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Breakthrough is Coming!

A little over a year ago we were visiting Florida looking into the position at Heritage and vacationing with my parents in Orlando and Sebastian. While we were all in their pool Josiah slipped off the bottom step in the pool and went under! We didn’t see it and it was so silent that we didn’t hear it either. We were all talking in the pool when my mom pointed in terror towards his direction and screamed. I turned and froze, for a moment it was as if I was paralyzed in fear and disbelief. I saw my son underwater motionless!

I broke free and ran to him immediately picking him up, I was so relieved to hear him cough and never so happy to hear him cry. It scared us all that in just 20-30 seconds something so scary could happen and someone so special to us could have been gone! Well, ever since this event Josiah has been terrified of water (and I can understand why).

Shortly after this happened we took him to swim lessons and let’s just say those lessons took a year off my life (not really but I think you get my drift). He screamed and cried everyday for the entire 30 minutes of the lesson – it was exhausting! Time to time Emily and I would try to encourage him to practice with us or move past his fear and try to swim over this past year but with no success. He would only go waist deep into the ocean and cling to us or the walls of the pool.

Well, this week we tried again (this time without us being around). We put both Josiah and Micah in swim lessons dropping them off in the water with their instructors. As we walked out of sight we continued to hear Josiah scream and cry. We could hear and see him but he couldn’t hear or see us. We heard him cry for 30 minutes straight but then something amazing happened…he stopped!

We listened and heard nothing we looked and we saw something simply beautiful, Josiah was learning how to swim in his instructors arms smiling and laughing! I was almost in disbelief! Yes, I had been praying for a long time that God would break the spirit of fear over my son. Yes, I was believing he would learn how to swim and have fun doing it! But it happened at an unexpected moment and brought my wife and I so much joy, comfort and peace! Josiah had a blast all week and was sad for his swim lessons to end. This my friends was a BREAKTHROUGH!

I say all that to say this: Keep praying, keep persisting and keep believing! Your breakthrough is closer than you think and may just happen at a moment you don’t expect!

Blessings,

John

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

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Am I Righteous?

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Am I Righteous? What does it mean to be righteous? How do you become righteous? What does righteousness even mean?

I hope this 3 minute video answers all of these questions and encourages you as well as helps you have a greater understanding of righteousness.

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Peace Be With You

“If it’s big enough to worry about it’s big enough to pray about”

Seriously! Whether it’s big or small God wants it all! And in exchange for your worry, stress or fear he wants to give you peace. God has been really speaking to me lately about bringing peace to his people in the earth today.

We hear of ISIS, earthquakes, riots and race wars and in the midst of all this God wants to minister his peace to us. I think of Jesus’ words, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled” and “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Matthew 24:6, John 16:33) And Psalm 85:8 where David says, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people and to his saints.”

God is speaking peace to his people. He is ministering peace to our hearts so that no matter what we may be facing we can overcome. So give God your cares today and receive his great peace. “For peace is your portion” says the Lord.

Peace be with you!

~John

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This Is My Home

This morning I was sitting on the couch with my middle son Micah and while we were talking and playing I decided to play some worship music on my phone. The last song I played (the night before) was “This is my home” by Jason Upton, so I decided to play it again! As it was playing I quickly felt God’s arms around me even as my arms were around my boy. I felt God’s amazing love for me as I sat there on the couch in his presence and the presence of my son.

Micah then says, “He said this is my home, that’s silly, why did he say that?” I then began to tell him that he is saying his home is with God. That when he is sensing God’s presence he feels like he’s at home. He is loved, he’s happy, he’s comfortable, it’s where he belongs! And at this I began to cry knowing that it’s real! It’s so true! It’s where we belong! Our home is in God! And so I am humbled and grateful today, thanking God for his constant love and his empowering presence. Today I thank God for the sweet joy and deep peace that I have only found in him!

Maybe it’s been awhile for you but my prayer is that today you will come home. Find rest, joy, peace and belonging in his presence today because he loves you and this is your home.

I’m praying for you,

~John

“We will come to them and make our home with them.” -Jesus (John 14:23)

If you would like to hear “This is my home” by Jason Upton click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9roCCSxmIw

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Why We Are Here

Do you ever wonder why you are here on the earth? I used to ask this question often (even when I knew the answer). It was as if I needed affirmation or assurance. So whether you know or you don’t I hope this brief word encourages you today!

WE ARE HERE TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER!

That’s it! Sure there are many other things associated with this but this is our greatest calling and our highest purpose! So, how do we glorify God? Jesus tells us in John 15:8, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

First, most of John 15 is all about knowing God intimately, God invites us to a close AND growing relationship with him! And THROUGH this relationship with him we produce fruit! What kind of fruit? Well two kinds:

  1. The fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc…
  2. The fruit of influence in peoples lives

I must be clear about these: THEY ARE BOTH BY-PRODUCTS!

So, all of our focus in life should be to enjoy God! That’s it! Enjoy our relationship with him and obey the promptings he puts on our hearts for when we do this we will be walking in love, joy and peace and we will be influencing peoples lives all around us!

Enjoy God today!

~John