Fresh Words

Holy 3-10-11

2011-03-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

3-10-11

Holy

I feel like we have made the word "Holy" so casual, that it has robbed the power and sacredness of the word. Everything we say nowadays is holy this holy that, usually in a derogatory sense. Let's break down what exactly Holy is.

Isa 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Holy- Heb. qâdôsh qâdôsh, kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe'- sacred.

Holy-Grk. Hagios, hag'-ee-os,- sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated)

Basically saying that "Holy" means "sacred". I like the term sacred because its not so commonly used in our lingual and I believe still holds the punch it deserves. Now what about the opposite side of the spectrum.

Blaphemy- Grk.blasphēmeō, blas-fay-meh'-o- defame, to revile, to speak evil of. Cursing God. Irreverent behavior held toward anything sacred (holy).

So Gods name is Holy, for He is holy. He is sacred. And blasphemy is speaking evil of what is Holy, or cursing His name which is Holy. If you curse His name you curse what He stands for and what that name represents. If someone were to curse the United States flag they wouldn't necessarily be cursing the flag itself. Not like the material is so terrible that it has to be cursed, rather they are cursing what that flag represents. Everything the United States of America flag means. FREEDOM! So many other incredible qualities that the American flag stands for. That's what they would be cursing.

If Holy represents what God is, who are we to affiliate that term with anything other than what should rightfully be affiliated with God?! I don’t think that God wants to associate His name, which is Holy with poop. Or anything else that defiles His name.

Luk 1:49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

My aim isn’t so much to reprimand some of us for saying Holy with other words that blaspheme the God you know and love, as it is to talk about what Holiness is! Though I do believe that some of us really need to change the way we speak. Certainly taking Holy out of our vocabulary if we're not going to use the term properly. It had to stop in my life a long time ago when God was cleaning up my speech, and it needs to stop in some of our lives now. Just tell the Lord, “God I’m sorry, I repent, I don’t want to say that anymore I know that it hurts you. Keep me right in Jesus name!”

When it comes to holiness I also want us to see that we are Holy! If you are So Saved right now, you are holy. His blood has made you holy. You would never ever ever have a chance in a million years to be holy, only God is holy, but through Him, because you are His, you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, you are holy now!

1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1Co 3:17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Whatever God touches becomes Holy. When He came to Moses at the burning bush what’d He tell him?

Exo 3:5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

So if God shows up and simply because He’s there, the ground literally becomes holy, or sacred, how much more is the dwelling place of God going to be holy? That’s you and me! We are the dwelling place of God, we are His temple now! He takes residence within us, ergo rendering us HOLY!

I remember a quote saying “Holy is more relative to God than the name God” God is Who He is, Holy is What He is. There are many Gods out there. But none fulfill the truth of what Holiness is, besides Yahweh.

We as Christians represent Christ most effectively by being Holy, as opposed to telling people that we believe in God. You live HOLY and that will be the greatest testimony to Who and What God is, compared to you standing up and only preaching Jesus. The goal is for both the walk and the talk to match up. That your Holy lifestyle will show people Jesus for that is what Holiness is. JESUS! That's when the walk matches the talk.

We are no longer under the law of the Old Covenant, however we are now walking under a law that was instituted by the life of Jesus Christ. So being Holy as we are supposed to is, allowing Him to transform your life more and more to look just like Jesus. There’s your faith in a nutshell. Jesus Wins, so be like Jesus. Be just like Him in every way. If your confused on what it means to be holy, just look at His life and model yours after His. Look so hard at Him that everything in you begins to reflect what your staring at! JESUS.

Paul puts it like this.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It's holy, acceptable to God.

Where do people get off thinking that they are excused from working on their lifestyle in relation to it being Holy like God. Just because there is grace for us when we make mistakes doesn’t mean that we get to abuse the grace and allow that to be our excuse from striving for Holiness. It’s a must.

GRACE IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN!

If we’re supposed to be like Jesus, than you better believe that means to be holy.

Clearly I'm not saying that if you ever make another mistake than your going to hell!!! What I'm saying is, don't let the mistakes become so expected that they become acceptable to you. We tend to think that these little sins are just going to happen so its acceptable. That's not the case! That cheapens the cross! There is no reason why we shouldn't be constantly changing our life every single day to strive to be more like Jesus. That's the goal until the day we die! To be just like Him!

Jesus is desiring a Holy Bride.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Eph 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Notice that He is presenting the Bride to Himself, So He’s the one that making her Holy. He’s making her exactly the way that He wants her, HOLY!

If all that doesn't clarify it enough for you, there is always this next verse.

1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY. (PERIOD!) There is no way around it, there is no way to chop it up and make it mean something that it doesn't mean, its very black and white! BE HOLY FOR HE IS HOLY!

God is Holy, He desires to be Viewed as Holy, Respected as Holy, Spoken to as Holy, Revered as Holy, Addressed as Holy, and above all He desires you to STRIVE to be just like Him, Holy!

I hope that this challenges you to change the way you speak, especially if you casually throw around the word Holy. Most definitely in a derogatory sense. Also i pray that it helps enlighten to you that you are Holy! You were always meant to be Holy! And Holiness is exactly the way He wants you. Don't ever let anything tell you otherwise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvi1WPcrG4k

Matt Gilman- Holy (chorus lyrics)

Only one word comes to mind
There’s only one word to describe

Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty

There is no one like You
You are holy, holy

http://lyricstranslate.com

Simple Devotions 2-1-11

2011-02-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias
2-1-11

Simple Devotions

“Maturity is not the occasional application of extraordinary things, rather it is the consistent application of elementary things.”- Damon Thompson

I’m coming to find more and more that the simple things of the Kingdom are the most powerful elements of the Kingdom when it becomes ingrained into my lifestyle.

I can find momentary moments of blissful glimpses of Heaven, or supernatural encounters on an occasional basis, but they all seem so frustrating in that they seem so random. What I’m learning is that the simple devotions in my daily routine are starting to create an even more dedicated disciplined lifestyle of diligence and hunger for God! This element to my lifestyle is therefore flinging wide open the doors of the supernatural in my life more than ever!

In basic terms, I noticed that the hunger would come and go when I wasn’t being devotional to God on a daily basis. There was an inconsistency. It was always after Jesus Culture, or after a big conference, or on a good night at youth when the songs were just right that I noticed my desire for God was at its peaks.
Now, regardless of where I am, what songs are playing, or who's preaching I’m pressing in to an intimacy with God that has heightened the level of my walk with the Lord that appears to be capsizing the up’s and down’s of my spiritual walk! WHY? BECAUSE THERE IS CONSISTENCY!

Its becoming a lifestyle! Think of this relationally. The best way I know how to incorporate an analogy.
Who am I to expect that my relationship with my wife is going to be anything amazing when we only meet on rare occasion. Yea I’ll see you in a couple days. I’ll read your love letter to me only…a couple minutes every couple days. I’ll talk to you only on Wednesdays and Sundays. But in my heart I’m still believing for this wonderful spectacular relationship with her, saturated in love, romantic, and having her all googly eyed over me.

Just like…who are we to believe that God is going to bestow this incredible healing anointing upon us, blast this place in Revival, take us to Heaven in visions and we only see Him on the occasional basis? We only read His love letter to us when we feel like it. Relationally, it just doesn't work.

God responds to us! He responds to the lifestyle that we live and how we position Him in our lives. I’m not saying that those things God doesn’t give freely because certainly He does, but there is a concept in the Kingdom where we do our part and God does His.

If a King is Ruler over His Kingdom, but there are some rebels in the Kingdom that don't see Him or place Him as their King, than to them He is not King. THOUGH THE FACT REMAINS, that He is King, just not over their lives because they have not positioned Him as King over their lives.
We have the same circumstances with our walk with God, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, no matter what! That's fact! But until we position Him as King over our lives, we will never see Him with any Ruler ship over us. We have to position Him correctly to relate to Him correctly. Again, we do our part and you'll see His part manifest much more tangibly.

Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We get to this place where we think that because we’re a Christian that God is just going to do everything we could ever want Him to do and we just get to sit back and enjoy the ride! Sometimes God does sovereignly take you on an incredibly journey and you never see it coming, but most of the time its in response to something that you are seeking. Your diligence.

Psa 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Who doesn’t He forsake? Those who seek Him?
Seek- dârash daw-rash'- usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication to seek or ask; specifically TO WORSHIP.

I would propose to you that whatever you are seeking, that is what you are worshiping.
Some of us are probably are seeking a lot of things other than God…and we wonder why we don’t see the things that those with disciplined devotional lives with God experience. All these awesome promises from God and yet we cannot find the breakthrough we are looking for?!

