Sermon Notes & Videos
2025-02-07 | II Peter 1:2-4 | To Partner with God
In an awe-inspiring grace-empowered moment of massive revelation, a feeling of serenity envelops you as you discover God’s perfect will. The magnitude and excellence of His plan for you is sobering; He wants you to be His partner and to know Him on the most intimate level possible. In human terms, it can be compared only to the experience of consummating a marriage. It is in that moment the feeling of oneness is so real that you cannot discern where you end and your partner begins. When that occurs between you and God, you will know what it is like to have His power at your disposal, in addition to everything good you could ever imagine for your life, and more. Your life will become a never-ending joyous pursuit of sustaining that intimacy with God, while apprehending His every precious and exceedingly great promise.
Having then experienced this intimacy, every lustful desire to please your carnal nature and every temptation to reattach your source of satisfaction to the pleasures of this world will have faded into oblivion. It is only then that you will truly understand what it means to be God’s partner, as if His essence has become your essence. We have a word for this in our language; it’s called love. And all of a sudden this immortal idea finally makes perfect sense. You can come to know and believe the love God has for you by first recognizing that God is love. He who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in Him. God is love and God is perfect. The relationship between love and perfection is that love is the unifying force in the universe that glues together all of the component parts of perfection, what eventually becomes the mature finished product, —a Christlike human! In other words, love is the connective tissue that binds together all the parts that unite man with God as one—what makes a disciple look like Y’shua!
And because God is love, without it you won’t ever know true intimacy with God. Furthermore, how can you claim to love God if you don’t love others—it’s just a lie. As such, you owe one another just one thing—love. God’s will can literally be summed up in that single idea because he who truly loves others simultaneously fulfills all of God’s law. This is possible because each of God’s commands is ultimately represented by that single idea—to love your neighbor as yourself, while never willingly bringing harm to another person. In other words, love in action completes, or binds together, every one of God’s legal requirements, and is indeed the only way you can recognize a true disciple of Christ.
And that is why love is the ultimate goal of a mature disciple; you must be diligent to practice your faith by adding to it these things: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally you arrive at—love. And that is why to know that level of intimacy with God was Y’shua’s ultimate prayer for you before He went to the cross. He prayed that, “We would all be one; even as He and His Father are one, the Father in Him and He in the Father.” Y’shua also revealed how it is through the impartation of God’s glory that you can develop this intimate relationship, “The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as We are one, I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one.” Peter acknowledged that same path to intimacy in his final letter; “through the intimate knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue.” It is paramount, as such, that you believe these prayers and begin to think like Christ. If anything short of that is acceptable to you, break that stronghold and destroy every image in your mind that exalts itself above knowing God with this level of intimacy. Bring every thought into captivity that disagrees with this calling and bring it into submission to the truth of Christ. Then call others to do the same. That is what it means to be a disciple and to become a true ambassador of Christ, as if God actually speaks through you to the world! That is what it looks like to become a partner with God—to partake in His Divine Nature.
2025-01-31 | II Peter 1-3 | Sending Out an S.O.S.
As we explore His precious and exceedingly great promises, maybe there is none more important on which to elaborate than from which all others originate. We see that it is His divine power that has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And this comes through the knowledge of Him, Jesus Christ, who called us by His own glory and virtue.
The source is His divine or resurrection power. That is the origin from which comes God’s desired outcome for your life and ministry. One must imagine, understand, and then accept the magnitude and the purpose for which God has granted you access to such power. It’s your destiny to receive everything God has promised to you and for what you were made in all areas of your life. But, to achieve such you must actively participate in His definitive system. There is one process or path to your true destiny and that is available only through Christ. You can come to experience His splendor, majesty, and excellence, as if your own. And you can come to know, like you know your name, what is right to God in every choice you make—in every arena of life. Along the path, as you progress through this process, you are capable of participating in such deep intimacy with God that you actually feel as if you are one with Him.
To me, making you aware of these things is beyond critical, so I am sending out an S.O.S.. Many have come to believe that the original interpretation of that distress signal was “save our souls” or “save our ship,” but it actually doesn’t translate to any specific meaning. S.O.S. is simply a Morse Code call for help. And this is my distress signal, my S.O.S., my desperate call for help today: come to know the divine Source; recognize His desired Outcome for your life; and His definitive System to achieve intimacy with God beyond your imagination. The alternative… God’s exceedingly great and precious promises will elude you all the days of your life.
2025-01-24 | II Peter 1:2-5 | Appreciating Knowledge
It’s a progression of knowledge or might we say progressive knowledge. It comes in stages, oftentimes developing gradually over time in a step-by-step process. And it’s not at all simple; it’s a complex pattern of many various and interconnected parts. We might even call it an appreciating asset, but only if you receive it as a valuable commodity that was invested in you—an asset in which you should invest wisely, and one that you should then, in turn, invest wisely.
Yes, knowledge should be one of your most appreciated assets. And in order for that to be true, you must appreciate all the various applications of knowledge. Recognize its full worth and be grateful for your access to such a treasure. Acknowledge the full implications of what is available to you and cherish what God has offered to you by taking hold of and purposely work at increasing its value.
But knowledge cannot stand alone. As a single-legged platform it is very unstable, guaranteed to topple, as those who won’t recognize the need for mutual support often fall victim to always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. When knowledge stands alone, it breeds pride; if anyone thinks that he knows anything apart from the other necessary legs of support, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.
