hope

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The Hope Series – “Where Is Your Hope?” (Part 2)

Hope Series part 1 graphicProverbs 13:12

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Hope Deferred

Delayed hope, or hope put off makes our hearts sick. It grieves our spirit. It zaps our energy and fills our hearts with darkness. God knows this. Don’t give up hope, God hears our cry for help! He will send us our cloud of hope, even if it is very small, it is something we can see and know He is working on our behalf.

Video: “While I’m Waiting”

Will we worship and walk in obedience waiting for God to bring hope and answers? Do you trust God? This is what the Christian faith is all about… faith believing God is there and this brings hope.

Far too often believers give up when their prayer is not answered or things don’t go according to your plans. We think God is mad or didn’t hear our cry. There is an element of faith believing every Christian has to walk through. Do we just love God when times are good, and then when times are hard we give up on God?

We have to be mature believers and decide I will trust God and hope in God no matter the circumstance.

Helpless but not hopeless! In our weakness God is strong. We can stand knowing when we are walking through a hard situation, in our helplessness, God sees our condition. Just like a loving parent sees and helps a helpless child, this is what God does with us. We have to realize this is humility and it is also strength. Humility in that we are not relying on our own abilities, and strength because we totally rely on God’s. This is what David did when facing Goliath. David’s brother, Eliab, thought David was arrogant when he came to the front lines of battle to find out what was going on with his big brothers and the nation of Israel.

Read 1 Samuel 17:1 – 11

1 Samuel 17:11 (NKJV)

“When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.”

Remember one of the words for “despair” is “dismayed.” King Saul and all of Israel had lost hope. They didn’t believe they would prevail. Unbelief is trusting in your own strength. Unbelief is pride, the opposite of humility.

This world will tell you that being humble is to be meek and timid, but that is not humility at all. True humility is not relying on your own strength but on God’s. It is a knowing that God will prevail in spite of circumstances and fears. It is believing God is Who He says He is and walking in His power and insight.

Read 1 Samuel 17:12 – 18

David knew who he was. He was a Mighty Man Of God, yet even his father treated him as a child sending him to look after his brothers and report back what was going on. I am sure David burned in his chest the desire of being on the front lines in battle. Knowing David’s character, and Who He relied on in every circumstance, he wanted to show God’s power by annihilating the enemy. David wasn’t afraid of the Giants or what people thought of him.

David lived in his hopes. Saul, David’s brothers, and the Israelites lived in their fears. It paralyzed them from doing anything great. It put them in bondage and they couldn’t advance. If it weren’t for David, all of Israel would have been killed or turned into Philistine slaves.

Read 1 Samuel 17:19 – 30

Eliab’s view of David was skewed. Eliab believed he was speaking out of insight and wisdom, but Eliab’s pride got the best of him. He asked David, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle” (1 Samuel 17:28). Yet, right before all this happened, King Saul was tormented by a distressing spirit and was troubled. The servants of King Saul suggested getting a man who is a skillful payer on the harp to play and ease the king’s spirit. One of Saul’s servants already knew about David. He told the king, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing , a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).

No matter what our family or others think of us, there will be people who truly see us for who we are; “Mighty Men and Women of God!” David’s older brother, Eliab, never saw David as anything but his younger little brother, who he thought was a prideful, arrogant sheep herder.

Don’t listen to the “nay-sayers” in your life. They don’t see you as God sees you. David was facing Giants. Not only in the physical, but also mentally with his older brother and what he thought of him. If David listened to his older brother the battle would have never been won. The Philistines would have prevailed. David overcame the Giant of Nay-sayers when he turned from his brother and asked someone else what was going on and what was the reward for defeating Goliath.

Philippians 4:13 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This should be our motto! This should drive us daily to do all that God has called us to do. This is what we have to walk in every situation, trial, hardship, and fear.

Read 1 Samuel 17:31 – 42

The word “Disdain” means:  “lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike, a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient, look down on with disdain, reject with contempt.” Synonyms:  contempt, scorn, condescension, despise, reject, turn down.

How many times have you faced this very experience in your life? People who looked down on you and rejected you for some reason or another. They had disdain in their hearts. Remember that God is a god Who sees! God knows what you are up against. He knows the hearts of everyone involved. Trust that God will bring justice out of false accusations or mistreatment. In the meantime, keep on walking and doing what you believe God has called you to do!

Read 1 Samuel 17:42 – 43

The Philistine taunted David with his words. If David believed them, the battle would have been lost. But immediately David responded to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:45 – 47

“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword, and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

David didn’t cower after Goliath taunted him with condemning words. No, David came back with words of intimidation and faith. He looked at his Giant and spoke to his Giant the very words his Giant was speaking to him, but with God’s anointing and boldness, and authority. Don’t let the giant intimidate you, you intimidate the giant. Pursue and conquer!

Read 1 Samuel 17:48 – 58

Verse 51

“Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.”

David took Goliath’s own sword, which was still in its sheath, and killed him. The very sword Goliath should have used to kill David. The very words Goliath used to taunt David, was the very thing that happened to him. David used his enemies’ own weapon against him. Goliath didn’t even have his weapon out for battle. What was up with that? If one thinks they are heading into battle, weapons are drawn and ready. Goliath was so arrogant he didn’t even think he needed to defend himself. That is the mind-frame of the enemy. He thinks he has already won, but in reality, he has defeated himself. How? By disregarding the power and authority of God’s servants. We, as God’s servants, God’s warriors, can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! We are more then conquerors through Him who loves us! God has already won, we just get in battle position and watch the hand of God annihilate our enemy.

David learned how to walk in hope in spite of any fear he may have had.

Hope prevails

This is how hope prevails in spite of circumstances we face. We have to learn how to find hope. Sometimes we are too weak to walk in hope, but we can stand in it. Stand, knowing God is fighting your battle. Stand, in the face of fear. Remember who is for you and not against you! After standing, God will give you His grace to start walking in His hope. Believe God for a small cloud of hope. Press in to God and expect Him to answer your cry.

Your Sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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The Living Hope Of Easter

The Living Hope Of EasterWhat Jesus did on the cross is everything. He died so that we might live. But He didn’t stay in the grave, No, He is risen. He is alive! It gives us hope for tomorrow.

Hope is the sustainer of life. It’s the motivator to action. It’s the promise of tomorrow.

What each one of us needs more of is hope. What our country and world needs is hope.

What is hope? Often we use the word hope as a form of wish. “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” “I hope the Seahawks or Bulldogs win their next game.” However, hope in the Bible, has quite a different meaning.

Hope in the Bible is a “confident expectation of a divinely provided future.” Biblical hope is a confidence and expectation that God has provided for a good future for you. This morning God wants to fill every person here with hope that God has a great future planned for you.

The opposite of hope is despair or hopelessness. We see examples of despair and hopelessness all around us.

”Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

I would like to add to this quote;

“Despair cannot drive out despair: only HOPE can do that.” 

Pastor Kris Belfils 

How many times do we try to drive out our own despair with more despair? This will never bring encouragement.

The word despair means: “A state in which all hope is lost or absent, The feeling that everything is wrong and nothing will turn out well, abandon hope; give up hope; lose heart. Other terms:  Discouragement, disheartenment, dismay, hopelessness, pessimism, resignation, surrender.”

This happens to many people everyday. When a tragedy occurs or our expectations have not been met, we can fall into despair easily. We can fall into despair just by thinking wrong thoughts about our self and others.

There are really only two things you can have in life: 

1. Despair

2. Hope

Hope in the dictionary means: “A general feeling that some desire will be fulfilled, grounds for feeling hopeful about the future, Someone, or something on which expectations are centered, One of three Christian virtues (‘Faith, Hope, and Love’), expect and wish, intend with some possibility of fulfillment.”

Having hope is so essential to surviving in life. If we lose hope, we have lost the race.

Despair and hopelessness drives people to harm themselves or others in many ways. Hopelessness leads people to try to escape life’s despair through different kinds of addictions. Despair about your future saps the joy from life.

Where can we get the hope that we need in life? …….Our hope comes from Jesus.

Matthew 12:21 (NIV)

“In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Some people put their hope in wrong things and they are disappointed. But everyone who puts their hope in Jesus will never be disappointed. Easter is all about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

 A Living Hope

Peter 1:3 – 5 (NJKV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

“…a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!” God’s Word Translation states this phrase; [] “We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life.”

Hope is something that is living and alive! This Living hope is like living waters flowing from a constant spring which never runs dry, it is always flowing, always giving and constantly moving and active.

I want you to note that a living hope means that it is not dead, or lifeless. It is not the kind of hope that we use to stir positive thinking for the moment, but does nothing for us beyond the grave. It is not the kind of hope that gives us meaning and motivation for life but is dead and lifeless beyond this life. This hope is for this life and beyond.

I also want you to recognize that a living hope means that it is not a probable hope; it is not the kind of hope that may or may not come. It is always present, always working in us. We just have to believe and stand on it! This is called “faith!”

The hope that God gives is a hope that is real and true, a hope that actually exists. A living hope is active and functioning; it acts and works both within the heart of the believer and within heaven apart from the believer.

Eternal life is a living hope because it is reality; it is a life that really exists in another world, the spiritual world, that is more real than the world in which we live. The believer’s hope for eternal life lives, acts, and works within the believer now, even while they are on earth. It is not that the believer is going to receive eternal life; they have already received eternal life. Their hope for eternal life is living, acting, and working within them right now. This is the glorious hope of the believer, the living hope of living forever with God face to face.

Eternal life is promised to believers in Christ:

John 3:15 – 16 NKJV

“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

1 John 2:25 NKJV

“And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.”

Romans 6:23 NKJV

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Peter 1:3 tells us how this kind of hope is possible—it is due to the source of our hope: the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our living hope finds its source in the Living God in whom all things “live and move and have their being” (Acts 17:28). This kind of hope dispels all fear.

Our God’s not dead He’s surely alive!