One key is….the consistent application of elementary things. The consistency in reading your Bible, the consistency in praying to God, The consistency of a worship dedicated life.
If I was seeking to find out who my wife really is, I wouldn’t just meet with her when I felt like or when the mood was there…I would CHASE AFTER HER! As often as I could, try to find out what makes her tick, whenever she was available, stay up late hours and talk on the phone, meet up at inconvenient places, which was a SACRIFICE!!! Because I wanted to get to know this person that I was falling in love with!

What are you willing to sacrifice…what are you willing to fit into your “busy schedule” so that you get to know this one that you should be falling in love with? Is it only Wednesdays and Sundays? If so, your sacrifice is minuscule.
ITS SO WORTH IT TO LAY EVERYTHING DOWN AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

How is it you have to seek God? Diligently! I would be lying if I said that I diligently sought after my wife when we were just getting to know each other and the whole time I was just sitting at home playing xbox and eating string cheese...I truly had to pursue her and wow, my reward will forever be great!

Jas 1:9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

Jas 1:10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.

Jas 1:11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

The idea is…whatever you are pursuing, make sure that it has some eternal value. The pursuites of life that only are beautiful during this life and have no eternal weight, will certainly fade away. Just like the flower of the field, the sunrise which will eventually set, they all fade away and their glory only lasts for a short time. Pursuing God and developing relationship with Him while here on earth, will last for eternity. Make sure that the things that take up the space in your mind and heart…is the things of the Kingdom. When the Kingdom does take up most of the space in your heart, than you will find that its pretty awesome to spend those times with the Lord in prayer, or reading the word and worshiping!
These disciplines will beget supernatural encounters!! I’ll tell you that right now!
If you want to heal the sick. Than learn how to develop these simple disciplines. If you want to learn to prophesy, read your Bible and pray. If you want to raise the dead, read your Bible and pray and worship daily.
The simple disciplines will open the door to an extraordinary venue where God enjoys showing off.

Unfading Glory 1-4-11

2011-01-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

1-4-11

Fresh Word

Unfading Glory

We are such an incredibly blessed people!

Really think about it. Whether or not we have the fancy cars and clothes, our salvation alone is the most valuable thing anyone could ever have! Not to mention that its free! On top of that blessing, we do have cars to drive, clothes to wear, friends and family to share our lives with. The blessings are endless! How awesome is our God! Still, the simple fact that our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life, and that we are a new Creation in Christ Jesus blows my mind!

Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! He is The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End! The Living Word, Sacred Redeemer, Blessed Messiah, Beloved Savior, the Holy One of Israel, The Hope of Glory, He is the Way, Truth and Life and nobody comes to the Father but by Him.

We have a reason to smile because He said that we would be the first and not

the last, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, the lender and not

the borrower, Blessed coming in and blessed going out!

Hallelujah!

I've always heard that the greatest miracle is when someone gets saved. I felt like I knew that, but I suppose I didn't really understand it. The experience of it, the full weightiness of the transformation when a broken lost person, comes into an encounter with a loving Father and precious Savior Jesus Christ, becomes “So Saved” that they lay down their old life, everything about it, the attitude, the mindset, the addictions, the music, the movies, the relationships and literally EVERYTHING begins to look more and more like Jesus! Its the most beautiful transformation ever! That is the greatest miracle!

I'm beginning to see more and more how once we experience salvation, we begin a journey of molding our lives to look Christ.

Eph 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

This is a life long journey. Whether your a new believer, or have been serving the Lord for over 50 years, we are constantly trying to look more like Jesus. He is the standard. He is the express image of God, He is the goal. He is what we press toward. Bits and pieces of our life begin to change and transform to becoming that of Christ.

Then because God is so good, He makes us aware that we don't have to do it alone, He gives us gifts, the body of believers (the family) His Holy Spirit to come along side to help. WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LOOK JUST LIKE JESUS. We haven't been shortchanged by God in any fashion. We are equipped with everything that He was equipped with, therefore we can expect to see the results of everything that He did.

I believe God is reminding us to focus on what is truly important. That's Him! The more we can look like Him, the more we can be effective here on the earth! Everything we desire can be satisfied in Him. If you want Revival then look like Jesus. If you want your family saved, then look like Jesus. If you want a great healing anointing, then look like Jesus. All those good things are summed up in the idea that Yahweh is the ultimate source of all good things!

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

He doesn't change, He's always been good, He will always be good! No matter what! That's an absolute.

So what I believe God is doing here today is a refocusing. You may have probably made new year resolutions this new years. I'm gonna lose weight, start working out again, quit doing this, stop doing that, read my Bible more...Those are all great, but what you really need to fulfill all of those things is simply HIM.

New Years Resolution 2011: I'm going to look more like Jesus. That's asking the right question. Setting the right goal, not that the other things are bad! But this is the fundamental basic of what we all need! We all should be striving to look just like Jesus.

Ask the Lord to give you grace to look more like Jesus this year. If you mean it, then take some time to pray it.

Knowing that we are New Creations in Christ and that we are in a New Covenant, its intriguing to fully understand what comes with this New Covenant. What is available to me? What are we capable of now? What are we still bound to? Though this is a topic that will never be fully exhausted because I feel like we are constantly learning new qualities of the nature of God that perhaps we never noticed before or have yet to be exposed to. One thing is for certain. The glory that we are experiencing in this New Covenant far exceeds anything that has ever been available before in the Old Covenant.

2Co 3:4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God.

2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

2Co 3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul is saying that it is through Christ that he is any measure of successful. Only

through Him. We are only sufficient when we are in right relationship with the

All Sufficient One. Only through the Spirit can we have true life.

Now Paul's about to make a comparison between the two covenants, the Old

Covenant which we find can only lead to death for it is impossible to fully follow

the law, and the new covenant which leads to life. Life in Christ for Christ came

to fulfill the law.

2Co 3:7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,

2Co 3:8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

2Co 3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

2Co 3:10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.

2Co 3:11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

This reference is to Moses coming off of Mt. Sinai after being with the Lord and

receiving the commandments of the Lord, his face was literally shining and

others were afraid to come near him for the glory of God was on Him. Moses

always has represented the law, in Jewish culture, rightfully so for he was the

one who God used to deliver the law.

Paul is saying that even if Moses had this glory on him, where his face was

literally shining from being in the presence and glory of God, how much more of

a glory is there for us today being in the New Covenant. If the ministry of

condemnation had glory! There will be such a far more exceeding glory on the

ministry of righteousness. (New Testament)

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ far exceeds the sacrifices of animals necessary to

the law. He is the ultimate sacrifice above anything else.

Bear in mind, its Jesus that we are seeking to look just like. Its Him we are

striving to conform our lives too. In Him, we receive everything.

2Co 3:12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—

2Co 3:13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.

2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.

You see the glory that Moses had was a fading glory. I always thought that

Moses wore the veil on his face because the children of Israel couldn't bear to

look at his face, but it wasn't only because they couldn't stand the radiance of

his shining face but also because Moses was hiding the fading glory of God that

was on him. This is a type or symbolic of what Moses represented, the law!

Remember Moses represents the law and just like the glory of the Moses' face

was fading away, so the glory of the law will one day fade away. That day came

when Christ entered the picture. That veil was taken away in Christ! (vs. 14)

2Co 3:15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Still today especially in Jewish culture that veil is still there where they can't see

who Jesus is. However, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We have freedom in Christ! In The Spirit of Christ, the Lord there is liberty!

Freedom!

Now we have unveiled faces, for we are in Christ and the veil has been taken

away, its as if we are looking into a mirror seeing Christ when we see ourselves,

beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, (JESUS) we're being transformed

into that same image! Into Jesus, FROM GLORY TO GLORY! Not a fading glory

like Moses had, but going from GLORY TO GLORY, as from the Spirit of the Lord!

We have no fading glory! We move from glory to glory to glory to glory to glory

for Jesus is glorious!!

This is it! This is the 2011 Resolution! That when you look into that mirror you

behold the glory of the Lord! You see Christ Jesus! You look just like Him! That

you would become that express image of Jesus! Our aim is to look like Him! Not

to encounter His glory and not let it change us, rather to be like Him more so

because of the experience! To look just like Him!

If you have an encounter with God you'd better let it change you! Otherwise

what good is it?! Its a glory meant to linger on you, transform that image in the

mirror to be more just like Christ. If the Lord speaks to you in a dream and its

glorious, its got to change you that following day! If someone has a prophetic

word for you and it rocks your world, it had better change you! If you fall down

in a prayer line, its wonderful but when you get up off that ground you gotta be

changed! Its about the transformation! Looking just like Jesus!

