Meet Jesus: Nazarene Matthew 2:23

March 18, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 2: 23: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Later in life when brother told brother about Jesus, one replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”. Nazareth was just simple and probably had a more than ample share of troubles. There was nothing good or outstanding about being from Nazareth.

Jesus wasn’t who He was because of where He was raised or a tremendous good family name. He gives us the same opportunity to be the best of the best according to our calling and destiny. Hometown, family, community standing, and other accolades of men mean nothing when we meet Jesus. All of us can succeed.

ACT! Erase out of your mind the idea that some status to men makes the difference in succeeding in Jesus. If you take pride in it, put it out and stand tall in Him alone. If you take shame in it, stand tall in Him alone.

PRAY! Father of Birthright, you placed me in the time and circumstance of my upbringing. You will bring it to good in Jesus. You will bring me to success in Jesus, the Nazarene.

Meet Jesus: Joy Initiator Matthew 2:9

March 16, 2013 by Phil Larson

Matthew 2:9: When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Exceeding great joy is a powerful expression. Meeting Jesus is indeed life changing to the point of exceeding great joy. Connecting with Jesus means all the hopes of your life being activated. Connecting with Jesus means all the dreams of a life being put into motion. When He comes on the scene. He is a bright light shining on the greatest dreams you have.

ACT! Take a dream out of the shadows. Let His light shine on it, and bring it back to light and life.

PRAY! Father of Gifts, Father of Love, Father of the Light-Giver, cause the exceeding great joy of meeting Jesus to birth in me. Light up my dreams with the star of Bethlehem.

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.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Powerful Healing: In The Dark

August 12, 2012 by Phil Larson

Psalm 16:7 I praise you, Lord, for being my guide.
Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind. CEV

Psalm 16:7 I praise the Lord, because he guides me,
and in the night my conscience warns me. GNT

In the night:

Waking from a fretful rest, this excerpt from the Psalm of healing, breaks through with truth. Over and over my dreams spoke of being robbed of precious items in life. As I woke and pondered the meaning, it impressed me how often that has happened.

Over life and time all of us build. We build families. We build homes. We build playhouses in the woods. We build businesses. We build outreaches. We build. It is our nature and commission of God. When what we build is taken from us due to greed or natural destruction or lack of attention or any other corruption or theft, we grieve the loss. A good man or woman goes on and builds again. A wounded soul pulls into them and wonders why they never prosper.

Lesson of Conscience

This is a lesson from the conscience speaking in the night hours. The conscience is a good source of healing. God speaks into the depths of our heart and minds goodness for our souls. Many times, it is in rest that we take down our defenses and let Him speak the loudest.

For this moment, God is instructing me to insure that I enjoy along the path of what I build and not worry too much about the end. At the same time, He is instructing me to build paths of ownership that allow the prosperity to roll over on my family. There is healing in those instructions. There is relief from confusion over past living and loss. There is hope for the future and there is new strength for today. What was disturbing as I slept was washed in wisdom and a future hope and understanding.

Darkest Night

The Perseid meteor belt lights up our skies at the lake tonight. Watching brilliant meteors hit the atmosphere and burn with broad and long tails is soothing. Not many get to see such life in the night. Most were asleep. Many live around so much bright light of the city that they will never see the show of God’s handiwork in such loveliness. It is there. We just don’t see it. It took me 56 years to stop and watch and my memory will never be the same. There is beauty painted in my mental storage.

A legislator from Louisiana sent me this note. “I believe that God is always there. It is me that sometimes is not.” When He is most brilliant, our busyness and distraction keeps us from seeing Him. When we are in the darkest parts of life, we most often will stop and see His hand. Why do we wait?

Healing?

Want to be healed? Put yourself in quietness and solitude. Listen to your sleeping moments. God is speaking loudly with healthy instruction. You will gain wisdoms to share with your soul and with others.

It is these lessons taught into our conscience and soul that come out when needed in daily living. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak in confident faith and expectant expression of the goodness of God. Healing comes from the deep. It exudes by the touch and hand of the Holy Spirit from vast storehouses into which we plunge our thoughts and pains during the quiet and the dark.

Shortly our lessons will turn to engage power healing. Please understand the path to power is paved with patience and persistence and perception. Rushing into power is damaging in the long run and will cause a more fretful life than the one you already have.

Pray:

Father, talk to me. Talk to my soul. Talk to my conscience.

Allow Your words of life and loveliness to imbed deep into my sleeping and waking thoughts.

All Your insights application to my life.

Help me to see You speak in the dark.

Help me to see You always speak.

It is the dark that allows me to discern the subtleties of Your wisdom and counsel and might.

Holy Spirit, guide me. Speak to me in quietness and solitude as I respect Your gentleness and lovingkindness. Then empower me as a lion to go forth in victory expanding the kingdom of God within my soul and without the expanse of my called influence in this life.

Powerful Healing: Pray Over Your Good Day.

August 6, 2012 by Phil Larson

Psalm 16:5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup. You make my lot secure and provide confidence for me in my position and current standing.

Every day there are turnings in directions we do not want.

Every day there are tests to put us off course.

Every day belongs to God.

