the other. As Pastor Troy Billow explains in this message, the most important thing Jesus wants from you is your faith. The question is; are we like these people in these passages?
As a follow-up to the previous message "Kingdoms in Conflict", where Jesus drove a legion of demons out of a demon-possessed man, we see what happens next. When Jesus drove the demons out from the man, he was healed and put in his right mind. This dynamic is very prevalent today in a variety of ways; no matter how messed up you are , Jesus will straighten you out and place you in your right mind. Jesus helps His people stay in their right mind, because He is interested in HEALING you, not leaving you where you are, in your mess, though it is a battle, a Kingdom Battle where your mind is the battlefield. When you are delivered, stay with Jesus, and live a life worth your calling. In this message Pastor Troy explains how those who have been delivered from bondage/evil spirits/ end up being the MOST DEVOTED followers of Christ, because of what He has done for them. And when He does this, tell other people what He has done for you, as He did the demon-possessed man, to show that there is an encouraging message of hope that can be made out of a mess of despair.