I'm learning more and more that its not so much what happens in the prayer

closet, at the altar, or while your dreaming. Rather how you allow that

encounter to transform your life is what its all about! That's such an important

aspect to the Christian walk. Not what happened, but how that experience

changed your life.

Father fill us all up with dramatic encounters that lead us into transformation!

We don't just want to see things for the sake of seeing them, but rather to

experience awesome times with You that we may live a transformed life. Help

to really change whenever we hear from You. Give us all GRACE to be just like

Jesus this whole next year in 2011!

We love You Sir with all of our hearts.

In Jesus Name We Pray.

Amen

Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~

Sugarcoated Gospel 12-3-10

2010-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

12-3-10

Sugarcoated Gospel

If we don't make the decision to take seriously the word of God and what He has commanded us to do, we will never go much further than what we see right here. This will be it. There are many many black and white points in the Bible that we all claim to believe yet cannot get ourselves to abide by. This is dangerous because it leaves us at a place where we think we're ok, when truthfully we're not.

The people that we love really need to hear the raw truth of the Gospel and not have it sugarcoated to make it seem like it says what we all want it to say. Some of us don't want to change certain things, so we abuse grace and mercy to make us feel better about our blatant sins.

Lets make sure we understand one concept that's vital for us to know as believers. Its the fact that when we ask Christ into our life, we literally become a son and daughter of the King and therefore are receive an inheritance. We literally become heirs to the throne.

Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

Gal 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

LITERALLY AN INHERITOR OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GODS BECOMES YOURS WHEN YOU BECOME A SON! You are grafted into the family! Everything then belongs to you! You become worthy of an inheritance.

Keep that in mind.

Now read this knowing that you have an inheritance in Christ when you are in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Gal 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Gal 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident (shining, manifest), which are;

adultery,-Jesus said that if you even look at a woman to lust after her, than you Fornication,-Sexual relations with someone other than your spouse.

uncleanness,-Impurity, physically or morally.

Lewdness,-To be sexually unrestrained, vulgar, vile, wickedness.

Gal 5:20 idolatry,-Worship to a heathen God. In essence worship directed towards anything other than Yahweh.

Sorcery,-Witchcraft.

Hatred,-Hostility, to hate.

Contentions,-A struggling together in opposition, strife, fighting.

Jealousies,-To be hot, to boil, to glow, to be jealous, envy.

outbursts of wrath,-passion, to blow smoke, indignation, strong stern fierce anger.

selfish ambitions (strife),-to stimulate to anger, or provoke to anger.

Dissensions,-Disunion,division, strong disagreements.

Heresies,-A belief or doctrine contrary to the accepted doctrine of a faith.

Gal 5:21 envy,-Ill will, jealousy, spite.

Murders,- The killing of another human being.

Drunkenness,-Being intoxicated, Getting Drunk.

Revelries,- To lie or stretch the truth, also rioting.

and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

There is a whole list that I'm sure a bunch of us, fit into some of these issues or perhaps more than one. Its funny to find drunkenness right next to murders. They are in the same category! We think that if we don't murder we're good, cause only the really bad people do that, but we don't think twice sometimes about getting drunk. Or being jealous so that it fuels our anger, our hatred, causing dissension, or having sex outside of marriage.

SOMEONE HAS TO TELL YOU THAT, IF YOU CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THESE THINGS YOU ARE SOOOO WRONG AND YOUR SOUL IS LITERALLY NOT OK.

This is pretty black and white. Those who practice such things will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. You cannot continually practice these things and think that you are fine?! DECEIVED IS WHAT YOU ARE! I know its pretty tough to hear these words, but the truth, somebody had to tell me, and somebody has to tell you...the truth.

We tend to get ourselves in a place of justifying our sin. If you've been a Christian any length of time, you'll know what I'm saying when I say we justify our sin. Make it seem like its not as bad we others, or not as bad as we've been in the past so therefore its not so bad.

DON'T JUSTIFY YOUR SIN! GET RID OF IT! Every little thing. Get rid of it. You know that it wasn't that long ago, that if somebody found out that you were messing around with another boy or girl sexually, that they would literally treat you different. You were like an outcast. That was a huge no go! People would see you so differently. Now I'm not saying that the way they necessarily see you is correct, but there was this standard of holiness that they were shooting for and when people fell short of it, that was a big deal because holiness was so vital!

1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Blam! Right there, no way around it! We're going to make mistakes and God knows that, that's why His mercy endures forever, and He is so incredibly gracious! But we have to be striving for holiness! Striving to be like him, not playing this game that makes us thing that we are OK with God cause we come to church on Wednesday or Sunday, nothing changes throughout the week and we have a tragic accident and slip away into eternity in the flames of hell! It happens all the time. The high school in Poway has literally several students that have died way before their time. Way before they ever thought that their lives would end so suddenly.

It doesn't always work out the way we plan. So many people plan to mess around during high school, have a wild college, than settle down when their in their 30's and do the whole God thing and get married...it doesn't always end out that way. Don't take the chance.

I hope this strikes some fear in your heart to want to be right before God.

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

It should be a dramatic benefit that we have other Christian, Godly people in this house to help each other out! We need this! But what good is it, if your Christian friends will only give you the same advice as your worldly friends? When your friends are struggling in here, we should be pointing them to God first and foremost! Above anything else! Let me just tell you from experience, when you invite God into the situation, He takes care of so much more than you could on your own.

Sometimes we don't need a shoulder to cry on because our boyfriend broke up with us, we need a slap in the face that tells us to get our act together and stop dating around with dumb guys that are gonna just try to have sex with you. Not saying that that's how we should deal with everybody every time, but you know what, it would do us more good sometimes to get smacked up and told right to our faces that we are wrong, or deceived than to be babied and patted on the back being told that everything’s gonna be ok.

If your thinking that right now that this is the worst blog you've ever read and who am I to talk to you like this, its probably cause your the one who's struggling with these things, and that's the rebellion within you rising up that needs to be cast out and replaced with the Holy Spirit. Someones gotta say it...I can do it as well as the next guy. The people who get upset with a message like this are the people who really need to hear it. Need to go ahead and get mad that someone is telling you, your wrong and messed up and need to change, than go home all upset and let this sink into your heart. Just maybe you'll start to question yourself and wonder, what if he's right...what if I think I'm ok with God, but I'm on the fast track to eternity with out Christ. Then you'll be coming back thanking God that someone had the gull to stand up here in front of you and tell you to get your act together.

Mat 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!(worthless)' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool(dull, stupid)!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

Mat 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Mat 5:25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

Mat 5:26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

Mat 5:27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.'

Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Mat 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Jesus takes it to the extremes in this packages. It doesn't seem like he's playing a game, obviously He doesn't mean what He's saying here literally...but in a sense there is a very firm command here. Why do we take it so lightly. Don't make the mistake of taking it lightly any longer.

If the people who already regularly attend church really got saved, than we would have a massive revival right here right now. With the people who already attend church regularly having a revelation of their souls status with the Lord.

Don't sugarcoat the Gospel. Take it for what it says, and don't let what everybody else is doing just take the kick out of it and make you think that things are ok when their not. Its time to get your hearts right.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Its because we love people why we preach to them, Jesus. The Truth.

Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~

Against Our Own 11-22-10

2010-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

11-22-10

Against Our Own

I was driving down the freeway the other day, pondering some of the things that have been happening in the lives of those around me. So much drama, complaining, fighting, disagreements, depression, sickness and it seems like the breakthrough was just out of reach. It's not that there was anything so drastic that it was life threatening or devastating but just these obstacles standing in the way of so many people and they were reaching out for help. The more I began to ponder on what was going on in these situations I realized that just about everything appeared to be within our control. Something that could have been prevented if the individuals involved would have just practiced some self control or integrity. As I continued to ponder this, the Lord showed me something about tactics God had used in the Bible to fight the enemies of the Israelites. I shared this lesson with the Sunday Night service last night but I felt compelled to get it out to as many people as possible and because I still feel like its the word of the Lord and that it still needs to be spread. I heard that other pastors and guest speakers are sharing the same message. So clearly its a word to the church in general. Hear it. Now Let me break down for you this tactic I'm talking about.

Here is Gideon after he has rid himself of 10's of thousands of soldiers to a measly 300 and they are supposed to fight off the Midianites who have well over 120,000 soldiers. This was their tactic.

Jdg 7:20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!"

Jdg 7:21 And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.

Jdg 7:22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Now did Gideon and his 300 strike down over 120,000 with their swords or not? Technically no. What God did was created this confusion amongst the camp of the Midianites and they started killing each other off! They turned their swords on themselves. Self-Destructive you might say. Here's another account.

