Revival is an Atmosphere

Acts 2:1-4


2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord[a] in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Revival is an atmosphere. God responds to our faith and our anticipation...the Lord loves when we are awaiting His presence! The Lord will gladly pour out His spirit upon those who long for His appearing. Our church in Pasadena TX has longed for the Lord to breathe on us! Our prayers, our praise, our labors have all pointed to our desperation to be in the presence of God...it's no accident that the Lord is breathing upon us in this manner!

I am so grateful and humble that God would move in our church the way is lately. We've reached record numbers for our services without visiting churches...96 in attendance this morning! We've entered into revival services with Evangelist Dave Eccles, but truthfully, the church was in revival Long before he got there! So far, there have been over 10 people who have given their lives to the Lord...I can hardly wait to see what God will do for us this week! Please pray for us as we labor in His will and believe for Breakthrough!!

God bless

Hold My Hand

Heb. 11: 8 - 'By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.'

In the infallible words of Oswald Chambers:

‘faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of Faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us "go." The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success.’

Can this also be said of you? Are you more concerned about how your life will turn out versus a concentrated focus on the One leading you? This is a struggle for many Christians, especially those who are overly sensitive to potential dangers and uncertainties that come with 'Risk-taking.'  What's amazing to me is when we were sinners, we risked our lives with drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, and rebellion...now that we're in God's kingdom, our approach is with caution and self - preservation.

Can we have confidence and faith like Abraham? He simply listened to the voice of God and acted...you never read of Abraham asking God probing questions because he wasn't sure about what God was doing. He simply obeyed. The question isn't where are you going, it should be, 'Who are you going to be Christ?' and, 'Will you allow God to change you and lead you?'

Whom will You Receive?

John 5: 43 - 'I have come in My Father's name and you do not receive me; but if another comes in his own name, him you will receive'

Well, I just returned from South Africa (Capetown/Mitchell's Plain to be precise), and it was an experience I'll never forget. The people there were so grateful that I would come and bless them, but honestly, they blessed me! A special shout out to Pastor/Missionary Hector Ortiz and the Ortiz family - he really blessed my life and taught me a lot about the foreign field and how to deal with people in general.

I can't wait to implement things that I've learned in the short time that I was there. On my last day in South Africa, I had the privilege with leading someone to Christ! His name is Lucas...(that's his translated name). He was smoking cigarettes when Pastor Ortiz and I happened upon him; after we prayed for him to accept Christ, he walked us all the way back through the mall where he was working, brought out the young man whom he had borrowed the cigarettes from and told him, 'I don't need these anymore!' He then paid the young man for the cigarettes he smoked!

My heart truly goes out to the people of South Africa...I also realize that they're not too much different than people here in America. We need Jesus just as bad as anyone else does.  Now, the reason why I chose that scripture in John to start this blog is, I had to ask myself a question: which One will I choose? Will I choose the Lord who did not come to heap glory upon Himself, but to glorify His Father; or will  I receive the one who comes in his own name?  Ask yourself this question, are you satisfied where you are in Christ?

Can and / or could you sacrifice a bit more? What if your life depended on it?  Can I tell you that it does...it's time to reevaluate your motives and purposes of serving the Living God.

Ode to Excellence

1st Cor. 15: 58 - 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord'

Ever been on a diet? What is a diet? In essence, a diet is simply the restriction of food portions in order to lose weight. You hear things like 'Fad diets' - for the most part, diets rarely bring success that people are looking for.  There is a main reason for this, IT'S A DIET - NOT A LIFESTYLE...

Your frustration comes because you are seeking long-term results using a short-term method. You cannot go on a diet, shed pounds, and expect to keep it off by going back to your old ways...this truth cannot escape the Kingdom of God!

You cannot serve God like you're on a diet! If your lifestyle choices do not change, you'll never 'shed' the weight!  Unfortunately, there are a lot of backsliders out there who came into the Kingdom with a diet mentality.  Think with me for a moment...

You've spent years becoming an idiot, and now you expect God to come in and transform your character and personality overnight...this simply isn't true. While forgiveness of sin is instantaneous...transformation is NOT. This is the difference between Justification and Sanctification...in other words, I'm not saved...I'M BEING SAVED!  Salvation isn't an Event, it's my entire saved life!!

Ps. 47: 4 - 'He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah'

In reference to Excellence...it's not what you do - it's how many times you do it! Being consistent is at the center of excellence...in other words - you can't simply perform an excellent deed once, and expect people to respect and label you an excellent person...there must be a proven track record...this takes time!

