Testimonies Of Healing To Build Your Faith!

For whatever reason, we (The Brand) seem to be coming into a time of miracles and healing. I've prayed most of my life for God to give me the faith I had as a child, and I feel like He's woken up the sleeper within me, and we are getting to see Him do some radical, and I do mean radical things.

As I've struggled with my own faith and how I believe God moves in this world today, I've struggled to be authentic. I have no desire to exaggerate or embellish any of the things I've seen God do in the last month. I want to tell you what we experienced, and no more. I'm praying that your faith is built in the process, as mine, and many of our student's has been! This could also be the size of a novel, so I'm going to shorten MUCH of the details surrounding these events, and simply tell you what took place.  I would also recommend getting ahold of the book, Christ The Healer by FF Bosworth. This book has continued to shape my theology on healing, and I believe it has the potential to shape yours!

On Sunday, June 2nd, I was awakened by my mother who told me that I needed to pray for my 24 year old nephew Tim. He was in the hospital in Orlando, and had been diagnosed with what the doctors said was "some of the worst cancer they'd ever seen." It was in his esophagus, stomach, and intestines. That night, my brother and I flew to Orlando, to fight this diagnosis and ask God for a new one. The Brand met that night, and spent their time praying for God to heal Tim.

The doctors were saying that Tim had come to the hospital to die, but we did not accept that! As we prayed, Tim began to experience God's healing, and all but a tiny mass in his stomach completely vanished. And we have the pictures of the cancer to show what WAS there, and isn't any more. Tim is in the process of dealing with the mass that was left, a rare form of cancer that is 95% curable. We believe that since that time, God has even healed the mass! But we are waiting for the doctors to prove it!

During our time in Orlando, we met a woman named Colleen whose daughter was facing a similar situation as Tim. During a worship time in the hospital entry, my brother prayed for her, and then we went to her room to pray for her daughter. 2 days later she texted us, and told us that the doctors were not able to find anything, and her daughter had been healed.

My niece, Bethany, called us while we were there and said that her wrist felt like she had broken it. We prayed with her over the phone, and later that night she texted us and said that the pain was completely gone.

Also, while there, one of our Brand leaders, Marti, texted asking us to pray for a student, 17 years old, whose radiator had blown up in his face. He was being rushed to a burn center. We prayed, and she texted later, saying that he was going to be fine, with just minor irritation.

We returned home, and God continued to move.

On Wednesday, June 19th, I got a call from one of our students, DJ Davis, who said that a friend of his, Ryan Morris, had been hit by a car and had been flown to Harborview in Seattle. They had had to remove a piece of his skull to relieve pressure, and he was in a coma. DJ was very shaken up, but I reminded him of how we prayed for  Tim, and reminded him that he needed to pray the same for Ryan and for his family. We prayed as well. Over the next few days, and still to this day, we continued to see small improvements. I'll continue with this story shortly...

Tenielle and I woke up on Saturday, June 22nd, and read on Facebook that a good friend was struggling with severe food poisoning. So we called, and prayed for her over the phone. The next morning she was completely sickness free, and "back to herself" in her words. Someone had commented on her page that they had food poisoning in the past, and it lasted more than a week. God has a tendency to change the norm...

On Sunday, I asked DJ if he was interested in going to Seattle to pray for Ryan. He said yes, and I got Adam Cheney, and Matt Caldwell to join us. We left Monday morning, and spent some amazing time praying and worshiping and asking God to perform a miracle. We knew that God wanted to heal Ryan, but the miracle would be to see him come out of the coma.

We got to the hospital, and spent an awesome hour praying for Ryan and his mom who was in the room with us, and worshiping over him. I also felt God was telling me to pray and declare Isaiah 60 over Ryan, "Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you..."

We left, because it was quiet time for Ryan, and went to downtown Seattle to hang out and grab some food. While there, we got a phone call from one of our students, Monica Niemann, who was in the San Juan Islands for a homeschool trip. On the way there, their truck had broken down, and they had had to leave it. Now, they were trying to come home and their car was refusing to start. They were in a really bad fix, and needed an immediate answer. So we prayed on speaker phone, and when we were done saying "Amen" Monica said, "Uhhh...guys... the car just started..."

