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Life Is Better Together – Why We Need Each Other

We were created for community! God’s design for His people is that we live, grow, and serve together. In “Life Is Better Together,” we’ll explore why biblical fellowship matters and how we find joy, strength, healing, and purpose when we choose connectedness over isolation.

Friends, have you ever found yourself feeling like you had to go it alone, that your burdens were yours and yours alone to bear? Our world often says, “Make it on your own!” But the Bible proclaims a radically different message: we need each other!

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another…

Today, we’ll see that God designed us to live in community. We will look at why this matters, explore what stands in our way, and discover practical steps to build the kind of shared spiritual life that Christ intended.

I. Created for Community

From the very beginning, God’s design has been rooted in relationship. In Genesis, after creating Adam, God looked upon him and declared:

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18 NIV)

Imagine this: Adam dwelled in paradise with God, surrounded by beauty and peace. Yet, God Himself determined something was missing—relationship. Adam needed someone with whom to share the journey.

A. God’s Design
God is relational. Even before creation, Father, Son, and Spirit shared eternal fellowship—perfect unity. We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27 NIV), which means we’re created for meaningful connection, too.

B. Isolation was Never God’s Intention
God remedies Adam’s aloneness with Eve. Out of that first couple comes the family, and from family comes community. The very foundation of life as God designed it is relationship.

C. We Reflect God Best Together
Love, by definition, requires another person. You can’t demonstrate kindness, forgiveness, or grace when you’re alone. It’s in community that we learn to love sacrificially—to forgive, to encourage, to spur each other on.

Have you ever tried clapping with one hand? It just doesn’t work. But bring two hands together—and suddenly you have applause, rhythm, and music. That’s what happens when God’s people come together.

II. The Call to Spur One Another On

Let’s look again at our key passage:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…

A. Biblical Model
The word “spur” is strong. It means to prod, motivate, to stir up! The Christian walk is not a spectator sport, but a group hike. We push and pull each other to keep moving forward in faith.

B. Growth Happens in Relationships
Think about it. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17 NIV).

New King James Version
As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

When we come alongside others, we help each other grow:
– Accountability—someone to ask how we’re really doing.
– Encouragement—someone to cheer us on when we falter.
– Learning—wisdom is passed from one generation to another.

C. Meeting Together is Essential
…not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).

Being together isn’t optional for followers of Jesus. It’s the difference between coal staying hot in a fire or cooling when alone.

Picture a fireplace—when the logs are stacked together, they create a blazing fire. Separate them, and each one smolders out. Community keeps our faith burning bright.

III. Encouragement and Support in the Christian Journey

Let’s be honest: life isn’t always easy.
…encouraging one another (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).

A. Everyone Faces Struggles and Doubts
From job losses to family challenges, from health scares to personal crises—none of us is immune. Even the strongest saints need a neighbor to lean on.

B. Your Presence Matters
Do you know the Greek word for []“encourage” (parakaleo)? It literally means “to come alongside.” God puts us in each other’s lives for a reason. You might be the answer to someone’s prayer for hope today!

C. The Church as a Place of Strength
The early church understood this. (42) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (44) All the believers were together and had everything in common… (Acts 2:42, 44 NIV).

Church should be a spiritual hospital, a training camp, and a family reunion all rolled into one.

I once heard of a family who went through a crisis. Their faith community rallied—meals delivered, prayers prayed, shoulders offered to cry on. Years later, the family testified, “We saw Jesus in our friends’ faces.”

IV. Barriers to Community – And How to Overcome Them

If community is so wonderful, why don’t we all just jump in? The truth is, many things stand in the way.

A. Busyness
Let’s face it: schedules fill up fast. We start prioritizing soccer games, Netflix binges, or work projects—and gathering with others gets squeezed out.

Q: What are you prioritizing over connection with your church family?

B. Past Hurts
Maybe you’ve been burned before. It’s tempting to pull away when community wounds us. But God calls us to risk again—to trust that with His help, healing is possible.

C. Cultural Pull Toward Individualism
We celebrate “self-made” people. But Christian maturity isn’t developed in isolation. Paul reminds us:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV).

D. Intentional Commitment
…not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing… (Hebrews 10:25 NIV).
To build relationship, we must show up—again and again. It takes intentionality.

I heard someone say, “I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian!” That may be true—just like you don’t need to go home to be married. But if you stay away too long… things get cold real fast!

V. Practical Ways to Live This Out

A. Prioritize Gathering
Make worship, small groups, and gatherings a regular part of your schedule. Don’t let other priorities crowd this out.

B. Encourage Each Week
Look for someone to bless—send a note, make a call, pray for someone specifically this week.

C. Get Involved
Serving alongside others forms deep bonds. Whether it’s ushering, teaching, cooking, or visiting—the more you serve, the more connected you become!

D. Pray for God’s Eyes
Ask, “God, show me who needs encouragement, and help me to see them through your eyes.” Then take a step.

Think of community as a garden. It takes planting, watering, weeding, and patience. But the harvest is worth it.

  • Who has made a difference in your life?
  • Who might God want you to encourage this week?
  • Are you willing to push past comfort, busyness, or hurt, to step into the fullness of Christian community?

God’s vision for us is not just to believe, but to belong. To be His family, loving and supporting one another.

Call to Action:
This week, take one tangible step—reach out to someone, commit to regular gathering. Be the answer to the “why” behind “we need each other.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help us see one another as gifts. Give us courage to gather, grace to forgive, and eyes to notice the lonely and struggling among us. Knit us together into a community that shows the love of Christ to a watching world. Amen.

Your Sister In Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

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Trusting God In Relationships: Abide In Christ

Read John 15:1–17 (NKJV)  

Have you ever tried assembling IKEA furniture without looking at the instruction manual? You look at the picture on the box, think, “I’ve got this,” and start piecing it together. But a few screws later, you realize something’s off. You step back, and the table you thought was perfect is wobbling, uneven, and just wrong. And worst of all — you have pieces left over!

Relationships often feel the same. We think we can navigate them through instinct, advice from friends, social media tips, or even past experience. But when conflict arises or things get shaky, we realize — maybe we’ve missed some critical instructions. Why? Because we weren’t designed to lead our relationships alone. God wants to lead our relationships — starting with our relationship with Jesus.

In John 15, Jesus gives us a powerful picture of what it means to depend on Him especially in the context of relationships. This passage isn’t just about staying spiritually connected — it’s about how staying connected to Jesus transforms the way we love, forgive, serve, and relate to one another.

Let’s explore three key truths from John 15:1–17 to understand how to trust God in our relationships — and how to let Him take the lead.

I. ABIDE IN CHRIST: RELATIONSHIPS FLOURISH WHEN ROOTED IN JESUS  

John 15:1 NKJV

Verse 1 – “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”

Jesus uses a beautiful and intentional metaphor. He calls Himself the “true vine” — the source of life, nourishment, and sustenance. The branches? You and me. The vinedresser is God the Father — ever tending, pruning, and cultivating good fruit in us.

This kind of imagery is central to understanding relationships. Think of it: A branch disconnected from the vine withers. Without nourishment from the source, it becomes brittle and fruitless. The same is true of relationships that are disconnected from Christ. (Break a dried branch in front of the people)

Verse 4 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself… neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

We don’t just visit Jesus on Sundays. We make our home in Him. To “abide” means to remain, to dwell, to linger — not to occasionally visit.

Try forgiving someone without abiding in Jesus, and you might forgive them once, maybe twice. But abide in Jesus, and His Spirit produces fruit like patience, kindness, and long-suffering (Galatians 5:22–23).

Eph 4:32 NKJV

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Verse 5 –  “Without Me you can do nothing.”

That’s a bold claim. Not “a few things,” but nothing. Zero spiritual fruit is possible apart from Jesus. Your romantic, family, or friendship connections may function apart from Christ — but they will never truly flourish. It is Christ who causes fruit to grow.

(v8) “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

God delights when your relationships bear fruit — not just success or happiness — but love, service, patience, joy, and peace. That fruit displays His character to the world.

Application:

– Is Christ the foundation of your relationships?

– Are you spending consistent, abiding time with Him?

– Before you reach for your phone to text, swipe, or respond — have you reached for Jesus lately?

Abiding isn’t passive — it’s proximity. That daily connection with Jesus isn’t just for spiritual growth; it’s the power center for relational health.

II. WALK IN OBEDIENCE: LET GOD’S LOVE DIRECT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS  

John 15:9 NKJV

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”

Jesus invites us deeper. Don’t just abide in Him — abide in His love. The same eternal love that the Father has for the Son is now offered to us. This is unchanging, secure, divine love.

But how do we abide in that love?

(v10) “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love…”

Obedience is not a burden — it’s the posture of those who trust God. Obedience keeps us aligned with His love. Think of a parent giving safety instructions to their child — Obedience is not restriction, it’s protection.

(v12) “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus raises the standard. “Love one another,” yes — but not just any way. “As I have loved you.”

How did Jesus love?

– He sacrificed.

– He forgave.

– He got low and washed feet.

– He called out truth — in love.

This kind of love isn’t mood-based. It’s obedience-based.

(v13) “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Jesus showed us the highest expression of love — sacrificial love. And what’s remarkable is that He modeled this love before we deserved it (Romans 5:8).

Romans 5:8 NKJV

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

A couple once came to counseling, bitter and ready to break up. “I just don’t love her anymore,” the husband said. The counselor said, “Then love her.” He was confused, and replied, “But I don’t feel anything!” The counselor said, “Who said love was a feeling? It’s a command. Start serving her, praying for her, communicating with her. Obey Jesus — and let the feelings follow.”