I watched the movie “The Hunger Games” and one line in the movie stuck out to me: “Hope is the only thing that can stand against fear.”  There is truth to that.

Having hope propels you to keep trying in the middle of your fears. This is the action or active part of hope. Hope helps us to stay focused. If we don’t have hope, we will fall into our fears and doubts and give up. Don’t give up!

We hope in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. The word “resurrection” means: “Standing up again, that is, a resurrection from death: raised to life again, rise from the dead, rising again.”

Let Hope arise in you today! The Hope of Jesus Christ is powerful. No one can take that away from you. Hope sustains you. Hope keeps you.

You might be living in a hard situation right now. It might seem hopeless, but remind yourself Who is living inside of you! Jesus, the conqueror of death! Jesus, the giver of new life and new beginnings!

Death could not hold Jesus! We have that same spirit dwelling in us everyday!

Romans 8:11 (NKJV)

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:11 (Message)

“It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!”

God can breathe new life into any situation, circumstance, or issue, and bring forth life again.

Jesus was raised from the dead. Resurrection Life came from the One who is the Resurrection and the Life.

We have to remember the term: Resurrection Advancement! The bigger the stone the enemy places on you to stop your advancement in life, the stronger, and bigger the stage of your advancement so rejoice! Just look at the stone the enemy tried to place in front of Jesus’ tomb. Even death could not keep that stone in place. If you feel a huge stone has been placed on you, get ready for a resurrection advancement!

When I say; “the enemy” I am referring to the devil. He is the enemy of our soul. The Bible tells us that He is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But remember that this lion has no teeth. He may roar, but has no power because Christ took it from him when He was resurrected.

When the stone was rolled away so was our sin. When the stone was rolled away so was our disappointments we have experienced. Rolled away was all our regrets. Rolled away were the hurts and un-forgiveness we may be holding onto. Rolled away were any lies we’ve said or mistakes we have made. New life and a new beginning is there for you to walk in.

Don’t let anyone or anything make you feel “less” in life when God gave His Son for you to be and live the best!

Don’t look at the big stone in front of you. Look to Jesus who didn’t let anything, or anyone stop Him from bringing Living Hope to this world. You are being set up! If your way seems blocked, if your dreams have died, if you have no hope, REJOICE because God is setting you up for greater things. It could be the “midnight hour” for God to do the impossible, but He WILL do it! Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope!

Hebrews 10:35 (NASB)

“Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”

James 1:12 (CEV)

“God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves Him.”

How would you describe your level of hope today? Is your “hope tank” on full or is it dangerously close to empty? Is the hope your experiencing right now one that is merely based on positive thinking or probability, or is it a living hope resting on the promises of God?

God’s design is for you to know and experience this living hope. He has done everything necessary to make it available to each of us as a living reality. Will you accept His offer today?

Allow the Living Hope to rise up inside of you. If you don’t know this Living Hope, Jesus Christ, today is your day. Don’t delay in asking Him to come into your heart.

Your sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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Dealing With Rejection (Rejection Rewards!)

Dealing With RejectionYou know the scene. It is in the middle of the day. The children are out to play on the playground. They choose team members to play the game. One by one everyone is picked until it comes down to the last person. By now this lonely person really doesn’t want to play because they were the last to be chosen. The reject! The one no one wants.

Rejection! We’ve all experienced it. Not getting that promotion we were anticipating. Or not getting the job you interviewed for and someone you know did. We all want to be valued and accepted. Being valued is a natural human desire. When we don’t feel valued we tend to draw back and isolate ourselves. Maybe you have been rejected from a friend, or relative. How about wanting to go out with somebody and they said, “No!”

rejection is: “Dismiss as inadequate, inappropriate, or not to one’s taste, or to satisfy one’s taste. To refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use. To refuse to hear, receive, or admit.”

I don’t know about you, but I have experienced many times the definition of rejection. When it happens, it’s easy to think you did something wrong or that there is something wrong with you. Most of the time this is not the case. But, the enemy will try and make us feel bad about ourselves, or bad about our life after we have been rejected.

Rejection hurts. I am here today to let you know there is hope after rejection. We can allow the “sting” of being rejected to torment and alienate us, or we can be determined to rise above those who rejected us and keep on keeping on with our life.

Jesus knew first hand what it felt like to be rejected. Many times the religious rulers of His day rejected what He had to say, or even rejected Who He was. They were unwilling and refused to accept His teachings because they liked being in control of the people. They didn’t think He was the “Messiah.” Jesus’ taught about mercy and grace and the religious rulers were legalistic.

How many times Jesus endured scrutiny from the Pharisees and Sadducees. They even tried to “trip” Jesus up with His answers, but again, Jesus knew what was in their hearts.

I wish I could say I acted or reacted in a godly manner after experiencing rejection in my own personal life. There were times I did, and times I didn’t. But I have learned several things about rejection, that I pray, will help you to deal with it and overcome any negative affects it brings.

We can learn so much on how to deal with rejection by watching Jesus’ reaction.

Dealing With Rejection

1.  Keep walking boldly!

Luke 6:28 – 30 NKJV

“So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath (rage), and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.”

Jesus knew what was in the religious rulers heart’s. He spoke the truth with authority. They took Jesus out of the synagogue and out of the city to a high hill and wanted to push him over the edge. Jesus, turns, and walks boldly through the crowd and continues on with His ministry.

People will reject out of fear. It shows their insecurities within themselves when they reject you.

The religious leaders rejected Jesus because they were afraid. Afraid of losing their position. Afraid that the people will turn from their leadership and follow truth, which Jesus represented, and oozed out with. People already thronged Jesus. Fear makes people do crazy rejectful, brutal things.

Truth is power. The religious rulers saw truth in Jesus and they had to destroy Him.

2.  Shake the dust off your feet!

Read Mark 6:1 – 13

Mark 6:11 NKJV

“And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

There have been times when I have had to shake the dust off my feet when I was rejected, and some of those places were in a Christian church, with Christian people.

There will be people who will be offended by the truth you represent. They will harden their hearts towards you and kick you out of their group or organization. I’ve heard it said, “Go where you are celebrated!” There is some truth to that because it is extremely hard to stay somewhere where the people are constantly rejecting you. Jesus said to shake the dust off of your sandals and to move on. Do what you can there, but move on and keep your head held high! People are not rejecting you, but rejecting God. To a degree, it is Christian persecution to have fellow Christians kick you out of their “club.” This is what happened to Jesus many times.

3.  Don’t get offended!

Luke 17:1 (HCSB)

“Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through!”

We have to get elephant skin when it comes to speaking the truth and not being received. People hurt people. As long as you are around people, you will have the chance to get offended.

Scriptures tell us “Offenses will come” (Luke 17:1). We will always be tempted to be offended. Our expectations weren’t met, or someone hurt us or rejected us. You might have said things like, “How can they treat me like this?” or “I was a part of them for years and look how they treat me!” They will call you names, slander you, and want you gone. They will ignore your true worth in Christ and reject you because of the truth you represent. This happened to Jesus. He was known as the “Carpenter’s Son.”

Mark 6:3 NKJV

“Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

They rejected Jesus because they only saw Him as the Carpenter’s Son. They put Jesus in a box in their minds. They knew His family. They saw Him grow up and become a man. God was raising Him up, but they refused to accept Who He was called to be.

When you have a heart for God you will be rejected. You might even be rejected by those close to you. Even if you are not a minister, you will experience rejection. But let me tell you; Once you meet Christ you are a minister! Your life is a sermon that everyone reads.

Jesus was rejected and even mocked while He was hanging on the cross. As if what they did to him was not enough. After being beaten and whipped, after the crown of thorns were pushed on His head and imbedded into his brow, after his hands and feet were nailed to the cross, after He was mutilated beyond recognition, they mocked Him.

Mark 15:29 – 32 (NKJV)

“And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.”

They were sarcastically mocking Christ while He was hanging on the cross. Who does that? Who kicks people when they are “already down?” Those who are full of themselves and think they are right. Those who want their way and arrogantly assume they deserve it. That’s who! They thought they were sitting in the driver seat. Little did they know God used them to bring forth Salvation to the world.

I don’t think anyone of us have experienced all that Jesus experienced, in our entire lifetime, what he experienced in just a few hours. Still, when we experience rejection it sting hangs with us.

Like I said earlier, there is hope. Not only can you be healed from any sting of rejection, but there are other promises you can stand on when dealing with rejection.

Rejection rewards:

1.  You will be vindicated!

Psalm 35:24 NKJV

“Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me.”

God hears our cry and sees all. God knows what is in a man’s heart. He knows what is in your heart. He knows everyone’s motives. If there is injustice, God will repay. He is a just God.

There are times we are rejected for walking justly. Again, God will vindicate you.

Psalm 26:1 NKJV

“Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.”

Psalm 43:1 NKJV

“Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!”

If there is injustice, it will only last for a season and God will deliver you from the deceitful injustice.

Jesus was vindicated. He didn’t stay on the cross or in the tomb. He was resurrected. No man, no matter how much power they think they had, couldn’t keep Jesus from raising from the dead.

2.  You will be promoted.

Psalm 23:5a NKJV

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

People will be surprised at your promotion. It will go against what they thought of you. They rejected you because they didn’t agree with who they thought you were. Their opinion of you doesn’t determine who you are. They will see you resurrected. They will see you doing things and walking in ways they never imagined. What are you going to do when this happens? Rejoice! It will happen!

2.  You will be transformed.

Walking out of rejection and leaning on your beloved, you will be more like Him. We lean on Jesus and connect to His rejection immediately when we are rejected and treated unfairly.

To know Christ in His resurrection and suffering, we have to experience a death. When we die to ourselves and our flesh, we allow Christ to increase in us. It really is a win – win situation. We win when we lose. We lose our flesh and we gain a changed perspective. Treated unfairly is exactly what Christ went through.

