Spark Marriage Conference

Tim Ross at the Spark Marriage Conference

"Let's Get Naked"

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him." So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. "At last!" the man exclaimed. "This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken from 'man.'" This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

Genesis 2:18‭-‬25 NLT

God made the observation that  it was not good for men to be alone.

We are talking about emotional nakedness Vulnerability //

Nakedness is achieved with eyes closed.

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:7 NLT

Nakedness brings you together emotionally.

What is God requiring of me to be vulnerable.

1. I cannot get naked alone.

• I can't understand myself by myself.

• Things that were in you come out that you didn't know were there.  You had no idea you could be so petty, so defensive, so emotional, etc...

2. I can't get naked without help.

• I need someone to see the parts of me that I can't see.

• Men were made women were formed.

Your spouse is you outside of you looking back at you talking to you about you. 

• Your spouse is a full-length mirror

3. I can't get naked with anyone else.

• You're the only person who can handle your nakedness.

• You cannot be more vulnerable with someone else than you are with your spouse.

• You have to see the relationship as nucleus so that you won't become nuclear.

• Pride makes you create a picture of yourself that doesn't match what your spouse sees.

• Humility leads to nudity.

4. I like being naked

• No shame is our name.

• If your communication is good then your sex will be good.

John & Lisa Bevere at the Spark Marriage Conference

"Let's Get Naked"

Spouses are intimate allies.

Marriage is supposed to be a powerhouse not a power struggle.

And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

John 13:14‭-‬15 NLT

The husband is the chief servant.

And here's a second offense: You fill the place of worship with your whining and sniveling because you don't get what you want from God. Do you know why? Simple. Because God was there as a witness when you spoke your marriage vows to your young bride, and now you've broken those vows, broken the faith-bond with your vowed companion, your covenant wife. God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse. "I hate divorce," says the God of Israel. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says, "I hate the violent dismembering of the 'one flesh' of marriage." So watch yourselves. Don't let your guard down. Don't cheat.

Malachi 2:13‭-‬16 MSG

When Gregory wins, I win.

A lot of people who have been married for a long time have a closed spirit due unmet expectations and offenses...

"Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

Matthew 6:22‭-‬23 NLT

A spouse who cannot forgive is a person who has forgotten what they have been forgiven of.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

Lewis B. Smedes,

-Jeniro on the go!

Weekend Wrap

Not so long ago a friend told me 🗣not to worry about people who don't want to spend time with me...even if they're family.👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

That's hard for me because I'm always wanting to arrange some meet up...📍I always want to be invited. 💌If I'm not invited then I wonder why and sometimes cycle into a black hole of toxic self-reflection.

I almost did that this week...but instead I chose not to dwell on any PERCEIVED snubbs. 🤦🏽‍♀️ The weekend turned out great. I didn't see the people I thought I'd see but I had a great time with my husband, the dog got to come, and I saw plenty of people who I DID NOT expect to see. 

All my husband wants is for me to have a good time...🤵🏾👰🏽I love having fun and I can't believe I get to be married to someone who has fun helping me to have fun.

I saw my dear mother who I cherish more than words could say even though she pushes all of my buttons🤯 Most people feel like their mom is the best and we're all right. 😉

I saw my bonus granny who gave me the longest hug ... 🤗 I'm not a hugger but she's one of the people who I expect a hug from. It felt like she really needed that hug.

For the 2nd weekend in a row I ran into and sat next to my sister in church. 👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏿 I always thought she and I would be best friends and today's sermon got me to thinking maybe one day we will be..🙏

I got to meet the newest member of my immediate family 👶🏽 and I love him already even though he waited to 💩poop when I was holding him. I took that to mean that he felt comfortable and relaxed in my arms 🤷🏽‍♀️ His parents (my cousins), their other kids, AND his sister (my cousin/bff) were at the house. That turned out to be an awesome visit.