We went down to the waterfront, and as we were walking along, we saw a woman having what looked to be a panic attack, sitting against a wall, breathing painfully into a paper bag. We went over, and I asked what was wrong, and she said she was having an asthma attack. I asked if we could pray for her, and she said yes. We began to pray, and immediately the attack began to cease. By the time we were done praying, she had stopped completely. I asked how she felt, and she said, "It's gone, but I'm a little light headed." Which made sense with all the heavy breathing she was doing! She said that it hadn't happened in a long time, but she had forgotten her inhaler that day. I asked if she was a Christian, and she said yes, and I asked if we could pray for the asthma to never come back again! She said yes, and we did so, and then went on our way.

We got some food, and then went back to the hospital. We went into the waiting room, and Ryan's grandma had said that not much had changed. We asked if we could go in and say goodbye, and she said yes. But we will never forget what happened next.

We started to walk in the room, and Ryan's bed was surrounded by nurses and his mom. Ryan was sitting up in bed, eyes open, and trying to take the tube out of his mouth. It was an amazing miracle, happening right in front of us, and we give God the praise for what He did and what He is doing. As of now, Ryan is still healing, but making more and more progress every day. We are anxiously watching as God unveils the story that many thought had come to an end with him being hit by the car.

We went home with an amazing sense of God's love and power. But in the car, DJ began having a terrible issue with his stomach, and asked me to pull over to a rest area as soon as possible. I asked if I needed to just pull to the side of the road. He said no, but that he was in a lot of pain. So we began to pray for him. Within a few moments, the pain was completely gone, and he was able to enjoy the rest of the car ride home.

On Wednesday, June 26th, a friend, Seth Rising, wrote me on Facebook, asking me to pray for his stomach. He had been bedridden and in pain for the last 7 days with what he thought was a stomach ulcer. I asked if we could meet up to pray for him, and he said that he thought he could muster up the strength to meet us at Chesterly Park. I picked up DJ and Adam, and we headed to the park.

When we got there, Seth was very quiet and obviously in a lot of pain. He said that on a scale of 1-10, it was about an 8. We made our way, slowly, to a park picnic table, and I began to tell Seth everything that God had been doing. By the time I was done, he said that the pain was already starting to leave.

We then got up, and spent some time praying, and commanding the pain to go in the Name of Jesus. After a little while of praying, the pain was completely gone. I wanted to test it out though! So I had Seth jump up and down - no pain! I asked if he would have been able to run before we prayed, and he said "no way!" So we ran around the park. No pain! God is a healer!

I texted him the next day, and asked how he was feeling. His response: "I feel friggin' fantastic!!!!"

We then went to see my 91 year old grandma. Her caretaker was very concerned because they were losing ground on some very painful sores that had opened up on her legs and back. So we went to pray for God to heal them up! The next day, the caretaker told my mom that her back was already visibly better, and the sores had stopped oozing. God is a healer!

On Thursday, June 28th, we had our leadership team for The Brand meet, Embers, and I was telling them everything that God had been doing. I asked if anyone needed prayer, and we prayed for a few issues that we wouldn't be able to see an immediate response to, but then we prayed for Serena, who had been struggling with her back for some time, and had been seeing a chiropractor. We began to pray for her back, and command the pain to go, and Serena was very honest - it was not going away! But we kept praying! And soon, the pain was completely gone. She started doing things that had caused her pain in the past, and she was able to do them with no pain at all. I texted her this morning, and asked how she was doing, and her response was "Great! The pain came back a bit, but it's gone now!" She texted a few moments later saying, "I just got out of the chiropractor. He says I don't need a check up for a month, and I should be just fine!" Whoo!!!!

For some reason, it seems that sometimes the pain will try to return! But in every case, my challenge is to stand on God's promises, not the symptoms! And each time, the pain has to get lost again in the Name of Jesus!

