Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Outside Looking In

Carole spent her entire adult life leaning over the fence around the inner circle, but no one ever opened the gate.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Breakout: Overcoming Adversity

Crossing the Red Sea as metaphor for Breakthrough.

For a breakthrough look at the heart of the situation.  Breakthrough is more about the condition of the heart than it is the conditions of life or the situation we are in.  It is about a lifestyle that lives a life of breakthrough where one sees himself as a child of God.

If you breakthrough in the spiritual realm nothing can hold you captive.

In Exodus chapter fourteen we see that Israel has left Egypt with boldness, with celebration, in fact.  But it takes them forty years to reach their destination

Sometimes God will take you the long way just to teach you something.
He wants you to face adversity.  It makes you stronger.

When the people started to complain God directed them to be still, move on.  Stop whining and start walking.  Once God makes his way known, Go.  Walk in it.  The Red Sea represented the moment of breakthrough for Israel.  "Stop crying out and move on."  Even as Israel had Egypt, your breakthrough has a name.

"The breakthrough happens not when God takes you out of Egypt, but when God takes Egypt out of you."  (The people were whining at Moses, "You have taken us into the wilderness to die.  We could have stayed in Egypt.")

"God breaks the chains and removes the inclination to go back to them."  We are sanctified to freedom, freedom to worship.

"It is no longer about leaving Egypt but about finding the Promised Land."

The breakthrough is not only a change in motivation, but it is also a time of cleansing.  The filth is not in the mouth but in the heart.  (Illustration of a mother washing the child's mouth with soap.)
In most cases the heart is the problem.

"Rather than praying about the situation, pray about the condition of your heart."

A breakthrough is an experience of victory.

"The habit of persistence yields the reward of victory."  God does something in your heart that gives you victory over situations.

What does God want to teach you?  After the crisis it took forty years of desert to complete the job.

The "Red Sea Experience" beyond which I am never turning back.

  God said, "Let them be free so they will truly worship me."

Our worship is freedom.  We cannot know true worship outside freedom.  God will bring you out of bondage so that you will be free to worship.  God wants to turn the reason for our prayers into the reason for our worship.

Pastor Johnnie Blair
Sunday morning

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Breakthrough: Overcoming Adversity

 Prayer:  "Though we face adversity, You are on our side."

"Look for a promise and stand on that promise."

"Just because you have failed before does not mean you should give up."

When Moses verbalized "Let my people go," the Pharaoh upped the ante, made going more difficult.  It got so bad, in fact, that the people asked Moses to back off.

 "It gets worse before it gets better."

The moment we acknowledge that we want to be free, the real test begins.  "The enemy of your soul does not want you to have a breakthrough; as long as you are in bondage he feels like he is winning."

"There is a spiritual battle raging for your soul right now."

There is a sense in which things get harder, but God is working for you!
Isaiah 48:  I have tried you in the furnace

Psalm 126:5  Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

When moving toward a breakthrough, expect the greatest adversity just before the breakthrough.

"You will face opposition according to the measure of faith that you need."

You will not be tempted beyond your ability.  You may have to make a willful decision to stop [the behavior].

No temptation will come over you that you are not able to resist. This is a promise of God. (I Corinthians 10:13)

Your level of obedience must be tested.  Also your level of patience will be tested.   You think God has not showed up?  God is always on time.  He does not go by your clock.

Waiting is not fun.  In the testing is the growth of your character.  Wait with joy because God will come through.

Your level of commitment will be tested.  When Moses went into the Mount the people in his absence made unto themselves an image to worship.  Succumbing to the temptation to give up they failed in both the test of patience and the test of commitment.

In Matthew 15 we find an account of a Canaanite woman coming to Jesus for help.  He first ignored her, then he excluded her, followed by an insult to her.  It may seem that Jesus was mean, but he acted with purpose.  The woman's faith exceeded the snubs and insults.  Now that is commitment!

Do not give up too easily.

Hold on to Jesus; he will come through.  Be relentless in your faith.

Adversity comes not to make you stronger but to drive you to believe in and rely on God's strength.  Without adversity we would too much rely on ourselves.

The breakthrough comes not because of your strength but because of who God is!

God's word: Stand back and watch me work.

It always gets loudest right before a victory.
Pastor Johnnie Blair
Sunday morning

Congratulations to Pastor Amanda Blair on her ordination at the District Ordination Service last week.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Pretenders seem to spew out unfiltered and unthought.whatever pops into their heads and hoi polloi eat it up.

What is the matter with us?

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Breakout: Believe We Can

Last week many shared the areas in their lives where they need a breakthrough.  These were generally in the areas of 1) relationships 2) finances 3) career 4) addiction 5) hidden sin 6) thought life 7) depression, and 8) anger.  