This is Jonathan and his armor bearer charging up a mountain to fight the Philistines; which is one of my favorite stories in the Bible! They go up and began to take on this army by themselves and then Saul finally catches wind that his men have attacked the Philistines (Jonathan & the armor bearer) and he goes up after them to start fighting and this is what happens.

1Sa 14:20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.

Again, we find the same tactic. God is not using only the sword of Jonathan to destroy all the Philistines rather He's turned the swords of the Philistines against themselves as they begin to destroy each other. The Lord brought confusion amongst them and they fought against themselves. God even said He would do the same thing with the Egyptians.

Isa 19:2 "I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.

We see now that there is a reoccurring tactic the Lord is using to destroy the enemies of Israel. Now hold onto that thought for just a brief minute.

The devil does not have the ability to create. He mimics and perverts what has already been created. The ideas and concepts of God, the devil takes them, perverts them and utilizes them to come against the Kingdom of Heaven. Fortune telling is a perversion of the prophetic, healing ointments and other mental meditations for healing are a perversion of the gifts of healing. Love which IS God has been perverted to a lustful cheap thrill, drunkenness on alcohol is a perversion of drunkenness in the Holy Spirit. All of these things and much more were originally created for blessing and enjoyment, and usefulness with God at its center. However, the devil will do everything he can to pervert them and use these tactics to his advantage.

Now back to the topic at hand. Remember the tactic the Lord was using to destroy the enemies of Israel, the devil has taken this very tactic and brought it into the church. Allow me to explain.

When we as believers have these fights amongst ourselves, it is literally in the spirit, bringing our swords out to fight amongst our own camp. My gossip, is a sword swinging at my brother or sister. My attitude towards my leadership, are swords flying towards my own camp. The rumors I spread, yup swords. You can paint the picture however you like, whenever there is unresolved disagreements in the family of the church it quite literally it us fighting against ourselves. Turning our swords on our neighbors.

The reason why I want you to be aware of this is because the enemy could be using this tactic to create strife and division amongst each other here and if we're not careful and don't recognize what the enemy is trying to do than his trickery ultimately destroy us. We cannot let this happen. It may not literally destroy us, but it can certainly prolong what God is intending for us to move into spiritually as a body.

Understand this. When you have an issue with someone else in the church, the issues between the two of you doesn't just involve the two of you. Fact is, your conflict affects the entire body! Why is this? When you chose to be a Christian, you became adopted into a FAMILY!

Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

As a family, we move together as unit, everywhere that we go. So when there is division or strife amongst the family, the whole bunch comes to a hault until that issue is resolved. The mouth is a sword. This is the most common way we bring the sword upon our own.

Isa 49:2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me."

One more thought for you to chew on.

Sometimes we turn the sword on our own companions and we don't even realize it. We're so oblivious to how we treat people that we don't understand that we are slowing down the progression of the entire church with our mindless gossip and other silly offenses. This needs to simply be highlighted to you so that it can be eradicated. You can do one of two things or preferably both. You can ask the Lord to show you what faults you have in this area and I'm sure that He will be happy to reveal them to you. Then you will be faced with the responsibility to do something about the way you have been acting. Don't be offended, swallow the pride just for a moment and tell the Lord thank you for revealing this to you so that the whole body can proceed forward with what He has in store for us all. Its so worth it. The second thing you can do is to ask someone within the church whom you trust and respect to honestly tell you if you struggle with this problem. Now brace yourself, you may hear something you don't necessarily want to hear; but again its so necessary to get this issue uprooted.

Here is what Jesus has to say on the topic.

Mat 18:15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD MAY BE ESTABLISHED.'

Mat 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Jesus is basically saying that if you have a problem with a brother in the Lord then go to him and try to resolve it. If he won't listen, do everything you can to bring reconciliation! Bring in some others to talk with him, bring in the church to talk with him! Do whatever it takes to make things right! Why is this so important Jesus? The following verses gives us a hint as to why its so vital.

Mat 18:18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Interesting that in verse 18 which we quote so often because the idea of it so cool. We pray all the time, “YES GOD WE JUST BIND THIS SPIRIT, & WE BIND THIS AND THAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND WE LOOSE THE KINGDOM IN THIS SITUATION, WE LOOSE MIRACLES, SIGNS AND WONDERS!” Then we sit back and wonder why we don't see any manifestation of everything we just supposedly bound, and loosed. I wonder why? Is it perhaps that because we have not done what Jesus said to do in the previous scriptures! If we haven't reconciled our issues with our brothers and sisters, maybe that offense that we are still carrying negates the authority to bind and loose things that we should be able to. That offense, that unresolved issue, that sword that we have brought against our own camp hinders the moving of the Spirit of God in your life, it clogs the direct access to the authority promised you simply because we cannot reconcile. Again in verse 19 we wonder why when two of us agree on anything then it should be done for us by the Father in heaven, and when it doesn't happen we just think, “awee this doesn't work! This promise is broken!” Not so. The sword turned against your own brother because you can't stop talking trash about him, complaining about him, whining about her, spreading rumors about your friends, talking behind their backs is hindering your breakthroughs. Not just for you BUT FOR THE ENTIRE BODY YOU ARE ATTACHED TO!

Now I'm not saying that this principle is an absolute and that God isn't Sovereign and can't do anything He pleases. I know many times He sovereignly blesses us and extends grace and mercy and still pours out His Spirit upon us because He is longsuffering and patient. But the idea is very biblical and clearly an issue that needs to be overcome in today's church if we are to move on.

Please take an inventory of your life and see if this is something that needs to be cleared out of your own heart. I beg you don't be selfish and carry that offense, because you are hindering the rest of us in this family from receiving what the Lord wants to do in our church and circle of friends. When we can overcome this, honor each other, respect one another, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST COMMANDED, I believe we will see such an easy flowing of the Spirit of God in our midst. We won't have to pray for hours to see it, we won't have to fast for months to receive it. The presence and power of God will be heavy and near with nothing clogging or hindering it. Then there will be such a release of the Glory of God in our midst we will be progressing to the next level in the Spirit that God has for us to obtain as a family and WOW do I want to be there!

Thank You Jesus. That you offend our minds to pierce our hearts! We have to be broken so that we can be put back together again. Our hearts desire is to be blameless before You God. Please help us Holy Spirit to be exactly that, blameless. May this shift happen within our church and bring about a mighty outpouring in Jesus name, amen.

So Much Love For You All,

Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~

We Need His Eyes 11-17-10

2010-11-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

11-17-10

We Need His Eyes

I wonder how we really see people in life. When we go through our day certainly we see a lot of people but what do we really see? Male, female, white, black, tall, short, fat, skinny, druggy, middle-class, upper-class, poor, rich, snobby, cares what people think, doesn't care what anyone thinks etc. Most of which is probably stereotypes anyways. We see a lot of people with our eyes, but we certainly don't often see them with our heart, or as I would like to say, “Through His Eyes”. Jesus saw people with a perspective that nobody else has ever seen people through. Simply because Jesus had such an intimate relationship with the Father, He would see people through the eyes of the Father. When everybody else saw loser, He saw winner. When they thought scum of the earth, He thought royalty. But why is it so difficult for us to do the same thing?

My goal in this blog is not to only get you thinking about how you see people, but to allow this perspective to provoke you to do something about how you interact with people. Apparently in many of our lives our own pride and fear overrides how we care for people. Its not supposed to be that way. But the fact of the matter is it does much of the time and that's a sorry fact. I see people who are lost and going to hell and my heart goes out to them, I want to reach out to them. I see toddlers with diseases or youth with health conditions and I know in my inner man that I should be able to do something about this! Not because I'm anything great, but because Christ me is GREAT!

Col 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

When I look at the life of Christ and what He has commanded us to do, I see no excuse for not making an effort to share this love with those around us. We all know that we need to do it but rarely do we act on that conviction. THAT IS A PROBLEM! I know that in my own life, this problem is going to cease and I'm going to make a great effort to see people through His eyes; allowing that to motivate me to reach out to them. We can all probably quote the Great Commission off the top of our heads, but only a few of us could say truthfully that we are living the Great Commission daily. Doesn't this convict you? It convicts me even writing this. Things have got to change Christians!

Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

I have a friend who goes out and preaches every single day! He is radical in how he delivers the gospel fearlessly to literally 10's of thousands of people in the streets all the time. He gave me this analogy. “You see Josiah, its like these people are drowning and I carry a life-vest. Or their in a burning building and I have the capability to rescue them...they are lost and dying and I have the answer to life. If there was somebody physically dying right before our eyes, we would do everything in our power to save that person, when spiritually we know that they are lost and dying and we carry LIFE everywhere that we go and yet we don't utilize the spiritual life-vests that God has given us.” Tragic. People have told this friend of mine that if he was in another country he would be dead by now for sure, yet we in America are so blessed to be protected by the 1st amendment rights that we so rarely utilize. Who knows how long it will be before those rights are stripped from us and sharing our faith in this country will become increasingly more difficult. When that happens we're really going to be regretting the fact that we didn't take advantage of the rights we had as U.S. Citizens to share our faith publicly while they were available.