Another friend had asked us to pray for her nose, which she thought might have cancer. We were praying for a good report from the biopsy, and we got it! No cancer! God is a healer!

I share these things with you to let you know that God heals! His name is "I AM!" Not "I WAS." He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the same Jesus who healed all who came to Him, is the same Jesus who heals today.

If you need healing, I would love to get my guys together, we're calling them The Swat Team, and come see you! Let's let faith continue to build faith, and see God do shocking things for the love of His people!

What Every Hero Needs - A Phone Booth

The phone booth is THE iconic superhero changing station. Because of Clark Kent, whenever we think of the common man making the quick change into the superhero, we think of the phone booth! You can't help it!

In our lives as followers of Christ, heroes, and world changers - we need a phone booth! We need a place where we close ourselves off from the world, and come out heroic.

Even Jesus thought so - "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-7)

Every hero has got to have a phone booth - a prayer booth - a prayer closet - if you will. Prayer is what will transform us to transform others.

What you desire you become! It's a similar idea to the fight. Private battles lead to public victories. In the same way, if our desires are set on Christ, as we seek Him privately, we will be able to reveal Him publicly!

Think about Jacob and Esau. Esau was so hungry for physical food that he gave up his birthright. He allowed himself to starve, and it resulted in a stupid decision. You become what you desire, what you're hungry for. Prayer keeps us from starving.

Esau allowed himself to get too hungry, and his hunger caused him to put the wrong things first. He sold his birthright for soup!

I don't think cannibalism was ever anyone's first choice! I can't imagine any cave man saying, "Honey, I'm sick of cow - let's go chop off the neighbors leg!"

Those outdoor survival shows are a great example too! When you've run out of options, you start thinking crazy thoughts in order to survive. Like drinking your own urine, or squeezing elephant dung to get the liquid out of it.

God will never let us starve when it comes to His presence. But we have the responsibility of seeking Him - of consuming His presence!

When we are starved of God's presence in our lives, we make stupid choices. It's hard to change the world when we are starved of the One who changes US!

And prayer does change us. In fact, Jesus Himself prayed. If Jesus needed to pray, that should tell you something about yourself! The night before the cross, He prayed in the garden, and then got up, and faced the cross head on!

There are going to be times in our lives when we don't feel like changing the world, or when we're flat out scared to pursue what is in front of us. Prayer is what changes that. Prayer takes us from scared and tempted, to bold and courageous.

Here's what I know: If you want to live a boring Christian life, then only do what is necessary. Read the parts of the Bible that make you feel good, and find a church that makes you happy. A place where you can give your money, and raise your family.

But whatever you do - DON'T PRAY! I mean, pray before you eat, and pray before bed, and pray simple "feel better" prayers when someone is sick.

But don't pray radical prayers. Don't ask God to help you change the world, because He'll start with you!

Don't ask God to raise the dead, or truly heal the sick, or cast out demons - because people might tell you you're crazy and you're going to do more damage than good.

Don't get private with God, because you might find out that He wants to go PUBLIC with you!

But if you want to be a world changer - go get in your phone booth. And let God transform you and give you what you need to truly change the world.

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this!  You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. So put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. Love one another as Christ has loved you. Fight the good fight of faith! Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you!

You ARE a hero! Go be heroic!

What Every Hero Needs - A Fight!

A hero with nothing to fight for is wasted talent! Like a doctor without patients, a car salesman without cars, a salad at Outback steakhouse!

You weren't born to sit on the couch, you were born to fight! You were born for conquest!

In 1 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy, and us, to fight the good fight of faith - to lay hold of the eternal life to which we were called. We were born for the fight!

In Numbers 13, the children of Israel faced a crossroads. God had told them that He was giving them a land of their own - a good land, flowing with everything they would need! He said that the land belonged to them, but they were going to have to fight for it. Have you ever gone into a fight with a guaranteed win? Cause that's what God was offering them. But they would have to fight.