None of these areas was represented only once.

I am not alone.  There are people who understand my heavy burden, for they carry it as well.

I know I need a breakthrough, but is it possible?

In Exodus chapter three we read the account of Moses hearing the voice from the burning bush and his encounter with God.  God told Moses, I am setting you apart.

Our skepticism of the future may be an outgrowth of disappointment in the past.
     Have we run into a wall?  The past tells us we are failures in this area in which we need a breakthrough.  What to do?  We could give up, "that's just the way it is going to be."

This is a trust issue, a faith issue.  For a breakthrough we must remove self from the equation and rely on God.
      God gave Moses a sign.  But in a desert area it is easy to ignore a sign.  How many times have you walked by a sign?

God began to speak when Moses stopped to check it out.
     We are so busy in our lives that we don't hear what God has to say.  We are so busy that we don't know when God is showing up.  If you look you will see where God is pointing you in the right direction.

God is trying to give you a sign but you have to let Him.

If you are looking for a sign, God will always show up.

In our lesson we see that God gives Moses instructions, then he gives him a promise.
The breakthrough comes when you identify the promise.

Once Moses had the promise, he had courage.
When was the last time you felt God give you a promise?

The promises of people often fail, but when God gives a word, you have something to stand on!

"I can't give you three steps to getting a breakthrough, but I can show you where to find a promise."

When God gives a promise, it pits God against your problem.

Breakthrough always starts with a promise  PRAY THE PROMISES.
      If you want a promise go to the Word in prayer.  Get a promise.  It will change everything.

II Peter 3:9-- God is never late in fulfilling His promise.  When God gives you a word, you will know.

The word comes with power and authority.

1) Look for breakthrough,  then 2) look for the sign.  Where is God showing up?

GOD WANTS TO TAKE YOUR DOUBTS AND GIVE YOU A FAITH.

Pastor Johnnie Blair
Sunday morning

My promise from God to address my issue:  My grace is sufficient. --Bob

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Karma

Isn't that something?  He choked to death on a stale peanut in a Baby Ruth candy bar.  Died doing what he loved most-- eating something that wasn't good for him.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Need a Breakthrough?

Breakout: Going beyond yourself.

Doing nothing is not an option.
 Stop bouncing around in one little comfort zone and breakout.

[Pastor illustrated the dire consequences of complacency by relating the story of Atari and its role in the electronic gaming world.  Atari went from cutting edge to complacency and thence to disaster.]

Complacency is a dangerous problem, a type of imprisonment.  Before you realize what is happening you are stuck.

The scripture lesson:  Exodus 1:8-12 in which  a Pharaoh arose in Egypt who "knew not Joseph."  This king recognized the potential power of the Israelites so he oppressed them, enslaved them.  He knew that if the Israelites caught on to what they were capable of, the Egyptians would be in trouble.

Yet even under oppression the people continued to thrive.  They were a powerful, powerful people but they did not realize it.  They had no idea how powerful they were.  Sadly, the same might be said of the church today.

The Israelites forgot who they were.  The big problem with bondage was that they accepted it.
Bondage and slavery is not about a lack of strength: it is about a lack of truth.
     Jesus said,  Ye shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.

  • The congregation that is complacent, unmoved, let alone being changed, needs a wake-up; needs a breakout; needs to think outside the box. 
  • We have to do something radical to reach people for Jesus Christ.  The church cannot reach people using culturally outdated techniques.  The message must adapt to reach the culture.  We have to start thinking differently.
Individuals need a breakthrough: perhaps physical; perhaps habits that hurt; perhaps emotional; perhaps depression, for example if you allow it to affect relationships, even with God; perhaps financial: money will choke the life out of you, either worry for want of it, or worry for where it is and what it is doing. 

Maybe God wants to bless you in ways you cannot now comprehend.

We come to accept that things are not going to get better.
What is the kryptonite in your life?

Think:  Where do you need a breakthrough?

God hears, remembers, sees, knows every thing you are dealing with in your life.
He wants to deliver you out and bring you up.
Do not settle for less.
"God, I can't beat it, but I know You can!"


And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God knew their plight. --Exodus 2:24,25

Pastor Johnnie Blair
Sunday morning

Friday, September 4, 2015

Outrageous!

Headline:  Feminists outraged over Kermit's new younger slimmer pig friend

Where lack of intelligence abounds outrage much more abounds.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Shut off the TV

Pitchman on the tube starts with "Do you have a breathing condition?"

Why, yes; yes, I have.  I am addicted to it, in fact.  I do it often and regularly. perhaps as much as a thousand times an hour.