Wow! That sums up our trip in one word! We arrived in Ontario, California on Wednesday March 14 and we hit the ground running. We met with Pastor Steve and Dody DeYoung for dinner and checked into our room later that evening. We headed out to meet with Dr. Oral Roberts early Thursday morning, and our meeting was absolutely incredible. We spent the afternoon with Dr. Roberts before heading back to Palm Springs for a couple days. We met with several pastors from around the country for lunch and fellowship then we headed back to Rancho Cucamonga for the Sunday service at Mountainview Faith Church with pastor’s Steve and Dody.
I want to report to you that Mountainview is a church on fire for Jesus, and we had two incredible services under the leadership of the DeYoung’s. Our message seemed to be received well, but we were the ones who were blessed the most! The vision was clearly visible when we walked into the building on that morning. Mountainview is a very unique ministry in SoCal, it is in a remodeled movie theater and pastor Steve and Dody have done an unbelievable job of providing ministry to their people in this facility! The idea’s and planning were awesome in turning this building into a church!
Mountainview has a children’s and youth ministry that is second to none. The leadership is wonderful and very friendly. Their Praise and Worship was inspirational and the people were great! If you are ever in the area of Ontario, California be sure to visit at Mountainview for a life changing experience in church!
Keep seeking truth!
RB
Last Updated: March 23rd, 2007 |
Well Jodi and I have a great trip planned for this week. We are going to spend a day with Dr. Oral Roberts on Thursday. Then we’ll head back to Rancho Cucamonga to preach for Pastor Steve and Dodi Deyoung. We have connected with some great friends and been in great churches out in Southern California.
Also on this trip we get to hang out in the desert with our best friends Harry and Cheryl Salem and their family. We’re expecting some awesome reports from this trip so stay tuned and we’ll update you as we go.
Be blessed!
RB
Last Updated: March 12th, 2007 |
We have to grab hold of the facts when it comes to faith. Faith is a fight! A fight against “natural” things, a fight against spiritual conditions but it is a “good fight” when you are in faith! Paul calls faith a good fight in 1 Timothy 6:12. Think about it for a moment, faith has become our “doctrine” rather than our “lifestyle.” We have developed faith in our faith instead of what God intended for faith. God intends for faith to be a “tool” for Him to use to protect, provide, and fulfill His plan for our lives.
Why do I make the comparison to fantasy? Because “fantasy” is defined as the following: the free play of creative imagination, a creation of the imaginative faculty whether expressed or merely conceived: Jesus taught this way, “the father knows what you have need of before you ask him.” So God exceeds my imagination, and provides His best if I give Him what He wants, which is my “faith.”
Hebrews 11:6 says, “…without faith it is impossible to please God…” True faith comes from one source only, the Word of God! Faith doesn’t put me in charge of my life to determine what’s best for me, but to the contrary faith puts me in God’s favor and allows God to surpass my greatest expectations! So if I have a need in my life I can look into God’s Word and approach God believing that He desires for me to experience what His Word has provided for me.
I encourage you today, let God have the reins of your life. He’ll take care of you in any and every area of your life. You do have things that you would like to have in life and you need to know that God is willing to provide for them. The only difference between fantasy and faith is that faith will put God’s involvement in the process of you acquiring that need. Fantasy is your natural thinking trying to use God to aquire your needs, instead of giving God your faith so He can provide your most important needs.
Faith is a fight, not a struggle. Check your faith and make sure it’s not in the fantasy realm of unreal expectations. A fight can be over in one swift “punch,” and faith can be that “knockout blow!” A struggle can go on for long extended periods of time. Check your expectations against what God is promising to give you and if they line up with each other it won’t be a let down. I close this blog with a short story about fantasy. I remember the first time I went to Disney World, I had such a hightened expectation of what it was going to be like. I had heard my friends give their explainations and experiences so I created my own idea of what it would be like but it was fantasy! I had lots of fun, but also much disappointment to go along with it. Why? Because I had a much different perspective of the real experience, no fault to Disney, but they couldn’t match my ideas.
Faith is so different from that because God would never let you desire something He promised and not go beyond even your own thinking, (Look at Ephesians 3:20). I needed healing one time and I just wanted to feel better, but when God had finished His work I was better than I had ever been that I could remember! It wasn’t a struggle, nor was it burdensome, but simple and rewarding.
Have a wonderful day in Christ!