Then we zipped over to my father's cousin's house.🚘 She had randomly checked in on me earlier in the day. She and her husband have always made me feel loved. We chatted about current events, caught up on each other's lives, and discussed practical ways to help the homeless that do not put us in danger 

You Are Not a Victim

Pastor Joel at Lakewood Chu
We all go through things that are unfair: people that do us wrong, the company let us go, we came down with an illness. It's easy to live with a victim mentality, thinking we're at a disadvantage, we were shortchanged, we can't do anything great, look at how we were raised. We can't love again, the last person hurt us. We can't live happy, we've been through too much. As long as you accept that you're a victim, you're going to get stuck. You may have been through unfair situations, but don't use it as an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, to give up on life, to not pursue your dreams.

My mother had polio as a child, and one of her legs is much smaller than the other. As a little girl she had to wear a brace, she couldn't run and play like the other children. She could have lived as a victim, "I don't look up to par, I'm not as attractive, I'll never get married". I never heard her complain. She never saw herself as being at a disadvantage, she's gone on to live a full, blessed, favor-filled life. Married for almost 40 years, had five children, one son very good-looking - none of that would have happened (and it wasn't Paul), it would not happen if she had seen herself as a victim.

You have to take the hand you've been dealt and make the most of it. Nothing that's happened to you has stopped your destiny: that person that did you wrong, they walked away, it may have been painful, but they didn't ruin your life, they don't have that much power. If they could stop God's plan, they would be bigger than God. Don't let one bad break, one injustice, one difficult season cause you to be sour, have a chip on your shoulder.

When my father went to be with the Lord, I lost my best friend. I had worked with him day in and day out for 17 years, we'd traveled the world together, suddenly he was gone. I was tempted to think, "God, where are you? This isn't fair! Why did this happen"? When we go through loss, things we don't understand, that victim mentality will always come knocking at the door. We have to make the choice: are we going to live bitter, discouraged, thinking we're a victim of our circumstances, we're a victim of the loss, a victim of this unfair boss, a victim of this pandemic? Or are we going to believe that God is in control, that He's ordering our steps, that his plans for us are for good? Instead of having a victim mentality, switch over to a victor mentality. That bad break is not how your story ends. The loss, the sickness, the injustice is not going to limit the rest of your life.

God said in Isaiah 61:7, "He will pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened". If you're going to see the double, you have to know that God is going to make it up to you. It may be unfair, but God is a just God. He saw what happened, he knows who hurt you, what you lost, what you're struggling with. He's not going to just bring you out, he's going to bring you out better. Get rid of that victim mentality, quit dwelling on who hurt you, what you lost - you're not a victim, God always causes you to triumph. That bad break wasn't fair, you didn't like it, but what you can't see is it set you up for double. That boss that overlooked you, you didn't get the credit, you could feel like a victim - now get ready, God's going to make it up to you, that set you up for promotion, increase, favor that you wouldn't have seen if that had not have happened.

Here's the key: nobody can make you be a victim. They can do things that are not fair, you can go through things you don't like, you don't understand, but none of that can force you to have a victim mentality. You have to give permission to become a victim. You have to make that choice: "I'm at a disadvantage, I'm going to feel sorry for myself. This bad break has stopped my future". I'm asking you to not give permission, don't allow that victim mentality to enter your thinking. When unfair things happen thoughts will whisper, "Just your luck. Another bad break. You're scarred now, life will always be difficult". That's when you have to dig down deep and say, "No, thanks, I refuse to be a victim. I refuse to live bitter, angry, thinking that I've been short chains. I know God is still on the throne. I know he didn't bring me this far to leave me. What was meant for my harm he's turning to my advantage".

Think about Joseph in the scripture. As a teenager his brothers were jealous of him and threw him into a pit, they ended up selling him as a slave. Joseph was working in Egypt, a foreign country for a man named Potiphar. His dreams were shattered, he lost his freedom, in one sense he was a victim of his brother's jealousy, a victim of bad breaks. He had plenty of reasons to have this victim mentality, but Joseph didn't go there, he didn't sit around in self-pity, he didn't give up on life. He kept being his best, treating people right, believing that God was in control.

Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph. She lied about him, and he was put in prison for something that he didn't do. Another reason to have a chip on his shoulder. Now, he was the victim of this lady that was dishonest. But in prison Joseph kept shining, before long he was put in charge of the whole prison. One of his cell mates was Pharaoh's former butler. He had a dream one night that he didn't understand. Joseph interpreted the dream, told him that in three days the butler was going to be released and reinstated as the Pharaoh's butler. All Joseph asked for in return was for the butler to put in a good word for him.

