Overcomer Tour – Update
Pastor Appreciation Month
Every October, we as a nation take this month to remember and appreciate our pastors. All over the world they are preparing sermons for the unrelenting weekend services. Pastoring is so much more than this. We are reminded in the book of James of the high calling it is to be a teacher and pastor.
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James 3:1
Scripture also reminds us that we should give respect and give recognition to those who are above us in leadership.
“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Pastoring is a 24/7 job and is not for the faint of heart. There are needs in each body that he sees and has a responsibility to greater than we understand. At some point this can take a toll and the evidence is staggering to look at.
One number shows that about 250 pastors leave ministries each month for reason such as feeling too overwhelmed, the demands of ministry are more than they can handle, and their church has unrealistic expectations of them. Some feel depression and loneliness to a great degree. Many feel a tension between their family and their ministry.
Don’t you want to stop and pray for your pastor this instant? Go ahead…do it!
It is so important for you to lift your ministry leaders and pastors to God in prayer consistently. This month we will be providing short prayers for you to be lifting up through our social media accounts.
This month think of ways for you and your church to love and support your pastor.
THIS WEEK – Overcomer Tour!
DISCOVER THE SUPERNATURAL TOOLS AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LIVE IN VICTORY!
YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!
Do you believe God’s power can help you conquer anything? For many people, worry, anxiety, and fear are constant companions: fear of death, disease, financial destruction, failure.
These fears are crippling and tighten the grip chaos has on your life. It’s a debilitating battle, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
YOU CAN OVERCOME!
Here’s some good news: You can OVERCOME. God wants you to overcome. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).
God says, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NKJV). He has given us supernatural weapons of warfare; these don’t just protect us from the enemy, they are our offensive armor. They enable us to overcome obstacles like fears that prey on on your life.
This week the Overcomer Tour with Dr. David Jeremiah is coming to those in the Raleigh/Durham area. Please follow the link below to grab free tickets!
Road Rage In The Mirror
What, the Christian Car Guy struggles with Road Rage? I’m afraid so, my kids my wife would share that I often find myself raging, not just at other drivers, but a few weeks ago at a seating hostess in a restaurant, lines at stores or amusements parks. Clearly a problem and at its heart a spiritual one, right. As John instructed in 1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.“
Night before last I was taking the long drive home alone from caring for my father, there was a 20 mile stretch of road where the speed limited is 45 at times 50 and fairly curvy so there is no place to pass on the whole stretch, the driver ahead of me was apparently struggling with all that and driving about 30-35 sometimes 25. The driver behind me was tailgating me closer than I think I have ever seen, he could not have been centimeters off my rear bumper. The further we went the madder I got, sandwiched in, trapped by, (in my raging spirit) an idiot in front of me and a maniac behind me.
At the light right before the end of that stretch the maniac jumps the curb to the right couldn’t have missed the side of my car by milometers and passes both of us then with a screech of his tires turns right. This freaks out the car ahead who now travels even slower and I was not tailgating this guy trying to give him or her space to think and speed up, to no avail!
Finally the road turns and goes to two lanes and I floored it coming up on their bumper and passed on the left probably going 60. As I came to the light down the road a bit I came to my senses, like the prodigal, “What is going on inside of me? Why am I so furious Lord? That could have been a 15 year old driving with their dad and I just peer pressured them into going faster than they should possibly or scared the be-gee-bees out of some older driver.”
All that could have gone to shame but the Holy Spirit grabbed me and said why don’t we check under the hood tomorrow morning when you are rested. The next morning in my prayer time The Holy Spirit, Jesus and I took all that up again. I heard a Becoming Good Soil Podcast this week that talked about Jesus clearing the temple and the verses right after indicate that once the Riff Raff was cleared out of the temple there was room for those who needed healing. Matthew 21: 13-14 13“And He *said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.”
This week I had also read in ‘Shattered Dreams’ by Larry Crabb that as your heart is now the temple, Jesus wants to clear it of all the idolatry so He can come and heal it. More than a coincidence don’t you think. So I asked Jesus to clear out my heart of my need to be get where I am going timely or safely and look at the “Larger Story, The Kingdom” in all this, where is my heart broken that is giving access to Satan and all this warfare?
I went to the place where I meet with Jesus in my heart and asked Him and He told me clearly. So clearly that I wrote it down. “It’s irrational, but you think that the drivers or hostesses are slowing you down on purpose, they are trying to hurt you and make you mad.” That is exactly it! I could not have expressed it but that is what I was feeling, “They are doing this on purpose to make me mad!”.
So I asked Jesus where that was coming from, and he reminded me of that young place, and how my little brother used to slow me down on purpose to make me mad, and one time I got so furious I started beating him and my older sister broke it up screaming, “you are a maniac, your insane!”
There it was, the agreement I had bought that lie many years ago and several similar incidents came to mind with the message, “they are doing this on purpose to make you mad and I’m a maniac, I have a horrible temper.” That was the little boy, little Robby that is still there, when that happens to me I feel like I’m nine years old all over again”.