Weeks later, their marriage began to heal — not because of emotion, but because of obedience.

Application:

– Who are you struggling to love right now?

– Who are you waiting to change before you act in love?

– Are you obeying Jesus’ commandment or living off convenience?

Obedience leads to freedom. Why? Because God’s commands aren’t chains — they’re train tracks. They get you moving in the right direction.

 III. FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS: THE RELATIONAL MODEL FOR ALL OTHERS  

 John 15:15 NKJV

“No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends.”

Stop and let that sink in. The God of heaven — the Holy One, Ruler, Creator — calls you friend. Not simply followers. Not just disciples. Friends. This is relationship, access, intimacy, and delight.

This transforms how we approach relationships:  

– We don’t need to chase approval when we are already accepted by Jesus.  

– We aren’t starved for validation when we are loved as friends of Christ.  

– We aren’t slaves to past rejection when we are called friends by the One who never fails.

(v16) “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”

Even more — we were chosen. His love was not reactive; it was sovereign — initiated by Him. That’s the love you can build your friendships and marriage on.

Friendship with Jesus re-centers how we approach others. We no longer relate from a place of scarcity — but security.

(v17) “These things I command you, that you love one another.”

He circles back again. Love. Always love. Because when He leads, this becomes our lifestyle.

Joke: One little boy said to his friend, “I love you just like Jesus said.” His buddy replied, “Thanks! Wait — does that mean you’re gonna die for me?” He said, “No, but I’ll let you have my last slice of pizza!” Real friendships cost something, but they’re worth it.

Application:

– Trust God’s friendship as your anchor.

– Let Jesus’ love quiet your fear of rejection.

– Let your identity as His friend shape every other relationship you have.

Let’s revisit verse 11 again.

(V11) “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Joy. That’s the outcome of abiding, obeying, and trusting in His love.

We don’t need to lead our relationships blindly, painfully, or selfishly. We have a God who gives us instruction, walks with us, and shapes us into people who live — and love — like Jesus.

Recap/Call To Action:  

  • Abide in Christ — because He is the source of all fruitfulness.  Abide – Don’t try to love others without Jesus. Start your day abiding in Him, listening to His Word, surrendering your strengths and struggles.
  • Walk in obedience — because love isn’t a feeling, it’s a command.  Make the hard choice to love even when it’s inconvenient or undeserved. Sacrifice your comfort to love someone for the sake of Christ.
  • Embrace friendship with Jesus — because He sets the standard for all other relationships. When you live from the acceptance of Jesus’ friendship, you can love from victory instead of for validation.

God wants to lead your relationships — not just repair them, but rewire them. Let the true Vine be your first and forever connection.

Kindly bow your heads and close your eyes.

Maybe you have never asked Jesus in your heart as Lord and Savior. He is the best relationship you could ever have. If that is you and you want Him as a friend, raise your hand. We need Him in our lives. There is no one like Him. He can be your best friend if you ask Him to be.

Closing Prayer:

Repeat after me: Lord Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. Be Lord of my life. Please be my best friend. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for being my Savior.

Father, thank You for being the Vinedresser who never gives up on us. Jesus, help us abide in You — moment by moment. Teach us to obey You, even when it hurts. Thank You for calling us Your friends. May our relationships bear much fruit and bring You honor. In Your name we pray, amen.

Your Sister In Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

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Waiting Well: Trusting God in Delay

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

I. Introduction: The Challenge of Delay

If you’ve ever had to stand in a long DMV line, wait for a table when you’re starving, or sat in traffic with your gas light on, then I can tell—you already know the agony of waiting.

Let’s be real. Waiting is not something we’re naturally good at. We live in a culture of Amazon Prime, microwave meals, and Wi-Fi that better not buffer for more than one second. 

We want things now. 

We want our healing now. 

Our breakthrough now. 

Our spouse now. 

Our promotion now. 

But here’s the truth: God’s timeline is not our timeline, and His ways are not our ways.

Have you ever prayed for something only to wait…and wait…and wait some more?

We find ourselves asking, “God, why are You taking so long?” Or maybe, “God, have You forgotten about me?” But I want to encourage you today with this truth: Waiting is not wasting. When we wait in faith, we grow in strength. God often does His deepest work in us during the delay.

Let’s let Isaiah 40:31 serve as our foundation for this message: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

There is promise in the pause. There is purpose in the delay. God does some of His deepest work in the waiting. But there is also a right way to wait—waiting well.

II. Waiting Is Not Passive – It’s Active Faith

Waiting on God doesn’t mean sitting back in despair or folding our arms in bitterness. Waiting, in a biblical sense, is about moving forward with trust and expectation that God is doing something—even when we can’t see it.

Psalm 27:14 NKJV

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

David, the man after God’s own heart, reminds us that waiting is an act of courage. It doesn’t look passive—it looks brave. So what does active waiting actually look like?

A. Active Waiting Involves:

I. Prayerful Expectation  

We don’t wait in silence; we wait in prayer. Not just pleading, but listening. Not just asking for outcomes, but inviting God’s perspective.

Colossians 4:2 NKJV

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”

Prayer changes us. It realigns our hearts with God’s heart. In prayer, we move from “God change my situation” to “God change me.”

2. Obedience in the Present  

Waiting well means staying faithful to what God has last told you. Maybe God called you to serve, to stay, or to give—and you haven’t seen fruit yet. Obedience is the plow that tills the soil of blessing. Sometimes the next step comes after continued obedience in the current one.

3. Cultivating Trust Over Time  

Trust isn’t built in seconds; it’s forged over long seasons. To wait well means you let go of control and surrender the timeline to God.

Let me ask you: Are you waiting with frustration or with faith? Because waiting with faith is what activates strength in the spirit.

III. God’s Timing Is Perfect

God’s clock operates on a sovereign schedule. Sometimes we feel late. Other times we feel like God is late. But hear me: God may be slow by human standards, but He is never late by heavenly design.

God observes from a divine aerial view, while we only see what’s ten feet ahead.

Isaiah 30:18 (NIV) 

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” 

There’s a blessing in the waiting, not because we love the delay, but because we learn to trust the One who holds time in His hands.

A. God’s Delays Are Often for Our Development

I. To Refine Our Character  

Have you ever noticed that some of the strongest people you know have also gone through some of the longest waits?

James 1:3 NKJV 

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

Waiting reveals what’s in us. It reveals our idols, our impulses, and our priorities. But it also builds spiritual muscle—patience, humility, perseverance.

2. To Prepare Circumstances

God isn’t just working in you; He’s working around you. That delay may mean He’s preparing a person, a place, or a purpose behind the scenes. What you call a “setback” may actually be a set up.

Think of a symphony. Every instrument must come in at just the right moment. If any section starts too early, it ruins the beauty. God is composing a masterpiece in your life, and He will cue your moment at the perfect time.

B. Delay Is Never Denial

Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV

“For the vision is yet for an appointed time…though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come…”

God has not said “no”—He has said “not yet.” And if God gave you the dream, you better believe He’ll bring it to fulfillment.

IV. Promise of Strength and Renewal in the Wait

There’s a beautiful truth tucked inside Isaiah 40:31. The word “renew” doesn’t just mean restore. In Hebrew, it implies exchange. When we wait, we exchange our weakness for His strength.

Let that sink in.

When we’re exhausted, anxious, and tired of waiting, God doesn’t just pat us on the back—He gives us His strength.

A. Levels of Strength in Isaiah 40:31:

I. “Mount up with wings like eagles” – Supernatural breakthroughs  

This is the moment when God moves suddenly and you soar. These are the divine accelerations.

2. “Run and not be weary” – Sustained momentum  

We don’t always get the mountaintop, but God gives us grace to endure the race.

3. “Walk and not faint” – Daily faithfulness in the mundane  

Sometimes the miracle is just making it through another Monday with your peace intact. Faithfulness isn’t always flashy—it’s consistent.

And all three aspects of strength come not before the wait, but through the wait.

V. How to Wait Well

So what can we do right now to make sure we’re waiting well?

A. Be Anchored in Word and Worship

Get in your Bible. Find Scriptures that speak to God’s promises and speak them over your circumstances. Did you know that our Worship shifts atmospheres. Even in silence, your song becomes a weapon.

B. Build Community Support

Waiting can feel isolating. The enemy loves to whisper lies when you’re alone. Surround yourself with people who remind you of God’s faithfulness. Find a Life Group. Stay connected. That’s why coming to church is so important.

C. Watch for God’s Hand in the Small Things

Sometimes we miss God because we’re expecting Him to shout, but often times He comes in a whisper. It’s in the text from a friend, the song on the radio, or the sunrise you didn’t deserve to see.

Elijah waited for a dramatic display—and God didn’t come in fire, wind, or earthquake. He came in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12). Sometimes the whisper is the wonder.

VI. Conclusion: The Reward of Those Who Wait

Let’s land the plane right where we started:

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…”

Waiting doesn’t have to deplete you—it can deepen you. Waiting doesn’t mean punishment—it points to preparation. And waiting doesn’t mean you’re forgotten—it means you’re being formed.

What if the waiting is where the blessing begins? May we be a church that doesn’t just wait… but waits well.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

There is beauty in divine timing. I encourage you to lean into the wait with faith. It’s not wasted time; it’s a sacred space where God molds your heart, sharpens your purpose, and strengthens your spirit. The door will open in His perfect timing. Let us choose to wait well. 

Your Sister In Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

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Trusting God In Every Season – When The Way Isn’t Clear

Have you ever driven through heavy fog? The kind of fog where turning on your high beams only makes it harder to see? You grip the steering wheel a little tighter, slow down, maybe even lean forward as if that will somehow help you keep your eyes on the road. In those moments, your headlights don’t show you five miles ahead—but they’re enough to show you what’s immediately in front of you. Each foot forward reveals the next.