Just like Joseph said, the butler got out, went back to his position, but he forgot all about Joseph - another reason Joseph could feel like a victim. 13 years after he was thrown into the pit, Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh, he was made the prime minister of Egypt, second in command, only to the Pharaoh. But during those 13 years practically every day Joseph had to fight having a victim mentality. Thoughts would whisper, "Look at where you are. You've done the right thing, and all these bad breaks have happened. Your own family turned on you. This lady lied about you, it's never going to change, just accept it". Joseph's attitude was, "I refuse to be a victim. I'm not a victim of my brother's jealousy, not a victim of this lady that lied about me, not a victim of this butler that's forgotten about me. They did me wrong, but God said he would make it up to me. They forgot about me, but God remembers me. They tried to push me down, but I know God will lift me up".

What's interesting is all the bad breaks, all the betrayals, the rejection was a part of God's plan. That's what led him to see his dream come to pass. If Joseph had seen himself as a victim, he would have missed his destiny. If he had been bitter about his brothers, angry over Potiphar's wife, in self-pity because the butler forgot about him, we wouldn't be talking about Joseph. This didn't happen automatically - he refused to be a victim, he refused to let his mind rehearse all the negative things, he refused to live with the chip on his shoulder. He didn't give permission to a victim mentality.

I wonder where you will be in five years if you will just keep refusing to be a victim? I wonder how far God will take you if you'll just not live bitter over who hurt you, not try to get revenge on the friend that did you wrong, not lose your passion because you're dealing with an illness, not give up on a dream because a door closed, didn't happen the way you thought? Every voice will say, "You're a victim. Come on, accept it. It's not fair, God's forgotten about you". Don't give it the time of day. God is watching you. He sees you shaking off the self-pity, doing the right thing when it's hard, being good to people that weren't good to you, giving it your best when you're not seeing progress. Your time is coming. Suddenly doors are going to open, suddenly the right people will show up, suddenly you'll see promotion, vindication, dreams coming to pass, bigger than you've imagined.

But when we say we're a victim, we're saying, "What someone did to me has limited my future". People don't have that kind of power over you. Circumstances cannot stop what God has ordained for your life. The scripture says (Isaiah 14:27), "What God has purposed, who can annul"? The only way it will stop you is if you start living like a victim: discouraged, in self-pity - shake that off. Those disappointments are setting you up for double. That betrayal, the closed door, the person that tried to make you look bad - it looks like they succeeded, you didn't get the promotion - God saw it. It was a part of his plan. It's setting you up for something bigger than you've imagined.

Joseph could have been bitter after his brothers threw him into the pit, that wasn't fair, but it was a step on the way to his destiny. What you can't see is that bad break is leading you to a new level. Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph, caused him to be put in prison. Joseph didn't understand it at the time, but that was a necessary step to get him to the throne. We're not going to understand everything that happens along the way, there will be plenty of opportunities to be a victim - these are tests: will you keep the right attitude when it's not fair, you feel like being discouraged, why did this happen? No, refuse to be a victim. Don't play that wrong. It may have been meant for your harm, but at some point like with Joseph, God is going to turn it to your advantage, it's going to catapult you where you can't go on your own.

I met a young couple from New Orleans, they just bought their first house there, they were excited. The men had a good job, moving up in his company. They had a little baby on the way, their first child. Life was good, then the storm Katrina hit, wiped out their whole neighborhood. They lost not only their home, but all their possessions, their car, their clothes. His company closed down, didn't have a job. They moved to Houston with just the clothes on their back. When I saw them they were numb, their whole world had fallen apart. Everything in their thinking said, "You're a victim, just accept it, life will never be what it could have been".

I told them what I'm telling you, that God knows what you've been through, he's seen the tears you've shed, the heartache you've felt. He's not going to just bring you out, he's going to make the enemy pay, but you have to do your part and refuse to be a victim, refuse to live bitter, in self-pity, thinking you've seen your best days. I could see faith begin to rise in their hearts. Week after week they kept coming to Lakewood, hearing about how God is fighting our battles, how when the enemy comes in like a flood the Lord raises up a barrier. They shook off that defeated mentality, and started having a victor mentality.