Luke 2: 36 - 38 speaks of Anna, being in the temple for 84 years...this is a picture of excellence because of the consistency and longevity in her spiritual decisions for God. What is to be said about you? Have you gone into the Kingdom with a diet mentality, only to be frustrated because the results weren't as fast as you'd hoped...so you quit!?!

Matt. 24: 13 - 'Those who endure to the end, the same shall be saved'

God is challenging you and I to be excellent...this takes prayer, faith, and persistence in the Holy Spirit!

The Merry Christmas of Provision

Matthew 2:10-15
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.

It's amazing how God can open doors because of our liberality. We read here the first account of an offering set aside for Jesus...as a result, we see some amazing things happen in both Joseph's family and the Magi.

First of all, giving is an act of worship. When we give, this should be the mental picture...it's as if we are in the very presence of God...we fall down and worship (humility), then we bless our Lord with gifts from our treasures...not spare change, but treasures...this speaks of something saved up; premeditated if you will...something of value...

David told Araunah that he will never give to God whatever costs him nothing... - 2nd Sam. 24: 24

What's amazing about the account is, their giving set in motion the fulfillment of prophecy and the salvation of both parties! I believe because of their liberality, God was able to speak to them in order to avoid Herod! - Prov. 18: 16, 'A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.'

Secondly, what they gave became provision for Joseph and Mary to flee to Egypt!!

2 Corinthians 8:1-5
New King James Version (NKJV)
Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive[a] the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

So, not only did their gift make a way for them, it put in motion prophetic results and saved the Messiah...

We know that our giving can make a way for us, but could it possibly unlock the doors to prophetic impact? Through your giving, is it possible to intercept the will of God and make a powerful impact on the earth? You'll know for sure when you give!!

It's Our Turn

Genesis 37:1-11

Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Jacob gave his son a coat of many colors. Tunics in the bible many times were symbols of authority...but this was no ordinary coat...it many colors on it; this symbolizes the nations and tongues of the world...we are a planet of many colors.

Understand that Joseph was called by God to be a Deliverer. There are only a handful of these people in the bible.  What I love about this passage is, right after he got the coat...he began to have dreams. Listen, when God places the burden of the nations on you...He'll give you a vision for it!

So, where is the coat that God gave you? Is it hanging in the closet of your religious heart? What about the visions that God gave you? You cannot afford to dismiss them, or He will simply pick someone else. The similarities between Joseph and Jesus are quite astounding.

Just about everything that Joseph went through, Jesus did!  He was rejected by His own people...He was cast down...punished for who He was, not what He did. Through the life of Jesus, generations are saved...same is true for Joseph.

This is all nice, but where the point hits home is, that coat has been passed down to you and I...what are we going to do about it? God gave us authority so we can embrace the responsibility before us. He commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples. He also put a vision in our hearts that He longs for us to pursue.

- Pastor Melrose

The Five Go's of Surrender

Mark 10: 17 - 22, 'Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, asking, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' So Jesus answered, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." You know the commandments:  'Don not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, nor bear false witness; do not defraud - honor your father and your mother.' The young man replied, 'Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.'  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him saying, One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have, give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; take up your cross, and follow Me.'  But the young man was sorrowful at this word and went away, because he had great possessions.'

This scripture always fascinated me because you have a young man asking what we all want to get a straight answer from God about...'How do I inherit eternal life?'  Jesus told him that he lacked 1 thing, but he told him to do 5 things!!  If you study this portion out, it's quite interesting what the young man was trying to accomplish versus the answer he received from Jesus.

Jesus realized the true heart of this man and wanted to give him specific instructions on what he must do in order to have eternal life...

First, He told him to go his way...he has kept the Commandments since his youth; Jesus told him to stay on course, (Go your way)
Secondly, He told him to sell what he had...now, the larger truth had to do with his wealthy status in life, so how would that apply to you and me? Simple...when you sell everything you have, you're telling God that you are willing to part with materials closest to your heart in order to fulfill God's will...you are also willing to sell out for Jesus!
Thirdly, He told this man to give to the poor...the poor are more than folks without money, there are those who are poor in spirit and could use a lift every now and then. God has given you and I revelation and a word from heaven to bless others with.
Fourth, He told him to take up his cross - Fifth, He told him to follow Jesus...not anyone else, follow Him!!
These things He has also extended to you and I and He's challenged us to walk in these things as well.  So the question is, 'Will you Go?' Will you totally submit yourself to Jesus Christ?  Are you willing to do what He commanded the young ruler to do?  Think about it.

- Pastor Melrose