Life can feel a lot like that—foggy, uncertain, hard to navigate. And in those seasons, you don’t need the full five-mile view. You need the assurance that the next step is lit. God doesn’t promise to show us the whole journey, but He promises His presence in every step. As we open the Word today, God wants to remind us that when the way isn’t clear—His Word is.

I. God’s Word Brings Clarity in Confusion

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)

This verse doesn’t say God’s word is a sun to my whole journey. It says it’s a lamp to my feet. A lamp doesn’t flood the entire forest with light—it only helps you see enough not to trip over what’s immediately in front of you.

God’s Word won’t always spell out the five-year plan or tell you where every turn is going, but it will anchor your next step. Like a lantern on a dark trail, Scripture helps guide us—one obedient moment at a time.

Remember the Israelites in the wilderness? They didn’t receive a GPS with a predefined route from Egypt to Canaan. What they got was just enough direction for each day. 

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.” (Exodus 13:21 NKJV)

God gave daily direction—not the itinerary. And He does the same with us. So when confusion rattles your heart and the road ahead looks dim—don’t panic. Don’t demand the five-year plan. Trust His light for the next faithful step.

We will never know the joy of true freedom until we understand we cannot take a single step without His help.

What is the one “next step” God has clearly shown you—even if you don’t yet see why?

II. Fear and Faith Cannot Share the Same Space

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV)

Faith does not require full sight—it requires steady trust. But uncertainty can be a breeding ground for fear. Fear says, “What if God doesn’t show up?” Faith says, “God already has, and He will again.”

You can’t simultaneously give your heart to fear and to faith. One has to quiet the other. When we trust God in the unknowns, we’re not denying reality—we’re leaning into a greater one. 

Trust doesn’t eliminate questions, but it tells us who holds the answers.

Peter walked on water toward Jesus. As long as his gaze stayed fixed on Christ, the waves didn’t matter. But as soon as his focus shifted to fear, he began to sink (Matthew 14:30). The storm didn’t change—only his focus did.

Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

What voices are louder in your life right now—fear’s whispers or faith’s promises?

Speak God’s Word into what you fear. Don’t let fear have the final word.

III. Remember What God Has Done

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2 NKJV)

When you’re unsure of the present, recall the past.

God has a track record in your life—and it’s good. But trouble has a way of giving us spiritual amnesia. That’s why Scripture repeatedly reminds us: don’t forget.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to build altars of remembrance—markers of moments when God intervened, provided, protected, or delivered.

Imagine flipping through a photo album of moments when God was faithful to you. Maybe it was the job He provided, the healing you experienced, the unexpected peace during grief. When you remember those moments, it changes your outlook. Even if you can’t see the next step, you know who’s led every previous one.

Start a spiritual journal. Write down answered prayers, moments of provision, hard seasons where God sustained you. These become landmarks of faith when you feel lost in the fog.

IV. Seek God, Not Just Answers

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

Can we be honest? Most of our prayers in uncertainty sound like, “Lord, tell me what to DO.” But God is often saying, “Come close and know who I AM.” God is more interested in us knowing Him than in us knowing the plan!

Sometimes, God’s direction isn’t about the answer—it’s about intimacy. He doesn’t just want to give instructions; He wants to be with you in the questions.

When Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and Martha was busy working, Jesus said Mary had chosen the good part (Luke 10:42). Mary wasn’t seeking solutions. She was seeking proximity, closeness, and getting to know Jesus, And that was the better choice.

Set aside time not just for seeking answers but for worship, prayer, fasting, and listening. Your most powerful prayer during an unclear season might simply be: “Lord, align my heart with Yours.”

Ask yourself, “Am I more concerned with what God wants me to do—or who He is shaping me to become?”

V. Obedience Today Prepares the Way for Tomorrow

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)

Sometimes the clearest path into an unclear future is simple obedience today.

If you’re waiting to know what comes next, ask: What has God already asked of me that I haven’t yet done?

Obedience doesn’t require full clarity. It requires full surrender.

-Noah didn’t know when the rain was coming. He just knew he had to build the ark (Genesis 6:22). 

-Abraham didn’t know where he was going—he just knew God said “Go” (Hebrews 11:8). 

Scripture is filled with people who embraced a foggy future because they trusted the One sending them.

Think of how a GPS works. It doesn’t give you every instruction at once. It waits—sometimes until the very last second—to give the next command. Why? Because if it told you too early, you might forget. It gives you what you need exactly when you need it.

God’s guidance is often the same. He isn’t withholding; He’s timing.

What step of obedience have I delayed because I’m waiting for more clarity?

Conclusion: The Light for the Next Step

The still, quiet voice of God speaks best in the unknown.

When the path is unclear, choose the lamp. When the answers are hidden, trust the Guide. God may not show you the full map, but He promises never to leave your side.

Our job is not to guess the distance, but to walk obediently, step by step, one step at a time, in the light He provides. His word is a lamp. His Spirit is a comforter. His history is trustworthy.

So, when the way isn’t clear—hold onto what is:  

– God is with you.  

– God is for you.  

– God’s Word is enough for your next step.

Be the kind of person who says: “I don’t see the whole road, but I trust the One holding the lamp.”

Prayer  

“Lord, when I cannot see the full path, help me to trust the light You’ve given me. Let Your Word continue to guide my next step, and may I follow You with faithful obedience even in the uncertainty. May I choose faith over fear, Your presence over answers, and obedience over delay. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Your Sister In Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

Entrapped By Offense
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Entrapped By Offense

Matthew 24:3
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

How many believe we are living in the last days? We see wars, bad economy, natural disasters, people turning away from each other, so much hatred everywhere you go.

Matthew 24:6 – 8
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Dropping down to verse 10…

Matthew 24:10 (NKJV)
“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”

Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever betrayed someone?
Have you hated someone for something they did to you?
Have you been mistreated?
Are you holding onto a grudge and have become bitter over an event and the people surrounding it?

You may be offended and don’t even know it.

Again…
Matthew 24:10 (NKJV)
“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”

Many = much, largely, abundant, great, plenteous, majority, at least 51% will take offense. Over 51% will betray one another and hate one another.

There is a progression:
Offended, wounded, hurt person will eventually put up walls and betray.

Being offended is a trap from the enemy to put you in bondage and bring division. We can be entrapped by an offense and not even know it. That is the reality of be offended. We don’t see how it is affecting us, our family, our church, and everything that is connected with us.

Proverbs 18:19
“An offended brother is harder to reach than a fortified [strong] city, and quarrels [contentions] are like the bars of a fortress [castle].”

A strong city has walls for protection. They were built to keep out those people that you believed were against you.

This is exactly what an offended person does, they begin to build walls to protect themselves.
The New Testament calls these walls Strongholds.”

2 Cor. 10:3 – 5
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments (Imaginations or reasonings) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

They are thought processes or reasonings developed deep within our soul and are contrary to the will or Word of God.

The Word of God is always congruent to the nature of God. The nature of God is love.

The word of God is always to give, to give, to give.

An offended person builds up walls to protect, protect, protect.

They think, “I’ve been hurt and I don’t want to get hurt again!” This sets them up for betrayal.

A lot of us really don’t understand what betrayal means as we look at the extreme cases of it like Benedict Arnold or Judas.

Betrayal is when a person seeks his own benefit or protection at the expense of one he has a relationship with.

Betrayal is the ultimate abandonment of a relationship.

Betrayal, if not dealt with will ultimately lead to hatred.

Hatred is the absence of love or they are “loveless.”

Then Deception. The offended heart is the breeding ground of Deception.

Deception is deceiving – a person who thinks they are really right, turns out to be really wrong. (The devil makes the wrong look right and the right look wrong.) He knows how to present false information looking like the truth.

Matthew 24:11 (NKJV)
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

When we become deceived we are like a false prophet. False prophets are
wolves in sheep’s clothing – notice wolves in sheep’s clothing not shepherds clothing. Many times they are sitting in the pews.

Wolves travel in packs to isolate a sheep from the herd. There is protection for sheep staying in a herd.

Proverbs 18:1 (HCSB)
“One who isolates himself pursues [selfish] desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.”

Where does the isolation occur? In the thinking process – you can still be a member of a church but the isolation happens in our hearts and makes you a perfect candidate for deception……

Matthew 24:12 (NKJV)
“And because of lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

The word Lawlessness in the Greek is “anomia” which is translated, “Law unto yourself”. It is what you want to do. King James Version uses the word “Inequity,” which is sin. It is action that is against God’s Word and law. It is being selfish and doing things your own way. You make the rules. You decide what is right or wrong. This thinking will lead you astray always!

Looking at Matthew 24:12 again, “And because of lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
Again, the word “Many” means over 51%. The love here is translated in the Greek “Agape.” The love that is placed in a Christian’s heart. 51% or more will be offended in the last days. We need to beware of this. We need to guard against this.

The person who can offend you the deepest is the person closest to you. Why is that? Our expectations are higher on them.

We set ourselves up by having expectations. Not expectations of God, as that is good to have, but of man, which is always bad to have.

When we put our expectations in man we will be disappointed every time.

2 Categories of Offense:

  1. Those who have genuinely been mistreated.
  2. Those who think they’ve been mistreated (Often the case).

If you have been mistreated do you have the right to be offended?

A person who is offended is a person who’s forgotten what they’ve been forgiven of!

Holding unto an offense is un-forgiveness.

If you want to walk with God you don’t have a right to be offended.

Matthew 18:21 – 35 (NKJV)
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

70 x 7 = 490 (All in one day – Luke 17:4). We would have to sin once every three minutes as long as we don’t go to sleep in that 24 hour period.