Mar 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

In order for the Lord to work with them, and to confirm the word through the accompanying signs, they had to go out and preach everywhere! It was when they were faithful to go out and preach the gospel that the Lord obviously supported what they were doing with signs, wonders, and miracles! Therefore, people were getting saved left and right and being delivered from all kinds of oppression! We simply cannot let our pride or fear override our love for the lost and the desire within us to reach lost souls for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Sure they thought John the Baptist was a freak but look what he did for the Kingdom of Heaven. He preached a radical message that nobody had preached before him. He prepared the way for Jesus! What an honor!

Mat 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

Mat 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

Mat 3:3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: 'PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD; MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.' "

BEFORE I SHARE ANY MORE...ANSWER THIS QUESTION TO YOURSELF. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE JESUS? YES OR NO? Now read on...

Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Mat 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Mat 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Luk 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him.

Luk 9:6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

That's just a few. That's what Jesus did. Who can argue it? What about the apostles???

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Act 8:4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

Act 8:25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Act 10:36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

Act 11:20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Act 14:7 And they were preaching the gospel there.

Act 14:8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked.

Act 14:9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

Act 14:10 said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.

Act 15:35 Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Are we getting the picture yet?

Act 28:30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him,

Act 28:31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Tit 1:3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

We can sit here and dish our scriptures on the importance of doing this, but for some reason today's church has this blockage that just seems to subconsciously discard this command and think that we're okay without it. Or perhaps that someone else will do it, but its not for me. WRONG! This is why its so important to see people through His eyes. When we can learn to see people from His perspective and care for them and love them, we are fulfilling His commandment to love one another and sharing of our faith will follow.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Joh 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

See them the way Christ see's them and we will be moved with compassion to want to throw them the life-vest that each of us Christians carry. We will be provoked to reach out to those around us. But something has to rise up within us that says “THE WAY THINGS ARE RIGHT NOW IS NOT RIGHT AND SOMETHING HAS GOT TO CHANGE; STARTING WITH ME!” You can change the way you think right now and simply ask the Lord to give you His eyes! Its a prayer I'm convinced He's been waiting for us to pray. Be careful however, if you pray the prayer than you will be saying to God that you are willing to see people the way He see's them and not just to see them, but to be challenged to do something about it. When you leave your house and you begin going out to run errands or go to school or work, you will begin seeing people differently. This will challenge you to do something with your new perspective on people. Don't just pray the prayer because you know its the right thing to do, pray the prayer when you truly want to live your life a little bit more like Jesus. When we can see people the way that He see's them, we will be moved with compassion to reach out everywhere we go and within our families. Let it start with you. Time is running out.

God, Give Us Your Eyes.

Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~

Don't Forget Jesus 11-12-10

2010-11-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Josiah Elias

11-12-10

Don't Forget Jesus

So many times we get carried away with all the Christian routines of our daily life that we tend to forget what is most important. Caught up with the making sure that we read our Bible, pray throughout the day, attend the church services we are normally do and whatever other routines we abide by. I believe it can distract us from our relationship with God, if our motives are misguided.

Now I'm definitely not saying that these things are bad, THEY ARE GREAT! But where the problem comes in is when we lose the focus of WHY we are doing these things. We can read the Bible because we know that its good for us but tend to forget that the reason we're reading the Bible is to better our knowledge of Who God is. Discovering new and hidden things in the scriptures about the character and nature of God. We can pray a routine prayer before we eat a meal or go to bed, forgetting that the reason we pray that prayer in the first place is because we are incredibly grateful that God has blessed us with this meal or given us another day of life and health. Jesus modeled it this way and scripture encourages this.

Psa 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Mar 8:6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

1Th 5:16 Rejoice always,

1Th 5:17 pray without ceasing,

1Th 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

One topic that I want to camp on for a minute is why we come to church. Many of us go to church because that's just what we do on Sundays or Wednesdays and its been that way as long as we can remember. When that routine because the driving factor as to why you attend a service, you have lost the focus as to why your a Christian. When you attend a church you should be attending because you aim to fellowship with God and other believers. The fellowship with other believers will strengthen your walk with the Lord. Its healthy to have that relationship with other people who are like minded with you. When you are looking to God to give you a message for those who need one you may just wake up one Sunday morning and have a word on your heart for the congregation that will bring life to someone in dire need. Blessed to bless others.

1Co 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

Being a pastor now I know what its like to be sitting in my office, praying and asking God what He would like me to share with the group in a particular service. We strive to hear from Heaven on what will motivate, encourage, edify, convict, and benefit those who hear the words we believe God has given us to deliver. Now on your part, you can come to that same service and if you believe your just coming to hear some speaker, than you will miss what God is trying to do in you. However, if you have the mentality that the minister speaking has been seeking God and has a message from God to the group that day, then it should provoke you to really pay attention and apply the lesson. Not because there is something the minister will say to you that will change your life, but perhaps God has something for you that will change your life and He's chosen that minister to be the messenger. Trust that the message he or she is delivering is from God and listen carefully to it. What is God saying to you through that sermon.

I've heard it said before that if you want your own ministry the best way to get that is to serve another persons ministry. Look at Joshua serving Moses, Look at Timothy under Paul, observe all the disciples under Jesus! They all had incredible ministries but had to serve someone else before they were ever given a platform of their own.

You may have some dreams and visions in your heart, but make sure that you don't forget about Jesus! Don't forget that the reason you serve under a government and authority at a church is to do what is pleasing in the sight of God and to build integrity and character within yourself. God will see and honor in that and bless you with the desires of your heart.

Psa 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Now let me be clear on one thing. I'm not saying that your entire relationship with God is dependent upon your church attendance. NO WAY! In fact, you shouldn't have to attend church to be fed. You should be feeding off of the word all throughout the week. Singing Him songs, praising Him, loving others, having quality prayer time with God, and feasting on His word. THEN...when you come together in church you can share with one another what God has been teaching you throughout the week and encourage all those in fellowship with you. What an ideal way to do “church”.

To sum this all up, what I believe God wants me to say to you is this. Don't just follow through with the mundane repetitious routines of life as a Christian without discovering the immense value in what your doing. Your only hurting yourself if your just doing what you do because that's just the way it is. Or that's what you always do. You have to “Delight Yourself” in the Lord. Do these things because you are seeking after God and you see the value in spending time with Him.

I don't spend time with my wife because I have to, I spend time with her because I choose to! I want to! Its a joy! I am investing in a relationship with someone that I love! The same is true with God, we invest in our relationship with Him, because it is the most valuable relationship that we can ever invest in. Time spent with God is never wasted when the goal is to know Him better! To truly spend time with Him! Not just punch in the time clock with 15 minutes of prayer time, or 1 chapter of Bible reading. That doesn't score you any brownie points with God. Better a 5 second prayer from your heart towards God than 5 hours of soaking time with Him when you are not getting to know Him any better.

Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

Abide in His love. Dwell with Him, be with Him, love Him, honor Him, spend quality time with Him. I promise you, this concept of just simply enjoying God is so vital to our relationship with him. If you don't know how to enjoy God, or have trouble developing that relationship with Him, just email me back and I would love to talk with you and go over some ideas that will help develop your relationship with God. All you need is a willing heart.

Pursue Jesus, don't forget about Him. Read His word, but don't forget about Him. Sing Him songs, but don't just sing songs, remember that your worshiping Jesus. Come to church, but only in pursuit of Jesus. Love other people because that's what Jesus would do. BE JUST LIKE JESUS!!!!

Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- A Prayer For Us 11-5-10

2010-11-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Josiah Elias

11-5-10

Fresh Word

A Prayer For Us

    Father I lift up every person who reads these Fresh Words. I pray that You would minister to them right where they are. Even right now as they are reading this message I pray that You Holy Spirit will invade the room they are in and began to smother them in the love of El Shaddai (Almighty God). Come Holy Spirit, with Peace that surpasses understanding, comfort for those in distress, healing for those who are sick in any fashion. Rest for those who are anxious and tired, joy for those who are broken and beaten, LOVE for those who are hurting and feeling unloved! I pray God that you would meet every need of every person who reads this prayer. Our hearts are hungry to be consumed with the Fire of Your love. We want to KNOW YOU Jesus. Not to know of You, but to truly KNOW YOU! Thank You God for giving us all these incredibly blessings that we so often overlook. The simple fact that you are reading this means that you have a computer, and internet access! THAT ALONE IS SOMETHING THAT SUCH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR WORLD HAS! GOD WE ARE SOO BLESSED! Thank You!
    I pray Lord that these Fresh words wouldn't come from myself but rather that they would come straight from Your heart. Whatever it is You would like to speak to us each day I pray it would be revealed in our quiet times with You.
    Father place Your anointing on our lives. Set us apart for the cause of Christ. Set us apart to burn with a holy passion and earnest desire to seek Your face every single day! Forgive us God for not giving You the attention and time that You desire and deserve. Help us Holy Spirit to make time for You in our busy lives. Nothing should be in the way of You and I. Those things I recognize as idols. Anything that replaces the spot that should be reserved for You is an idol. Those idols need to be destroyed and You God need to be back in the center of my entire life.
    Please give me the grace to serve You with all my heart! Give me strength to diligently seek You! My heart is for You! I know that I cannot do this on my own, I need Your help and I'm asking that You Father would meet me where I'm at. I know that I'm not perfect, but I'm striving to live like You. The areas of my life that I have not laid down at Your feet, I now choose to willingly lay them down. Rid me of those things, and replace the void in my life with a holy addiction that is pleasing to You. I BELONG TO YOU ADONAI (Master, Sovereign Lord)! My life is Yours.

I hope that you can take this prayer and make it your own.
God Bless you all!

Psa 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
Psa 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Have an incredible weekend and
make sure your priorities are in line
with what God would want them to be!

Your brother in Christ,
Josiah Elias

Fresh Word- Doers of The Word 11-3-10

2010-11-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Josiah Elias
11/3/10

Fresh Word

Doers of The Word

I love this scripture.

Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

    It is so important for us to be a people who not only come to church and hear what the pastor is saying, what kind of songs their singing, the overall message of the whole service. It is so important to factor in application to what your learning.
    I just had lunch with my pastor and we were discussing the word, and character. How the bottom line of all meetings, discipleship, bible studies, services and so on is to help produce character in individuals life that make us more like Jesus. It doesn't do us any good just to hear the word if we never apply the principles the Word gives attention to. It doesn't do us any good to receive knowledge on Christian things without ever applying them to our lives.

    Its really easy for someone to say that they are a Christian but it is quite a different story when you ask them to prove it. If someone were to walk up to you right now and ask you to prove that you were a Christian, what would you do? Would you quote some scripture at them? The Pharisees could do that. Would you sing them a Christian song? Anybody who's heard of K-Love could do that. Would you try to them all you know about Jesus? Professors and other scholars could do that but that doesn't mean they KNOW HIM. The best way to prove that you are a Christian to somebody is to invite them to hang out with you for a day. Your lifestyle will depict where you allegiance lies. If you are a Christian you should be expressing that through your lifestyle. Your heart for God should be leaking through your speech, your dress, your conduct, your thoughts, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! This is how people will know that you are a Christian.
    Its not enough just to know the Word and expect it to affect your life. You have to be willing to allow that Word to change your character. Just like its not enough to know about water, and how to drink it. It will do me no good unless I actually take the glass of water and begin to drink it, then it will benefit me immensely! In fact if I don't do that than sooner or later I'm going to die. I need it. Just like you need the word, you need the Spirit of God, you need each other, and all of these tools and relationships are used to mold your character into that of Who Christ is.

Jas 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
Jas 1:24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

I like this scripture so much.
For people who do not practice what they are being taught, what the Holy Spirit is teaching through the pastor, through the minister, through the worship leader, through the bible study leader, he is like a person who see’s who he is naturally or even metaphorically, but he leaves and immediately forgets what he saw and what was brought out.
When I think of this scripture I visualize the word coming into someone’s ears and teaching them to be kind to people. This person being an angry, rude, arrogant, mean person. He hears this, recognizes that this teaching applies to him, leaves that meeting and immediately discards everything that he was just taught through the meeting. Why in the world did that person come to the meeting in the first place?!

We watched a movie this past weekend at youth conference at the church called “To Save A Life” and my favorite quote from the movie is when the main character at a youth group interrupts the service and asks all the students, “What is the point of all this if your not going to let this change you?” Ask yourself that! What is the point of going to church if your not going to let it change you. Are you perfect? No! We all need to change, we need a character adjustment. We need to STARE SO LONG AT JESUS THAT OUR WHOLE BEING BECOMES MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM. That's why its important to come and hear the word, that's 1 of the reasons why its important to go to church, that's the reason why its important to not only hear the word but to actually make those character adjustments and LIVE IT OUT!

I hope this challenges you to take a look at your attitude. I hope this challenges you to look at the gatherings you find yourself in and actually take into account what your being taught. How does it apply to your life? Is the pastor up there just wasting time, talking to a bunch of brick walls? That might be just as productive, because a brick wall is going to do nothing with what the pastor is preaching, but apparently many of us don't do anything with what he preaches either! So what makes us different from the brick wall?!
    We need to walk into each service, each gathering, each personal prayer time and personal bible study with a heart that says Holy Spirit change me to be more and more like Jesus through this word. Through this prayer. Through this teaching. I want to be just like Jesus.

Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Are you clay? Or are you a brick wall? Teachable? Or do you know it all? Does the word that you hear actually change the way you live your life? Are you coming to listen to a man? Or are you coming to listen to God?
Re-evaluate your heart and your attitude! EVEN NOW! That your through reading this, ask the Holy Spirit to continue to break you down and build you back up the way He wants you. TO LOOK JUST LIKE JESUS! JESUS BUILT!

Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- Testimony of Compassion 10-30-10

2010-11-05T16:26:00.001-07:00

Josiah Elias
10-30-10

Fresh Word

Testimony of Compassion

What’s up saints!
I want to share with you a testimony which I believe will encourage us all to be challenged in being used by God today.
On Thursday night, I attended the “Food Distribution” here at the Connection church. Its a program that we've had for several months now, we do it on a monthly basis. I attended the very first one we had months ago which was awesome. There wasn't that many families that came through at the time but my oh my have we grown since then! Over the last several months I didn't get the opportunity to go to the Food Connection, so I was anxious to check it out this time to see how things had developed. I have heard so many stories from those who have been involved and the stories were so awesome.

Let me very briefly break down what happens.
We serve approximately 175 families, which is well over 600 persons with food for the month. Salads, cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables and much more! These families humbly come in, fill out the paperwork they need to, than they wait in the sanctuary while we serve them 1 family at a time as quickly as we can. Some of these families have to wait in the sanctuary for an hour or 2 while they wait for their number to be called. While they are waiting, we preach the gospel to them, they have opportunity to come to the back of the sanctuary where there are teams ready to pray for them for healing both physically, emotionally, spiritually and any other way. My Job last night was to take the shopping carts filled with the food and walk with the family out to their car to put the food in their cars and to ask them if there was anything I could pray for them for. This was the most incredible part!

Of course there was this blessing in my own heart just to come and serve a ministry that I saw was making such a difference in the community.
Felt just like Jesus.
Mar 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

It was so awesome to see how they were being blessed. I couldn't tell you how many times I heard them say, “Thank you sooo much for having this here at the church, its such a blessing to come here for food”.

The conversations that I had with them as I was loading the food into their vehicles was the best part of the whole night. Just to elaborate on a couple, there was a lady in particular whom when I asked if she needed prayer for anything at all, she paused and through an already cracking voice said, “I'm so lonely.” My heart immediately went out to her. Something had occurred in her life a long time ago that she couldn't overcome and because of that she felt like she couldn't get married yet she wanted to.
Immediately I could see the bondage that the devil had on her simply because something tragic had happened long ago, and now she is suffering and can't find a partner because of these chains. I began to tell her how I can relate to her on feeling lonely, and what I did to overcome it. I shared with her the love of Jesus and how He will never leave her nor forsake her.
Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU."
That He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Pro 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
That the comfort of the Holy Spirit is priceless and beautiful.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
How Jesus paid such an incredible price so that He can be with her every single day at every moment if she wants it.
Saying this to her holding her hand, as tears began to stream down her face, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit all over me as I ministered the love and joy of God Who desires to be her Lover. I assured her that God would be there for her no matter what.
We prayed and she thanked me. I encouraged her to go home and to renew her relationship with the Lord, to break open that Bible and to begin to speak to Him as if He is right there because He is. To draw near to Him.
Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The experience was incredible.
One more story.
I walked another couple out to their vehicle and placed their food in the trunk and again asked if there was something I could pray for them for. The gentleman asked for healing. He had just had brain surgery and was experiencing side effects from the surgery. He couldn't think as clear as he used to, he now gets confused easily, his eyes are blurry and so on. The wife spoke up as well and asked for prayer for her son who needs to get his life on the right track. We prayed for the son first, and than for the gentleman with the side effects from the surgery. God was all over him. He didn't even really bow his head while we prayed but instead he looked me right in the eyes as I grabbed his head and began to release healing over him. It was a moving moment. We prayed once and nothing happened and I asked to pray again, the second time he said that one of his eyes was surprisingly clear but the other was still blurry. I intended to keep praying believing for an increase in healing, but we got into a conversation of how God has kept him safe through literally dying twice but coming back to life. So I began to share with him about his destiny and why God has kept him alive and his purpose.