RB
Last Updated: March 12th, 2007 |
One of the most encouraging messages in our Bible is in The Revelation chapter 12. As I begin to grab hold of verse 11 a certain confidence rises up on he inside of me, a hope beyond natural expectations. It describes our victory over the enemy of the human soul, the devil, and points us to what gives us our ability to “overcome” contrary circumstances in life! The three truths given in verse 11 are:
- The Blood = Jesus shed for our sins, and our legal right to get back into right standing with God when we apply this truth to our lives!
- The word of our testimony = speaking forth the Word in faith to empower the great truth of our redemption.
- They loved not their lives unto the death = Absolute committment!
This is what is necessary to become part of the group of believers on the earth who are described in verse 17 of Revelation chapter 12. The war is intense against this group of people who are referred to as the “woman” [church], who are the “REMNANT” of her seed. The word goes on to describe who these individuals are by saying they “keep” [guard] the commandments of God, and “have” the testimony of Jesus Christ!
The remnant isn’t the “left overs” neither are they defined as the “survivors” of the conflict. These are clearly the ones who have found the truth and are tired of being shoved around by the evil that is keeping the bulk of humanity cut off from a loving God! In simple terms, “they’ve had enough!” The remnant guard the truth that has set them free by the blood, the word and their committment to Christ. They have the “witness” of Christ when they proclaim the truth.
I don’t know about you, but I want to be part of that elite group of believers who are called the remnant. They are experiencing the anointing in great measure because their very life depends on the truth of God’s Word. You can have the promises become reality in your life today. I hope you are blessed with this message, I’m sure some will think it is totally radical but it’s time to get radical!
Have a great day filled with blessing…
RB
Last Updated: March 6th, 2007 |
War is not something that began with mankind, but can be traced all the way back to creation. The book of the Revelation in chapter twelve will give us a historical review of the subject of war. Beginning in verse 7, you’ll notice the first “universal war” took place in heaven! That war didn’t last very long, in fact Jesus said, “I beheld satan as lightening fall from heaven” in Luke chapter ten. The Revelation goes on to give us information about the rest of history and even brings us up to date, as well as looking into the future. The first enemy of mankind and of God was cast down to the earth and is consumed with making war with the “inhabitants” of the earth which is mankind!
The first war was a result of pride and greed mixed with envy and strife. That doesn’t sound much different from what causes wars today on the earth. But it doesn’t stop there as the Revelation tells us that as time gets shorter the enemy gets angrier! The battles intensify and the only one who can stop this adversary is the “anointed” church! Remember Jesus declared in Matthew Sixteen, “…upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell SHALL NOT PREVAIL against it.” You can see the connection when you link those scriptures to the Revelation when the devil and his angels “prevailed not” when the assalt was against God in heaven, then again in Luke as Jesus came down to defeat him on earth. Jesus gave the authority of heaven to the believer on earth who would dare to step out in faith, follow His teaching and identify the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Then by speaking the word against himy doing this there is a release of the anointing, (power), that the devil, demons, fallen angels or any other adversary against God can’t overcome.
The war of the ages has been going on for a long time. Even though we cannot see the enemy with natural eyes, we can see the result of his destructive nature against mankind. There is a church that will never be defeated if they’ll grab hold of God’s Word and trust in His anointing. This church doesn’t have a particular name over the door because it is made up of many denomonations, nations, and peoples all around the world. I’ll identify them in my next blog so stick around.
The Best is Yet to come…
RB
Last Updated: March 6th, 2007 |
I recently heard a prophecy declaring that “every 490 years there is a global shaking, and 2007 is a 490th year.” That is to say that in biblical history there has been an event that changed the world every 490 years. I don’t know about the historical facts, but I do know that there is unstable conditions around the world. This is not a news report, so I won’t go into all the details that are making the headlines. However, the truth is found in this, “…upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus said this in Matthew 16:18.
So let me encourage you if you’ve heard the reports of news events, or prophecy, there is nothing to fear if you are part of the Church that Christ is building on the earth. When Jesus made reference to himself in Matthew it was clearly defining His plan to strengthen His Church against any advance of evil that is escalating in the world! The greatest decision you can make is to make sure you are part of that Church! How? Accept the truth about Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation, become part of the Church He is “constructing,” and trust the words that He spoke about our current conditions and our future. Why? Because “the gates of hell shall not prevail” against the Church!
Get ready, because the BEST IS YET TO COME!
RB
Last Updated: March 1st, 2007 |