10,000 talents = $5 Billion (Un-payable debt)
100 Denari = $10,000 (possibly a 1/3 of a year’s salary today)

Who are we to decide we won’t forgive some little offense compared to God forgiving us of all the wrong we have done. It doesn’t compare.

A person who doesn’t forgive is a person who forgot what they were forgiven of. What have you been forgiven of?
Christians think of “sin” as: Murder, adultery, stealing
Christians say they have “weaknesses”: un-forgiveness, slander, gossip, strife

Proverbs 6:16- 19 (NKJV)
“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.“

Some translations state: “a person that stirs up conflict or trouble in the community or among the brothers.”

These are things the Lord hates! The last is an abomination – one who sows discord among brethren… this is a Christian who sows seeds of discord, not an outsider.
Discord means: “Lack of concord or harmony between persons. Disagreement, difference of opinion, strife; dispute; war.”

Abomination means: anything greatly disliked or abhorred, Loathing, a vile, shameful, or detestable action.

This is what we do when we stir up strife in church. When we go and talk to others in a negative tone about someone else at work. This is gossip. This is a lying tongue! This is judging one another.

Have you done this?
Have you heard other people do this lately?
What do you do when you hear it?
We should STOP it right away! Don’t allow the sin to manifest even bigger by staying silent while someone talks bad about another person. Do you know by just listening to it you have committed the sin as well. Remember with the same judgement you give it will be measured back to you.

Matthew 7:1 – 2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

We categorize sin, God doesn’t.
Sin is sin.
If it doesn’t please God, don’t do it!!!

If we treat gossip like we treat murder we will be free. Treat it as a “weakness” and you will be bound to it.

We deserve to burn in the same hell as Hitler is burning in. That is our just punishment.

Were you a nice person and got saved? That’s why it is hard for you to give mercy.

Going back to the wicked servant:

Matthew 18:35 (HCSB)
“So My heavenly Father will also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart.”

-Are you too proud to admit you are offended?
-Is your fire dying?
-Are you going to church because it is the thing to do?
-Has your love for God and man grown cold?
-Have you lost your desire to worship?

You might say, “I have forgiven them! I have prayed over this.”

Yet when you see the other person you get critical and you feel a twinge in your heart. You start rehashing all the wrong this person has done in your mind. This is not a person who is over an offense. Stop trying to deny the obvious. You are still OFFENDED!

Acts 24:16 (ASB)
“Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offense toward God and men always.”

And in the Amplified Bible it reads:

Acts 24:16 (Amplified Bible)
“Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men.”

We need to EXERCISE and DISCIPLINE ourselves not to get offended.

-Are you out of shape spiritually?
-Are you reading God’s word? (not just for school or a ritual – but is it feeding your spirit?)
-Are you spending time with God?
-Are you pushing into God?

If you are not doing these things then spiritually you are weak.

How do we exercise or overcome an offense?

Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”

Pray for those who mistreats, abuses, and misuses you.

DAVID knew what it was like to be mistreated…

Psalm 35:11 – 12 (GNT)
“Evil people testify against me and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. They pay me back evil for good, and I sink in despair.”

Do you ever feel like that? Treated unjustly and falsely accused?
Are People speaking lies about you and spreading gossip?

Just wait and God will get them, RIGHT?! Read on…

Psalm 35:13 – 14 (GNT)
“But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning; I deprived myself of food; I prayed with my head bowed low, as I would pray for a friend or a brother. I went around bent over in mourning, as one who mourns for his mother.”

Pray for that person who offended you like what you want God to do in you, your friends, or a family member’s life.

Pray what is truth, not what feels good to the flesh.

Go to the one who hurt you, not pointing out what they did wrong, but with words of reconciliation and kindness.

What if the person doesn’t want to forgive you or they don’t admit their part or what they did wrong? What if they are offended by you and don’t want to forgive? We can, through prayer and intercession (standing in the gap), accomplish the same healing without them.

Parent passed away – you can’t go to them and reconcile.
Someone who is unreachable – you can’t go to them and reconcile.

Allow God to heal your wounds and the wounds you have caused knowing He sees and has the healing power to overcome anything in our lives if we just yield it to Him.

The Holy Spirit can be your best counselor!

But when we can, we need to go to our brother or sister and create an atmosphere of goodness that’s going to help him say, “I am sorry!” Kind, reconciling words! Maybe even give them a nice gift with no strings attached. It is a true jester that you really care about this person and want to forgive.

The love of God He has given us can flow from us, as we receive it, to the one who has offended us.

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Choose to love instead of hate. Hatred turns into bitterness and bitterness is revenge unfulfilled!

Luke 17:1 (NKJV)
“Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!”

In other words, if you breath air you will have the opportunity to be offended.

What you do with the offense will determine your future. Either you will become stronger or bitter.

2 Tim. 2:25 – 26 (NKJV)
“In humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

God has so much blessings ready to pour out to us. Sin separates us from His blessings. Being offended turns off God’s goodness in our lives.

You have to remember 2 wrongs don’t make a right. If someone has hurt you and you put up walls, have un-forgiveness in your heart, and hatred it doesn’t make the wrong situation right. It makes it even worse.

The sin of offense doesn’t justify how badly you’ve been treated.

Wounds will happen. “Offenses will come…” (Luke 14:30). People will hurt us. What will be our reaction?

Don’t let pride keep you from being set free.

Are you ready to run to God with this offense and ask forgiveness?

Are you tired of carrying around this burden/bondage as long as you have been?

Prayer, repeat after me:
Father in Heaven, thank you for speaking to me through your servant. I’ve realized I’ve sinned against you by holding onto un-forgiveness. 2 wrongs don’t make a right. Yes, what was done to me was wrong. But, that doesn’t justify my sin of offense. So today I repent of my sin of offense. I ask you to cleanse me with the blood of Jesus. Father from my heart I forgive _____ (whisper their names – Dad, mom, friend, brother, sister, co-worker) Say this, “I completely release you. You owe me nothing. Nothing! I release and forgive you in the presence of God. In Jesus Name.

Ok, now I want to pray for you:

Lord God, I ask you to draw near to these people. I break the chains. I pull up the roots of bitterness now. I uproot resentment. I uproot un-forgiveness from their life, from their home. And now Lord, in it’s place poor in your love I pray, and your Holy presence. I speak freedom to your life and to your household my brother and my sister in Jesus name, Amen.

Now, let’s give Him praise!
Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

http://www.krisbelfils.com
http://www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

Laughter Is Good Medicine!
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Laughter Is Good Medicine!

LAUGHTERI’ve recorded this message on video if you would like to watch it HERE or by clicking onto the picture above.

I’m sure you have heard the saying: “Laughter is good medicine!?” Is it true? Where did that phrase come from?

This teaching video is designed to bring some laughter to your day and quite possibly a “skip in your step!”

Proverbs 17:22 KJV
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 The Passion Translation
A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul.
But the one whose heart is crushed
struggles with sickness and depression.

Proverbs 17:22 NLT
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

Cheerfulness is shown by always being ready to greet others with a welcoming word, offering words of encouragement, being enthusiastic about the task at hand, or having a positive outlook on the future. Such people are as welcome to others as pain-relieving medicine.

I love it when I am with my sister or a good friend and we end up laughing over silly things. Leaving them and heading home I feel relaxed, refreshed, and at peace. It’s funny how that works but that is how we all are created. I use to be frustrated that my bad emotions would have a negative affect on my health. In the case of positive emotions, which I include being happy and laughing in this category, I am thankful that my emotions affect my health. It affects me mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

The average adult laughs 17 times a day while a child laughs 300 times a day. There is a reason why we have always heard that laughter is the best medicine. Both humor and laughter can be effective self-care tools to help us cope with stress, especially in the workplace. Finding humor and laughter in stressful situations can give us a sense of perspective on our problems. And it’s good for our health. (https://www.uspm.com/does-a-laugh-per-day-keep-the-doctor-away/)

Here are just a few health benefits related to laughing…
-Improves your mood – can lessen depression, anxiety and help you relax.
-Improves your immune system – positive thoughts from laughter release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.
-Laughter boosts the number of antibody-producing cells, which leads to a stronger immune system.
-Activates multiple organs – stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles.

Laughing is much more than an emotional response to something funny, it also brings a physical response. Laughing exercises several muscles in the body, including your abdomen, back, shoulders, and facial muscles. Also, laughter is a great workout for your respiratory system! Much like physical activity, such as running, which increases the endorphins that are released by your brain, laughter has the same effect on your body.

-Laughter causes you to gulp in large portions of air, which brings oxygen to your blood.
-Laughter strengthens the immune system.
-When we laugh our bodies release hormones and chemicals that have positive effects on our system. One of these chemicals is endorphins, the feel-good hormone.
-One minute of laughing burns the same number of calories as 6 to 10 minutes on a treadmill.
-Laughing raises your mood; joyfulness through laughter is the fastest way to create a positive state of mind.
-Laughing is good for the heart and improves blood circulation.
-Laughter can reduce pain and aid the healing process.
-Laughter creates and strengthens human connections.
It feels good to laugh.


Ways to Laugh More


1. Set the Intent to Laugh More. Make a resolution, or set the intent, of laughing heartily as often as you can. Setting a goal to laugh more is as important as setting the goals to get more exercise, eat healthier, and drink more water.

Tell yourself: “I resolve to laugh more”.

2. Include Laughter in Your Morning Routine. Many of us have a routine that we follow every morning to help set us up to have a great day. How about adding laughter to your morning routine?