The problem is that when they sent the spies into the land, only two of the men came back ready to fight. The rest had allowed fear to put their bladders in a vice grip. Joshua and Caleb are jumping at the chance to go and fight Giants and claim the land God is giving them, while the other spies are changing their underwear.

We have two fights going on as we face forward, and look to what God has for us. The fight inside, and the fight outside.

The fight inside is all about fear, conflict, and insecurity: What will happen to me? What about my secret struggles? What will people think of me?

The faster we deal with the inside fight, the faster and more equipped we will be to fight the outside fight. Private battles lead to public victories.

I say "faster" because I think we spend way too much time on the inside fight. And most of that time isn't fighting, but whining and complaining. We let the enemy keep us wrapped up in fighting the same fights over and over again. I am so afraid that there are too many people who are going to come to the end of their life, having just figured out how to deal with the inner fight, with no time left to fight the outside fight.

As the leader of The Brand, I am committed to not dealing with sin week after week in the lives of our students. I am committed to teaching them who they are in Christ, and why they have authority over sin, and why they can be dead to the ruling of sin. We make mistakes, yes, but we don't let ourselves get stuck. We confess our sins to the one who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then we continue moving in the identity and purpose that Christ has put inside of us, so that we can bring the Kingdom of God OUTSIDE of us!

The public fight is a serious one. The enemy is working hard to destroy meaning and purpose. God has placed meaning and purpose inside all of us, and the devil works hard to steal that. One of our public fights is to restore identity and meaning in the lives of those around us.

The enemy also works hard in the area of violence. Our world is seeing a rise like never before in the realm of gang violence, human trafficking, the drug war, and even the growing epidemic of bullying.

We fight the fight as we bring hope, as we bring rescue, as we bring the love of God to these situations.

And of course, there is the constant fight of whether or not we will allow ourselves to be desensitized. Especially in the realm of sexuality. We are constantly fighting to keep our eyes clean, and our minds pure. It's a difficult fight when you feel like "up" is the only direction you can look in order to keep the garbage out. The truth is that while we can't keep birds from flying over our heads, we can keep them from nesting in our hair. We may not be able to control everything we see, but we can control our response. We can choose purity, we can choose life, even in the face of impurity all around us.

Sadly, the enemy is more constant in his attacks then we are as the body of Christ. But we still fight on the winning team, and we still have the power to tear down his kingdom. 1 John 4:4 is still true - "Greater is He that is in YOU, than he that is in the world."

So we fight. We were born for war. We were born to take the land.

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this! You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. So put on the full armor of God, that you may stand against the schemes of the devil. Love one another as Christ has loved you. And fight the good fight of faith!

What Every Hero Needs - A Sidekick And A League!

Every hero needs a sidekick!

Batman needs Robin, Nacho needs Escuelito, Green Hornet needs Kato, Marshall needs Ted!

Same is true for Christ followers. The only difference is that while many sidekicks are ONLY sidekicks, Christians are both hero and sidekick for each other. There are going to be some battles where you need a buddy to come alongside you, and sometimes YOU get to be the buddy!

But at the cross, we all end up on equal ground.

And then there are leagues. Leagues are awesome because everyone is the hero, and nobody's a sidekick. Everybody gets together and fights and wins. Think about the Avengers, or the Justice League, X-Men, Fantastic Four!

Each hero has their own individual strengths, and together, they create an unstoppable force.

Think about the Disciples. Jesus could have come and taken over the world by Himself. He didn't NEED anyone! And yet He chose 12 guys, each with unique personalities and strengths (and weaknesses!) Together, they wreaked holy havoc on Israel.

And then, the part that fires me up, is He gave them His Spirit to live IN them, and THEN they transformed THE WORLD. The same Spirit is alive in you and me, and we get to keep the work going!

If Jesus felt like He needed to have a league, that means we probably do too! And if we're really gonna change the world, then we need to get serious about loving each other well. Jesus said in John 13:35 - "By this all men shall know that you are My disciples, if you show love for one another." 