All this said, God is keeping score and He will pay you back with heavenly blessings for the scourge you have received from your enemies. The rejection we have received from others simply open our hearts to receive more of the anointing into our lives. We will be eating a feast of His power and presence while our enemies look on, unable to understand why we have been chosen to receive such blessing. Little did they know it was their reproach against us that made us a target for God’s blessing. It was their betrayal that brought God’s best blessings to our doorstep!

Walk as Jesus walked and hold your head up high knowing you are God’s child and He has great plans for you.

Maybe you have experienced rejection and long to be healed of its sting. Bring this to the Lord and humbly ask God to heal you, and transform the way you think and act. Your perspective needs to change and view any rejection as being “set up” for greater things. You are being positioned for promotion and blessing!

Your sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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A Heart Of Compassion (Move with compassion like Jesus did!)

Heart of CompassionFrom the beginning of time God has always had mercy. It is Who He is. He never changes. His compassion for us never fails.

Compassion in the dictionary means: “A deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.”

Webster defines the word “Compassion” as; “Pity or Sympathy.”

From the Greek “Compassion” is defined as “Inward Affection, Pity or Sympathy, yearning.”

What compassion means to us today literally is “Suffering With Another!”

Compassion is action. Compassion moves. It doesn’t stand still. It doesn’t ignore the problem. And it surely doesn’t turn away when someone is in need.

Lam. 3:22 – 23 NKJV

“Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Because of God’s mercy we are not consumed. God’s character towards us can be described well with the word: “mercy.” Its His “tender mercies” that moves Him to help us.

The Old Testament word for mercy incorporates three things. His:

  1. Covenant of compassion.
  2. Consuming commitment to bring us into..
  3. Everlasting communion with Himself.

Mercy and compassion are interchangeable. God’s mercy is His compassion towards us even when we deserve punishment. He is committed to restore us even though we deserve to endure the consequences of our sin, and His covenant of love and communion overwhelms us in the middle of our foolishness.

In this verse in Laminations “mercy” describes the Father’s intense emotional yearning for a wayward people – You and I.

God’s mercies are new every morning. This tells us that we need God’s mercy more then we think. Whether we feel weak or strong, we need God’s mercy everyday.

Psalm 78:38 – 39 NKJV

“But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; For he remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again.”

God is FULL of compassion. I am so thankful for this. Too many times I have messed up and deserved judgement and punishment. There are times God does bring correction. It is God’s compassion that brings correction, but with correction God’s compassion comforts us and gives us strength to endure any consequences we may have to walk through because of our bad behavior.

The Bible tells us many times that God is compassionate or has mercy for us. Jesus is exactly like His Father. Jesus was moved with compassion often in His earthly ministry.

We have been looking at “The Roads That Jesus Walked.” This week we look at the road of compassion. Without compassion Jesus  wouldn’t of had such an impact on the world. He wouldn’t have come to save us because there is action to compassion.

Compassion of Jesus

  1. Jesus has compassion for the Demoniac.  

Read Mark 5:1 – 19

Mark 5:19 NKJV

“However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

This man was demon possessed and lived in the tombs or caves. He was an outcast and rejected by society. No one could tame him. Nothing could hold him, not even iron shackles. Night and day he cried out and cut himself with stones. But when He saw Jesus, even the demonic, have to worship Him. He ran to Jesus and worshiped Him. Jesus cast out the demons and they went into the pigs. 2000 pigs couldn’t take the legion of demons and they ran violently down the steep hill into the sea and drowned. This man was extremely tormented! Scripture doesn’t say how he became that way. But it gives us some light on the compassion of Jesus. When the man wanted to follow Jesus where ever he went, Jesus told him to go back home. Jesus gave His live back to him. His family and friends. No more being an outcast or a reject. No more torment! Remember compassion is seeing the suffering and doing something about it. Jesus totally set this man free and restored his life back to him. This is compassion!

2.  Jesus has compassion for the lost.

Read Matthew 9:35 – 38

Matt. 9:36 NKJV

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”

Jesus was moved with compassion over the multitudes. He saw them wondering and weak. He saw the great work that needed to be done. The people were ripe for harvest and many workers are needed to reach them. This is the very heart of God: people. We too must have this heart of compassion.

Jesus was moved with compassion! Lost souls moved Christ to cry out to them, to seek them, to save them. Again in the book of Mark we see Jesus moved with compassion.

Mark 6:34

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.”

3.  Jesus has compassion for the sick.

Any miracle that Jesus performed was out of compassion.

Read Mark 1:40 – 45

Mark 1:41 NKJV

“Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.”

Matt. 14:14 NKJV

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

The phrase “moved with compassion” here means “stirred to action.” Jesus didn’t just sit back and notice the needs of the people. He was moved, stirred in His heart. He felt their pain. There was more then an awareness of their situation, there was action.

So, what did Jesus do? He didn’t just talk. His heart was stirred at what He saw and He had a consuming desire to change things. The feelings of pity and sympathy He felt moved Him to action.

Compassion is not just pity or sympathy. It is more than being moved to tears or stirred up emotionally. Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things. True compassion moves us to do something!

“Compassion will cure more sin than condemnation.”

Henry Ward Beecher

 “Compassion without action is a wasted emotion”

Unknown

We need to have compassion for others. Not only do we need it, but it is a command in God’s word.

It’s not enough to have “pity” for someone. We need a deep awareness of the suffering of others and have the desire to do something about it. Compassion is actually something we are to put on and wear.

Colossians 3:12 – 14 Message

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

This is a powerful eye-opener of what we are to wear each day. Your life is not all about you. Your life is about others. Just loving yourself and being kind and compassionate to yourself is NOT the way to live, not according to God’s word. We are to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

James 1:22 – 25 HCSB

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts — this person will be blessed in what he does.”

If you call yourself a Christian, act like one! Show action with your compassion!

Pastor Kris Belfils

The antonyms of the word “compassion” are: “Cruelty, harshness, hatred, indifference, meanness, mercilessness, and tyranny.”

Do you have any of these traits? There is hope! We can ask Jesus to help us be more like Him and He will. The key is to be willing to change.

Christ didn’t HAVE TO do anything He did. He did the gracious, loving, kind, compassionate, wonderful things He did because He wanted to do them! They were the natural expression of His nature.

Christ’s compassion is available to us when we are hurting because He loves us and automatically wants to help us. In turn, we are to be compassionate towards others.

Of all the roads that Jesus walked, the “road of compassion” showed His love for others. I am thankful for the compassion of Christ. You and I need it desperately. To the degree Christ had compassion on you is the degree you should have compassion on others. We are all wretched people. There is no good in us apart from God. Any compassion in you is from God. When you think of it, we are helpless, hopeless until God, who moved with compassion, took action and sent His Son to save us. Shouldn’t we, in turn, move with compassion to give hope to others who don’t know Christ?

I leave you with this last verse:

1 Peter 3:8 – 9 Message

“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless – that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.”

Your compassionate sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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iLove

iLoveHope Fellowship is a family. We have a foundation of God’s love. All we do here is based on God’s love.

Video:  “Love Life”

Love. This is a word that in today’s world has more meaning than probably any other word. You can love your family. You can love your church. You can love sports. You can love food. You can love Diet Pepsi, Starbucks Skinny decaf Grande with sugar free vanilla, even chocolate.

And the definition of love has been so marginalized that many times we really don’t understand what love really is. We use the word so often and in so many ways, we tend to lose focus of what it really means to LOVE someone.

Christ understands the word LOVE. He knows what that word means, He knows the value of this word. He knows how to love. And we as Christians must do what we can to also understand this word…in the way Christ understands this word.

Until we understand love from God’s perspective, we will have an extremely difficult time reaching this world for Christ. Because people don’t really care about what you have to say if they don’t know that you care about them…that you love them.

Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the word; “encouragement.” We have learned how to encourage ourselves and others. Today, I want to look at the word; “love” and focus on how love can encourage one another.

1. HOW DO WE LOVE?

We love according to God’s definition of love. The Bible teaches us that loving people with God’s love should be first and foremost in our minds and hearts. Next Sunday we will be looking at loving people to transformation. Love is powerful!

Prov. 3:1 – 4 (NIV)
“My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

a.) Like Jesus did.

His entire earthly life consisted of loving the unlovely. He loved everyone he met, even those who crucified Him. The Example of Love gave us a commandment to live by:

John 13:34
“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

This isn’t a suggestion, but a new commandment. If you are one who likes to follow the rules, which we all should be doing, this rule was given by God to love one another. It has to become a part of our everyday life. You can see this same command in many scriptures in the New Testament: John 13:35, John 15:12, John 15:17, Romans 12:10, Romans 13:8, Hebrews 10:24, 1 Peter 1:22.

Rom 12:10
“Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another.”

Rom 13:8
“Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.”

Heb 10:24
“Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.”

1Pe 1:22
“Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.”

There are so many more verses that express how we are to love one another. To me, seeing all these verses tells me that God really wants to get this point across to us! Don’t neglect others and loving them.

b)  With our words

EPH 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

What we say to people:  Encourage them! This is one of the highest forms of love in action. Encouragement goes a long way. I can do just about anything with the right encouragement.

What we say about people:  Watch what you say about others to your  family/friends/c-workers – Don’t gossip

What we say for people:  Supporting and standing up for others

c)  With our actions (deeds)

Matthew 5:14 – 16
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

We have to invest in each other! Love is time spent with another. Words often don’t cut it when it comes to love. We have to spend time with others. Spending time with someone shows you care and that you are interested in their life.

Be kind to everybody. Remember love is kind (1 Cor. 13). We will be discussing 1 Corinthians 13 in more detail next Sunday. There is no reward in being mean to others. It only shows your character, and it hurts others. Would you like to be treated by the way you treat others?

2. WHOM DO WE LOVE?

a. Let’s answer this by looking at what Christ said about it when He was asked this same question?

Matt. 22:34 – 36
“But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Matt. 22:37 – 40
“Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

What is so interesting about the lawyer’s question is what leads up to this question. You see, throughout the years leading up to Jesus ministry, the Pharisees had been grappling with a problem among themselves.