The Holy Spirit guided me right to that broken place and Jesus came in to heal, yes I needed to forgive, my brother, my sister, myself and break those agreements, but oh the comfort, the still waters, I felt Jesus restore my soul.
Now the question is out there, will it help the next time? I don’t know, I am prepared to continue to break the agreements and hopefully see my fellow drivers as my brothers whom I can love and pray for and be courteous anyway I can, my guess is Jesus has me where I need Him desperately; to live life abundantly, for without Him I can do NOTHING!
Anita and Jerry’s Book Signing
Our sister station The Light has some exciting news to share!
Its finally here! The autobiography of Anita “Boss Lady” Dean Arnette. We are so excited to announce that Anita and Jerry will be dedicating, releasing, and signing there book Broken Steps “Boss Lady of Gospel” The Anita Dean Story this weekend. You will not want to miss out on this incredible day to celebrate a story that the Lord has been making for years.
Come show your love and support for Anita.
Saturday, September 29 • 1pm – 4pm
Morning Star Baptist Church
1400 Fitch Street, Winston-Salem NC
The Overcomer Tour – Dr. David Jeremiah
“Did you know that as a child of God, you have a superpower?! The armor of God equips us to stand firm against fear, anxiety and every evil temptation! Find new personal strength by joining me at any of my one-night events coming next month.”
With only a little less then a month away we are coming up on an exciting event. The Overcomer Tour with Dr. David Jeremiah is coming to those in the Raleigh/Durham area. Please follow the link below to grab tickets!
Inside A Blessing
Once again God has taken me deep, perhaps punching way out of my weight class by the lesson plan He had for me this week, I’ll do my best to show what God has shown me about the camel kneeling and the roots of a giant sequoia being inside a blessing.
The word blessing in Hebrew is “Barak” defined on Blue Letter Bible like this: bârak, baw-rak’; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):—× abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.
Check out the camels kneeling in Genesis 24:11 ” And he made H1288➔ his camels to kneel down H1288 without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.” Ten camels, have you ever tried to get one cat to sit or come or a dog to heel when he sees a girl dog he’s interested in.
Jesus was amazed, yes Jesus marveled at the centurions faith and understanding of authority. “When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
Have you ever considered why they stoned Steven, what was it that made them so mad. The gospel required that they couldn’t save themselves, nor can we, we have to accept God’s authority. WE have to kneel.
Now look a little further down in the definition of blessing/barak and remember the multiplication of the first blessings in Genesis, right.. “God blessed them and said “be fruitful and multiply”. The giant sequoia tree grows 350 feet high and has lived longer on the earth than any other life form known 3500 years. One of the reasons is their root system. I would have thought it went deep, but it doesn’t only five or six feet, but oh its spread out and intertwined with its brother sequoia’s. They have a community that supports such LIFE and LIFE :abundantly” through fire and wind, yes they are blessed.
As I said there is more here than I can comprehend but wanted to wet you appetites or roots to keep thirsting for more, not just from the scriptures but from you fellow sequoia’s who are kneeling under God’s amazing authority.
Collections for Florence Relief at Pinedale
Pinedale Christian Church in Winston-Salem is collecting items for Hurricane Relief to be sent to New Bern, NC.
We can start taking your donations NOW and will continue through Sunday, September 30th.
Drop-off donations at 3395 Peters Creek Parkway W-S 27127.
Monday – Friday 8:30-5:30 PM
Saturday – 9 AM – 1PM
Sunday 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
The tractor-trailer will leave on Monday, October 1st to go to New Bern.
The current list of items we are collecting is:
— NO CLOTHING
— NEW Underwear and Socks
— Easy Open Non Perishable Food
— Pet Food
— Hygiene Items
— Cleaning Supplies
— Light Blankets, towels, wash cloths, pillows
— Diapers
— Water
NO OTHER DONATIONS ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME.
Listening Prayer
Week before last the Masculine Journey Radio Team had an Advanced Boot Camp at the NC Boys Academy at Tree Top Adventures on Lake Hickory. The Challenge we faced was should we attempt listening prayer with young boys 14-18 some of which were not yet believers in Christ. Yes, they knew of Him but weren’t really sure if a personal relationship with God was even real or available to them.
As the Christian Car Guy and having trained hundreds of car salesman over the years one critical basic principle I taught, and still teach is: “PRESENTATION WITHOUT DEMONSTRATION IS MERE CONVERSATION”. In other words you can tell someone all day long how fun it is to ride in a Jeep Wrangler with the top down and the doors off, But if you will take the time and remove the top and the doors and take them for a ride the experience is way beyond anything you could ever tell them. Or you can tell someone about a BOSE sound system all day long how many watts, amps you name it, but have them sit and listen to the BOSE high fidelity mp3 cranked up with waterfalls and oceans, symphonies and Hard Rock again more powerful than anything you could ever say. “PRESENTATION WITHOUT DEMONSTRATION IS MERE CONVERSATION”. Get the principle; now how can you apply this in your relating to others.