If we begin to see ourselves as heroes, we're going to start having a lot of fun. I can't help but think of the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer in 1 Samuel 14. It's worth the read, but here's the point - Together, they took on a herd of Philistines because they believed that God was with them. And He was! They overcame impossible odds, and I guarantee you - it was a story they told for a long time!

Transforming the world is way more fun with others.

1 - You get to make holy trouble. I'm all for teens doing crazy things for Jesus. Just make sure it's for Jesus!

2 - You get to combine your faith. My faith may be strong on my own, but I know how much stronger it is with others!

3 - You get to plan strategically. Two or more heads are always better than one!

4 - You get a shared legacy. You get stories to tell for the rest of your life, to build your faith and the faith of others.

God wants to do amazing things through you. But He also wants you to join your strengths with others. As we love each other, and fight for and WITH each other, the world won't be able to resist the love and power of Christ that flows out of us!

Might Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this! You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you! So put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the schemes of the devil. And love one another as Christ has loved YOU!

What Every Hero Needs - A Cape?

"The Incredibles" is a great movie. And one of my favorite scenes is when Mr. Incredible needs a costume adjustment. He goes to visit costume extraordinaire, Edna, who declares that his old costume is a hobo suit, but she doesn't have time to make a new costume but secretly can't wait to get started, and finally caves. However, she won't make him a cape! "No capes!" she declares, and then explains how various other heroes had lost their lives due to their capes. One's cape is snagged on a missile, one is sucked into a jet engine, another caught in an elevator, and yet another sucked into a vortex. Capes are out of the question.

As a hero for Christ, I think capes can get you into trouble as well. Why? Because they have a tendency to make you LOOK heroic, while hiding what's going on, on the inside.

David was just a shepherd when he determined to fight Goliath. He certainly didn't look heroic. He probably didn't SMELL heroic either!

The problem was that the army of Israel, God's army, DID look heroic - but they weren't. Everyone in the army was trembling in fear as Goliath challenged someone to come and fight him. They sat around in their camp, shining their armor and polishing their swords, and talking about the great wealth that would be given to the man who defeated Goliath - but none of the trained warriors were willing to be the man!

David comes along, stinking of cheese and dirty sheep, and says "Bring it on!" He wasn't very heroic on the outside, but on the inside he was Israel's best dressed warrior.

Upon his declaration that he's willing to be the one to fight Goliath, they bring him to King Saul who laughs him off. But when he realizes that David's serious, he immediately goes to work on an extreme Hebrew makeover, complete with sword, shield, and armor. David looks in the mirror, and realizes he's already dead if he stays in this getup. Why? Because what he was bringing to the battle wasn't about exterior protection, but interior weapons. His best defense and offense was the Spirit of God inside of Him. That would be what would win the battle.

So Saul gives in, and let's David go with nothing more than his shepherd gear. David stops by the river to pick up some stones, and heads off to meet Goliath.

The other thing about capes is that they cover your back. David didn't need anything to cover his back. If you read the story in 1 Samuel 17, you'll see that the only running David does is forward - towards Goliath, not away from him. He knew that children of God are never meant to run away from the fight, but toward it. When you read about the armor of God, in Ephesians 6, you'll read that there is no part of the armor that covers your back. There is no defensive plan. Our best defense is not a GOOD offense, but a CONSTANT offense.

Jesus said it much more eloquently when Peter declared Him to be the Christ, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!" (Matthew 16:18)

David was offensive, in both senses of the word. He offended Israel's army by showing them up. They should have been the ones running to the battle. And he was offensive in his attack on Goliath. Goliath had everything a hero needs on the outside, but it didn't stand a chance against what David had on the inside. David made sure he knew it as he ran toward him, too: "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1 Samuel 17:45)

If you're gonna be a hero, start on the inside, and work your way out. We've been given some incredible tools to fight hard, and win. Maybe you don't LOOK like a hero! But I guarantee you have it inside you!