One way you can do this is by getting a year-in-a-box calendar that will give you a quick laugh when you glance at the joke for the day. Choose a year-in-a-box calendar that tickles your fancy and put it right next to your alarm clock.

Another idea is to get yourself a joke book and read one joke every morning.

3. Smile More. Yes, I know: smiling is not laughing. However, smiling also has a myriad of benefits. When you smile, happy changes begin to take place automatically, both internally and externally. In addition, you can think of smiling as a warm up for laughing.

One way to remember to smile more is to have smiling cues sprinkled throughout your day. There are a number of ways to do this, including getting yourself a coffee mug that makes you smile. That way, every time you get yourself a cup of coffee you’re reminded to smile.

Here are three more cues you can use to remember to smile:
-Smile as you step into the shower.
-Smile every time you’re about to enter your home.
-Smile every time you open the refrigerator.

4. Read the Funnies. If you’re one of those people who still reads the newspaper offline—like me—don’t skip the funnies. After reading about everything that’s going wrong in the world, a little levity will do you good.

5. Befriend a Funny Person. Some people are just naturally funny. They may have a way with words, or they may have a wacky way of looking at the world. These people are gems. If you find one, befriend them immediately.

6. Have a Favorite Comedian. There are lots of great comedians out there, but almost everyone knows of at least one comedian who really appeals to their own particular sense of humor. Choose your favorite comedian and look for some of their comedy routines on YouTube.

7. Follow a Funny Sitcom. Although I advocate watching less TV so that you have more time to read—or work on projects that are important to you—I’m not one of those people who argue that you shouldn’t watch any TV. Just make sure that you’re watching shows that you really enjoy.

8. Have More Fun on Date Night. Keep your relationship strong by laughing more with your partner. On date night, go to a comedy club. If you want to stay in, make some popcorn and watch a funny movie.

9. Read a Funny Book. I often recommend that you read the classics, but you should also read books just because they’re funny. A genuinely funny book is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

10. Find a Little Kid You Can Hang Out With. Little kids haven’t forgotten how to laugh yet. They’ll laugh at just about anything, and there are few things more infectious than a little kid’s laugh.

11. Get a Pet. More specifically, get a dog. Dogs make us laugh because. . . well, just look: (Insert video of funny dog here)

12. Play Fun Games With Friends. Playing competitive party-style games with a group of friends you enjoy hanging out with will have you laughing in no time.

13. Learn to Laugh at Yourself. Most of us take ourselves too seriously, which limits our ability to find the humor in difficult situations. In addition, it can make us uptight and overly sensitive to what other people may be thinking of us.

Learning to laugh at yourself takes some of the pressure off, and it will allow you to be more authentic and vulnerable (both of which are desirable character traits). Here are two ways learn how to laugh at yourself:

Give yourself permission to be silly. At the right moment, being silly is a plus.


Look for the funny side of things. When you’re upset over something, ask yourself: “How is this situation funny”? Humor is a great way to deal with adversity and can even turn a negative into a positive.

14. Take Up Something New. When you try something new–whether it’s to draw, perform a karate kick, or learn to roller blade— your initial attempts will likely be clumsy and even ridiculous. That is, funny.

And, since in the point above you learned how to laugh at yourself, taking up something new is very likely to result in lots of laughs.

15. Have a Favorite Comic Strip. My favorite carton strip of all time is Calvin & Hobbes. I have all of Bill Waterson’s Calvin & Hobbes books. When I need a pick-me up I grab the pile of books, sprawl out on my bed, and look through them.

16. Put Laughter Quotes Up On a Bulletin Board. Put up a bulletin board where you’ll be sure to see it often, and fill it with laughter quotes. Here are some to get you started:

“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” — Mark Twain
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” – e. e. cummings
“If laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely dissolve your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them.” – Dr. Madan Kataria

17. Do More of What Makes You Laugh. When was the last time you had a really good laugh? What were you Doing? Do more of that.

18. Start a Joke Jar. Get your whole family to laugh more by starting a joke jar. Do the following:

Get a nice jar and some scraps of papers.
Find some funny jokes and write them down on the scraps of paper. Ask your family members to do the same.

Put the scraps of paper with the jokes written on them in the jar.
At dinner time have someone reach into the jar, take out a joke, and read it out loud.
Here are some family-friendly jokes to get you started (they’re Easter oriented since it’s almost Easter):

Q: What do you call a rabbit with fleas? A: Bugs Bunny!
Q: Why shouldn’t you tell an Easter egg a joke? A: It might crack up!
Q: What kind of book does a rabbit like at bedtime? A: One with a “hoppy” ending.

Haha

Thanks for stopping by!

Pastor Kris

How To Overcome Fear of the Coronavirus!
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How To Overcome Fear of the Coronavirus!

Fear, we all have to deal with it, sometimes everyday, in our life. Fear can paralyze us if we allow it too. Fear does serve a useful purpose in that it is a vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn’t feel it, we couldn’t protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But if we allow it to rule above our faith, and what God wants us to do for His Kingdom, the devil wins. Remember that the devil is full of fear.

I’ve heard the saying, “Fear is nothing more than faith in the devil.” Ouch! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to ever have faith in the devil! We are serving the enemy when we fear and pull away when God wants us to push forward and persevere and expect a breakthrough.

It’s amazing what we lose in life by listening to fear instead of listening to God. Choose to listen and obey God’s voice and not your fears. You will gain so much and stay on the right path.

Everyone struggles with fear!

What fear can cause
Fear can cause us to reduce the size of God and elevate the size and opinion of man.
Fear can cause us to reduce the size of God and elevate the size of our problem.
Fear can cause us to lead people in the wrong direction.
Fear causes us to stay quiet when we should clearly speak up.
Fear causes us to be passive about an issue that The Lord has clearly brought to our attention.
Fear causes us to seek consensus rather than really seeking the voice of The Lord.
Fear causes us to not engage the broken, the hurting, the misfits and the neglected.
Fear causes us to refuse to embrace change. (Fear of the unknown)
Fear causes us to try and control things and take matters into our own hands rather than trusting The Lord and trusting others.
Fear causes us to conceal sin and shame in our lives when God’s Word is so clear that we should ask others for help.
Fear causes us to seek the easy decision, what’s comfortable rather than seeking the right one.
Fear makes us choose wrong choices.

So what do we do with our fear? I don’t know how you have dealt with fear in your past, but it is my heart to help you overcome any fear, and to realize God is bigger than anything that comes against you.

How to overcome fear

1. Overcome fear with faith.

Fear is the opposite of faith.

A.W. Tozer states:

Fear is of the flesh

and panic is of the Devil!

A.W. Tozer

It seems when we entertain thoughts of fear, and allow it to settle in our spirit, panic will set in. Many people have had panic attacks in their life all due to fear. Most of the time the fear is something we think will happen and not a factual outcome.

The Bible says, that Satan is like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He roars that he might make us afraid. The roar of a lion can actually paralyze its prey causing it to be its easy target. If Satan can create fear in us, we become an easier prey for him to destroy.

God offers us faith as Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.”

Everyone is given the measure of faith as a born again Christian. You have faith, you don’t need to pray for it. I don’t need to pray for faith, I just need to use the faith that I have. The more I use the faith that I have, the stronger it will get. Faith can grow and the only way it grows is if you use it. Faith is a powerful force that resides on the inside of our spirit. When it is released tremendous things can happen.

We have to have faith to get up in the morning. We have to have faith to raise our children, or drive in traffic, or get married and stay married. So also we need faith to overcome our fears. Faith is a decision we make about where we are going to put our trust. Our trust has to be in God and His Word. He is for you and not against you. He has great plans for you. He brings opportunities for you to walk in and wants you to walk in them fearlessly.

We can release our faith in three different ways: by praying, by saying, and by doing. Stop saying how you feel or think and start saying what God says about your situation. Allow your faith to arise in times of being afraid. The shield of faith is your best weapon to overcome the lies and roars of the enemy.

Eph. 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

This includes a shield of faith — “thureos” in Greek — a shield large enough to provide full protection from attack, covering the believer from head-to-toe during hand-to-hand spiritual warfare. Ultimately, the Lord is described as our Shield (as aforementioned). No matter who rises up against us, He covers us.

2. Remind yourself Who is with you!

God is and has always been with you. Even though you can’t see Him, even though you can’t feel Him, He is with you!

Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

And Scripture tells us to cast our care on Him!

Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.

3. Set Your Mind On Things Above!

Phill. 4:6 – 7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This is what the Lord showed me concerning the Coronavirus:

Coronavirus: Is an enemy we cannot see yet we place our fears deeply in it. The results or evidence of the virus is: sickness, quarantine, panic, anxiety, Stress, and Death!

Faith In God: A Superior being we cannot see yet we place our trust in Him and the results or evidence of God is: peace, love, healing, joy, happiness, and LIFE and so much more!

What we focus on and what we put our trust in will be our God. I don’t know about you but I would rather put my trust, faith, and focus on God and not give place for anxious thoughts, panic, stress, and ultimately death. God is bigger than this virus! God is bigger than our fears concerning the virus and concerning anything that scares us. Fear of the unknown is tremendous. But we overcome this fear simply by placing our trust in God and believing that He is always with us and we can continue to live full abundant lives in the midst of this storm we are all facing!

4. Be courageous.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but courage is actually forward motion in the presence of fear.

God wants us to be strong and courageous. He spoke this to Joshua many times before he crossed over the water to possess the promised land.

Joshua 1:6 – 7 Amplified Bible
“Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”

Joshua was just getting ready to face the giants in the land and to possess the promises God gave Moses forty years earlier. He needed courage to be encouraged to go even in the face of any fears he may have experienced.

Hebrews 13:6 Amplified Bible
“So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?”