Est 4:14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

They seemed really blessed that I had taken so much time with them to minister to them in the parking lot of the church. I encouraged them to come to church and get planted somewhere, not because church is so necessary but because church can be an awesome avenue that the Lord will use to release them into ministry. Not to mention its good for the body to be with...the body!

The reason I wanted to share these stories is because I was moved with compassion last night. Which reminded me of Jesus.
Mat 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Mat 14:14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Mar 1:41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

Jesus was moved with compassion for the lost. For the hurting. For the poor. For the sick. I want to be just like Jesus.

I told my wife last night that I was so moved with compassion for these people. They were right here in my home church, I didn't have to go to some third world country somewhere outside of the states but they were right here. It would be awesome to go to those places and I intend to, but these were right here and I could impact them so close to my home. I was moved with compassion for them. I wanted to shake all their hands, I wanted to hug them, I wanted to kiss them, I want to love on them, I wanted them to know that we can provide for them more than just food. The food will be gone, in a few weeks, and you will need to come and get more. But there is food that will never run out. There is water that will quench all your thirst.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

What can you do today to impact someone who is hurting. Perhaps you don't have to preach to them, but you can simply love on them. You can just tell them that you love them. You can buy their lunch. You can introduce them to a loving and caring God Who has all the answers to the questions we don't even realize we have yet.
Ask God what you can do for someone else to do. Its the most fulfilling feeling ever. Try it. You will be blessed. I assure you. Love someone.

Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- In A Battle 10-28-10

2010-11-05T16:24:00.001-07:00

Josiah Elias
10-28-10

Fresh Word

In A Battle

I'm just reminded that are in the fight of our lives. Every single day we are faced with challenges that test our faith, our allegiance to God, self-control and so much more. People think of this Christian walk as this crutch for the weak. Something that people do to help make themselves feel better about life, or to cope with difficult circumstances but that there's really nothing there.

I beg to differ.

If I was the devil, I would want Christians to be satisfied with just their salvation. Sure whatever, let them have their fun. Let them have pizza parties every wednesday, bbq's on sunday. They would pose no threat to me. I wouldn't mind if they showed up to church 5 days a week and sat through every service. If they knew all the Christian lingual. If they could memorize whole books of the Bible. Whoop-dee-doo. They could pray the most eloquent prayers and sing the most beautiful songs but I wouldn't really mind.

On the other hand.

If I was the devil and there began to raise up these Christians that were convinced that what Jesus did, they could do greater. If they actually did what Jesus told them to do.
Mat 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

If they actually did some of these things, it would really disrupt my plans here on the earth. Good thing, most of them don't realize that their in a battle. Good thing most of them don't realize that they have the same power in them that raised Jesus from the dead! Good thing they don't realize that they are LITERALLY sons and daughters of God. Cuz if they did, I would be in trouble.

Don't ever forget that we are in a battle. There is an enemy out there, an adversary who is trying to break us down. If he can't rob us of our salvation, he will do his best to keep us as these petty little Christians with no purpose and no destiny, who only think that the main goal in life is to make it to Heaven.
Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

We are in a battle. Have that armor on every single day.
Eph 6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Understand that you have a responsibility to stand against the devil. To be intolerant to his schemes and attacks. We are equipped with everything we need to fight him off every single day.

Our faith is not a crutch for the weak.
Our faith is a sword and shield for the strong.

Our God is so awesome that He can touch every single one of us wherever we are. Whether we are grieving, rejoicing, crying, laughing, confused, lost, hurt, emotional, excited, bored you name it! He'll meet you right where you are.

Just be aware that the devil wants to keep you useless. Wants to keep you down. Wants to keep you on the defensive all the days of the your life.

Don't tolerate him.

Stand up for what you believe in. Keep your chin up and smile.

Smile because Jesus loves you!
Smile because you have the victory!
Smile because your name is written in the Lambs Book of Life!

God Bless You All!!!!
The Best Is Yet To Come.

Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- Be With God 10-27-10

2010-11-05T16:22:00.001-07:00

Josiah Elias
10-27-10

Fresh Word
Be With God

    For today's fresh word I just want to be brief in explaining that God truly does want to be with you. I believe that many of us don't have the revelation that God desires to be with us. We believe perhaps that He wants us to behave, to tell other people about Him, to support our local churches, and to read His word. But we don't yet truly understand that God simply desires to be with us!
    What does that mean exactly?

    If someone walked up to most of us right now and asked us if we were into “religion” we would probably give them the answer most Christians tend to give and that is, “I'm not into religion, I'm into a relationship”. The reason why many of us would give that answer is because, well as cheezy as it may be, its still true!
GOD DESIRES RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US!!!!

What is 1 thing that every relationship has? COMMUNICATION! God wants to talk with you, He wants to show you things, He wants to give you dreams, He wants to just hang out with you, He wants you to invite Him into your daily routines! Doing the dishes, getting gas, buying groceries, going to work, driving, EVERYTHING! He just wants to be involved.
GOD WANTS TO BE WITH YOU.

Jesus paid a pretty intense price so that He could have His dwelling in each and every one of us, and we always think of Him as if He's so far away. Dan McCollam the minister who spoke at our School of The Supernatural this last week was elaborating on how much effort we spend trying to get God to come visit us when the truth is, He's inside of us! Our efforts should be about LEAKING HIM OUT TO EVERYONE AROUND US! To the atmosphere we find ourselves in! Wherever the King goes He brings His Kingdom. So perhaps allowing the Kingdom of Heaven to invade your kitchen while you do the dishes. Asking the presence of God to flow out of you while your at work. You may just realize an attitude shift in the work place that makes the environment a whole lot more enjoyable because God is influencing the work place through your involvement.

Now again, all of that can happen when you begin to host the presence of God in your life, but what I want you to focus on today is just the simple fact that God just wants to be with you. He really does want to hear what you have to say towards Him. You may be thinking, well if God knows my thoughts than why do I have to tell Him what He already knows I'm thinking? Well, I know that my wife knows I love her...but I still want to tell her “I LOVE YOU” all the time, because I know that she loves to hear it. She knows I think she's beautiful, but I still tell her “YOUR SOO BEAUTIFUL!” all the time. Same principle.

Joh 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

Abide- suschēmatizō        soos-khay-mat-id'-zo
From G4862 and a derivative of G4976; to fashion alike, that is, conform to the same pattern (figuratively): - conform to, fashion self according to.

We have to conform to the love of God. Get in the same pattern of love that God has for us. The relationship that Jesus has with the Father is the same type of relationship that we need to be having with those all around us! NOT JUST WITH THOSE AROUND US HOWEVER, BUT WITH THE FATHER HIMSELF!
Its all interlocked. The relationship that the Father has with Jesus, He desires to have with every one of us. HE WANTS TO BE WITH US! He was with Jesus all the time...He loved Him! It was very clear! He was pleased with Him.
Mat 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The Fathers relationship with the Son was perfect! We aren't perfect like Jesus is, but the Father still desires to develop His relationship with us every single day. He wants to simply be with us.
Take some extra time today, somewhere in the busyness and just be with God. Just think about Him. Whatever makes you smile. Perhaps about how you got saved. Remember that story and bring it up over and over in your mind. Thank God for it. Look at the sunset, look at the stars at night...whatever it takes. Just be with God, read His word, sing Him a song. You will feel closer to Him, especially if this can become a daily routine in your life!
A moment spent with God is never a moment wasted.

Love you all!
Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- Faith Moves God 10-21-10

2010-11-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Josiah Elias
10-21-10

Fresh Word
Faith Moves God

What an awesome God we serve!
Let me just let you in a little bit on what Gods been doing in the youth ministry. Wow! Last night we got into a Glory of God, (and I don' throw that word around lightly) that I don't know if I've ever been in before! It was incredible! There was such a tangible manifestation of His presence, it was unbelievable! NOT TO MENTION that 8 students, came up to give their life to the Lord for either the first time, or to GENUINELY REPENT WITH FRUIT THAT FOLLOWS. THE INTENTION OF THERE BEING AWESOME FRUIT TO FOLLOW THEIR REPENTANCE! It was powerful. One lady came up to me after the service and was crying her eyes out and said “THANK YOU! I Just wanted to tell you that what you did here tonight literally changed my life!” I told her, “I didn't do anything, God is going to change your life and you have a family here now that will be here for you no matter what!”
It was powerful.
God is doing some incredible things here, we have just been encountering God in new and powerful ways, on levels that we've never encountered Him before.
Why?
GOD RESPONDS TO HUNGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Faith Moves God!
Remember when the Centurion asked Jesus to come heal his servant? Check it.

