CHURCH:
A good place to give and 

a good place to receive.
By Richard Lineberry

I know the “church” is not a building but the people of God that are called out to be His.  But what happens in your heart when you “go to church?”  The gathering of believers should be a place for both giving and receiving.  To receive you only have to be spiritually hungry and thirsty and come with an open heart.  God will fill us.  If we come already satisfied with good things of this world only, God won’t find much room.

As to giving, (and I’m not referring to money), I’ve learned that there’s a place in the spiritual journey that requires a giving heart BEFORE receiving.  Scripture tells us that Jesus came to serve, not just to be served.  He came as a giver.  He gave time, love, healing, nurturing, encouragement to the hurting and, of course, His very life for the salvation of all who will believe and accept God’s great gift of eternal life.

To come celebrate the Lord with others should be a well planned endeavor.  Here are some good warm up prayers: “Lord, how can I give today?”  “Who may I pray for?”  “What words can I speak to someone that will benefit them and glorify Your Name?”  “How will you guide me to use the spiritual gifts you have given me?”  “What are you saying to me?”

Never yet have I seriously prayed these kinds of prayers that the Lord didn’t give me a chance to spend myself on God’s favorite target—people!

My prayer for all of us today is that we give ourselves the opportunity to receive something from God that we don’t have by giving something to someone else that we do have. 

Praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

                                    II Corinthians 1:3-4

A Prayer

John 15:1-7

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Lord, I acknowledge that as I abide in You, I am fruitful.  Thank you for making me fruitful because I daily abide in Your presence through praise, worship, prayer, and meditation of Your Word. My obedience to Your Word brings my blessing. Lord Jesus, You chose me, appointed me and planted me for the purpose of producing lasting fruit. Right now I ask the Father in Jesus Name for that fruitfulness.

-PD

A Believer, A Witch, A

Seeker and A Healing

We don’t have to go on tour to minister…
Just ask Gloria or Suzi or each other, “how was God present to you and through you this week…

Thursday an elderly Whiz Kid tutor thanked me for praying a simple prayer of healing for her the week before—she received a healing and seemed quite surprised!

Friday we went “treasure hunting” Fri am: stopped at Starbucks and asked the manager if he knew the meaning of his name (Micah) and if he was a follower of Jesus—yes to both. Then I spoke to a witch who believed Jesus was the one cast out of heaven. Last of all I went back through the check out just to give a simple word to a cashier that God wanted her to know He was with her and she was not alone. She said she hasn’t been practicing her faith but just got this job and knows she is being blessed.

Practice makes permanent
I like the sound of that—“practicing our faith.” Sometimes I practice unbelief, disobedience, laziness, worry, fear, negativity, etc… Practicing our faith is much more fruitful and joyful. Last week Gary Cake said we need to see ourselves bearing fruit. So how was your practicing this week? Prayer? Service? Giving? Witness?

Remember why Jesus had to suffer: the outcome of his agony is the triumph of the life of God in us and through us to hurting people – resurrection joy! He answered forever the problem of evil (why people suffer) and gave us the antidote for the problem of hypocrisy—His grace teaches us and helps us in all our weaknesses.

Please pray for yourself and for us to have Courage: it’s our theme for MC tour this next month. Courage is not the absence of fear but acknowledging it, asking for help (grace) and going ahead to do what is right in spite of fear and doubt and the devil’s lies in our minds. How did Jesus embrace and overcome suffering? 

Declare and pray these Scriptures over yourself and us:

“Love compels us.” 2 Cor 5:14
“Since we have hope we are very bold.” 2 Cor 3:12
“They spoke boldly for the Lord who bore witness of His grace granting signs and wonders.” Acts 14:3
“His grace gives us unfailing courage and a firm hope to encourage you and strengthen you always to do and to say what is good.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace.”
“Those who go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing fruit with them.”
Love motivated Him. We ask that grace and love motivate us all with courage. “The righteous are bold as a lion” Jesus is the Lion who makes us bold in love.

Courage proves love and love proves courage. 

-PD

MCOKC (Master's Commission) 

Tour Schedule and Prayer List

Master's Commission is a discipleship training school for young adults.  Every Spring, they go on a ministry tour around the nation.  Below is a schedule of their stops and what they will be praying for so that you may agree with them in prayer.  For more information about Master's Commission, check out http://www.mcokc.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/mcokc

Vinita, OK - April 18

We pray that as the Four Square Church gives away 500,000 diapers to help people from the community surrounding the church, that this would be a blessing to the community and could possibly encourage them to  attend the church regularly.

Collinsville, MO - April 24-26

We pray for a constant presence of the Lord to be on the church and as a result, for that presence to spread throughout the community.

Toledo, OH - April 26-28

We pray for a greater expression of the Lord’s love to be within the body of Christ

Ithaca, NY - April 28-May 1

We pray for blessing, prosperity and unity for the Church.