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this! You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you! So put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

What Every Hero Needs - A Superpower

I love the movie "Mystery Men." It's a complete mockery of superheroes. You take a bunch of average guys who are convinced that they are super, with ridiculous "powers," and they end up saving the world anyway. As someone who loves idiotic movies, this is a gem. You've got the guy who gets super angry, the guy who is really good at throwing forks at people, another who beats people up with a shovel, and the guy who has horrible farts. Then there is my favorite of the group, Invisible Boy, who can turn invisible, but only when people aren't looking.

I think Christians can get caught up in the reality of this though. We read about the super heroes of the Bible, but when we hold up the mirror of God's Word to our own lives, we feel like a bunch of average
Joe's with nothing exciting to offer the world. We can become really super at being average.

The reality, though, is that Jesus never meant for the disciples to be the last of the superheroes. In fact, John 14:12 makes it sound just the opposite. Jesus says that anyone who believes in Him would do the things He did, and GREATER things. If that's the case, we need to tap into His super, because every hero needs a super power. And the power that makes US super is Holy Spirit.

The Bible seems to be pretty clear that we get Holy Spirit when we get Christ as our Savior. But that's only one part of the story. Jesus said that He would send us a Comforter, someone to guarantee our Salvation, and I believe that's what Holy Spirit comes to do the moment we are saved! However, Jesus also promised that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. That's the part that seems to get lost at times. We want His peace, but we don't always want the power - because power requires action.

Bill Johnson says this, and I wholeheartedly agree - Holy Spirit is IN us, for us. But He is ON us for others.

Jesus' entrance into ministry is a cool model for what I believe Holy Spirit wants to do in us. In Luke 4:1 Jesus goes into the wilderness following His baptism. It reads "Jesus, FULL of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." He then enters a time of testing by the Devil. And wins. But in Luke 4:14, Jesus returns - watch how it reads - "Jesus returned to Galilee IN THE POWER of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside." 

Holy Spirit's presence and power are two different things. We get Him when we get Jesus, and He comforts and seals us. But as He leads us, we begin to learn that He wants to fill us with power to do the work of Jesus.

It's an amazing journey, and we never stop learning, and He never stops teaching. But He also never stops giving us the tools and resources we need to change the world.

You were born to burn. Don't let yourself become super at being average. 

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this! You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you!

What Every Hero Needs - A City!

Everybody has something to say. The world wide web makes it possible for anyone to say anything about any subject. So I prove as I type this!

You'd think that there would be a lot more meaningful content out there though. How is it that someone in China hasn't collaborated with someone in Venezuela for a cure for cancer by now? Or the end of poverty? Or something?

Instead, we have the amazing websites that help you meet that special someone - in jail. Or the site where you can bid on your desired plastic surgery procedure. Or have a virtual starting contest with the computer. And then my favorite - inflatablechurch.com - a bouncy house church where you can real church services - ANYWHERE!

I think we waste the resources God has given us too. We hear Him say "Mighty Hero, I am with you," and we just kind of sit on it.

It's a pretty typical response for most heroes when they first get called to greatness. Bilbo said "heck no" to the adventure Gandalf placed in front of him. Simba ran away at the death of his father. Luke Skywalker is certain that he needs to stay home and live the normal life when he's called to fight the empire and become a jedi.

But they all came back in the end. They all began to realize that there was more, and THEY were more.

In the Bible, Esther is one of my favorite heroes called out of a normal life. Her declaration of commitment to the cause of saving her people, even if it cost her her very life is the stuff heroes are made of - "IF I PERISH, I PERISH!"

And Mordecai's call of destiny calls out to me as I think of the life God has called me - US - to: "Who knows if you were born for such a time as this?"

Just as every comic book hero needs a city, every one of God's heroes needs a vision. Something to fight for. Something that beckons us to the greater things, that gives us courage to say "If I perish, I perish."

What's your vision? What are you fighting for?

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you! You were born for such a time as this!

This Kingdom Doesn't Tear!

There is a really interesting correlation between Saul Vs. David, and The Law Vs. Grace. We know that Saul was rejected by God, and David took His place. Typically it was the son of the king who became the next ruler, but in this case God needed to do something completely different, and so He picked someone totally unrelated to Saul. 