Several years later I met them after service, they had just moved in to their new house that they had built here. The man has a better job, with better income, less travel. They don't just have one child, they have two children. They said, "Joel, we never dreamed we could be where we are today". That's what happens when you refuse to be a victim. When you say "No, thanks to bitterness, no thanks to self-pity, no thanks to living defeated". God will take what was meant for harm and turn it to your advantage. But as long as you're playing the role of victim, you're giving the enemy permission to keep you defeated.

Some of you have come from generations of abuse, mistreatment, things that were not fair. That victim mentality can be passed from generation to generation. "We've always been poor, defeated, shortchanged, look what we've been through. We have a good reason to feel like a victim". This "Forever-the-victim" mentality will try to take root. It will continue to be passed down until someone rises up and puts an end to it. Yes there was injustice in the past, yes there were things that were not fair, but this is a new day. The reason you're hearing this is because you're the one to break the cycle.

You're the one to say "I am not a victim, I am a victor. I'm going to set a new standard, I'm going to believe for better things, I'm going to live whole, free, expecting favor". When you have that kind of attitude, all the things that should have been yours, all the things that your relatives didn't get, what they were owed... In the scripture the first generation that had this new mindset, they were the ones that God paid back for all that belonged to their family. If you will be the first one to have this victor mentality, you will see God show out in amazing ways. Don't look to people to pay you, people can't make up for what you didn't get, only God can. He knows what you're owed, he knows what should have been yours.

The Israelites had been in slavery for 10 generations. All they knew was hardship, being mistreated, working long hours with no pay. It wasn't fair, but God was keeping the records. After 430 years God delivered them from the Pharaoh, and brought them out of Egypt. You can imagine how they had become comfortable being a victim, it's all they had known. Their parents, their grandparents, they were all slaves, all mistreated. On the way to the Promised Land when they faced adversity, opposition that was bigger, they said to Moses "Let's go back to Egypt. Let's go back to being slaves". They were saying, "We're okay with being a victim, that's normal to us, that's what we're used to". They came out of Egypt, but Egypt never came out of them.

What's interesting is when they were leaving, God caused the Israelites to have favor with their oppressors, and they gave them their gold, silver, and fine clothing. They didn't leave empty-handed. God paid them back for 430 years of working for free. In Exodus 3 God told them what to do with the gifts they received. He said "You are to dress your sons and daughters in this Jewelry and fine clothing". Why would God want them to get their children dressed up, they were about to go into the desert? It's because God's wanted these children to see themselves differently. They saw themselves like their parents, as slaves, as victims, poor, defeated, limited. God knew if they were going to go into the Promised Land, they had to get rid of that victim mentality. He didn't have the parents put on the nice clothes, didn't have the grown-ups where the fine Jewelry, he wanted to change the image of these small children.

I can imagine a mother putting a gold necklace on her little daughter, her face brightens up like never before. Father putting a ring on his son, he puts his shoulders back feeling so special. These children had worn-old hand-me-down clothes, dirty, raggedy, now the parents are dressing them in beautiful dresses, nice clean outfits. For the first time these children begin to see themselves as victorious. It's significant that the parents and grandparents, they never made it into the Promised Land - it's because they never got rid of a victim mentality. They never quit seeing themselves as anything but poor, at a disadvantage. These children had a different mindset. It started when they put on the new clothing, the nice Jewelry, something shifted in their thinking. They thought "Maybe we're not victims? Maybe we're not always going to struggle? Maybe we can live an abundant life"?

Victory starts in your thinking. As long as you feel like a victim it's going to limit your destiny. You won't pray bold prayers, you won't believe for big dreams, you won't expect God's favor. No matter what's happened in your past, no matter how many generations there's been dysfunction, abuse, lack, struggle, you're the generation that's going to set a new standard. You're the one that's going to see this shift in your thinking. We're not slaves, we're not victims, limited, at a disadvantage - we are children of the Most High God. No more forever-the-victim, no more "I always get bad breaks, it's just my luck", no more "My family has always struggled, it's just who we are". God is doing a new thing. Now do your part, and put on those new clothes so to speak. See yourself differently. Have a new perspective. You're not a victim of your past, a victim of who went before you, a victim of what didn't work out - you are a victor. God is about to release freedom, wholeness, abundance, favor like you've never seen. You've been raised up for such a time as this, to make a difference, to take your family to a new level.

