The People of Israel had just crossed the Red Sea and escaped Egyptian bondage. They were destined for a land promised by God, and prepared just for them. The lessons they would learn on the journey from the Red Sea to the promise land would enable them to believe God for anything. Unfortunately, they never could go “Beyond Mere Belief” and take the step to the next level of faith. Our journey is no different. We journey through a barren culture with the brutal heat and lack of water to...

It's Time To Out The President!

It's time to out the president!  Me thinks that if you call yourself a follower of Christ (a Christian), then you must surrender your political and philosophical tenants to His Lordship.  Your moral foundation should be firmly established in the Word of God...and you should take the Bible as stated and, instead of twisting it to your own political ends,  should accept it as the final authority for faith and practice.  Me thinks that one that calls attention to their Christianity, then it should be unashamedly and firmly established deep so that the winds of political expediency do  not sway that believer from the unchanging precepts of God.  Since the Bible clearly says, Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is reproach to any people, the President, by his announcement this week affirming his desire to make gay marriage legal, clearly indicates that His desire to push agenda is more important than His desire to rightly divide the WORD...and submit to the LORDSHIP of Christ.   The Golden Rule does not excuse sin...nor does the fact that Jesus died for all people allow us to PUSH something that the Bible clearly calls sin.   America is clearly on a course that places TRUE believers in the crosshairs of a government that   is increasingly antagonistic to Biblical faith, and this announcement will increase that antagonism.  The slope is slippery, but if there is one good thing about it, at least now the distinction between Christian's and Posers is becoming crystal clear.  An election is not the answer for America...for our problems are not merely political...our core is rotten...and requires a massive GREAT AWAKENING for this generation in order for the core problems (sin, apathy, desire to please men instead of God, corruption from the WHITE HOUSE...to GOD's HOUSE) to be addressed...but even with that said...I believe it is TIME for America  to OUT THIS PRESIDENT.  Vote Him OUT this November. 

disconnection

It seems to me that Satan is the master of frustration. Frustrating my prayer life...frustrating the answers to prayers...and making sure that there is a disconnect between my faith and prayer to God and the answer. If he can succeed in frustrating that...even with an eventual answer to prayer...it will be hard to make the connection between my prayer and God's answer. Even though that MUST happen to complete the FAITH cycle (believe, pray, praise, receive...) and even though Satan can not keep God from doing what God desires, my focus can not be on the frustration, but on God...and once the answer comes, to make the connection between my faith and prayer...and God's answer to the prayer. I MUST make that connection...(no matter how long it takes for the answer to come)...so that Satan is not successful in keeping me from seeing God move in my life. I believe that is the reason so many believers get discouraged is that they allow the enemy to frustrate them..to hinder their answered prayer...and disconnect the faith and prayer...from the blessing. Then, they feel like God does not care, has not answered their prayer...and they get discouraged. Lord, help me to make the connection between my faith in you...my prayers to you...and the outcome of answered prayer in my life.

It seems to me...

Some random thoughts while I contemplate why I am in pain...
1. God's purpose is more important than my timing...that's the way he works...and we seem to think God is a 'clock watcher' waiting for the right 'moment' to come through...but instead he is a purpose planner...and when His purpose is to be fulfilled, then the timing is right. We get it backwards...need to change focus from 'timing' to 'purpose'.
2. All around me are people in various stages of pain, storms, some looking into eternity very, very soon...and one day everyone...including me...will not remember the pain, the storm, the moment we prepare to enter eternity...instead...once we see His face, all that stuff will seem so....nothing.....
3. I am so thankful for a wonderful family...a wife who a get crazier about every day...my children (all adults now)....who make me so, so, so (can I say that enough....)so proud. Friends that would drop everything for me...wow...am I blessed....

The Intimidator

Ever felt intimidated? Some person or some progress intimidated you and you were unable to move forward, or have a healthy relationship. This is another podcast taken directly from the series, "RANSOM" that was shared October 2010. The good news is that Jesus paid the price to set you free from all the things that keep you from moving forward...from ALL intimidation!

Listen to "RANSOM- Bought From The Censore of Intimidation" by clicking on the player:

Ransom- Redeemed From The Curse of Anger

For all who have asked for this one...this is actually the last message in the series, RANSOM! Here are a few comments about this message from FACEBOOK: Sharon wrote, "I laughed so hard I cried at church"....Phyllis wrote, "My jaws hurt so much from laughing. Pastor John is a male Beth Moore." Kristine wrote, "Pastor John is one crazzzzzy guy!"

Click on the "player" below to hear the message: Ransom-Redeemed From the Curse of Anger:

Ransom....Now Up

Ok, finally, uploading "RANSOM" series...first one is the one called, "Ransom: No Longer Held Hostage by Bitterness."   Listen by clicking the player button below!

THE RANSOM HAS BEEN PAID
In this powerful five week series, Pastor John Utley of Radiant Life Church shares the story of Hosea. God called Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. A prostitute who was caught in a life controlling spiral that bound her to everyone but the one who truly loved her. Her captors used and abused her continually, until they finally auction her to the highest bidder. In a powerful type of God’s love for His people, Hosea bids the highest bid to set Gomer free.
Just as Christ paid the highest price to set us free too.
Each week, Pastor John Utley shares about the different binding forces that hold us captive (such as bitterness, fear, jealousy, intimidation, and anger) and how Jesus paid the price to set us free from each of these areas that keep us from all that God wants to accomplish in our lives.