What can man do to me? Our flesh screams daily for being comfortable. Our spirit should be tenacious to overcome our flesh and to press forward with the new God has waiting for us.

The Webster dictionary speaks of being encouraged as: “to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope.” This is what we need to do for ourselves. We need to encourage ourself in the Lord. I have written on this in my article, “How To Encourage Yourself In The Lord.” It is the number one article on my Blog (krisbelfils.wordpress.com). Daily I have people reading that article and they found it by searching the internet on “How To Encourage Yourself.” Everyone of us need to be encouraged daily. If we lose our courage, we have lost the war.

Courageous is: possessing or characterized by courage; brave (dictionary.com).

We need to have brave hearts in this journey of life. Anyone can give up and retreat. It takes a courageous person to press on in the midst of fear or discouragement.

This is not a time to give up. It’s not a time to retreat and think all is lost. It is a time to be strong and courageous and get a glimpse of who God is in your life. He is Bigger than anything and everything you face!

I encourage you today to put your hope and trust in God and not in the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus only brings sickness, disease, anxiety, panic and death. God came to give us life and to have life more abundantly! We will get through this season. It is only a season! Life will go on after this season, and so will we!

Your Sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

by

True Liberty! (Independence Day Message)

True LibertyThe Pledge of Allegiance:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I love the Pledge Of Allegiance of the United States, especially the part where it states: “One Nation under God, indivisible, with LIBERTY and justice for all.” The United States was founded and is a nation created for religious freedom. Freedom to worship God the way we want to and freedom to live in liberty and justice for everyone.

No matter how many people fight religious freedom, it will be part of the United State’s foundation. If it were not for spiritual hungry people, the Pilgrims, wanting and longing to worship God freely, and in their own way, the United States would not be here. We all should be thankful for these Freedom Fighters! Dare I say: Revivalists?

Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! It was originally written: Life, Liberty, and property, but Jefferson changed it. We have the right to pursue Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the U.S.

The pursuit of happiness is defined as a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy, as long as you don’t do anything illegal or violate the rights of others. This goes along with pursuing God and the things of God.

The United States was founded on Freedom and Liberty. It is a place to be free.

There is a deeper Freedom, a more powerful freedom for Christians that God wants us to experience. We have freedom in Christ. What does that mean?

Gal. 5:1 TPT
Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.

Jesus, the Anointed One, has taken our place as the ultimate sacrifice for all that we have done. He wanted us to have freedom from sin. Freedom from our past. To not be a slave to the wrong we have done. If you have turned to the Lord and He is your Savior, you are free indeed!

John 8:36 NIV
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36 TPT
So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!

Jesus wanted us to walk in His freedom. If we don’t, we are saying Christ died in vain. But He didn’t die in vain. I want to really grab ahold of what it means to have liberty in Christ.

2 Cor. 3:16 – 18 NIV
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Once the carnal veil of human reasoning and interpretation is removed, the believer begins to reflect the brightness of God’s glorious inward presence, ever changing more into His likeness and wonder.

“Now the Lord – Christ is that Spirit of the law whereof I speak, to which the letter was intended to lead. And where the Spirit of the Lord, Christ, is, there is liberty – Not the veil, the emblem of slavery. There is liberty from servile fear (having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others), liberty from the guilt and from the power of sin, liberty to behold with open face the glory of the Lord.” ~ John Wesley

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Whenever the Spirit of God is present there is LIBERTY!

We have freedom to be who we are in Christ.

2. We have freedom to pursue Him and find out more about Him.

3. We have freedom to walk in His righteousness and let go of our own.

4. We have freedom to walk guilt and debt free from our past.

And because of all of this…

5. We have freedom to experience all that God has for us.

Liberty

Liberty: In the Noah 1828 Dictionary:
1. Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind.
2. Natural liberty consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life.
3. Civil liberty is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation.
4. Political liberty is sometimes used as synonymous with civil liberty But it more properly designates the liberty of a nation, the freedom of a nation or state from all unjust abridgment of its rights and independence by another nation.
5. Religious liberty is the free right of adopting and enjoying opinions on religious subjects, and of worshiping the Supreme Being according to the dictates of conscience, without external control.
6. Leave; permission granted.
7. A space in which one is permitted to pass without restraint, and beyond which he may not lawfully pass;

Liberty is the very essence of the Gospel.

James 1:25 NKJV
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

The primary motivation for legalism is guilt, but the motivation for the perfect law of liberty is love.

Liberty
Eword: The opposite of servitude or bondage, hence, applicable to captives or slaves set free from oppression. Morally, the power which enslaves is sin (Joh 8:34)…

John 8:34 NKJV
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

…and liberty consists, not simply in external freedom, or in possession of choice, but in deliverance from: the darkening of the mind, sinful lusts and the enthrallment of the will, brought on by a morally corrupt state.

Leviticus 25:10 KJV
And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty (release NASB) throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

This is the first time the word “liberty” is mentioned in the Bible. It is also the famous quote that is on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA… “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…” Most citizens today assume that the famous bell got its name from the fact that it rang when America announced its liberty, but such is not the case. It is called the Liberty Bell because of the Biblical inscription.

Another scripture on liberty…

Isaiah 61:1 NKJV
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

There is deliverance to everyone who is captive in sin, sickness, and even death. This was Jesus’ mission on earth and it still is. We can be set free from all of this because of what He did on the cross for you and I. He took our place. We are free! We are healed! We don’t have to die and spend eternity in hell, but we get to live forever with Jesus some sweet day when we go home to be with the Lord.

In the New Testament:

Luke 4:18 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To set at liberty them that are bruised… The bruised: the completely crushed and shattered in life, the oppressed and broken in body, mind, and spirit so that there is no aim even to live. Sickness, disease, weakness, failure, bondage to sin and evil habits that destroy the body, soul, and mind. Jesus came to “set at liberty” those who have experienced or are experiencing these things.

Liberty means so much more than setting someone free from bondage. It means to bring healing to those who have been crushed in their emotions, body, mind, and spirit.

God wants us to live in His liberty. This means we are living in wholeness and healing of our past: the things we have done and the things that have been done to us.

If you have been crushed and your life seems shattered, if you are oppressed and broken, God wants to heal you of all of that with His freeing power so you can live your life to the fullest! In His liberty!

Here in the United States we have a Liberty Bell and a Statue of Liberty in the U.S. We have “Liberty and justice for all” in our pledge. We have “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in our Declaration of Independence. Liberty is so important for our nation and to each one of us as individuals.

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

The Spirit of God is always the spirit of liberty; the spirit that is not of God is the spirit of bondage, the spirit of oppression and depression. The Spirit of God convicts vividly and intensely, but He is always the Spirit of liberty. God who made the birds never made birdcages; it is men who make birdcages, and after a while we become cramped and can do nothing but chirp and stand on one leg. When we get out into God’s great free life, we discover that that is the way God meant us to live “the glorious liberty of the children of God.” – Oswald Chamber

Liberty in Christ can never be taken away from us. We are free in Jesus because of what he paid for us. I want to be so free that I don’t even think about what I use to be, but to pursue all that God wants me to be. There is no bondage on us. No shackles. No chains. We are released to move and become all that we were created to be, all because of Jesus!

WE ARE FREE!
WE ARE FREE!
WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!
WE HAVE FULL LIBERTY!

Independence Day means so much to me. I declare my independence from this world and pledge my dependance on God.

Pledge to my Savior:
I pledge allegiance to my Savior Who paid the price for my sins, and to His Father and Holy Spirit who lives inside of me, One Kingdom, One God, with unconditional love and acceptance for all.                                                                                         By Pastor Kris Belfils

Your Sister in Christ,

 

Pastor Kris Belfils
http://www.KrisBelfils.wordpress.com
http://www.KrisBelfils.com
http://www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

 

by

Heart On Fire – Revival Fire

Heart on FireMy heart and prayer for all of my Christian life is that God would bring a revival fire to Spokane and the world and ignite and transform people! That they wouldn’t live less then what they were created to live. I have been on staff at various churches in Washington State and all of them my heart burned for God to move on the hearts of the people to awaken them and put a fire in their bellies. I have traveled to Africa, Panama, Germany, Finland, Holland, Sweden, Canada, England, Amsterdam (Netherlands), and all over the United States with this message. Why would I do that? Because God has so transformed me and my life I just have to tell others so they can experience His love, grace, and mercy for themselves. It is a life-changer!!! It is also the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel too all!

I remember receiving the baptism of the holy Spirit at an early age. That experience was life changing too. I was empowered with Holy Spirit’s power and anointing to see and move in God’s Spirit everywhere I went. It was like when I got saved I was given a spoon to dig up dirt. Then when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit I was given a big shovel to dig up dirt. All of the sudden I was given insight and knowledge that I didn’t have before. I was given tools and powerful weapons against the enemy. I was infused with God’s power to fight off the enemy and to take the land for God’s Kingdom.

We all need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist stated that He baptized in water unto repentance but there was someone mightier then he was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:11 – 12 NKJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Unquenchable fire!

Our God is a consuming fire. He hates sin and any residue of it left behind will pollute a godly harvest. During the seasons of harvest, when fruits of intimacy with God has been produced from the inner workings of revival, one aspect of God’s fiery expression is sent forth to purge the staff still left among the gathered threshed grain. This spiritual purging cleanses the ungodly residues that frequently cling to the grain harvest and could defile the value of the final product.

The work of the Holy Spirit in your lives is often compared to the numerous grain harvest described in the Bible. Revival awakens the heart to intimacy with God, which in turn produces fruit of many types. During the mid to latter stages of this awakening happening in a person, group, or thing, God begins to construct the threshing floor.

