Hey Friends,
Many of you know I’ve been on the radio for the last four weeks and it has been going well.
But I believe the Lord is leading me to change the format. Coming this Monday, take a listen and let me know what you think of the new format. Instead of me preaching to the congregation its me speaking directly to the radio audience. Check it out, I’d like your input.
Thanks
Joe

If you live in ChicagoLand tune in to WYLL AM1160 7PM Mon-Fri
If you are out of the radio’s range go to www.wyll.com and listen live 7PM CST M-F
If you aren’t available at that time go to www.empowerchicago.org and click on Radio
God Bless You

Isaiah 7:9
“…If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ “

Faith is important: without it you can just get in line with the world and all that it is receiving. But by faith receive from the hand of God.
By faith a bridge spans the chasm between us and the blessings of God.
By faith we have things on earth as in heaven.
By faith we escape the corruption that is in the world.
By faith we receive from God.
God is ready willing and able to complete what He said.
By faith we receive.

The Bible is the menu to the supernatural happening in your life.

Son, walk forward, fear not. This day is not unconquerable! I’ve already gone before you to establish the victory. Walk out the victory with joy, great joy.

Here’s a word the Lord spoke to me back on 2/14/06, I thought it might help you. God bless you,
Joe

There is victory in store for you as you sit and listen and plan with me. I will show you the solutions to the problems staring you down. I am the Lord. I am above all these problems. Fear not. Stick with Me. I’ll show you the way for that is my delight, that you be victorious.

I was studying this week about God’s promise to Abraham to give him the land of Canaan.

As a believer in Jesus I am an heir of the blessing of Abraham – Galatians 3.
Now I don’t believe that God wants me to go live in Israel right now, but He does want me to have my inheritance.

Jesus wrote His last will and testament and He rose from the dead to be the executor of his own will. In His will I receive blessings; even the blessing of Abraham.

I looked up in the Strongs’s Dictionary to see what Canaan meant. Its first meaning was “humiliated”, so I ignored that because I didn’t want to be humiliated. The next part of the definition was “merchant” or “traffic”. Well that was easier for me to see a blessing in. If you look at most of the Jews throughout the world you can see that they have an anointing for being merchants and it seems their stores have no lack of traffic. I believe that comes from the blessing of Abraham.
God wants His people to be blessed in business, to be prosperous, that whatever they lay their hand to its blessed.

One problem still stands in the way: the main definition of Canaan is not blessings but humiliation. As I was meditating on this this morning, I believe the Lord directed me to Psalm 37 about all the places in there where it says we will inherit the land.
V. 9 says that “those who wait for the Lord” will inherit the land
V. 11 says “the humble” will inherit the land
V. 22 says “those blessed by Him” will inherit the land
V. 29 says “The righteous” will inherit the land
V. 34 says “Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land;…”

Now just as there were different nations dwelling in the land of Canaan so the Israelites had to go drive them out, so it seems there are things trying to hold back our blessings. We are supposed to inherit Canaan land, which could mean prosperity in the marketplace. But there is something standing in the way, I believe a clue to this problem is in the name “Canaan”. The devil wants to humiliate Christians, make us look foolish and not worth anything.

To humiliate means to bring down to the level of dirt.

But God gives us a method that we can slide in right past that humiliation:
The Lord says in 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”
In James 4:6 it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Now if we exalt ourselves we will be humiliated.
But if we humble ourselves He will exalt us to inherit the land.

Now one way to know for sure that you are not being humble:
If you get up in the morning and skip spending time with the Lord and think, “I’ll be OK. I can handle this.” That’s prideful. We need to spend time with Him. Humble yourself and ask God for help. If things are getting bogged down, it may be that you need to humble yourself and ask God for help.

Humility or Humiliation
Choose humility. You’ll like the results.
God bless you
Joe

Each of us has a gift. Some have several, some have few. But all of us are endowed.

So what are you doing with yours?

You may know what your gift is. If so, are you working it? Are you being faithful to the one who gave it to you? Are you bearing any fruit with it?

Maybe you don’t know what your gift is. Maybe nobody ever said to you, “Wow, you’re really good at that!” If that’s you, what you need to do is go to your deepest heart’s desires: What would you like to do? Or What would you like to be? Chances are your heart knows what you’re good at but you haven’t let it work its way out of you yet. Begin to pursue deep heart desires; not passionate, lustful, self-serving desires – but those that serve others.

In your pursuit of these things you’ll begin to find out what you’re good at and you may begin to get a glimpse of your purpose in life.

When I was first gave my life to the Lord my brother Vince gave me a Bible. I was so excited I told him, “I’m going to start at the beginning and read it all the way through!” He cautioned me to start in the New Testament, that way I wouldn’t get bogged down in some stuff in the Old Testament that I wouldn’t understand as an 11 year old boy. I remember the fervor I had and the diligence that lasted quite a while. But somewhere along the way other things of life seemed to crowd out my zeal.

I remember going through high school and frequently would hear this little voice in my spirit saying,

“Get into My Word!”

Sometimes I would obey it, more often, I would not. I was busy, you know!