Here was their problem: The Pharisees were considered the most pious & holy and they were considered holy as much as they could humanly keep the 613+ Old Testament laws in their society. The problem is that they (obviously) could not humanly obey all theses laws. So, they decided to make amendments to the laws – called “Oral tradition.” They added their own “interpretation” (or “reinterpretation”) to the laws so that they would be able to keep all the laws.

After realizing that even this didn’t work out, they decided to settle on the position that each person should focus on just keeping the “Big 10”- The 10 Commandments. But after quickly realizing that the human heart is even incapable of keeping just 10 commandments, they collaborated and decided that one could be considered holy IF he could say that he has kept ONE commandment 100% of the time. So, there was a debate as to which ONE should be adopted as the ONE commandment everyone should keep.

…It must be the greatest commandment – one worthy and most notable of keeping.

It was at this point in the Pharisee’s debate that this lawyer’s question & conversation with Jesus takes place.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.”

You see, the reason why you obey commandments is NOT just to obey commandments for holiness…obeying commands is ALWAYS out of a heart APPRECIATION for who God is and what He has done for us!

So, if you love God, you’ll obey him. If you don’t love God, you won’t love obeying his commandments.

THEN after he settled the debate amid the Pharisees…Jesus added a SECOND commandment that is an OUTGROWTH of the first. Meaning – Jesus was saying that IF you love God…it is a given that your heart will love people!!

Matthew 22:39

“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

If you want others to know that you truly love God…the sign will be that you love ALL people. And ALL people refers to far more than those who look like you, that talk like you, that live where you live and go to the same places as you do.

We must love ALL people. Meaning, even those who we’re not comfortable around. Those who the pious among us might think we shouldn’t even spend time with. Look what Jesus did and said…

Luke 15:1-2
“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

And in a parable Jesus said…

Luke 15:6b-7
‘…Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

You see Jesus loved them all. He didn’t care their background, He didn’t care what they looked like. He just loved them. And why wouldn’t He? He knew that it was for them He would die!

3. WHY SHOULD WE LOVE?

Revelation 2:1-3
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.”

It all sounds good, right? Don’t we all love a doctrinally strong church? Isn’t that what every serious believer in Jesus Christ looks for in a church? So, what’s the problem?

Revelation 2:4

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

This love refers to love for God and people!

You see, to the church of Ephesus, they were so concerned that people maintained the same theological standard (and this is good) but they forgot to love the person!

Why should we love in God’s definition of love? Because if we don’t Christ will hold this against us. And my friends, we must never allow ourselves to be in the position of Christ having something against us. We want Christ to be for us.

Rom. 8:31
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

We want to stand with Christ. To stand in His truth. To stand in His love. To stand with His power.

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

God demonstrated His love by sending His son to die for us. God did something with His love. He sent His son. And today, we must also DO something with our love for others, for the lost, we must love people to JESUS!

We must share the love of Christ to this lost world. We must love people into transformation. We will be looking at this next week, but today, be determined to love people, even the not so lovely. How do we do this? With the love God has given us.

We can’t love with God’s love within our own strength. This is something I have been preaching in Hope Fellowship since it’s conception. We love others with God’s love.

God can and will teach us how to love others with His love if we ask Him. Once you do, your outlook on people will change. You will genuinely love others and might even be surprised at your heart and reaction or actions towards others.

God’s love is a magnet. People will be attracted to you because of the love of God in you. God’s favor will go before you and open more and more doors to share His love.

                                                       iLove
Let “iLove” be your motto in life! You might be hurt, and people might even reject you trying to love them, but still be Jesus’ hand extended in the flesh to others. “iLove” will bring down walls and melt the hardest heart. God’s love is powerful. Let’s utilize it for God’s glory and win our world for Christ. Be determined to choose and say “iLove” people no matter what they do, or who they are!

For those who do not know God:
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

“Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I ask for Your forgiveness Lord of all the wrong I have done. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that I am forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you!

Pastor Kris Belfils
www.krisbelfils.com
www.hopefellowshipspokane.com
www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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2013 – A New Year For A New You (Part 2 – Obedience Brings Blessing)

2013 - A New Year For A New You (Part 2 - Obedience Brings Blessing)2013 is here! We have walked in it now for several days. There is an expectancy I sense within myself, and so many people I have met. 2013 will be a powerful, abundant year of blessings and breakthroughs. Do you believe it? I sure do.

What are you believing for this year? Allow your faith to arise in your spirit that God will do great things. He is for you! He is on your side!

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”

Ephesians 3:20 (Message)

“God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”

There are no exceptions to this promise. God can and WILL do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ask or think. Think BIG for this new year. When the dream is bigger then you are, or what you can accomplish, it makes you rely on God and follow His leading.

Let’s be those who dream for the glory of God! I love the Lord so much, and I have seen Him do impossible things that were bigger then my wildest dreams. You see it gives God all the glory when we dream bigger then ourselves. If we only dreamt what we could accomplish on our own, we get the glory because we have fulfilled it with our own strength. When we dream bigger then our abilities, power, or strength God is the only One who can make it happen and therefore He receives the glory when the dream is fulfilled, especially beyond our biggest dreams we have dreamt.

Obedience Brings Blessing

We are successful not because of anything we can do, but because of God’s ability. On our own, we will fail. Everyone of us have weaknesses but when you put God into the equation it always adds up to more! God wants us to succeed. He is for us.

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

“This Book of the Law shall not depart form your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

This verse shows that we will be successful when you do what the Bible says and obey what it teaches. It’s pretty simple. Actually is not a hardship. God has such basic things we need to follow in His Word for our safety and success.

Obedience use to be a hardship, a dread in my life. I remember when I was a little girl, when my Mom told me to clean my room, I did it with drudgery. I would always say to her; “It’s too hard of work!” I would put a hardship on my Mom just because of my attitude. I found a joy in making my Mom happy when I obeyed her quickly when she told me to do something. This is true with our relationship with God. Often we think it is “too hard of work” to obey the Word of God. Maybe we get rebellious and decide to do our own thing thinking; “Who can tell me what to do?” “I am my own person and I can do what I feel like doing!” Have you ever said or thought those words?

To obey is hard, but we have to obey so many people in our lives. We obey our bosses when they ask us to do something at work. We obey our spouse when they ask us to do something for them. We obey our parents, which there are many promised blessings in God’s Word when we do.

Obedience. Most of the time it is not fun. But I am here to tell you there is a joy in obedience we can have. This joy compels me to obey God all the time, not just when it is convenient, or when it feels good or doesn’t cost me anything. There is joy in obedience and God’s favor follows.

I had a dream the night before I was to write this message. In the dream I was in charge of a group of children. All the children obeyed me except one. He seemed to be disobedient to everything I asked the class to do. I would try everything I knew to get the child to obey and be a part of the class. Still, this child had it in his mind to ignore, or blatantly disregard the rules and choose to be stubborn and self-willed. It caused havoc in the class. Chaos would erupt just because of one child’s disobedience. I was at my wits end when I asked someone from his family for help and insight. They told me to just say, “Do I have to get your Daddy?” When this family member said this, the entire room I was in transformed into a beautiful room, kind of like a living room. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was peace, all chaos was gone. I couldn’t wait to use this new secret on this challenging child. It worked! As soon as he started to act up, I said, “Do I have to get your Daddy?” and immediately he quieted down and listened and obeyed me. From then on the class was productive and in harmony.

This reminds me of our walk with Father God. There is a love that He gives which no one else can ever give, and in turn there is a respect we give Him because He is the ultimate authority and power in our life. Often we live our lives not believing or even ignoring our Father. It is easy because in today’s society there is so much disrespect for parents and for leaders, or presidents, or anyone who has authority over us. Let’s be a people who obey quickly. Let’s be people who realize how Holy God is. If you choose disobedience, it shows you do not have a close relationship with God. Obedience to God shows your love for Him. It shows humility. It speaks clearly that you are not your own, but God’s.

Truth about obedience:

  1. God loves you unconditionally. 

We all make mistakes. Truly the mistake you made is not the issue, as much as, your actions and steps before and after the mistake. God sees you. He sees what you are doing right now. He knows if you will obey Him or not. Still, He loves you with an everlasting love. There is nothing you can or can’t do that will take His love away from you. All that said, remember God will not destroy you if you disobey. He gives us chance after chance to start over.

Romans 8:38 – 39 (NKJV)

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The closer you get to God, the quicker you will obey. God will love us back to Himself. When we realize this, It makes for an easier comeback.

2.  When we obey we are blessed

First, and foremost, we make good decisions when we choose to follow God’s Word. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Obeying God’s word will help shine light on the next step you should take. We can look to God’s Word for any situation we may be facing in life. God has the answers for us. Are you willing to look?

Second, when we obey God, our life has less trials then one who disobeys and continues to make poor decisions for their life.

Proverbs 4:18 – 19 (The Message)

“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of the wrongdoing gets darker and darker – travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.”

I almost titled this message: “Right living = Right Results!” If we choose to live right, and follow God’s word, we will achieve right results in our life. Isn’t it awesome that God gave us His word to help bring right results and success in our lives? This makes me want to obey God even more. It shows His love for us.

Proverbs 3:35 (The Message)

“Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.”

I don’t want anything except the very best from God. If my choices of obeying God brings good results, I will all the more obey Him.

3. When we obey God’s word we choose life!

Deuteronomy 30:19 – 20 (NKJV)

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may life; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

We choose good health when we choose to obey God and His word. He is for us and His word has life. God will not lead us astray. No! God’s direction is always the right direction to take. We can trust God with our life. He created us in the first place. Surely the Creator knows what is best for His creation. He has given us a blueprint, a roadmap for our lives with His word if we choose to follow and obey it. We will live a prosperous, productive, successful life when we do.

4.  When we obey it shows we trust God.

What ever happens, whatever you face in 2013 say to yourself: “I trust You, Jesus!” Remind yourself of His power, glory, and love He has for you. This helps trust to build in your heart so you can stand on His principles and His word.