Mat 8:5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
Mat 8:6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."
Mat 8:7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."
Mat 8:8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
Mat 8:9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

The centurions mindset was unlike anything Jesus had come across yet! This faith that he had, made Jesus basically say! “THATS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!” The centurion was thinking outside the box. Not that it wasn't impressive enough to believe that Jesus could heal the sick person, but that all He had to do was speak the word and it would be done. None of this, oh Jesus you've gotta travel to where the sick person is...and lay hands on the sick and than they will recover. NAHH! Just speak the word and I know that He will be healed!
INCREDIBLE!
His faith moved God.

I believe that our faith is moving God! We're not satisfied with some mediocre youth ministry where all we do is come in and play games, and eat pizza. We are here to meet with God, to grow in our relationship with Him, to encounter His presence and to learn to co-operate with the Holy Spirit! BECAUSE THIS IS THE MINDSET not only of the leadership but of the youth, GOD IS RESPONDING!

The same is true for you, in whatever challenges you are facing today. Whatever obstacles you find standing in your way. Whatever mountains that need to be removed. STIMULATE HEAVEN AROUND YOU BY BELIEVING IN FAITH THAT GOD WILL DO WHAT HE'S PROMISED TO DO!

I love this concept found here in Romans.4:17
Rom 4:17 (as it is written, "I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS") in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did

The Lord was telling Abraham THAT HE HAS ALREADY MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS! Like, its a done deal already! Even though Abraham wasn't a father of many nations yet. HE WAS SPEAKING INTO EXISTENCE THE PROMISES OF GOD THAT HAVE NOT YET MANIFESTED IN HIS CURRENT SITUATION.

Its when we can start claiming the promises of God and believing them for our present circumstances that we will see the manifestation of those promises fulfilled before our very eyes. Not looking at our circumstances and seeing the overwhelming impossibilities of seeing God do anything through this difficulty and minimizing God like He doesn't know where you are and can't do anything to provide for you anyways. We make our difficulties seem so overwhelming that we grow emotional over them and have this mentality that if we cry enough tears perhaps it will bend Gods arm enough to do something about it! Keep your cool. Trust IN HIM! Be like, God this is the issue, I don't know what to do about it, but I know You have the solution and I'm trusting You Daddy!

I can't begin to tell you how many times I had an issue with my car or with something else when I was growing up. I had no solution, but I knew that If I could just get it to my dad before it got to dark, he could fix it. Doesn't matter what it was. He could fix it! SUPER HERO DAD! Even if he didn't know exactly how to do the work himself, he could figure out the next step and ultimately get it fixed. I trusted that he could take care of the job, no matter what it was.
DO I HAVE TO BREAK OUT THE TRUST SCRIPTURES!?!? Here's a few.

2Sa 22:31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Psa 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

You might have heard the expression:
“Don't tell God how big your problems are,
rather tell your problems how BIG your God is!”

You can press into the Lord right now! As soon as your through reading this email, you can just take 5 minutes...10 minutes...30 minutes! As long as you have and just focus your attention on JESUS!!!!! He will meet you where you at! You can even make it a daily habit! Say that as often as you read these Fresh Words, your going to take a few minutes afterwards and just focus your attention on God and ask Him to give you grace for the day! To bless you and to keep His hand on you!
HE WILL DO SO! Tell your problems how BIG YOUR GOD IS!

Psa 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
I wanted to memorize this scripture because it reminds me to call upon HIS NAME and to put my trust in Him. In so doing, HE WILL GIVE ME WHAT HE KNOWS IS BEST FOR ME!
Sometimes I don't know the best things to ask for, but He knows what I need. I realize that all I need is Him!
HIM ALONE!
Luk 12:22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
Luk 12:23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Luk 12:25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Luk 12:26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Luk 12:29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Luk 12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luk 12:32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Our job is to seek first the Kingdom of God and He will provide everything we need. I don't know whats best to pray for my family, I don't know whats best to pray for my ministry, I just know that I need Him. More today than ever before! Keep Him at the forefront of everything I do and I will never go wrong. Stay focused on Jesus and He will keep blasting my youth. Stay focused on Him and He will keep blessing my marriage. Focus on Him and my finances will be taken care of. Focus on Him and I will have His favor smothered all over my life!
GOD IS ON THE MOVE!!!!!! Believe That!
Thank Him for what He's doing, and graciously ask for More...
HE RESPONDS TO HUNGER. HE RESPONDS TO YOUR FAITH. HE IS MOVED BY YOUR HEART TO KNOW HIM MORE INTIMATELY THAN EVER BEFORE AND IT CAN START RIGHT NOW.
God is Love.
He is Jehovah Kanna. He is jealous for our attention.
Take some time right now and just dedicate it to Him, doesn't matter how long it is, but do yourself a favor and just ask say “HOLY SPIRIT COME”.

GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Josiah Elias
~Revival SD~

Fresh Word- Jehovah Kanna 10-20-10

2010-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Josiah Elias
10-20-10

Fresh Word
Jehovah Kanna

The study I want to do today is short & sweet.
I want you to ponder on one of the names of God. There are many names all throughout the Bible that refer to our God. The one I want you to focus on today is the name “Jehovah Kanna”.
This name of God is found here.

Exo 34:13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images
Exo 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)

The context of what is going on here is that, in Chapter 32, Moses is coming down from Mt. Sinai and has the 10 commandments with him, he finds all of the children of Israel getting crazy down there, cause it took Moses a long time to come back from the mountain, so they made a golden calf. (Ex.32:1-4)
They were worshiping this golden calf and bringing it offerings. Moses comes down, destroys the idol, and now has to go and repent to God on behalf of the children of Israel. (can everyone say...FAIL)

Fast Forward a little bit, when we see the name of “Jehovah Kanna” come into play. Because of Moses interceding on behalf of the nation, God forgives them (again) promises to do awesome things through them, and to have His presence go with them wherever they go. (Read Ex.33-34).

Now you understand why Ex.34:13-14 explains that God is commanding them to destroy the altars, break the sacred pillars, and cut down the wooden images. He's saying, “Look, you guys are MINE, and MINE alone, for I am a Jealous God (Jehovah Kanna)”.

The Lord is showing them, that they can have nothing in the place of Him. Anything that is in the place of God is an idol and must therefore be destroyed because His name is Jehovah Kanna!
The Name of God always reveals His will & His Characteristics.
There are many different facets to Who our God is. He is both “Jehovah Sabaoth” which means He is the Lord of Hosts, or refers to the armies of the LORD.
Isa 31:4 For thus the LORD has spoken to me: "As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.
Isa 31:5 Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it." This obviously speaks of war and violence.

At the same time He is “Jehovah Shalom” which means the Lord our Peace.
Jdg 6:23 Then the LORD said to him, "Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die."
Jdg 6:24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

As you can see there are different names of God that describe different characteristics of Who He is.
Back to Jehovah Kanna.
God is Jealous for your attention. He is Jealous of anything and everything that could possibly pose a threat to Him being #1 in your life. He desires to be at the top of your priority list, and rightfully so. He deserves to be there, He should be there no matter what.
Think about the things that might be getting in the way of having Him #1. Perhaps its a certain T.V. Show. Perhaps its a friend. Perhaps its a new hobby. Perhaps its even work, or school. Even those things are incredibly important and should be high on the priority list as well. But NOTHING should replace God as #1 on the list every single day of your life. Don't ever forget that He is Jehovah Kanna. He deserves and desires to be at the top of your list.

If He's not, you can make some simple adjustments. Just repent first off. Say “God, I'm sorry that I haven't had you at the top of my list, I want you to be there. Holy Spirit give me grace to keep You first in my life. I surrender ____________ to you and say that from now on, this will no longer consume my attention. I recognize it as an idol and will put it where it belongs on my list of priorities. In Jesus Name I Pray! Amen!”

Its ok to have these things like, relationships, t.v. Shows, hobbies and so forth! OF COURSE! Just as long as they are not replacing the spot that should be reserved for God.
Here is a couple more scriptures on the importance of knowing who the names of God.

Psa 91:14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

Isa 52:6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' "

Lord I want you to be first. I know that You are Jehovah Kanna! I want you to be first in my life. Every single day! WE LOVE YOU JESUS WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS!

Love you all,
Josiah Elias

~Revival SD~