Listening Prayer as it turns out is an amazing way to do this with Christ. I’m praying the story of what happened with this listening prayer event will convey enough about the power of listening prayer that you will try it.
So after a few teaching sessions at our Advanced Boot Camp we set up the Listening Prayer Session with simple instructions.
***** THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE BOYS*****
Break into smaller groups our was 8 people 4 boys from the academy 1 Boys Academy staff member we will call “Leo”, me and two other guys who were veterans of Ransom Heart and Masculine Journey Radio Boot Camps. Simply open with a short, “God give us the name of who you want to speak over tonight.” Then everyone listen for a name. NO PREACHING, NO WORDS, LISTEN. Then once you have people speaking out they hear the name ________. Again that’s all listening and the simple words I hear, Ralf. Once you have a name a simple prayer should be said, “God please give us the words you want to speak over, ______ Ralf or whoever.
Now as you might imagine you do this in a group with 4 boys 14-18 years old they begin to giggle, then choke on laughs and laugh uncontrollably. Though they are trying to control it they are still laughing a lot and this went on on off for the whole hour we listened. Ad to that, Leo starts to growl ERRRRRRR. and again he says ERRRRRRRR. Though the boys are now almost at hilarity I ask, Leo, “what does that mean ERRRRRR?”
Leo says,” I am hearing ERRRRRR you know their are three boys in the group with ERRRR in their first name, Conner, Tucker and Parker. ”
More laughing but we all just keep trying to listen and honestly at this point I’m asking, “Jesus what do you want me to do and Jesus clearly says let them laugh. Next, Parker says he is hearing, “Conner” and shortly after Tucker says he is hearing “Mark” yet we have no Mark in the group.
I ask, “does anyone have a middle name Mark?” and sure enough Conner says that’s his middle name. So I say, “sounds like you want to speak over Conner, Lord give us your words.” and we begin to listen for that still with much giggling though its become less frequent.
I then clearly hear, “Honor”, from God.
So I ask, “Conner is there something God would want to honor you for did you do something that you were honored for?”
Connor says, “Mr. Robby you don’t understand, I am a bad kid, no one would ever honor me. ”
“Well, Conner, God is clearly got a different view I am hearing, honor.” I told him
Then Parker says, “Yes, I am hearing Strength, Courage” and all goes quiet for a minute.
Conner says, “I am am hearing, light” and the giggling starts again.
This frustrates the ex-marine in the group and although not in the guidelines of listening prayer he calls them out, “Do you boys even want to hear from God?, do you even know who He is?”
Conner says sincerely, “Mr. we were hijacked to this camp, I never went to church had no understanding of all this, maybe there is a God maybe not, I’m not sure.”
Tuckers says something along those same lines, Parker says, “I believe in God, went to church all my life, but God hasn’t answered my prayers. ”
I said, “come on guys, lets try to listen.” Getting back to the exercise, More time passes a few more words are spoken over Conner all exhorting him. with the Giggling I look at my watch and see the hour has passed and tell everyone it’s movie night and we can go ahead and transition to that, thinking to myself, I guess it kinda was over their heads, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, BOY WAS I WRONG.
As I walked out of the room, Conner followed me, “Mr. Robby can I speak with you?”
“Sure”, and we headed back to a dark corner in the kitchen as I could see Conner had something on his heart.
“Mr. Robby do you think I really heard from God, what do you think it means, “Light”.
I told him, Jesus is the light of the World, I believe He has a lot He would like to tell you, can you get back to that place spiritually when you heard light and ask, Jesus do you Love me?” Conner went on to share some intimate details of his story that broke my heart as we were wrapping up, Tucker walk up.
“Mr. Robby do you think I really heard from God?” he asked, Tucker, Conner and I talked more of listening for Jesus and asking Him, do you love me? Tucker shared more of his story and after a few minutes they headed off to watch the movie.
As I headed for a staff meeting, the head counselor with the boys academy approached me, “Robby, I got another boy want to speak with you.” You guessed it, Tucker.
“Mr. Robby do you think I really heard from God?” he asked. Another heart breaking story and another boy who so wanted to know that God was real and wanted to answer his prayer.
Another one of the groups a boy came up to the leader after and said, “I really didn’t know if God was real so I just told him in prayer as we sat down, “If you are real God they will chose my name?” Three Godly men in that group called out they heard that boys name, then the words of affirmation oh my what a gift to that boys heart.
The bow on the gift the Masculine Journey Radio team got the next day as we read the reviews the boys turned in, not some, but most of the boys said they heard from God for the first time. My favorite was Conner’s who said, “Father God, told the other people in the prayer group that I am not a failure.”
PRESENTATION WITHOUT DEMONSTRATION IS MERE CONVERSATION