Proverbs 3:5 – 6 (The Message)

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”

Our own understanding can deceive us at times. God sees all. Trusting our own understanding is like the blind leading the blind. We can’t see beyond where we are at, but God sees the past, present, and future. When we are trusting in our own intellect and knowledge there is no room for faith.

5.  To obey is better then sacrifice.

There is a story of obedience in the Bible that is so true today (Read 1 Samuel 15). Saul was anointed as King over Israel by Samuel. He was given a command to go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they had. They were not to spare anyone or anything (1 Samuel 15:3). Saul went and attacked the Amalekites. He took their king, Agag, but destroyed all the people. Saul and the people also spared the best sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless was destroyed (1 Samuel 15:9). Then God spoke to Samuel that He regretted setting up Saul as king because he turned his back from following and obeying Him. Samuel grieved all night over this. He left in the morning to meet Saul and it was told him that “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed he set up a monument for himself” (1 Samuel 15:12). Saul sweet talked Samuel saying “Blessed are you of the LORD!” and lied and said he “performed the commandment of the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:13). Samuel asked what was this bleating of the sheep and lowing of the oxen he heard? Saul passed the blame onto the people and said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD you God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed” (1 Samuel 15:15). Samuel told Saul to be quiet and told him what the LORD told him that when Saul was “little in his own eyes” or thought low of himself, God anointed him as king and was the head of Israel. Then the Lord sent him on a mission to go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they were consumed or exterminated. Why did you disobey and take the spoil and do evil in the sight of God (vs. 17)? Saul proceeded to change the command of the Lord and said He did obey God and brought back the king of the Amalekites, Agag, but utterly destroyed the people. Then he passed the blame onto the Israelites, who He was king over, and said they took the plunder the sheep, the oxen and the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal. Then Samuel replied:

1 Samuel 15:22 – 23 (NKJV)

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Saul confessed he did sin and disobeyed the commandments of the LORD, and that he feared the people and obeyed them instead. But wanted Samuel to make it all right and sacrifice and worship together. Samuel refused because the LORD rejected him as king and walked away. Saul grabbed and ripped his robe and Samuel said, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (1 Samuel 15:28). Even after all this Saul still wanted Samuel to honor him in front of the people. This shows Saul was afraid of man more than God. He wanted man’s approval constantly and at a huge price – losing the kingdom and being king of Israel.

We can learn so much from this story. God wants to see obedience. There is a reason He asks, commands, and states what He wants us to do and how we are to live. God sees everything, we only see what is in front of our eyes.

We can do all these good works, but if we don’t obey God, we are wasting our time and energy. Obedience trumps works. You may say, “Isn’t that the same thing?” No, Works, or trying to be good, is not the same thing as obeying God’s word and following Him. We can still have our own agenda, or our own motives, which very possibly may be selfish. Works will not please God, and will not get you into heaven. Believing in Jesus and receiving Him into your heart is the only way to heaven. When we do this, we start to change from the inside out. Our heart learns and wants to please Him and then our actions will follow. It is not the other way around.

6.  Obey even when you are afraid.

Fear wants you to run and hide. It wants you to please man, or your flesh. God wants you to finish what you started. Our very obedience could be the catalyst to launch us into something new. It could be the very thing that is needed to obtain our promise land!

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

As we read about Saul and his fear of man and how he was seen by them, do you fall into that category? Saul was insecure with who he was. We know this because 1 Samuel 15:17 states: “So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?”

In Saul’s promotion, even when he saw himself as “less-then,” God promoted him to be king. Saul didn’t overcome his insecurities. They actually grew bigger because he was a people pleaser.

Fear of man will paralyze you from being who God created you to be. Fear of man brings bondage. You will never measure up to the expectations of others. It is a never ending battle. I know, as I was trapped in this snare for much of my earlier years. I always wanted people to approve of me. I would do anything to win the favor of others, when I should have been more concerned with God’s favor and walking in obedience to Him.

Fear of any kind is torment. Fear brings present torment concerning future situations that may never happen. God wants to free you from the inside out. Remember that perfect love cast out all fear (1 John 4:18). Love drives out fear. Love makes the insecure, secure.

Ephesians 3:17 (Amplified Bible)

“May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.”

7.  When we obey we have joy!

There is joy in obedience. Why? Because it stems from your love for God. When we love somebody there is joy involved. Love is something you do. Obedience to God is our love in action.

Psalm 84:5 – 7 (TLB)

“Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow Your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength.” 

Something happens to the heart of an obedient Christian. It finds a place of contentment and rest. It knows that all things are possible with God. It has stood the test after every trial and circumstance to see that their obedience to God is a safe place to live.

“When we choose the obedient life, we are permitting God to make our lives all He dreamed they would become. We no longer need to ask what God’s will is because we are continually living in His will. Our goal in life is obedience to Him in the midst of each situation.”

Hope MacDonald

Discovering the joy of obedience

I like that quote. It shows we don’t have to strive to know the perfect will of God. The only thing we need to do is live a life of obedience.

What happiness, what joy we can have in obeying God and His Word! There is blessings for those who obey God. 2013 will be a year of promised blessings and much abundance and advancement. Walk in obedience and do not fear for God is with you wherever you go!

From one obedient child to another,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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ThanksLiving – Living A Life Of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 (Amplified Bible)

“Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of the lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.”

A simpler translation is found in the Contemporary English Version:

Hebrews 13:15 (CEV)

“Our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus.”

As a Christian, we should always live a life of praise and thanksgiving. Being a seeker of God it is not only a privilege but also our responsibility.

Worship and praise is the purest form of prayer because it focuses our minds and souls entirely away from ourselves and on to Him. What it communicates is pure love, devotion, reverence, appreciation, and thankfulness to God. It’s exalting God for who He is. It’s communicating our longing for Him. It’s drawing close to Him for the sake of being close. When we worship God, we are the closest to him we will ever be. That’s because praise welcomes His presence in our midst.

Praise is a declaration of who God is and what He’s going to do!

Praise is something that comes from within us… “I will praise God even in the midst of the storm.”

Praise is something that comes from without us… “I don’t feel like praising God, but I will because His word commands me to and I know He is worthy.”

Praise goes beyond our emotions and feelings and walks in obedience.

Obedience shows that we love God.

John 14:21 (NKJV)

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Praise is a beautiful thing

Psalm 33:1 (NKJV)

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.”

It is a beautiful thing to see people praise God. I was a Worship Pastor for over 32 years. It thrilled me to bring people to the throne of God in praise and worship. It was a zone that I new I was created to do. Seeing people praise God fueled my spirit. When we would worship corporately, and un-abandoned, I never wanted to leave. It was a beautiful thing.

What does praise do?

-It pleases God’s heart.

-It gives God much pleasure.

-It takes our focus off of ourselves.

-It is a great weapon against the enemy.

How is praise brought forth?

  1. The Spoken word 

We declare with our words who God is in our life, even when we don’t see the answer, God has all the answers.

-Speaking out loud who God is in a given situation helps you remember and also gets it into your spirit.

-It is heard in heaven, on earth, and in hell.

-It is a Decree! “I thank you God for healing me…..”

“I praise You Lord for being the God who sees me and You see me right now in the midst of my pain and trial!”

“I give You praise, Lord, for having a plan for my life and a hope and a future!”

We have to remind our selves what God can and will do in us.

2.  Our Singing/songs

Psa 40:3  

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.” 

Psa 149:1

“Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly.” 

Isa 42:10

“Sing a new song to the LORD; sing His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all that fills it, you islands with your inhabitants.” 

Singing songs of praise is a release. It is a time of action towards God to lift Him high. It frees our spirit to soar higher to new heights.

3.  Our Actions – Shout, Crying out how great God is. Corporate shouts of praise does a body good! Kneeling in humility or laying prostrate before God is showing praise. Obey God’s word is action because we want to please God’s heart.

4.  Our Thoughts/heart/soul – what we think and plan in our hearts

Psa 28:7

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song.” 

Psa 103:1  

“My soul, praise the LORD, and all that is within me, praise His holy name.” 

Psa 103:22

“Praise the LORD, all His works in all the places where He rules. My soul, praise the LORD!” 

Sometimes we forget to praise God. Sometimes we forget how Good God is. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of both.

We are the only ones who can control the battle in our minds of any negative thoughts we may have about ourselves and our situation.

David reminded himself….

Psa 42:5  (MSG)

“Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God– soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.” 

Praise and worship turns our focus to where it should be! We think about ourselves or things concerning us 24/7, surely we can live a life of praise and love on God as a lifestyle.

Praise should be such a part of our vocabulary that it spills out constantly.

I find myself constantly saying under my breath, “Thank you Jesus.” “I love you.” “Have Your way!” “You are so good.”

Praise will lift our spirits out of the mundane, out of the trial, out of depression.

ThanksLiving – Living a Life Of Praise

1. When I am troubled by Negative Thoughts and Emotions

Critical speech just cannot come out of a worshiper’s lips. Praise and critical speech

should not come from the same source. I prefer to give God praise then to criticize Him

or his creation (people or myself).

Whenever we express our love for God through praise and worship, we open up the channel through which His love flows into our heart. We invite His presence to come into our lives in a powerful way that, in the process, breaks down the strongholds of negative emotions. That is the hidden power of praising God.

Stormie Omartian

Negative emotions are never God’s will for you. Praise and worship is one of your greatest weapons against them. This is ThanksLiving.

2. When I have Anxiety, Fear, and Discouragement

We all have experienced anxiety, fear, and discouragement at some point in our lives. What do we do when we are experiencing it?

Much of our anxiety comes from “What if” thoughts.

“What if we don’t have enough money to pay the bills and eat?”

“What if I lose my job?”

“What if terrorists come and try and attack the US again?”

“What if the terrorists come to my neighborhood?”

“What if something bad happens to my children?”

“What if my husband dies, what will I do then?”

“What if my past catches up to me?”

“What if I have cancer?

“What if….