I heard about this father, he was an alcoholic, he had small twin boys. Growing up he would get drunk and mistreat them, he was angry and mean. He would say things that were hurtful, curse them out, both verbally and physically abusive. These boys grew up into young men and left home as soon as they could. One son became an alcoholic, he drank, partied, never did anything productive. Someone asked him: why he drank so much? He said "Because my father was an alcoholic, that's all I've seen. I had a terrible childhood, what do you expect"?

The other son became very successful. He was running a large company, talented, disciplined, respectful. After work his colleagues noticed that he never touched alcohol. They asked him, why he didn't drink? He said "Because my father was an alcoholic". They both went through the same experience, but one son got stuck being a victim. The other son used what he saw growing up to inspire him to be better. He refused to be a victim any longer. Which son are you? We're all going to go through things that are not fair, the question is: are you going to continue being a victim? Or are you going to refuse to be a victim?

You can't be a victim and go into your Promised Land. The enemy would love to convince you to be forever the victim. Always some reason to not move forward, "I wasn't raised right. My cousin hurt me. I came down with this illness. I lost a loved one". I'm not making light of any of that, I know it's not easy, but you can't move forward if you're playing the victim role. God saw it wasn't fair, he knows it was painful, but staying a victim will keep you in pain, it will bring more heartache. You have to turn it over to God and live out of a place of wholeness, freedom, victory.

Starts in your thinking, "People may have done me wrong, but God will make it up to me, I'm leaving it up to him. I wasn't raised in a healthy environment, but that's in the past, it didn't stop my destiny. Dealing with this illness, lost a family member, my company let me go, it was difficult, but I'm not bitter, I don't have a chip on my shoulder, I know God is going to cause all things to work out for my good".

There was a young woman in California riding her mountain bike up the trails of the state park, like she had done many times before. As she was speeding down the mountainside, she noticed a blur out of the corner of her eye. She thought it was a deer, but it was a mountain lion leaping toward her. Knocked her to the ground, bit her face and wouldn't let go. All she could do was whisper "Jesus". Her friend threw her bike at it, but the lion kept dragging her all the way to the Ravine. She passed out, thought she was done. She woke up in the hospital, miraculously her life was spared. Half of her face was disfigured, she had 40 bite Marks across her body, 200 staples holding her skin together. She had to have six surgeries to repair the damage.

Everyone referred to her as "The victim of the mountain lion". And that's true in one sense, but I don't believe it's healthy to live thinking you're a victim. Negative things may have happened, but don't let what you've been through become your identity. Don't become known as "The person that went through the tragedy", "The person that lost their loved one", "The man that lost his job". That's what happened to you, that's not who you are.

When this young lady got out of the hospital she told her friends that she wanted to go back to the trail where she was attacked. They were surprised and asked why? She said "I'm not going to be a prisoner of this drama. I'm not going to let what's happened to me define who I am, and cause me to live angry, bitter, and afraid". She was saying "I'm not going to be forever the victim. This incident is not going to ruin the rest of my life". Today she's healthy, free, moving forward, raising her children.

We all have these opportunities to become a forever victim. "We can't get past it, it was too traumatic, they hurt me too badly. This disappointment too painful. This lost too much". Those thoughts of self-pity, bitterness, it's not fair, you're at a disadvantage, this has soured your life - that's when you have to do like her and say "I refuse to be the victim. I refuse to let this limit my passion, cause me to give up on my dreams". That's what allows God to pay you back for the wrongs, to bring beauty out of the ashes, to give you double for the unfair things. This is a choice that we have to make all through life. It's not "If the hurts come", "If you have bad breaks", these things are going to happen. The question is: are you going to live bitter, in self-pity? Or are you going to say "This wasn't fair, but God, I know you're still on the throne. It was a bad break, but you said you would pay me back. They did me wrong, but you're my vindicator, I'm going to trust you and move forward with my life".

