The Power of Loosing

God has not called us to be people who COPE. He has called us to be people who CONQUER. ~Jack Hayford~ Penetrating the Darkness

"...and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19    Last week I wrote about binding. Loosing, of course, is the opposite of binding. It's all about freedom and liberty. In John, Chapter 11 we find the story of Lazarus, Jesus' good friend. Lazarus had died and had been in the grave several days when Jesus arrived at his home. We all know the story. But here's the interesting part: when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, Lazarus "came forth" fully alive! He should have been ready to go! After all, Jesus had just raised him from the dead. Still, the words of instruction Jesus gave to those who were there on that day to "loose the grave cloths and set him free" imply an additional step. What's that step? When someone gives their life to the Lord and makes a decision to follow him, they are saved by the grace of God and are heirs to the throne. But they still need to be unbound in order to be set free. And we, my friends, get to do the "loosing," both for ourselves and to help others. And what things do we need loosing from; and what do we need to help loose others from? How about unhealthy ties that hold us back. Things we won't let go of. Past rebellion, sin or disobedience. Residue from past hurts. Stinking thinking. And the big one--unforgiveness. Our human spirit is not made to withstand the poison of unforgiveness. It needs to be loosed! When we are angry, worried, upset, anxious or fearful we often use the phrase, "I'm tied up in knots." Don't let it be so! Loose it! We were broken free from sin when we received the salvation of our Lord. But to live free is a life pattern--a daily choice to walk in the freedom that was purchased for us on the cross. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1 May we live as people who know the power of the cross to loose. And may we welcome that freedom, purchased at a price, in our lives each day. May we be aware of those around us who may need our help in the process of loosing. It is my prayer that we grow in being people who "set the captives free." Greg

Binding & Loosing

So take your place. Let's tune to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He whispers, "I have drawn you  to the Savior's life and grace, but now I want to shape you into His likeness   as instruments of redemption."   ~Jack Hayford~ Penetrating the Darkness

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19 We talked about this passage in our Fellowship of Followers meeting this past Sunday night and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since then. It's such a power-packed verse, but what does it mean to us? In his book Penetrating the Darkness, Pastor Jack Hayford gives us some great clues about all this binding and loosing. First of all, he writes: "The grammar is profound. A literal rendition of the verbs shall be bound and shall be loosed into English is that each 'shall already have been bound or loosed.' The verb form in each case reflects action achieved in the past that now becomes effected in the present."   Wow. That means, friends, that Jesus has already accomplished the binding and loosing through his death and resurrection on the cross . It is finished; it is accomplished. Our great privilege is to step forward under his guidance and invitation to apply it in our prayers and ministry to bring about his plans here on earth.    Pastor Hayford uses the example of knitting.   I wouldn't know because my Mom didn't knit much--or else I didn't pay attention--but apparently there's a knitting term called Binding off. It's the term used for finishing off what you are working on with a certain "binding" stitch that secures the row so the whole piece doesn't unravel.    Do you have anything unraveling in your life? Something that needs to be knitted back together? Maybe it's a marriage, or a friendship, or a wayward child. Or maybe it's an illness or a job loss that is causing your life to unravel. We can exercise binding prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit to deal with situations that are unraveling and see them restored and redeemed.     How about our nation or our church community--something or some group that is fractured or separated? I looked up the word "bind" in the dictionary and one definition reads, "to unite or hold, as by a feeling of loyalty or love." It is the heart of the Father that his church be united in heart and spirit. Our fractured nation needs uniting. Our binding prayers as people of faith will unite, will hold.  Another definition is "to fasten; to tie down." (Think of a seaman who secures the ropes to stop something from flapping or loosening in the wind.) Sometimes that flapping is us, isn't it? Or sometimes we need to bind the noise and confusion the Accuser throws at us. We can take a firm and faith-filled position at the cross of Christ, standing up strong to the incessant lies and oppression of the enemy and laying claim to peace; peace as a result of binding up and tying down.  There's so much more to say about this. Next week I will write about loosing and what that means in our prayer life. In the meantime..... Learn to knit! Greg

Did You Know?

Empowering people for Faith- Equipping people for Life- Helping people Heal.

A month ago I made some comments about Life Discovery and why we are--or are not--a church. It was called "What Makes it Church?" (See the e-news from September 13th.)  I heard from so many of you thanking me for my attempt to articulate our ministry more clearly. It got me thinking: maybe I haven't done a very good job of that. So here are some things about our ministry you may not know!  Some Facts About Life Discovery   I am one of several founding members of Life Discovery Ministries. We incorporated in 2005 as an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.   Our Preamble: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 NIV Our Mission Statement reads, "We are a ministry committed to empowering people for faith and life by proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ."    We have a Board of Directors consisting of seven individuals who have a heart and a love for this ministry and who understand its mission.   I am called by the Board of Directors and employed part time as Director/Pastor for Life Discovery. As Director I take part in most Board meeting discussions but I am not a voting member. Our Board usually meets twice a year, with our annual meeting being held in November of each year.     Our Board Treasurer handles all financial matters for the ministry including donations and offerings, deposits and disbursements, budgeting and accounting, all necessary paperwork for state and federal government agencies, insurance needs, taxes, etc. A small stipend is allocated for this important work.   Decisions by the Board are filtered through the lens of who we are as a ministry, always taking into account the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit for future direction. New program ideas, or a major shift in old ones, are generally discussed by the Board. The Board also exists to ensure sound legal and financial policies and practices.    Life Discovery is funded completely by your donations.      In closing, I believe God has called this ministry into existence to meet very specific needs in the body of Christ: healing broken hearts and "proclaiming freedom" for those who are oppressed or held captive. The thread that runs through our programs is one of freedom in Christ to be and become who God already says we already are.  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  John 8:36  May the Good News be proclaimed! Greg

40 Days of Prayer

 

Imagine what God would do if we cried out with one voice... storming heaven on behalf of America. David Butts

I have a challenge for all of you.   Election Day will soon be here. You might be a republican or a democrat or somewhere in the middle, but WE ARE the Body of Christ and as such we are called to pray for our leaders and our country. The problems that face our nation will not be resolved by any particular candidate or party; our salvation is only in returning to God, the One who--in the blink of an eye--can heal our land for His glory.    "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14        David Butts, founder of Harvest Prayer Ministries, has called upon the Christian community in America, urging us to pray for our nation and on behalf of our leaders. The movement is called "40 Days of Prayer for America." He has written a 40-day prayer guide to help us intercede during one of our nation's most critical times leading up to the election. Each day has a different devotional focus, Scripture and prayer. The good news is, you can start now! You can have these daily prayer guides emailed to your in-box each day as a reminder by going to www.40daysofprayer.charismamag.com   I know we are already 7 days into this, with only 33 days left until the election. No worries. You can just start now, and if you want to go back and pray about the topics you missed we will have a list with those missed prayer guides available for you the next couple times we meet. So let's join the many churches and Christian organizations that are taking up this challenge and seeking God for our nation in these days.   Prayer moves people;   prayer changes outcomes;  prayer battles evil;  prayer is our part in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth.  Imagine what could happen!  Greg