We all have our “What If’s,” the question is what will we do with those thoughts and feelings when they come? But God says to not be anxious about anything; Phil. 4:6 – 8 (Read from NKJV)

For me, I immediately start talking to God and say, “God I thank You that you are bigger then what concerns me!” “You are all powerful, all mighty, all knowing, and You are my hiding place.” “God You are in control of my life.” “I give You praise for Your eye is always upon me.” (Psalm 139) “Please give me strength to handle anything that comes my way.” “Please protect my family.” “Please shelter them from any harm.”

When God tells us to not be anxious bout anything, it’s not the same as someone telling us to “cheer up.” It’s not the same as when something terrible happens and a friend says, “Don’t worry.”

God is not just saying, “Forget about it.” He is giving us the solution. He says we should pray about everything and give praise and thanks to Him. When we do that, He promises to give us His peace that is beyond all comprehension. That means we will have peace even when it doesn’t make sense. That kind of peace will protect our heart and mind.

Praising God is the way to combat all anxiety, and it’s best to do it the moment you sense anxiety over anything. And then continue to praise God until all anxiety leaves.

Whatever your deepest fears are right now, bring every one of them to God. Thank Him that He is greater than any of them.

Fear will lie to you. It will tell you things that are not God’s truth for your life. Fear denies that God’s presence is fully active, and it cancels all hope and faith in God’s power to work in your behalf. But faith, prayer, praise, and the Word of God will conquer every fear. This is ThanksLiving.

3.  When I struggle with doubt

Complaining instead of praising is a sign that we are not grateful to God and doubt His goodness and faithfulness. It shows that we do not believe God is really who He says He is. When we complain, we indicate we don’t trust God and fear He won’t come through for us. We doubt that nothing is impossible with Him. Our lack of faith puts up a barrier between us and Him, and we cut off the avenue by which He can bless us.

Praising God in the midst of times of doubt opens up the avenue by which a fresh infusion of faith comes into our souls. This is ThanksLiving.

Complaining is the opposite of praising! Complaining is really lifting up the enemy. When we praise we lift up God. When we complain we lift up the enemy.

4.  When I don’t see answers to my prayers

When we praise God at the first sign of disappointment and loss of heart, He will open our eyes to the truth and help us see things from a perspective closer to His own.

When we worship God, we open the channel through which God works most powerfully to defeat the enemy on our behalf. We confuse the enemy and weaken him to the point he has to flee.

Even when all hope for our situation seems to be dead, praising God releases His resurrection life to flow in us. This Is ThanksLiving!

5.  When I am attacked by the enemy

Praise is one of the greatest weapons of warfare found in the Bible. We must have a revelation of the power and purpose of praise and worship. As a believer, you should be worshiping and praising with the revelation of what you are doing and understanding its value.

Praise chases the enemy away. The devil hates it when we worship the Lord. It repels him and makes him miserable. It confuses him and makes him weak. It reminds him that he used to be the worship leader in heaven (Isaiah 14) and he blew it! That’s why he will do anything to divert our attention away from worshiping and praising God.

The enemy wants to take our joy away. He wants to make us take our focus off of God and His abilities and transfer our focus onto ourselves and our inabilities. The enemy wants us to feel overwhelmed and out of control. He likes to bring confusion and strife.

All of these things come when we take our focus off of God and onto our situation.

Along with praise, God’s Word and prayer are also mighty to use in battling the enemy.

James 4:7 

“Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

One of the ways we submit to God is by worshiping Him.

One of the ways we resist the enemy is by proclaiming the Lord’s praises. God blesses us with His presence when we worship Him, and in His presence we are kept safe. This is ThanksLiving.

ThanksLiving is a lifestyle of gratitude.

ThanksLiving should be who we are 24/7.

ThanksLiving will propel you to your destiny and help you achieve what you were created for.

Prayer:

“Lord, I pray you would help me to live a life of ThanksLiving everyday, 24/7. I want to please Your heart and lift Your name on high with my words, thoughts, and actions. May my life of ThanksLiving draw all people to you as I know others look at me and are watching what I do. I thank You Lord for Who You are and I look to you daily for direction for every step I take in life. ~ Amen”

Blessings,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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Praise and Thanksgiving

We are celebrating 30 Days of Thanksgiving this month of November. It is a time to enjoy the blessings of God in our life and to express our praise and worship to God. It is a time of reflecting and appreciating all that God has given and done.

We should always be thankful and cultivate a thankful heart (as per last week’s message “Cultivating a Thankful Heart.”)

There is a powerful chapter in the book of Psalms that will help shed some light on our praise and thanksgiving we should offer.

Psa 100:1-5

(1)  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

(2)  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

(3)  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

(4)  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

(5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

These verses show how we are to enter into God’s presence. It helps us to see that we are to be joyful, glad, with singing. It helps us see that God is god and we are not. He is the one who made us. We are God’s people and the sheep of His pastures. He is our Shepherd. He is our high priest and we enter in to his presence with thanksgiving and praise. We are to bless the Lord with our words and actions. The Lord is good and we need to remind ourselves of His goodness.

We could sit on these verses and look at them individually, but I want to zero in on verse four.

Psalm 100:4

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

Enter into His gates…

We are to enter into life and our relationship with God with thanksgiving. Coming with a thankful heart and offering the sacrifice of praise to Him. It is a privilege to come and worship God. It is an honor to have God in our lives. It’s an honor to know God.

In the Old Testament people were required to come to the temple and offer sacrifices for they sins. They brought their offering to the Priests and the priests would in turn offer their sacrifice to God for the people. Thank God we do not have to do that today because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice who willing went to the cross. That is why the veil was torn. We no longer needed a high priest to offer our sacrifice or petition to God like the priests did. Then, the priests would enter the Holy of holies on behalf of the people. Today, we can enter into God’s presence on our own because of what Christ did for us.

The word enter in the Hebrew means: “To go or come, abide, apply, or attain, be, bring, call, carry, come, depart, or employ” (Strongs Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries).

We are to come or employ ourselves into God’s presence with thanksgiving. We are to come and bow before God in worship.

Psalm 95:6

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”

It is coming with a humble and thankful heart. Being thankful is the key to entering God’s presence that’s why Philippians states giving our requests to God “with thanksgiving.”

Php 4:6-7  (KJV)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Emphasis added)

We are to magnify God with our Thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.”

Believe it or not the word “thanksgiving” is a form of worship. Thanksgiving in the original Hebrew means: “With extended hands, to revere in worship.”

Imagine every time you are thankful and expressing that to God you are actually worshipping Him! So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks.

Psalm 100:4

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

The word “gates” refers to an outer perimeter of something that is on the inside. Gates in the Hebrew is translated “an opening, door, gate: city, door, gate, or port.”

When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem he also rebuilt the gates too (Nehemiah 3:1 – 32) Some of the gates they repaired were: The Sheep Gate, The Fish Gate, The Old Gate, The Valley Gate, The Refuse Gate, The Fountain Gate, The Water Gate, the Horse Gate, The East Gate, and the Miphkad Gate. Each one of these gates had a meaning and were important to the overall walls of Jerusalem.

Gates signify the outer edge to enter into something more personal or intimate. It allows access. You have to enter through a gate so you can be in more of an intimate setting as you walk through the courts to go into the Holy Of Holies. The same is true when you “enter into His gates with thanksgiving.”  Again, Thanksgiving is the key in entering into God’s presence.

Whether with our families, in public, or in secret we come and give God praise and thanksgiving (worship). It is an honor and privilege to do this.

This verse in Psalms 100:4 refers to public worship. We are to join joyfully in public worship to God. Gates take you from one realm to another. They are there to help and guide you into something new, or something precious.

If you read a verse about a gate being left open this is often referring to being yielded or surrendered to God. It can also mean that the gates are open to receive new converts or people into the house of God, and it shows free access in and out with no hindrances.

Isaiah 60:11

“Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession.”

Isaiah 60:18

“Violence shall no longer be heard in your land. Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.”

God is constantly bringing peace into our borders and because we are His children He watches over our land.

Psalm 100:4

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.”

“…and His courts with praise…” We are to enter God’s courts with praise. In His court is where He is. It is the beginning stages of truly going into the Holy of Holies in worship. The courts of the Lord can also be His house, or His church.

Psalm 84:2

“My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”

I don’t know about you but I long to be with God constantly everyday. When we give God praise and thanksgiving we are giving ourselves access through His gate to come and be with him in His courts.

Praise is a powerful weapon. Praising God can release any fear, anxiety, or insecurity we may have. There is power in Praise. Especially when we praise God in hard circumstances.

I can think of Kim, who just lost her Dad this week. I was talking to her on the phone the day her Dad went to heaven and shared; “We can praise God in this storm!” She said she thought of that song earlier that day and was doing just that.

Video:  “Praise You In This Storm”

I am thankful when it is sunny and when there is a storm. Praising God in the middle of a hardship is truly a sacrifice of praise. God is worthy when things are going good and when we struggle. Praising God gets our mind off of ourselves and onto the One who can calm us down. ~ Pastor Kris Belfils

We will become what we worship. The more we worship God, the more we become like Him.

The more we worship God the more we get to know Him. If you ever wanted to know God more, give Him praise! If ever you wanted to go deeper in God, worship and adore Him and He will take you farther than you have ever dreamed.

This is where I am right now. This is what I’m experiencing. I want more of Him so I worship Him. I am captivated by His presence. I just want to stay there. As I do, God imparts new revelations of Himself to me.

Every time we praise God for who He is and all that He has done, it unleashes His life-changing power in our lives.

Lets meditate on Psalm 100 during this Thanksgiving season and all year through.

Psa 100:1-5

(1)  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

(2)  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

(3)  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

(4)  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

(5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

God is the strength of our life and He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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Revival Of Our Future

The title of this message seems to be almost an impossible statement. How can we revive something that has not happened yet? The truth is what we do today affects our future. How you handle your life today; emotions, actions, relationships, your attitudes and reactions, will flow into your tomorrow.