Knowledge is the acquisition of God’s intent on any matter, and the gathering of facts and information. Yet, it subsequently requires a second leg, a proper understanding, the correct perception or interpretation of God’s intention. In other words, one must discern and comprehend what the facts truly represent. Really, the only way to gain a truly reliable interpretation is to add a third leg—to receive instruction. It is imperative to be instructed by God’s word and to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, so you might know His heart on any matter as governed by His laws. And then it is time to add the fourth and final leg—wisdom.
Wisdom is the deliberate application of godly knowledge, understanding, and instruction. If all you know, understand, and have been instructed to do is left dormant, that is not the work of a wise man, but a fool. Every prudent man acts from knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly. This is not merely a man who lacks intelligence, but rather a man who rejects knowledge, understanding, instruction, and wisdom altogether. He is the antithesis of the wise man who fears the Lord and follows His ways. Yes, knowledge involves a complex progressive process that begins with faith that God exists and continues with a steadfast belief that He rewards all those who diligently seek Him.
2025-01-17 | II Peter | Perfect Peace
Peace is a many-faceted concept. In light of God’s promises, His perfect peace was made available to you when you became a child of God. God’s word ensures that you came to a place of peace with God at the moment of your redemption, and there remains nothing more to reconcile between you and God. God continues to offer you His peace, and that comes from your continued dependence on and trust in Him, no matter what difficulties and challenges you might endure.
Then, you are able to experience the peace of God that projects beyond any human understanding, if you are willing. This supernatural peace is there, waiting for you to encounter, but it is not guaranteed; you must pray, petition, and thank God, while you you make your specific requests known. If you will worship and commune with God; convey a sense of urgency that reflects your deepest personal desires; and express your profound gratefulness for God’s grace, provision, and blessings; and do so while making your appeal with utter humility, then, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and thoughts.” There is no magic here; you are simply standing on God’s promise because, “The insistent prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective.” Then, take the peace you have with, from, and of God and steward it faithfully by aspiring to live at peace with all men!
2025-01-03 | II Peter | Grace: Learn to READ
It’s so much more than just a ticket to ride. Sure, if you cannot board the train to paradise, then there is nothing further to discuss. You have much bigger problems than insufficient information. But if you’ve heard those coveted words from the Ticket Collector, “I tell you today, you will be with Me in paradise,” then it’s time you learn to appreciate all the benefits and responsibilities that come with the ticket you hold in your hand.
It’s all right there in the fine print; all you have to do is learn to read. Of course, it seems that first one must inform you that the writing on your ticket is not just boring legalese that is safe enough to ignore, a type of disclaimer there to protect the railroad from frivolous laws suits if someone bumps his head in a sudden stop. It’s not fine print because it’s irritatingly tiny, or annoyingly faded, or nearly impossible to read. Instead, it’s mighty fine print that holds in its letters the secrets to an extraordinary Christian life. The print possesses fine information which, if you knew was available, you’d eagerly consume for all the benefits that come with good reading comprehension.
Your ticket to ride is grace, and it was purchased with the precious blood of Jesus. Right there you must recognize that it is the most valuable ticket in the universe, and yet it cost you nothing to receive. Now, take out your reading glasses, if necessary. Instructions indicate that you must purposefully engage in all the possible benefits, or they will remain as merely untapped potential.
Avail yourself to the power and authority that each ticket holder is granted. And then show your ticket to others; disperse the information in such a way that they too want to join you on the train; they could not possibly refuse the invite. That’s right, learn to READ; Receive, Engage, Avail, and Disperse God’s grace. It’s everything you need to understand in the fine print on the powerful ticket you hold in your hand.
2024-12-27 | 1-2 Maccabees | Hanukkah-Christianity 167 Years before Christ
Feast Notes | Sermon Video
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Hanukkah: Christianity 167 Years before Christ
It was the Feast of Dedication and Y’shua was fully aware of what was about to happen and to what He was alluding. Today, Jews around the world, and even some Christians who have come to understand its deeper truths, commemorate this Festival of Lights. You might recognize the holiday as Hanukkah and it’s all about the fire of rededication.
It would be 200 years after the historical events from which the Feast of Dedication originates that Y’shua would declare to the world, at this celebration of lights, that He was indeed the Messiah, “I told you, and you don’t believe Me. The entire historical event began to testify of Me 167 years before I was born. My sheep heard My voice then, and they followed Me; they still do to this very day. I am the giver of eternal life; none of My sheep will perish. And no one can snatch any of them out of My hand, no matter how great the persecution. That is the true miracle of Hanukkah and the force behind the fierce dedication and courageous faith of the Maccabees. They were the warriors for My truth and radical faith based obedience to God. They were responsible for rebuilding and cleansing the altar, and for lighting the fire of the eight day rededication of My temple. And that is the imagery of what it means to dedicate your temple to Me!”
They couldn’t have known then, but we do know now, the deeper meaning of why Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, would become known as the Festival of Lights. At conception, at the moment the human egg becomes fertilized, there is a burst of light.
That is precisely what occurred when Y’shua, the light of life, was supernaturally conceived. That is also what happened the moment you were born again, when that light of life came into your life and you became dedicated as the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is the light of the world and you too are the light of the world. Let us now rededicate our temples and may our fire shine into this world with such intense brightness that all the world would see the immense burst of light and would come to know the glory of our heavenly Father.