But go back with me to the moment where God ripped the kingdom from Saul. The week had started out pretty good! Saul was told by God to go completely destroy the Agagites. So he took his army, and they overcame them pretty easily. The problem was that they chose not to destroy them completely. There was a lot of bad, but they also found a lot of good. Or so they thought. They ended up keeping the good spoils, and destroying the rest. Not only that, but in his arrogance Saul brought back King Agag to show off. 

Saul represents the law, because the law was unable to destroy sin. All the law did was magnify the severity of sin. Paul says in Romans 7:7 that he would not have known sin except through the law. Saul had the opportunity to do the right thing, but was unable to see it through. In fact, Saul magnified HIS OWN sin by disregarding God's command. 

So Samuel comes on the scene and tells him what's up. He makes it clear that regardless of his motives, it is better to obey than to sacrifice. Our reasons can never trump God's expectations. In that moment, he tells Saul that God is going to lose the kingdom. But watch what happens as Samuel tries to leave:

1 Samuel 15:27-29 -  And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

Pay attention to the fact that Samuel's robe was torn as Saul grabbed hold of it. Samuel looks at him and says, "The Lord has TORN the Kingdom from you today, and given it to a neighbor who is better than you." Not a relative, your family is done sitting on the throne Saul! We're starting a whole new family! 

The law that magnified our sin was never competent enough to completely destroy sin. The law was good, in fact Paul calls it holy. But it couldn't bridge the divide between God and man through the blood of goats and bulls. It's kingdom was not an everlasting Kingdom. At some point, the kingdom would have to be torn from the law for something better. Not a relative, but a whole new family! 

Take a look with me at Mark 5 - 

Mark 5:25-34 - Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

A woman comes to Jesus who has had an issue of blood for 12 years. Throughout the Bible, there is a repetition of certain numbers that usually have to do with a specific topic. In this case, the number 12 usually represents "government." The 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 disciples who will sit at the right hand of Christ, Jesus said that He had the power to call upon 12 legions of angels. In the New Jerusalem there will be 12 gates with 12 foundations. There are MANY more examples. 

This woman had been suffering for 12 years (the old government), with an issue of blood. Hebrews tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The problem was that this woman was suffering. The issue of blood here was NOT GOOD. 

Do you see it? The law and it's requirement of blood was only making us realize how far from God we were. The law was unable to save. 

So the woman comes to Jesus, and falls at his feet, touching the hem of his robe. Immediately, Jesus' power flows from Him into her, and she is healed. Jesus turns around, wanting to know who touched Him, and when He finds her, He says "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction." 

This is an incredible moment where we see that Jesus is ripping the Kingdom away from the law, the old government, and it's requirement of blood that was never satisfied. The blood that kept having to be shed! For this woman who had suffered for so long, he heals her in a moment and the issue is stopped. 

In 1 John 3:8, we are told that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. But unlike Saul, Jesus didn't compromise. He accomplished that which He set out to do. 

The woman touched His garment. Notice that it did not rip. Why? Because His kingdom is everlasting, and no one will rip it away. Jesus is from the line of David, but He's more than David. He's the King that will reign forever. What the law could not do by shedding the blood of goats and bulls, Jesus did by shedding His own blood and fully destroying the works of the devil. 

And then He hands the kingdom over to us. It wasn't just for those who had suffered under the law, it was also for those to come. 

As soon as Jesus turns to leave the woman, He finds out that the ruler of the synagogue's daughter is dead. The ruler of the synagogue also represented the law because he was a teacher of the law. It's interesting that a man who represented the law knew that what He had wasn't enough to save His daughter's life. It went against the rest of the scribes and pharisees and even the high priest - but it wasn't the law He was interested in saving, it was His child. 

The law produces death in it's children. Paul says that apart from the law, sin is dead. Interesting that the man's daughter was 12 years old. 

And Jesus goes to her, and raises her back to life. 