Don't get stuck in the desert like the Israelites, because you have a victim mentality, be like their children, put on a new attitude, see yourself a different way, so you can go into your Promised Land. This is a new day, no more "Forever the victim", try a different approach "Forever the victor". Break that cycle. Where will you be in five years if you'll start refusing to be the victim? This is not going to happen easily, your feelings will want to feel sorry for yourself. This is when you have to be bold and refuse to be the victim, refuse to play that wrong, that's not your part. Every unfair thing that's happened to you has set you up for double. God saw it, he's promised to pay you back, now do your part play the right role, be the victor. If you'll do this I believe and declare, like with Joseph, what was meant for your harm, God is turning to your advantage. Like the Israelite children, you're going to go into your Promised Land. Promotion is coming, restoration, vindication, healing, freedom, abundance, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name.

-Jeniro on the go!
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I Declare

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood 

Words have power.  

"The Spirit of the Lord God  is upon Me, Because the Lord  has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those  who  are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord , And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah 61:1‭-‬2 NKJV

The negativity can overpower  what was spoken over you so it has to be spoken again.

Those words can ignite something in your spirit.

Your reasoning can say that someone has the wrong person but you have to choose to receive it and agree then you'll see it come to pass.

The blessing isn't canceled our by the past.

The right people are noticing you. 

One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it." Naomi replied, "All right, my daughter, go ahead." So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. "The Lord be with you!" he said. "The Lord bless you!" the harvesters replied. Then Boaz asked his foreman, "Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?" And the foreman replied, "She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes' rest in the shelter." Boaz went over and said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don't go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well." When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, "Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don't give her a hard time!"

Ruth 2:2‭-‬9‭, ‬15‭-‬16 NLT

Through Gehazi Elisha said, "You've gone far beyond the call of duty in taking care of us; what can we do for you? Do you have a request we can bring to the king or to the commander of the army?" She replied, "Nothing. I'm secure and satisfied in my family." Elisha conferred with Gehazi: "There's got to be something we can do for her. But what?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man." "Call her in," said Elisha. He called her and she stood at the open door. Elisha said to her, "This time next year you're going to be nursing an infant son." "O my master, O Holy Man," she said, "don't play games with me, teasing me with such fantasies!"

2 Kings 4:13‭-‬16 MSG

The woman conceived. A year later, just as Elisha had said, she had a son.

2 Kings 4:17 MSG

What looks permanent is only temporary.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:21 NKJV

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;

Job 19:25 NKJV

For God says, "I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly."

Psalms 75:10 NLT

Some negative things may have been in your family line for years.

Get rid of the negative things people have spoken over you. Don't let that limit your future. 

Alvin Dark said,  "Mark my words," he said, "a man will land on the moon before Gaylord Perry hits a home run." At 1:17 p.m. PT, Apollo 11 landed. Some 238,900 miles away at Candlestick Park, Perry stepped to the plate in the top of the third inning -- and, wouldn't you know it, he hit the first home run of his Major League career. As the righty told MLB.com back in 2009: "Well, about the top of the third, over the loudspeaker, they were telling everybody to stand and give a moment of silent thanks for the astronauts who landed on the moon. And I'd say 30 minutes later, Claude Osteen grooved me a fastball, and I hit it out of the park."

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/gaylord-perry-hits-home-run-just-minutes-after-neil-armstrong-moon-landing-c2433

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. When Esau heard his father's words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. "Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!" he begged. But Isaac said, "Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing." Esau pleaded, "But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!" Then Esau broke down and wept. Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him, "You will live away from the richness of the earth, and away from the dew of the heaven above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you decide to break free, you will shake his yoke from your neck." From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: "I will soon be mourning my father's death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob."

Genesis 27:30‭, ‬34‭-‬35‭, ‬38‭-‬41 NLT

Overflowing With Hope

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 NLT

What are you overflowing with?

Abraham

Sometimes God will put things in your spirit that don't make sense to you but God doesn't ask you to figure it out.

He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

Romans 4:21 NLT

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!"

Romans 4:18 NLT

Tune out the negativity and tune into God. Don't be moved by negative reports because God has a different report.

Don't consider your circumstances.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

Romans 4:19 KJV

https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.4.19.KJV

While you're waiting it's easy to lose passion but you have to keep your hope stirred up

Surely, Lord , you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalms 5:12 NIV

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalms 23:6 NIV

Start adding some surelys to what you're believing.

