Meet Jesus: Troubler of Souls Matthew 2:3

March 15, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 2: 3: When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When you encounter Jesus, expect to be troubled. He will confront your inner fears. He will force you to face issues you would like to forget. The presence of Jesus will trouble your life.

Good news is that this trouble can end in peace. He only troubles us to get us to change to the good. Internal imbalances in our life will be troubled so they can be healed when we meet Jesus.

ACT! What troubles your soul when you meet with Jesus? Bring it up and deal with it. He means to bring you to a place of resolution and peace. Let Him.

PRAY! Father, there are days when I am troubled. Realizing some of that is just being confronted with Jesus, I ask You to untrouble me. Help me resolve the hard stuff in my life with Your life and Your solutions

Meet Jesus: God With Us Matthew 1:23

March 10, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

For us today, what greater part of Jesus could there be? He is God with us. Later in one of his letters, Paul, tells us He is the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form. Then Paul tells us in Jesus we are complete. He is God. He is God with us. He is all that God is, living inside of us, who have believed and received.

ACT! Eliminate doubt. It is an incredible thought that God could be readily available and actually living inside of my circumstances. Talk yourself into believing that. Read the above verse outload to yourself about ten times.

PRAY! Wow, Father! This is too much. When I think of the goodness and mercy that You dispense in this single sentence, I am awed. Thank You for coming to live in me. Thank You for coming to stay with me every moment of the day. Thank You for being the God that You are in my daily living.

Connect with more: www.CommunityTransformationInitiative.com

Meet Jesus: Fulfillment Matthew 1:22

March 10, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:22: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Jesus is the fulfillment of promises in the Father. To Abraham, the Father had promised much blessing. To us, the Father promises all the promises of Abraham fulfilled. In Jesus is a confident, “Yes”, spoken from the throne of God for each request to the promise.

Now that is incredible. Jesus is the fulfillment of promises. That is His nature and assignment in our lives.

ACT! Go ahead, make God’s day. Appeal to a specific promise given that is waiting fulfillment in your life.

PRAY! Holy Father of Grace and Light, show Yourself to me today. You promise new mercies every morning. I appeal today to Your mercies of healing and strength and financial provision and protection for my household from destruction. I appeal to Your abundant mercies of deliverance from evils that have already happened.

Meet Jesus: The Series

March 9, 2013 by Phil Larson

In 2001 it impressed me to spend some time every day answering this question, “What would be my impression if I met Jesus doing what Matthew recorded?” Well, there are over 400 devotions that came from that adventure. You will be able to access them over time on this site. Thank, Brandon. He is a new friend, who asked me about the series. So I am putting them here for him and others who really want to Meet Jesus .

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Meet Jesus: Interrupter Matthew 1:16

March 9, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:16 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother, Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus has a certain knack for interrupting the status quo. Our expectations of life can easily be shifted when He enters. Joseph and Mary had an arrangement, an understanding, and an expectation. Their families surely were looking forward to a certain joyous celebration and joining of their lives. Then enters Jesus.

ACT! Where has being involved with Jesus challenged and changed your life? Move with the changes. Let the Holy Ghost have control.

PRAY! Father, Creator, and Interruptor. You speak and all changes. You desire and my life is at Your command. Spirit of Life, move me with the Father’s plan. Interrupt where You will.

Meet Jesus: Interventionist Matthew 1:20

March 9, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Meeting Jesus means submitting to God’s intervention. He is not interested in your failing. He is not interested in your making the wrong decision. He will intervene. Though Joseph had a good plan for protecting Mary, God had a great plan for placing Joseph in the key position of caretaker and raiser of His son.

Joseph took time to contemplate, and God intervened. Being around Jesus is like that. God wants to help the situation turn out for good.

ACT! Let God intervene in your situation. Lay it out. Contemplate. Think about where He might step in and act.

PRAY! You, Father, are full of power. I open my situation to Your intervention. Take a step in, Father of Jesus, and make my life different.

Meet Jesus- Son of David, Son of Abraham Matt. 1:1

March 8, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham

Meeting Jesus means meeting the final, eternal King of Life. Jesus is the son of David, the favored king of Israel. David received the promise of a kingdom without end. Jesus is the last king in the line. Jesus is the king that never loses the throne.
Meeting Jesus starts with embracing faith. Faith gives substance to life. Faith brings to reality our dreams. Jesus is the son of Abraham, the father of faith. No more important aspect could begin a journey with Him.