Jesus had just redeemed the woman who represented those who were currently suffering under the law, but then He raises back to life the child who represented the hopeless of future generations under the law. Where sin would have gained opportunity through the law to bring death, Jesus trumps sin and brings life. 

And then He hands the Kingdom to us. John 14:12 - “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

Where Are The Blacksmiths?

1 Samuel 13:19-22 - Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.” 20 But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21 and the charge for a sharpening was a pim[a] for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

Where are the blacksmiths? My people are growing dull, and for many years, they have sat down, weak, without a sharp point to do battle with my enemy. In return, people have looked to other things for sharpening, to the enemy, and a fixation with the supernatural that comes from the enemy. Witchcraft, sorcery, lies and idolatry have taken the place of the blacksmiths. My blacksmiths have only served to dull the weapons of my people, rather than to sharpen, and so my people are sharpening their weapons with the enemy. And they are paying a great price. Am I not powerful? Is my arm short? Have I not called my people to do the works my Son did, and greater? It is time for the blacksmiths to rise up and sharpen the blades of my people, and teach them to war once again. I will show my power, I will do things that will cause the mouths of the wise to stutter, and the lips of lying men to become dumb and mute. I will move, and the earth will see my glory once again. Let the watchmen declare that I am coming, with a sword in my own hands, and those whose blades are sharp will stand by my side, and together we will fight. Let those who know my Word declare it boldly, so that the kings, the leaders that I have set in place may not fight alone. If you know my promises, declare them, share them, call together my army, and I will teach your hands to war. 

What Every Hero Needs - A Secret Identity

Our culture loves heroes.

X-Men
Fantastic Four
Hulk
Bat
man
Nacho Libre (he's MY hero, get over it!)

Their stories are compelling, and makes us want to be heroes too. I wish I could shoot spidey web from my hands, or fly like superman, or "know a buttload of crap about the Gospel..." (If you don't know that reference, then I probably just severely offended you....)

What is also compelling is that their stories usually start out like ours. But they are called out of the normal life into a life of heroism. Sometimes, I feel like I'm waiting for a moment of destiny to reach out to me, so that I too can be "the hero (insert city here) needs." I want a secret identity!

The problem is that I've already been called out of the ordinary life. John 14:12 quotes Jesus as saying this: "I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father."

Either He was telling the truth or He wasn't!

Gideon is a Bible hero that takes away all my excuses when I have to decide whether or not I'm going to believe Jesus. Gideon is from the weakest tribe, and is the weakest IN his tribe. He's hiding out in a winepress trying to thresh wheat for crying out loud. That's like mowing your lawn with scissors. You thresh wheat on top of a hill where the wind can catch the chaff and blow it away. You don't do it at the bottom of a winepress...

And yet the Angel of The Lord shows up and says in Judges 6:12 - "Mighty Hero, the Lord is with you?"

Say what?

I think I would feel better about all this if the Angel had addressed his weakness. But He doesn't. Gideon tries to explain what a wussy pants he is, and the Angel doesn't even respond, He just keeps telling Gideon what a hero he is! Sometimes God isn't interested in cheering you up, He's interested in WAKING you up.

I love it because when Gideon thought he could hide from everybody in that pit, he couldn't hide from God. The wind wasn't blowing on the hill that day, the wind was blowing in the bottom of a winepress, and beginning to separate not the wheat from the chaff, the but the truth and the lies about Gideon's identity. You aren't weak Gideon, you're a mighty hero!

The identity issues that hold US back, aren't the issues that hold God back! You think you're weak and powerless? The Lord's going with you anyway, MIGHTY HERO!

I think it's because our weaknesses become God's motivation to do through us what we and no one else would ever believe possible.

Which wouldn't make sense if Gideon's story stopped here, but it doesn't. Gideon goes on to lead 300 men to defeat thousands. It had nothing to do with his assessment of Himself, but God's assessment of him.

So what's your secret identity? Are you waiting for the moment of destiny where you all of a sudden feel called to do something great? Let me help you:

Mighty Hero! The Lord is with you!