David asks God not to hide from him. He continues by reminding God that He has been his help before, and he doesn't want to be forsaken now. David asks God to teach him His way and lead him in a plain path because of his enemies. He turns his enemies over to God instead of trying to deal with them himself.

I  would  have  lost  heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

Psalms 27:13 NKJV

God had promised the Israelite the land but a majority of the scouts considered the circumstances instead of the promises.

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

Numbers 13:30 NKJV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:19 ESV

Sometimes you can't find someone to agree with you well God is always there with you.

Grew strong in faith by giving praise to God.

Are you looking at how big your obstacles are or are you looking at how big your God is.

-Jeniro on the go!
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***This message will self-destruct.

Letting Go of Control

God gives us promises not plans. We can't determine who, what, when, where, or how! You have release control unless you want to live frustrated. When you released control, you can enjoy life.

For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

Hebrews 4:3 NLT

When you're in rest, you're in faith.

For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work," but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest." So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today , just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . .

Hebrews 4:1‭-‬3 MSG

Lisa struggled with fertility even though God gave her the promise of motherhood. Her concern led her toward an unhealthy focus on forcing this dream to come to pass.  She ended up being contacted about adopting two babies.

But You, O Lord , shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.

Psalms 102:12‭-‬13 NKJV

If there's a set time, then there's a wrong time.

Embrace where you are.

Joseph

In the biblical narrative, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and rose to become vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh, where his presence and office caused Israel to leave Canaan and settle in Egypt.

God can use friends or enemies, open doors or closed doors, shortcuts or detours, a set back or a set up, etc!

A man's steps are of the Lord ; How then can a man understand his own way?

Proverbs 20:24 NKJV

If you try to figure everything out, then you'll just get confused.

The kiss of Judas, also known as the Betrayal of Christ, is the act with which Judas identified Jesus to the multitude with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests and elders of the people to arrest him, according to the Synoptic Gospels

Jesus said, "Let them be. Even in this." Then, touching the servant's ear, he healed him.

Luke 22:51 MSG

On the other side of that crucifixion is a resurrection, we just can't see it.

The opposition is not in control, they are pawns in the hands of almighty God.

You're not supposed to fight every battle.

Acts 27

On the journey to Rome, a major storm occurs which takes the ship that Paul and other prisoners were on off its course. The sailors gave up on trying to direct the ship and they let it go where the winds took it. ... They even threw some gear into the sea to lighten the ship's load.

Give your burdens to the Lord , and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalms 55:22 NLT

Stop resisting and start resting.

-Jeniro on the go!
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***This message will self-destruct.

The Hot Winds of Testing

Pastor Joel at Lakewood Church 

God doesn't stop every challenge and on the other side is a new level.

Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

Luke 8:12‭-‬15 NKJV

You'll be tested no matter who you are. 

Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:13‭-‬15‭, ‬17‭-‬18 NLT

Don't be moved by what's not changing.

Here's what I've learned: I know God is on my side not by the storms he stopped, but by the storms that didn't stop me. You can't judge God's favor by the storms he kept you out of, but by the storms he brought you through.

I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.

Psalms 41:11 NLT

The scripture says you will go through the fire, and not be burned. You will go through the waters, and not drown. You will go through the famine, and not go hungry. Don't get discouraged over what God is bringing you through. He won't allow you to get in a difficulty that he can't bring you out of.

In the scripture three Hebrew teenagers wouldn't bow down to the king's golden idol. He was so upset, he was going to have them thrown into a fiery furnace. You talk about the hot winds of testing. What they were up against seemed impossible. They could have panicked, fallen apart, "God, we were being our best, doing the right thing, why did this happen"? It's a test. God allowed the difficulty not to defeat them, but to establish them. They said, "King we're not going to bow down. We know, our God will deliver us". If they would have stopped there we would think that's great, they had faith, they believed. But what they said next shows us their real attitude.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

Daniel 3:17‭-‬18 NLT

Sometimes God will keep you out of the fire, other times he'll make you fire proof and send you into the fire. You may be in the fire now, you feel those hot winds of testing. You need to remind yourself, like these teenagers those flames can't harm you, that trouble can't take you out, those people can't stop what God has ordained - it's a test. 