Every day belongs to health.

Every day belongs to healing.

The concept of lot is simple. Each of us has a certain portion of life assigned to us this day. We have possessions, friendships, family, positions, talents, abilities, thoughts, and passions. They are our lot. They are a good lot.

Say that over your lot. “This is a good lot. God has given me a good portion in life.”

Of course there are portions of your life that might be unhealthy and disturbing. There are relationships that are destructive and play down health and vitality. But do they belong to you or are they intruders? What about your lot that belongs to you? It is good. You may not be doing well keeping it up and allowing God to instill grace in every aspect, but it is good. It is for your good.

Now take a little inventory.

What parts of your portion or lot in life are doing well? Your attitude? Your thoughts? Some of those relationships? Some of those possessions? My truck has a dinged bumper. The truck is good. It is a pleasant portion. Right now it has a ding. The ding does not take away from the goodness of the truck. Maybe it impedes some of the utility. Maybe it does not look as grand from that view. Yet, as a whole the truck is good and it is a blessing. It needs some repair and repair it will receive. Then it will be whole and fully useful. Today it is a good truck. It is a blessing of God.

What parts of your portion or lot in life are not doing well? My weight is not where I want it. It really is doing well. I am right where the doctors would be happy. But, I want better. I want stronger. I want the best healthy ratio of body tissues and fluids. My lot is good. A year ago, it was not good. The portions of fat were out of line with what would be good for health. So I changed it. My eating changed. My exercise changed. My body changed. My mental attitude changed.

What is an area of concern? I understand I have been given talents and abilities that are not my own. What we have is to be shared and held in common for others to received. This weekend, my son and his friends shared time at our lake cabin. It brought joy to my heart to see others encouraged and strengthened enjoying our portions. Tonight, I will teach a bible study with a group of unchurched folk. What I have is meant for them. If you are not giving away your portion to others, you are unhealthy. Selfishness is a bad situation and an horrid lot in life. Don’t live there.

Security does not mean hoarding. Security means I am confident and can share and understand as much as I give, God gives more back and increases the value of what I have. By cooperating with God, protecting what we have, building on it, restoring it, and sharing it, we find absolute health and vitality in all that we have. He secures it through us and in cooperation with us.

Father, wow! You are incredible. My lot is secure in You. I have confidence in You. I am strong in You. All I have is good and getting better in You. Let me be full of unending goodness in all I am and all I have. Let me see with eyes of understanding. Let me engage with a heart to enjoy the great inheritance and portion You have provided for me.

Powerful Healing: Righteousness: Path To Healing

July 25, 2012 by Phil Larson

Psalm 16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all the rest of this will be added for you and into your care and pleasure.

Proverbs 21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor

Live prayer at http://youtu.be/lYZXjDHVnb4

Righteousness brings incredible blessing, restoration, and a sure footed path. Couple it with love and you find life, prosperity, and honor. Now that is a balanced and healthy life.

Life instead of disease and death.

Prosperity instead of poverty and despair.

Honor instead of disaster and depression.

Righteousness brings a powerful and balanced health to our bodies, our minds, our spirit, and our relationships.

Look at all of these promises at the end of the lesson of principle in Proverbs. There are as many that reference the righteous and we will cover those in another lesson.

What is the difference between living in righteousness and being righteous? One is a condition of principled living, the other is a state of being. In the next lesson, we’ll talk about the state of being righteous. It is attained through faith in Jesus Christ. He who never knew sin, became sin and suffered and died for our punishment so that we might be called the righteousness of God through faith in Him.

We have righteousness through our faith in God. We are accepted and stand before Him.

Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteousness and so it is with us.

We live righteousness when we allow the Holy Spirit to enable in us right living according to the principles and heart and mind and ways of God. It is not about law and legalism. Righteousness is a focus of the heart to follow after God’s ways. To love the Lord, Your God with all your heart and soul and might and to love your neighbor as yourself. Living in righteousness is not a condition of perfection but purpose and principle.

Righteousness is that attitude in Psalm 16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” There it is in the simplest form. When we say of God that He is the source of all good things and nothing else, we invoke righteousness by faith. Give Him all honor. Give Him all praise. Give Him all glory. Give Him and His priorities first thought when making a decision. That is righteousness.

Proverbs 8:20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

Proverbs 10:2 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death

Proverbs 11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

Proverbs 11:6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

Proverbs 11:18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sowsrighteousness reaps a sure reward

Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.

Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people

Proverbs 15:9 The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

Proverbs 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

Proverbs 16:12 Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established throughrighteousness

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way ofrighteousness

Proverbs 21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor

Father, here I am again and again and again. I will never cease to come to You for supply and answers and strength. Who else is there? Where else would I go?

In You are all the answers needed.

In You is all the health and life wanted.

In You I live and move and have my being.

You are all my righteousness. I am complete in You. I worship You.

Father, you have made this body of mine a temple of the Holy Spirit. Only because You call me righteous in Jesus can I live in such a manner. Cause the life of the Holy Spirit in which there is no disease, no want, no distraction from Your will and way, cause that life to stir in me today and every day and I will live complete in You and Your way and life and truth.