If you keep carrying dead thoughts of your life or how you perceive yourself, you will be carrying those images into your future. It will become who you are. I want to plant good seeds now so that in the future I will be harvesting a good crop.

Imagine carrying a dead corpse everywhere you go. Remember dead corpse smell terrible and attract flies and other kinds of insects. This is what happens when we carry our dead thoughts into our future. People see and smell our stench, and like insects invading a dead carcass, the enemy suffocates us with his lies and schemes and it brings even more decay and decomposing. We will end up settling for so much less then why we were created. God has a destiny for your life. Don’t allow your past or present mistakes to infest your future.

Not only can people see and smell our stench, but we are carrying something that will never benefit us. Dead things have no life. There is no advantage of bringing your past into your future. The past is just that; past! It is past away and you will never be able to relive that moment again. If you are constantly thinking about your past it would be like sitting on the ground right next to a dead body. It doesn’t speak to you. It doesn’t help you. It just reminds you of your fatal mistakes.

Don’t misunderstand me, we can learn from our past, just like we can learn from an autopsy of a dead body, but once we learn from it, discard the body and burry it once and for all. Trying to take something dead into our future will only bring frustration and magnify the lifeless carcass.

Psalm 42:2 (NLT)

“I thirst for God, for the living God.”

This verse expresses David’s thirst for God. He was young and strong, yet he knew only God could satisfy him. He had spent time in God’s presence playing his harp and tending sheep (the normal things of life for him). Spiritual thirst is as natural as physical thirst.

There are churches today that want revival but the people in the church seem to think that revival will suddenly appear and affect them. This is not how revival works. Revival happens by us doing our part. We have to eagerly pursue God. We need to develop a hunger for God on a daily basis.  We have to be thirsty for the living God. The Bible says that if we are thirsty we should come buy and eat. What it costs us is our action and our will. What it cost is giving up our control and allowing God to have His way.

Isaiah 55:1 – 3 (Amplified Bible)

“WAIT and listen, everyone who is thirsty! Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy [priceless, spiritual] wine and milk without money and without price [simply for the self-surrender that accepts the blessing]. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your earnings for what does not satisfy? [] Hearken diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness [the profuseness of spiritual joy]. Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me; hear, and your soul will revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with you, even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David.”

I was traveling in 1993 and 1994 to churches all over the Pacific Northwest area of the United States ministering in Churches. Everywhere I went I saw this complacency and lack of thirst. It broke my heart. I felt I was experiencing just a touch of what God was feeling. I wrote a song that I ministered to the churches during that time and the words were taken directly from Isaiah 55:1 – 3. The very first time I sang that song a young man came to the alter while I was singing it. He wept and wept at the alter. He longed to receive the Living Water from God and he also ached to see others drink as well. The song is called; “Come Buy and drink!”

John 7:37 (NIV)

“Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

“… let him come to me and drink.” This takes action on our part. Again, revival doesn’t come to you, you go after revival!

Are you dehydrated in your heart, spirit, or emotions? 

It is time you get wet. It is time you dive into the Living Water and drink of God’s goodness and soak in His presence. God’s Living Water will not only take care of any dehydration as you drink it, but as you allow God to saturate your entire being you will be a “living well” yourself.

Others will smell, see, and taste this Living Water from you as Living Water never sits still. Living Water is just that…living! This water can’t help but affect those around you. They are watching your life and seeing your joy and passion and they will want to hang around you. They might not know why, yet they have a desire to talk to you and overall want to spend time with you. These are the affects of your time spent drinking and soaking in the Living Water!

We need to get rid of our dignity. 

It can prevent us from letting go of ourselves to experience something new in God. Who cares what people think of you. We should care more about what God thinks. He sees what truly is in our hearts and what we are thinking. We can’t hide anything from God. Why even try?

Our dignity can prevent us from experiencing more of God and it can prevent revival from coming in the future.

Do you have walls up that are preventing you from experiencing a revival in your heart? We need to see our humanity and His divinity and realize we are lost without Him. We need to get desperate for Him. Who are we to think we can survive without God in our lives, or maintain our life without giving God everything? This is a lie!

Are you tired of how your life is going today? What do you plan to do about it? What you change in your life today will benefit your future. Many people think their life will change by the Government, or by some rich uncle passing away and leaving them a load of money. When will they realize they are just wasting their life away? If you want change to happen in your life, if you want revival to come, do something about it! The first thing and the best thing we can do is pray for God to help bring change. Ask Him what your part is in changing your life. Don’t think you are too old or too young for change to come. Be determined to take the land that is rightfully yours. Caleb, at the age of 85 years old demanded, “Give me my mountain” (Joshua 14:12). That hill country was promised as an inheritance by God because Caleb “wholly followed the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 14:14b).

Let’s follow hard after God!

Psalm 63:1-8 (KJV)

“ O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” 

This is a Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. He learned while in the wilderness how to follow hard after God by thirsting for water, it brought true meaning to thirsting after God.

God will always quench our thirst when we thirst and follow hard after Him. In these verses we can see that David learned how to worship God in the middle of a trial. He knew Who his source was. He remembered when he was laying in his bed who his help was. He praised God and meditated on Him “…When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” The word; “watches” (ashmûrâh)  is translated; “watch, a period of time,” and the primitive root (shâmar) means; “properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, beware, be circumspect, take heed, keep, mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save, sure, wait, watch.”

In Bible times there were four watches (Matthew 14:25, Luke 12:38). David could be referring to the watches in the temple, or he could be referring to the watches at night with the guards which guarded his palace. At this point, he no longer was in the palace but the wilderness. I am sure he is remembering being with the congregation and in the sanctuary praising God. He is remembering on his bed, which could have been a rock for his pillow and dirt for his bedding, yet he is meditating on God and his goodness. David didn’t wait for a revival to come to him. No! He birthed it from his heart as he realized meditating on God, and the things of God, is better than meditating on himself and wallowing in self-pity.  Remember he was running for his life from king Saul. He feared for his life. If David complained we sure would understand, yet this man of God decided to keep his focus on God, even in the night watches. Albert Barnes expresses this thought well in his notes on this verse:

“That is, when I lie down at night; when I compose myself to sleep. Nothing can be more proper than that our last thoughts, as we sink into quiet slumber, should be of God; of his being, his character, his mercy, his loving-kindness; of the dealings of his providence, and the manifestations of his grace toward us, during the day; and nothing is better suited to compose the mind to rest, and to induce quiet and gentle slumber, than the calmness of soul which arises from the idea of an Infinite God, and from confidence in him. Often when restless on our beds – when nothing else will lull the body to rest, the thought of God – the contemplation of his greatness, his mercy, and his love – the sweet sense of an assurance of his favor will soothe us, and cause us to sink into gentle repose. So it may be – so it will be – when we are about to sleep the long sleep of death, for then the most appropriate thoughts – the thoughts that will best prepare us for that long sleep – will be thoughts of God.”

“My soul followeth hard after thee…” (Psalm 63:8) is a revival statement! It implies action. I like how the Amplified Bible states this verse:

Psalm 63:8 (Amplified Bible)

“My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

The word “hard” is translated dâbaq, which means: “properly to impinge, that is, cling or adhere; to catch by pursuit: abide, fast, cleave (fast together), follow close, be joined, keep, overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.”

All these are action words. We need to cling, pursue hard, adhere to and catch God. It is like two pieces of wood being glued together, inseparable! This is revival! It is not settling for the same thing over and over again. It is pressing in to touch God and not caring what the crowd will think (Luke 8:43 – 48).

Your future is bright. You can experience revival if you would start following hard after God today! Don’t let anything get in your way.

Love people into revival

Watching Jesus and his actions will show us how we are to respond to people. He loved them. He showed love when He healed the sick and raised the dead. He showed love when he wept when Lazarus was dead and raised him back to life. He moved with compassion to forgive the woman caught in adultery. He even loved the Roman soldiers who crucified Him with his statement, “Forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

It was part of His character and makeup. People were drawn to this love.

I believe with all my heart that if we love people walls will come down and revival will come. I have seen this in action where ever I travel and minister. I go in and love on the people, treating them like my true brother or sister that they are. This automatically brings down any walls or preconceived ideas they may have. They see that I am real and a “safe” person to be around. No one will let down their guard if they think you don’t care about them. Love conquers all.

Have you ever experienced the love of God to the point you felt free to be yourself, free to love others with the love He has given you? Within ourselves we do not and cannot love others unconditionally. God’s love is indescribable and yet all powerful. What do you do with a love like this? You fall in love with Him even more. In doing so you will change your character. You will begin to exude God’s love to others.

Revival of our future starts today! Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. Let go of any dead corpse you are carrying from your past and reach for the new God has for you to revive your future. Your future awaits for a new beginning.

From one revivalist to another,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

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Revival Of Our Past (Part 2)

Endure or bolt

Running away from our problems will never solve them. I am sure you have heard that saying several times in your life. Running away is the easy road out of a sticky situation. How many times have you bolted from something that you didn’t like?

Have you ever waited for something you really wanted and in the middle of the wait you decided it was taking too long and you bolted? Maybe you’ve gone through a hardship and decided to leave because you felt you didn’t need to deal with it. I know of several times in my life I’ve done just that. Waiting is a hard thing to do, especially when you don’t see any results of your waiting. Waiting requires endurance. Endurance shows our character. How do we respond in hardships? What is the first thing you do when you are tried or tested? Do you whine and complain about the situation you are in? Is the first thing in your heart anger towards God for letting the trial come?

Take a ring, or a small item like a pebble, and place it in one of your hands. Curve your fingers around it as if you were making a loose fist. You are the ring or pebble and God is your hand. Nothing comes to the ring/pebble without His hand allowing it to come. Often times we don’t understand why we have to go through hardship. We can find in the epistle of James some answers.