The laborers, who worked on these threshing floors, threshed the grain and generally used a six-pronged wooden fork-like shovel to scoop up the crushed grain and toss it to the evening winds, removing the outer translucent husks—this is one type of chaff. There are two types of chaff associated with grain harvests. The second type is the stalks, dried leftover roots and broken stubble, which are either fed to the livestock or, most frequently, burned. God requires those who have been revived to produce a pure harvest, one unspotted by the dead works of the flesh.

Imagine for a moment a forest full of beautiful trees that is suddenly devastated by a large wild fire. The statuesque trees are instantly transformed to mere piles of smoldering ash. You can no longer see any resemblance of a forest. All that remains is a desolate place covered in ash. Now this sounds terrible, but in the Spiritual this is an amazing thing.

The fire of revival is a consuming force. As the flames spread, fear, sin, lust, pride, rebellion, and many other bondages are destroyed. Where there was once a large stronghold, there now is freedom. You can no longer see any form of that bondage because it has been overtaken by God’s holy fire. His fire is transformative and full of delivering power. In a moment, the fire of God takes you from just hearing about a move of God into experiencing that move. This fire also releases a deep passion on the inside of your spirit man. As you are in the presence of revival fire, you are stirred in the deepest part of your being.

You cannot choose between the Spirit and the fire. They are inseparable, one and the same. There are not two baptisms, one “in the Spirit” and the other “in fire.” There is one baptism only in the Spirit and fire.

Acts 2:1 – 4 NKJV
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When the Holy Spirt came on the Day of Pentecost, He arrived with tongues of fire. One hundred and twenty men and women were divinely empowered and supernaturally endued. Heaven’s power invaded the earth, and those one hundred and twenty then shook their whole world. Today, we have got plenty of fanfare, but very little fire; plenty of formulas, but very little flames. We are high on utterance, but low on unction. Where is the holy heat of His presence? What has happened to the “mighty baptism from on high?” How many have been immersed—soaked, saturated, dunked, and virtually drowned—in His enabling power and might? Where is the overwhelming flood tide of His waves in our nation today?

The promise of the Father as Jesus described it, arrived on Pentecost to waiting, seeking, and united souls. It was an outpouring of fire. God is a consuming fire. The result or fruits of this outpouring empowered the Church, unlocking immeasurable spiritual unction to preach, pray, prophesy, and minister.

In this case the fire fell. Revival is not about getting “fired up” as much as it is getting under the “fire fall.” In the natural, fire goes up. In the supernatural, fire comes down. Elijah called down fire from heaven on the sacrifice. Fire came down on Mt. Sinai. Fire came down on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. As they waited, divided tongues as of fire sat on each of them. The fire fell in Jerusalem because that is where He told them to go. Fire falls where God tells you to go. Fire falls on what He tells you to do. Fire falls on obedience.

The fire of revival is the revelation of the Lord Himself. In revival moves, God comes down in the midst of the people in full manifestation. Strange and unusual manifestations take place and what was once difficult suddenly becomes easy in the presence of the Creator. The Lord is clothed in fire. It is impossible to enter into the manifest presence of God without experiencing the fire of God. The fire is in the Holy Place. Outer-court Christians (those who have been converted but live in the flesh) will not be able to experience the fullness of the fire of God. That fire burns in the Holy Place. It is revealed to those who have laid down their lives and moved beyond the flesh realm into the realm of the Spirit.

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Paul’s admonition to the church at Rome was to lay their very lives on the altar and become a living sacrifice. The altar is the place of fire and the place of death. There is a level of Christianity that much of the modern-day Church does not know. It is that place where you have surrendered your entire existence to God. As the believer approaches the fire of God, it means certain death to the life of the flesh but a deep release of the life of the Spirit.

Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.

Romans 8:13-14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Christian who is living their life surrendered to the fire and dying to the flesh is sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. When you have been purged in the fire you are quick to obey God.

Dream: I had a dream over 15 years ago. It was during a time in my life where God was burning out all the dross in me. In the dream, I walked into a big hall or conference room and there were many people attending. I walked up to the front of the room and began speaking out things that God was doing in people. With passion I would shout out “Someone has this in their life and God wants to heal you!” I would point to people and tell them what God was saying to them. From the back of the room a man stood up and said, “She’s been through the fire and that is why she can be used like this!!!” 🔥

I had been through the Holy Fire of God in my life and it was hot. I needed it desperately and I didn’t even know it. After the intense purifying that God took me through with changing the way I thought and acted and spoke, I was ready for God to mold and make me into what He wanted me to be. To this day I am forever changed by that time in my life. (You can read more about this in my book, “The Garbage Man Always Comes On Fridays.”)

What does Revival Fire do?

  1. Fire illuminates

Fire illuminates, but no fire illuminates like “the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire.” When one is baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, truth that once was dark to them becomes instantly as bright as day; passages in the Bible that they could not understand before become as simple as ABC; and every page of God’s Holy Word glows with heavenly light. This kind of baptism will do more for taking the infidelity and skepticism and false doctrine out of a person than any university education.

2. Fire Makes Warm, It Makes Us Glow

You and I are cold—oh, how cold we are! And the Lord Jesus takes us and He plunges us into the fire of the Holy Spirit. We begin to grow warm, and soon we glow, glow with love for God, glow with love for Christ, glow with love for the truth, glow with love for those who are perishing. The greatest need of the day is men and women on fire.

3. Fire Impacts Energy

Science tells us that every form of energy can be transmuted into fire. When a baptism with fire comes, then comes power. That is what was manifested at Pentecost. The fire of God fell, and with the energy of that fire they went out from the Upper Room and three thousand people were converted.

4. Fire Spreads

Nothing spreads like fire. Once there is a heat source to cause ignition and a sufficient amount of fuel and oxygen present the fire will continue to burn. As the fire burns, large amounts of heat are produced. … This transfer of heat causes the fire to grow and to spread to other areas.

Our heat source is the Fire of God and God breathes on us we are ignited and burn for him. As we burn we produce large amounts of heat or passion. This causes the fire to grow and spread to others. People are affected by your passion and fire for God.

5. Fire Reveals

1 Corinthians 3:13
Each man’s work shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The time I prayed to God to baptize me in His Holy Spirit, the first thing that came to pass was that I had such a revelation of myself as I had never had before. A revelation of yourself as God sees you!

6. Fire Refines

Malachi 3:1 – 3 NKJV
“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

We have to be purified in God’s Holy Fire. This will make us righteous and be that pure offering to God.

These verses speaks of the purifying power of fire. Water will not cleanse as fire does. What we need is the fire of the Holy Spirit penetrating into the innermost depths of our being, burning, burning, burning, cleansing.

7. Fire Consumes

Ezekiel 24:11 – 13 illustrates the consuming power of fire, fire of judgment that will consume the filth of Jerusalem. And the baptism of fire consumes, in fact cleanses by consuming; it burns up all dross, all vanity, all self-righteousness, all personal ambition, all ungovernable temper.

Revival fire is calling the Church back to the altar, back to the place of holy living, and back to radical obedience.

Revival is beckoning. The flames are calling out to a generation to rise higher and go deeper. Revival is being sent to unlock hidden purpose and undying passion.

Acts 28:3
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

The fire of God draws out vipers! When God’s fire is turned up in a church, devils will be exposed. The Church must just remain in a spirit of prayer and not be moved by the enemy. Devils will try to attack you when you press into the fire. The purpose of the attack is to get you out of the fire of God. The devil is ruthless. He will use anybody including your family, friends, or fellow church members. This is why you must be prayed up every day and walking according to the marching orders that the Holy Spirit has given you. There is no time to be distracted, not even for a moment.

When you press into the fire of God, attacks and persecution will come but you must shake it off. God has supernaturally empowered you to rise up and win. That viper should have killed Paul but Paul was not a normal man. He was a child of God Almighty. He shook that devil off and moved on unharmed.

Ephesians 4:27
Neither give place to the devil.

We must close every door to the devil so we can keep going forth into the fire. God will quicken in our spirit those things or people we need to stay away from. Be quick to obey Him and don’t give the devil an inch.

The Early Church was on fire and they turned their world upside down. The Church in this hour is going to turn this world upside down with the power and fire of God. The army of the Lord is going to go forth and claim nations and generations for God.

This is an hour of radical revival fire. As your heart becomes consumed, you will step out in faith and refuse to be silent anymore. Those touched by the fire of God do not care what the world says! The world did not understand the ministry of Jesus. While many received Him, many others became violently offended by Him. The world mocked the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts chapter two. They could not understand the things of the Spirit because they were locked in a prison of the flesh. The world will not understand the revival fire that burns in the hearts of God’s people but we must be delivered from their opinions.

There are those who are broken, hurting, and living in darkness, waiting for a messenger burning with the fire of God to come. You are a part of the army that will go. The fire of revival ultimately prepares the believer to fulfill their assignment. Once you have passed through the fire of God, you are cleansed, filled with fresh passion, and ready to impact the world.

Revival spreads much like a natural fire. It is passed from person to person, church to church, and ministry to ministry. All it takes is a spark to ignite a raging revival inferno that will shake a city.

Revival shifts people into their assignments and destiny. When revival hits a church, that church receives instruction in the midst of fire to impact their city. Not only do instructions come in the midst of fire but also the power of God comes to carry out the instruction.

Fire sends you into the mission field. Souls are the prize of revival. God ignites the believers, calls them back to their first love, and then sends them into the lost and broken world with His holy fire.