When your roots go down deep, God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You'll defeat giants that are much bigger, accomplish dreams that seem impossible.

If it feels like it's too much, that's because you're stronger than you think, it's because your destiny is greater than you think. He's getting you prepared for things much bigger in your future, for favor, influence, opportunity that you've never seen. Don't wilt in the trouble, dig down deep. It's not too much for you, you can handle it, you've been armed with strength for this battle. You are full of can-do power. The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you.

Biosphere 2 Project.

It's in a big dome that cost 150 million dollars. They made it to study how the earth functions, and to learn more about how we can make improvements. It has 3 800 species of plants and animals, including a rain forest, a savannah, and a desert. They discovered that in this biosphere trees grew much faster than trees outside the dome. They were taken aback at how rapidly they grew, but before the trees reached their full height they fell over. They couldn't withstand their own weight. They realized, in this biosphere they hadn't replicated the wind. It was always calm and peaceful, never any strong winds, never any storms.  Because the trees didn't have to withstand any wind, their roots didn't develop properly, and they had a deficiency in what they called stress wood. Stress wood helps the tree grow stronger and more solidly. Without it the trees can grow fast, but they can't survive. The wind is essential for the tree to flourish, and become what it was created to be. In the same way without these hot winds of testing, without storms, without difficulties, our life would be easier, but we wouldn't develop properly. We wouldn't be able to carry the weight of what God has in store.

Don't complain about the wind, it's strengthening you. Those hot winds of testing can be uncomfortable, we don't like it, but your roots are going down deeper. You're developing, courage strength, fortitude. Those winds are not there to break you, they're there to make you. They're helping you become who you were created to be.

Airplanes

It's interesting that airplanes don't take off with the wind, they take off against the wind. The airplane needs the resistance of the wind to get lift. Are you complaining about winds being against you, when in fact God is going to use those winds to give you lift? That challenge may look like it's going to stop you, but really it's going to promote you. Don't get discouraged because you're in the hot winds of testing, that tells me you're about to lift off, you're about to see things you've never seen, go places you've never gone. Past the test, keep standing, keep doing the right thing.

David

After David defeated Goliath king Saul asked him to come to the palace and be one of his armor-bearers. When Saul wasn't feeling well, he'd have David come in and play the harp. David was faithful. He served Saul with excellence, always gave it his best, but Saul was jealous of David. He didn't like the fact that David was getting all this recognition. One day while he was playing the harp, Saul throw a spear at David trying to kill him, barely missed. David had to flee for his life. He spent months in the desert on the run from king Saul.  Here David hadn't done anything wrong. He could have said, "God, this isn't fair, where are you"? But in those hot winds of testing David kept doing the right thing. He had a chance to kill Saul, to get revenge, but he wouldn't do it. He knew Saul was anointed to be king, and David wouldn't touch God's anointed. As David kept passing the test, his roots were going down deeper, his character was being developed, he was showing God what he was made of. That's what prepared him to take the throne and do great things.

Jesus

Even Jesus had to go through these hot winds of testing. You would think he would have it easy, God would surely favor him, keep him from opposition, from bad breaks. But he had to pass these same tests. People he loved walked away. Peter denied him. Thomas doubted him. The religious leaders made fun of him. In the Garden of Gethsemane he was overcome with despair so much so, that he swept great drops of blood. When he was crucified, the scripture says (Matthew 27:45), "Darkness fell across the whole land from the sixth to the ninth hour". As he hung there, the sun refused to shine. It was a dark moment and without that dark moment, we wouldn't have salvation. Even Jesus asked why God had forsaken him.

It's significant that the scripture tells us darkness covered the earth from the sixth to the ninth hour. The writer wasn't just giving us a time frame so we would know chronologically when it all happened, God was showing us just as he sets a time for you to come into the dark moment, he sets a time for you to come out of it. Can I tell you? Your ninth hour is coming. The dark moments are not permanent. The hot winds of testing don't last forever. You are close to seeing things turn around. You are close to a breakthrough, close to your healing, close to meeting the right person, close to victory like you've never seen.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Romans 8:18 NLT

-Jeniro on the go!
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