Columbus, OH - May 1-3

We pray for the Lord’s encouragement when reaching the community in a purposeful way.

Newport, KY - May 3-7

We pray for a call out to the hearts of the younger generation and their purpose in the Father’s house.

Lansing, MI - May 7-10

We pray for anticipation of the Lord’s movement within the church and community.

Winchester, KY - May 10-14

We pray for the continual movement and transformation of the drug coalition fighting drug use/abuse in the community.

Louisville, KY - May 14-17

We pray for the expression of God’s love to burn fervently within the hearts of the body of Christ. 

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

1 Corinthians 15: 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55  “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism...15 speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Palm Sunday - clash between 

old and new thinking.

Old self-effort religion can be exchanged for the new way of thinking and living in oneness with God and one another - this is God’s love and the fellowship of Holy Spirit and grace of Jesus Christ.

Today present yourselves to God (heart and mind); don’t be conformed to world but to Christ. Open the mind gate for the King to come in. (Psalm 24, Rom 12)

(with permission I drew this from Tim McCoy’s journal)
Our mind is a tool at our disposal. It is possible to decondition. How we use it today is only the result of a habit that can be exchanged for a new one, as long as the change is desired or it is accepted that change is possible.  Take a moment of silence in my mind and think about this idea: "My mind is a tool I can use as I see fit" " Assertion: "Even though I'm afraid, I can act. I can change course at any time. I can trust God, even if I do not know in advance the results of my choice."

God lives in us and this Holy Spirit is an incredible strength and intelligence. He knows and loves us and comes alongside our struggles.  You can access this strength through conscious choice and strengthen your ability to change.  This “examen” is the process of becoming conscious and empowering change. Cease, now, to think according to our old schemas. 

When they float to the surface, I say to my mind:  "I now choose to think it has become easier for me to make changes."

The old thoughts of fatalism or despondence are good for nothing, they are part of the past and all I have to do is to do away with such and no longer apply as relevant the old experiences/ thoughts or accept their power. After all, they brought me to the sin I wish now to escape.

I can just imagine a small child on whom I've never imposed a time to retire to sleep. One day I decided that from now on bedtime will be every night at eight o'clock. What happens on the first night? My child will revolt against this new rule, protest, cry and try to stay up as late as possible. If I give in that first time, he will have won and always seek to have the upper hand. However, if I keep my mind firmly, gradually the will and freedom of roving thoughts will decrease the revolt and I establish a new routine for the child.

The process is comparable to my mind. Obviously our mind will rebel at first. But if I stay focused and determined, it will take some time for a new mental structure to be established but it will change.  I must not give in the first time.  This is the discipline.  Believe and act today. 

Assertion: "My reactions or rebellious ways are normal, I accept and let go and let God's way reign."

Application to abide together in His truth and love:
1. I present and open my heart and mind to God like a great gate, saying, “Come in King of Glory.”
2. I ask, “What habit of old thinking is your Holy Spirit helping me examine now, and with some new word and way?
3. I choose: “I exchange old dead “agreements” with what You want me to be and what You are saying and doing, In me; In my marriage and relationships; In our church. 
4. I ask not only for a new mind (repentance) but joy and peace. 

God present, pruning and producing.

On Resting
By Richard Lineberry

Come to me and I will give you rest.
Jesus, Matthew 11:28

In these stressful days, rest is often on people’s mind, but not so much part of their experience.  The Bible, however, has a lot to say about it.  First, a Sabbath Day was required from ancient times to cease from work and rest.  It had a physical side whereas the body wasn’t made to never slow down.  The spiritual side concerned letting God have a chance to bless and increase the work that people had done without our help or involvement.

The writer of Hebrews uses the idea of REST to describe how salvation is a total work of God rather than the results of our laboring to be good people.  Our job is to believe and open our hearts’ doors for Christ to do His work.  “For the one who has entered into His rest has himself also rested from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter into that rest,”  (Heb. 4:10-11a)

Even believers who have known Christ for years can struggle with trying to get closer to God by trusting in their own good behavior.  But the resting place for Christians is in our knowing that God has already achieved our right standing with Himself for us.  It is so easy to condemn ourselves that we are not DOING enough to earn God’s favor.  It has already been purchased for us by Jesus on the cross.  We must, however, believe it and make up our minds to trust what He has done for us rather than what we can do to impress Him.

This morning, as we worship and allow His Spirit to move in us, we can enter deeper into this rest.  Let it be a time of remembering and recalling what Jesus has done.  When we abide in Him, we are abiding in the REST that God has provided that brings peace of mind and heart.  When our trust is completely in what His power can do, we can REST from self improvement attempts.  The Prince of Peace loves to demonstrate His power, love and wisdom.  We need to love receiving it.

Jesus was once asked, “What must we do to work the works of God?”  This was a valid question but the answer given was probably not what the man expected to hear.  “This is the work of God…” Jesus began,  “that you believe in Him whom He has sent,”  (John 6:28-29)