ACT! Get busy turning over a dream to Jesus. Take hold of the faith of Abraham and submit the request to the King of Kings.

PRAY! Holy Father, Jesus gave me the heritage of David and Abraham. Jesus gave me connection to great faith and authority. I submit my dreams to His ability to see it come to pass.

Meet Jesus-In the Father’s Heart Matthew 1:19

March 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 1:19: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph was both honorable and compassionate. Who else would the Father choose for His Son’s training and upbringing? What better choice than a flawed human with a heart of compassion?

Joseph, with no knowledge of the power of the situation, with no knowledge that the Son of God was involved, took the route of best treatment for Mary. He was taking measures to keep her protected in the embarrassment of the situation. He had the heart of the Father to cover and protect. Who else would God chose but one with His own heart?

ACT! What in your life needs silent treatment? Give it to the Father. He will secret it away in forgiveness.

PRAY! Compassionate Father, release me from my past. In Jesus, I find forgiveness and covering. Thank You for being You.

Meet Jesus : Receiver of Gifts Matthew 2:11

March 6, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 2:11: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Abundant living is a promise of Jesus. He comes to give us life and life more abundantly. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus brings abundance. In that abundance is our capacity to respond in giving to Him. He is never embarrassed in receiving. He is a receiver of gifts as well as a giver of abundance. Abundance is the capacity to give.

ACT! Give to Jesus. You may not have gold or frankincense, but you have something. It may be finances for the kingdom. It may be an ability that will bless the kingdom. Give out of your abundance.

PRAY! Father of Giving, You have enabled me with more than I need. Jesus told me that when I give to the least, I have given to him. Show me where to give of myself of Your abundance.

Get Outside The Reach @Christmas

December 19, 2012 by Phil Larson

Usual travels this week include a trip from OKC to Matamoros and back again. Sort of a Bilbo Baggins adventure. Though, I’m not sure which end is the Shire. Raul and I certainly don’t look like Hobbits even though we might have hairyness.

This year, I am staying home. Raul and Abdiel are in Matamoros. Fiero will take another load of toys today. I will watch the star from afar and trust the wise men to do the job.

Why do we do this? Why have we connected with this congregation in Matamoros called CAREVI? Why don’t we just stay home instead of drive for 12 hours one way? What is the purpose?

Get Outside Your Self…

A big reason is to stay outside of ourselves. It is easy to go downtown and deliver gifts to kids who have more on a poor day than some kids in Matamoros on a rich day. Ever watched a kid who has never opened a new box open a new toy? Used stuff really is not the focus. But getting a new toy in the box is an amazing experience for some of these kids. Sure, I’ve helped a little and my wife has helped a lot right here in OKC with families needing Christmas. Yet, they have so much even when they have little.

Get Outside Your Comfort

There is a need to be uncomfortable. Our lives have little real sacrifice. Try driving toys across an armed border knowing you will drive past military and cartel operations just to bless someone. A little unnerving. We need to be unnerved. We need to remember. We need to think about the chaos our comfortable, drugged, entertainment, make me happy culture in the US creates to sustain. All of those guns and threats exist to supply US entertainment and leisure. Hmmmm

Get Outside The Reach

Sometimes we need to see the miraculous. How in this world doe multiple churches and business professionals in OKC come together to support folks in Matamoros? Black and Latino and White churches here; Baptist and Nazarene and Full Gospel churches here; join and bless with gifts and gospel folks they will never meet.

Return

Then we come home. Then we live with memories and facebook connections in between. Sure I get to stay connected unlike missions works in the old days. But it doesn’t smell the same. It does not taste the same. It does not love the same. Sorry, I can’t hug a facebook post. I can hug a friend, a child, a cohort, a fellow human on the journey.

That is Christmas

There you go. That is Christmas.

Jesus went outside Himself and became an extension in humanity.

Jesus went outside His comfort zone in the throne room and stepped into an earth zone.

Jesus went outside the heavens and touched the earth, where we live in sin and destruction disturbing His intended peaceful creation.

Jesus returned to heaven; yet, He stays connected with us. He is more powerful than facebook. He takes up residence in hearts and stays even though He returned.

Guess That’s Why

I guess reliving that journey of Christ every year is what drives me and the team. Thanks for sending us. Thanks for allowing us.

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