James 1:2 – 4 (HCSB)

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

How can we consider a trial a “joy?” In order to really understand these verses we have to look deeper than the first few words. We can see that trials test our faith. It would be one thing if God created us all to be robots walking around on this earth just doing the commands He programs in our memory. We wouldn’t need faith for that. God created us with our own free-will and this allows us to make choices. These choices can be good or bad.

God wants us to see and know what we believe. He wants us to call on Him for help and guidance. He wants us to see our need for Him. The more we need God, the more our faith builds up in us! In other words, when we call out to God in our need, and He answers, our faith is built up. Even when we wait for the answer, this builds our faith.

There is power in waiting. I like how the Bible in Basic English puts it:

Romans 5:3 – 5 (BBC)

“And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting; And waiting gives experience; and experience, hope: And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.” 

The “power of waiting” is endurance. It is patience. Whenever we have to wait for something, we have to endure. Be it a little thing like waiting in line at a store, or a big thing like waiting for God to answer our prayers; it requires endurance.

We know that “good things come to those who wait.” I am not sure where that saying originated from, but it is true when it comes to endurance. We are given a reward for our endurance.

We can see in James 1:2 – 4 that the testing of our faith produces endurance. Endurance and patience are interchangeable. They are synonyms of each other. God wants us to become mature sons and daughters. He doesn’t want us to stay young in our thinking and in our reactions.

When we were just learning to walk and talk, the first thing out of our mouth was, “MINE!” Baby’s are born selfish. They cry when they need changing, they get angry when they don’t get fed on time. You always have to teach them how to share, play nicely with others, and to think of others more than themselves. This is in the natural and it is the same for the spiritual.

When we first become a Christian and ask Christ into our heart as Lord and Savior, we are babies. We have to learn how to walk in the Lord. We have to learn God’s will instead of our will. We have to learn endurance.

Endurance means (Strong’s #5281): “Constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, patient endurance. It is the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness, and defeat.”

Hebrew 10:36 (NKJV)

“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

There is always a reward for enduring. I teach guitar to many students. The biggest complaint is that it is hard work to play the guitar. They have to practice throughout the week to be able to come back to me and have a lesson to progress into the next lesson and eventually to be a good guitarist. Some of my students were expecting to just pick up the guitar and be able to play. This never happens. A great guitarist has many many years of practice behind them and it shows with the reward of playing the guitar well. This is a small example of endurance, but I think you get the idea.

What are you going through right now? Do you have what it takes to endure?

We have to remember it is not what we go through, but how we go through it. Often I find myself in a circumstance I hate being in. Ultimately, my character, and what I am really made of, comes to the surface.

God wants you to see your character and respond accordingly. We have to remember who we are in Christ. We are warriors! We are over comers! We have resources to grab a hold of inside of us to help us stand as we go through the fire. But just think of the silver that is coming out in the middle of this refining fire process in your life! God gives you grace to endure. Endurance is staying even under pressure. Endurance is the ability or power to bear prolonged exertion, pain, or hardship. It is the active, energetic resistance to defeat that allows calm and brave endurance. This will bring spiritual maturity, and we won’t bolt again!

I have a bracelet that says, “Endurance” on it and I wear it whenever I need to remind myself to endure and not bolt. Find something you can do to remind yourself to “keep on keeping on” when the going gets hard. We are over-comers and we will endure and become mature, lacking nothing in Christ!

Conclusion

Jacob learned the hard way that bolting is not the answer. But he did confront his past and reconciled with Laban and Esau. In essence, Jacob’s past experienced revival and reconciliation.

What events in your past do you need to confront? Allow God to show you areas that you need to look at. Not to make you feel bad about yourself, but to deal with it once and for all. Don’t let your past overcome you, but you overcome your past as Christ is standing right with you every step of the way.

I remember teaching on this subject at a ladies Bible study. There was a lady there who became upset over the subject. She didn’t think it was of God to have to go back to something in her past to move forward. In fact, she was downright vocal during the class. All her words were negative about the subject I taught. She expressed that I was wrong and teaching wrong ideas. To be honest, I was a little taken back by her actions and reactions. But realizing now that her violent reaction was a sign that there were things in her past that needed to be confronted and her flesh was acting out. It let me know that I was right on target in teaching about confrontation of our past.

Jesus brought revival to Peter’s past. Peter denied Jesus three different times before the rooster crowed. In other words, Peter was faced with telling the truth of his connection with Jesus three different times before the next morning. All three times Peter denied even knowing Jesus, when earlier Peter said Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Also Peter said if he had to die with Jesus he would, instead of denying him (Matthew 26:35). After Jesus was crucified and buried Peter decided to go back to his original occupation of fishing and Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and a couple of other disciples went with him. They went out and fished all night but didn’t catch anything. Jesus came and stood on the shore and told them to “cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). So they did and they were unable to bring in their nets because of so many fish. John said it was Jesus and Peter plunged into the water to be with Him. The disciples came to shore and brought up the fish. Jesus asked for them to bring some of the fish and come and eat breakfast with Him.

John 21:15 – 17 (NKJV)

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.””

Now this is a scene of restoration and confrontation all at the same time. Jesus asked, “Do you love Me?” He could have asked so many questions that would have been acceptable like, “Why did you deny me?” or “Do you fear me?” He asked Peter of his love and devotion to Him.

Peter was repentant in his answers as he cried out the words, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” Jesus restores Peter right in front of the company of the other disciples.

Jesus was raising Peter up to be their leader and to feed His sheep. He didn’t and couldn’t entrust this position to someone who didn’t love Him. Jesus is so careful to not give His flock over to just anyone, but only to those who truly love Him. For when we, as ministers, love Jesus with our whole heart, we will tend His flock with care.

Ministers who don’t love Jesus won’t have a passion to see souls saved. They won’t stay in the ministry when it gets hard except for those who truly love Christ.  Jesus asked Peter three times if He loved Him. The same amount of times Peter denied Him. This was total and complete restoration from his past mistakes. It was as if Jesus was reaching into Peter’s past and taking the heart that was dead because of sin, and pumped life back into it again. Love will conquer all. Jesus’ love will make things brand new again.

Jesus didn’t leave Peter in his sad condition. It was Jesus agenda to raise him up in front of his peers and place him into leadership again. This is His desire for you and me too. He died on the cross for the sins we committed and He died on the cross for the sins committed against us. What He did is complete. This covers anything in our past that doesn’t bring life to us.

There is a revival of our past that Christ wants to bring to us. Even though it is painful or it might cost us something, it is well worth the revisiting.

Revival of your past may include:

 1.  Regrets

Everyone of us have regrets from our past. Worrying about our past is wasted energy. You can’t change your past, but you can change your present and future. If I try, I can think of many regrets. You have to find a place to make peace with what you did or what what you didn’t do. Remember that it doesn’t define who you are. Our past doesn’t have to devine us if we have a determination to make different choices and a different mindset then before.

2 Corinthians 5:2 (Amplified Bible)

“Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”

2.  Mistakes

No body is perfect, not even you. We all make mistakes. We are all imperfect. Making mistakes is part of life. That is why Jesus went to the cross; to save us from our sin and past mistakes. Lay your mistakes down at Christ’s feet as an offering. It is what is in your hand. It is what you are aching over. Offering it us to Jesus is the only thing you can do. He has a way of taking our mistakes and regrets and making something new from them. He makes beauty from ashes, even from ashes that was set on fire from your own match!

Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

It is all for God’s glory the changes He makes in you and I! We are His masterpieces and He is proud of His creation.

3.  Guilt

Once we have asked for forgiveness of the wrong we have done, and mean it, God forgives us. The enemy is the one who puts guilt on us. First he entices us to make bad choices and then, once we do, the enemy will try to put guilt on us. Either way it is torment. Don’t fall for this!

We are all guilty of sin. We are born into a fallen, sinful world. We are sinful by nature. Knowing we don’t have to live this way because of what Jesus did on the cross frees us. He took our place even though we were the ones who are guilty. Releasing the guilt and forgiving yourself brings freedom to your spirit.

Jeremiah 33:8 (Amplified)

“And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me.”

4.  Shame

Shame is a heavy heavy burden to carry with you everywhere you go. I know as I have experienced it in my life. Shame can be very painful and stressful. It torments us and seeps into every pore of our being to the point you feel your aroma is exuding shame.

Shame can come with those sins we are ashamed of. Sins we would never want anyone to know we committed. Shame can come from an adult figure who might have said to you; “Shame on you!” We can feel shame over a choice or something we have said.

Shame locks us in a prison cell. But the truth is we have the key to unlock the cell door and let ourselves out. Listening to good counsel and heeding what the Bible tells us to do will unlock our shameful prison. When the enemy tries to put that shame back on you, you tell Him you are forgiven and a new creation (2 Cor. 5:2). Remind yourself that Christ took all your shame on the cross and it was crucified there. It is finished!

Proverbs 13:18 (Amplified)

“Poverty and shame come to him who refuses instruction and correction, but he who heeds reproof is honored.”

Isaiah 54:4 (NKJV)

“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.”

Isaiah 61:7 (NKJV)

“Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.”

5.  Disappointments

We all experience disappointments in our life. It is what we do with those disappointments that shows our character. Are you rehashing your disappointments and thinking about what could have been? We have to place them in God’s hands.

I am sure Joseph was “disappointed” when his brothers sold him into slavery. If it were me I would have been deeply hurt and probably would have experienced un-forgiveness. Yet, God was with Joseph in every step of his life. God was with him in the pit. God was with him in Potpher’s house. God was with him in prison, and ultimately God was with him when he went to the palace.

Put your expectations in God and not man. Man will let us down always, but God never will. He has the perfect plan for our lives. He can turn a trial into a triumph you just wait and see. A disappointment can be a blessing in disguise. It could change your viewpoint or mindset over something. Our disappointments can be re-appointments as we place them in God’s hands.

So what about you? Is there anything in your past that you are having a hard time getting over? Now is the time to release, forgive, and be revived in your past so you can press forward to what God has waiting for you. No more road blocks to your destiny. Freedom to be yourself and to experience all that God has for you!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com,

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com