Holy Fire
By Kris Belfils

Holy Fire ignite my spirit
Come and burn your love in me
Precious Savior, glorious Lord
Come and move your hand on me

I have been cold and wet far too long
I miss the time I spend with You
Guard my heart and keep me strong
Holy Fire, Precious Savior
Come and burn your love anew

 

You can listen to this song by Kris Belfils by clicking onto the title above or clicking on the picture below.

Seasons of Change by Kris Belfils

Song: Holy Fire

Seasons Of Change Cover

 

 

 

Some of the material in this article are taken from the following:

-The Revival Study Bible, Copyright 2010 by Armour Publishing Pte Ltd

-Fire of Revival: The Believers Guide to Personal Transformation and Global Revival, by Ryan Lestrange

Heart on Fire – Hunger and Thirst!
by

Heart on Fire – Hunger and Thirst!

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Have you ever been hungry? Maybe its been a while since you last ate, and your stomach is grumbling. Your pizza from last night is long gone, and you forgot to eat breakfast. Rumble, rumble, it goes. And it’s all you can think about; you just can’t wait for lunch. You just can’t wait to test food again. Maybe you start imagining what you’re going to eat—what it will look like, what it will smell like, what it will taste like. You can almost taste it now. Maybe you’re going out to lunch at a favorite restaurant today and that is all that you can think about ordering your favorite meal. Your mouth even starts to water just thinking about it, and when you do eat it, it is delicious!!! The taste reminds you all over again why it’s your favorite, and even after you’re done, you know you’re going to have to eat it again—and soon!

The Bible says…

Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trust in Him!

The word taste is translated: Experience. “Oh, taste and see” you are literally saying: Try and experience, or try the flavor of the Lord because He is good.

You cannot see except by tasting for yourself; but if you taste you shall see, for this, like Jonathan’s honey, enlightens the eyes. “That the Lord is good.” You can only know this really and personally by experience. (1 Sam. 14)

The Lord asks us to “taste and see” that He is good. He wants us to hunger for Him and His presence more than we would hunger for anything else in this world. And just like your favorite food, when you get a little bit of Him, He knows that you’re just going to want more. Unlike the food we eat, there is never too much of God. We can never consume too much of Him, of His presence, of His goodness. We could taste of His love forever and ever, and we would never get enough.

How does revival come? It comes when men and women get desperate for God. Revival begins with spiritual hunger, when God’s people are no longer satisfied with man’s plan but they long for something more. Jesus told all hungry people to come to Him. He is attracted to hunger. 

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

There are many people who are not hungry to go any deeper. They like having God in a box. They want just enough of Him to feel better and possibly be blessed but they do not long for a deeper walk. God cannot fill those people in the manner that He desires. His promise is to fill the hungry. He is placing a divine hunger on the inside of men and women who will begin to seek Him for something deeper than what they are walking in right now. That is revival hunger!

Hunger Defined – The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food; To have a strong desire or craving.

One of the greatest challenges in the church today is that we have lost our hunger for God! My desire is to stir up your hunger —that you would seek Him with all your heart!

There are many people in the Bible who wanted to know God more. Here are just a couple…

Phil. 3:10a KJV

That I may know him…

Phil. 3:10a, Amplified Classic

(For my determined purpose is) that I may know Him (that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly).”

The Apostle Paul wrote this out of His determined focus on knowing Jesus more. He didn’t have Jesus in the flesh to get to know, but like us, he was a seeker and longed to taste and know and experience more of Christ.

Psalm 63:1-3 AMP

A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You;

My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

David was a man after God’s own heart. He was hungry for God and to know Him deeper and to be in His presence. All throughout the Psalms David writes His heart of longing to be with God and that nothing satisfies his hunger or thirst but God. David wrote this when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 

Sometimes God allows us to go into the wilderness to cause us to hunger & thirst for Him! The wilderness is a lonesome place, a waste land, desert, desolate, solitary, a starving place.

There are times God allows us to be in the wilderness to get our attention. Sometimes our own choices places us in a place of spiritual starvation. Maybe you feel dry and famished? Maybe you are feeling all alone and not going anywhere. This may be your wilderness time. What are you going to do? Are you going to get bitter and mad that you are in a wilderness or are you going to seek food and water from the One who can only satisfy?

3 Things about Hunger and Thirst

  1. GOD ALONE CAN SATISFY OUR HUNGER AND THIRST.

John 7:37-38

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Are you hungry or thirsty for God? This verse is the answer. Go to Jesus and drink of Him. Spend time with Him in prayer and Bible reading. Worship Him 24/7, even when you are at work. Enter into the worship service on Sunday and drink from the fountain that never runs dry. (Fountains by Josh Baldwin)

John 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.”

Jesus is the bread of life! In the natural bread sustains and nourishes and keeps us, so does Jesus. He is our daily bread, the air we breathe, the living water that quenches our thirst and satisfies. We no longer have to search for things in this world to sustain us spiritually. We have the best bread that has ever been made and that is Jesus Himself.

2. WE WON’T BE HUNGRY FOR GOD UNTIL WE TASTE HIS GOODNESS!

Ps. 34:8

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

Ps. 119:103

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

1 Peter 2:1-3

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

  • When you know how much God loves you, you will seek Him. We need a revelation of the Father’s heart of love for us.
  • Satan distorts our perception of who God is so we won’t seek after Him – this is a barrier to hunger that must be broken by God’s revelation!
  • Let Him love you—to transform you and wreck you for everything but His presence.

3. ONCE YOU’VE TASTED AND SEEN GOD’S GOODNESS YOU WANT MORE!

THOSE WHO HUNGER:  “God will fill them; and when he fills men with his fulness, they are full indeed.”  –C. H. Spurgeon

The verbs for hunger and thirst mean an intense desire, an ardent craving, and all-consuming pursuit. It is as though you are parched and nothing will stop you from getting to the water fountain to drink. Or, you are so hungry you will pursue food at all costs. It’s a desperate kind of hunger.

In a different context, to describe a person who is ambitious, passionate, and desperate to achieve or to succeed we will say “he’s hungry.” It is that same kind of passion and drive that should motivate the believer to pursue God.

Psalm 42:1 – 2 Amplified Bible

As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,

So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.

My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God.

When will I come and see the face of God?

I love these verses. It gives a visual that is so clear. You can see the deer panting for water and it brings a question to ourselves; “Am I longing for the Living water like the thirsty deer is for the water brooks?”

Hunger and thirst are intense desires. It is that same intensity that we need in seeking God. Do you have that kind of desperation for a truly Christian lifestyle that changes us from the inside out so that we no longer seek the praise of men but causes us to seek God’s approval above everything else?

Appetites aren’t filled until you do something about it. It is one thing to intellectually say I am hungry and desire food. It is quite another to take the steps to satisfy your hunger and to quench your thirst. At some point you have to go eat or drink.

By the way, a loss of appetite is a sign of illness. Physically, we know something is wrong when we have no desire to eat. The same is true spiritually. When we no longer hunger and thirst for time alone with God through Bible reading and prayer, or aren’t committed to the worship of God, or fail to get alarmed over our sinful condition and the sin of the world, we see clear signs of spiritual sickness. When we no longer take the appropriate action of developing and deepening our relationship with God, a warning light – like on the dashboard of your car – needs to be illuminated, signaling that something is wrong. We need help.

The action we need to take is to go to the source – the bread of life.

When we are spiritually hungry we will come to the source of spiritual life – Jesus himself. Our real hunger is for God. Saint Augustine was right when he said: “O God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”

Here is the problem; many people are going to the wrong places – pleasure, performance, or possessions; living on the junk food of another job, another marriage, another vacation; or thinking, “All I need to do is read the Bible every now and then, attend church and worship every once in a while, serve in ministry when I feel like it.” 

God says, “Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest” (Is. 55:2 The Message).

Many people today are looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places, trying to satisfy the craving of their hearts with junk of this world, or in the church and are spiritually malnourished. You need to come to Jesus – the source of life itself. You need to feed upon Him with balanced, daily diet of prayer and the study of God’s Word. You need to drink from His cup through life giving worship. You need to feast on His love and his grace, His forgiveness, and His power.

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Is it a continual pursuit? Are you coming back for more? I have discovered that hungering and thirsting for righteousness is like a narcotic. You get hooked. You become addicted. You need more. You keep coming back. Once you have encountered the living God nothing else satisfies. You want more and more of Him.

When you hunger and thirst after righteousness, when you want what God wants more than anything in the world, you will have it. You will be filled with Jesus himself!

There is power in hungering and thirsting after God and His ways. It sets you on the right path, it brings you to a close intimate relationship with God. It brings breakthrough and chains are broken that have captured you.

I close with this final thought. Jesus’ appeal is always personal. He never says, “Come and join the church” or “Come and be baptized” or “Come and give money.” He simply says, “Come unto me.” When Jesus says, “You will be filled,” He means “You will be filled with Jesus himself!”

If you are hungry, come and eat of the Bread of Life.

If you are thirsty, come and drink of the Water of Life.

If are weary and heavy-laden, come and find rest.

If you are guilty, come and be forgiven.

If you are far from God, come back home again.

Read Psalm 63:1 – 8 from The Passion Translation 

Psalm 84:2 Amplified Bible

My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalm 107:9 Amplified Bible

For He satisfies the parched throat,

And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.

Let me give you some good news. In the kingdom of God, everything begins with a seeking heart! Salvation begins with a hungry heart. If you are tired of the life you’ve been living, you can make a new start.

Whatever you want in the spiritual realm, you can have if you want it badly enough. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? If you are, you can be filled. This is the promise of God to hungry hearts and thirsty souls.

Take time right now and allow your hunger and thirst for God bring you into His presence. Desire to know Him more. Allow God to fill you to overflowing with Who He is!

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.WordPress.com