But there were a few verses that I would keep coming back to me that seemed to sustain me(even in my distracted state):

1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I found that these three verses are really vital keys to life.

Rejoice evermore —-

“What are you going to do? Be sad your whole life? Put a smile on that face! Why spread unhappiness around? “

Pray without ceasing —-

“You need God. If you think you can do this on your own you have a warped view of reality. Our Heavenly Father is standing by ready, willing and able to help you. But you must invite Him to help you. He doesn’t show up uninvited.”

In everything give thanks —-

“This keeps you happy and on the receiving end of God’s blessings.”

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

It’s important to me to please God, I think He put that in my heart when I gave Him my life. So if I do these three things I’m assured that my life is pleasing to God.

Try it, I can guarantee improvement in your life.

Love ya

Joe

Back in 1996 when my father was dying of pancreatic cancer, I went up to visit him one afternoon. I sat down next to him on the bed and asked him to speak into my life. I remember being very comfortable by his side. Then he began to say: “I was always afraid you’d flower early.” Suddenly the thoughts started racing through my mind of all my failed attempts to do great things. I thought, “So you’re the one who’s been holding me back!”

He continued, “I was always afraid you’d flower early and I never wanted you to. I wanted you to grow up strong and tall like the cedars of Lebanon bearing fruit into your old age.” He said “Its time for you and Nancy to branch out and do new things, start a church. You’re ready.” I didn’t really agree with my father when he said we were ready. I knew I needed more preparation. I knew the call to stand strong and tall like the cedars of Lebanon takes a lot of undergirding; root systems that will help you weather storms.

Here we are ten years later. Tomorrow, Father’s Day, is the first day of the first new church we’re starting. We’ve been through a lot in the last ten years. I believe we’ve matured a lot. I believe, by God’s grace, we’re ready.

I think my father would be proud of us because we are loving and helping people. We’re not trying to build anything for ourselves. We know our Heavenly Father God has all of our needs under control. We’re trying to let our Heavenly Father build through us.

I do want to fulfill what my father spoke over me. I do want to stand strong and tall, like the cedars of Lebanon, bearing fruit into my old age. That’s what I want.

The fruit I want is children. We just had #7, JuliAnna, so our natural quiver is full. It’s time to bear spiritual children. We want to impart life, love and blessing into people. We want to help people find their way. We want to help people find out who they are. And succeed greatly at being who God’s made them to be. I believe this is what a father does. He helps the child unwrap the package of who they are. He speaks into their lives. He gives them restraint(which is really focus) and motivation(which is courage).

So many father’s don’t represent our Heavenly Father accurately. That is a goal of mine. I want people to really know who He is. I want to strive toward what Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”

Love ya

Happy Father’s Day

Joe

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!! You know, making decisions requires energy; emotional energy. Just like shopping, expert salesman will tell you that all purchasing decisions are emotional. That’s why impulse buying works. It draws you into your emotions as quickly as possible so that you act(buy) before you snap out of it.

Obey your vision!

If God put a vision in your heart for your life (see earlier posts to learn about getting a pure vision from God) then that vision will give you permission to say no. It will help you make decisions. My son wants to save for a down payment on a house. But that milkshake would taste soooooo good! Salesmen would work to magnify your current desires and minimize your long-term goal so that you buy now!

If you spend no time thinking about your life and your future then vision means nothing to you and you’ll just wait and see what kinds of cards life deals you. But don’t wonder if you end up nowhere. (Sorry if that sounded harsh.)

Can you write your vision? Is it clear enough to explain it quickly to someone? When was the last time you thought about your vision? Spend some time with your vision. Imagine yourself in it now. Take enough time so that your desire for your vision increases. If it does then when you make decisions you’ll decide in favor of your vision rather than your temporal desires.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Well we’re processing alot of things here. Trying to get things done. Keep us in prayer to succeed in all this. We know God’s hand of blessing is on us.

Classes
Currently Nancy & I are in two classes:
Growing Kids God’s Way – an 18 week class on raising kids – this is our 6th time through it, our third time to teach it, but we attribute much of our parenting success to this class. Also we’re taking Intercessory Prayer Training at our parent church Living Word Christian Center – this is a ten week class to help strengthen our prayer life, both personally and within the church.

Church Transition:
Our founding pastors at Praise Fellowship decided to sell the building, no longer have a congregation and use the proceeds of the building to help the new congregation and our missionaries. So we’ve started a new church: EMPOWER. We’re currently looking for new property, setting up everything, the web site, the new accounting, new organization and also helping everyone manage the change process.

Going On The Radio
Starting this coming Monday, June 19th, 2006 I’ll be doing a new daily radio show. Actually we take my Sunday preaching and along with announcements cut it into five 13 minutes segments. We’ll be setting these shows up as podcasts as well. The show will be aired at 7pm CST in Chicago on AM 1160 WYLL. On the web at that time at http://www.wyll.com. Nancy wants me to do recorded shows where I talk directly to the radio audience – I’m praying about that. Its more work but could be more fun and help reach more people.

Although this is a lot we wouldn’t decrease it at all.
If you don’t endeavor to do big things you’ll just end up watching – probably on TV.
Love y’all
Joe