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God Is Concerned With All Of The Prodigals While in prayer recently, the Lord strongly impressed upon me His interest and concern for the prodigals. I became aware that since His interest and concern is for the prodigals, that I needed to become more interested and concerned with prodigals. We all have family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and former church acquaintances that we would consider to be prodigals, because of their obvious absence of God, church, or anything Godly in their lifestyle. We are likely familiar with the story of the prodigal son spoken of in Luke chapter 15. The younger son wanted his inheritance so he could go out into the world and begin to have fun, excitement, pleasure with the wasteful, riotous living which he had observed in his friends and had been exposed to on TV and all the R rated movies that had stirred up his carnal flesh. After the Father divided his estate with the two sons, the younger left, and after awhile, found himself broke, devoured, helpless, and alone, except for the pigs that he found himself living, sleeping, and eating with. He finally came to himself and humbly realized the error and the results of his selfish desires and choices. He was willing to become a servant just to be close to the love, safety and security of the Fathers House. As he returned, humbled and repentant, unsure that he would even be accepted, he was greeted by his father who ran and kissed him and loved and welcomed him. The celebration began. Kill the best fatted calf. The blood will take care of anything he’s done. Get the best robe, the royal ring, and the best shoes. My son was dead but now he lives. He was lost but now he’s home. It’s time to celebrate. We’re told of the celebration and rejoicing in Heaven when even one sinner returns. This can be the wonderful outcome of every prodigal that we are concerned with. This son now truly understood mercy, grace, and unconditional love. He was changed by it, and now was likely to pass it on to others. There was however, another son who was not happy at all for all this celebration. He sulked and pouted over all the rejoicing over his brother’s return. He didn’t understand how his brother could be forgiven so easily. He didn’t understand grace. He’s been the only son, the top dog, for awhile, and now he has to share the glory. “You never killed the calf or threw a party or gave me these things”, he whined to his Father. His Father said, “Son, you could have had all these things any time you wanted. Everything I have is yours.” “You brother was dead, now he’s alive. He was lost, now he’s found. It’s only right that we rejoice and celebrate.” This was Prodigal Son # 2. Strife, unforgiveness, judgemental, not partaking of the blessings that are available, uncaring and unsympathetic of lost hurting people, more prone to live under law, rather than grace, still in the house, but not close the the Father. Many of us find ourselves with the very same attitudes, dispositions, and actions, as Prodigal # 2. Maybe we’re still in church, but not close to the Father. Maybe we’re not receiving blessings and promises that are available to us. Maybe we don’t understand unconditional love and live by it. Maybe unforgiveness has hardened our heart. Maybe we want to be the top dog. Maybe our attendance and service at church is out of obligation and religious works rather than out of love, joy and blessing to others. If so, maybe we need to recognize ourself as a prodigal and humble ourself and repent. Whether we are Prodigal # 1 or Prodigal # 2, God is interested and concerned with the prodigals and is lovingly, eagerly desiring our return to closeness with Him.
Pastor Phil Lyons
Is Anything More Powerful Than The Word of God?
We know that the WORD OF GOD is Alive and Powerful and sharper than a two edged sword. God’s Word is God’s will. God’s Word produces life changing faith in those who hear and believe it. God’s Words reveal His desires, His plans, His thoughts, His ways, His character, His power, and the provisions of the blessed covenant that we have with Him through Jesus Christ. The Words that go forth out of His mouth shall not return void, but shall accomplish that which He sent them to accomplish. Likewise, when we speak His Words out of our mouth in faith, they will accomplish the same results as when spoken out of His mouth. His Word is our armour, our sword, our direction, our protection, our provision, our hope, our comfort, our revelation of who we are in Christ, and who He is in us. He sent His Word to heal us and deliver us from all our destructions. His Words are life, health, and medicine to all our flesh. The Bible tells us in Phil. 2:9 that Jesus was highly exalted and given a name above everything that has a name. Now, everything in Heaven, everything in the earth, and everything under the earth must bow to the Name of Jesus. The Bible tells us that He esteems His Word even above His Name. The Word of God is a weapon of mass destruction against the devil and everything that he represents. We could go on and on and never, ever, finish a description of the mighty, glorious, virtues, benefits, and integrity of the precious Word of God. It is truly beyond description. However, even as powerful as the Word of God is, and though we want to enjoy all of it’s benefits, there are some things that can overpower even the mighty Word of God. In Mark 7:13, Jesus said that OUR TRADITIONS can make the Word of God of no effect to us. It’s amazing how we can choose to hold on to our traditional beliefs, excuses, and reasons why that’s not for today, and literally make the Word of no effect. Obviously, when we do that we are the ones who suffer. God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. We’re still the same New Testament Church as the Book of Acts. It’s hard to recognize, isn’t it. OUR WORDS are the way that we come into agreement with God. Our words are the way we release our faith. When our words disagree with His Words, we are cutting ourselves off from the promises of God. Life and death are in the power and ability of our tongue, and the words that we choose to speak will either make way for life or death or blessings or curses. We would be wise to agree with God and speak His Word and allow His Word to work for us and produce His life in us. OUR SILENCE can be a problem when we are under attack from the enemy and we refuse to declare what the Word says about us. When sickness is trying to come on us and we refuse to say that we are healed until we’re completely well, we’re esteming the Word of no value to us. As powerful as the Word of God is, OUR UNFORGIVENESS, OUR BUSYNESS, OUR INVOLVEMENTS in worldly, carnal, selfish interests, just to mention a few, can surely stop or hinder the Word from working and bearing fruit in our lives. Whatever we focus on or magnify in our life is what will be allowed to control us and bear fruit in our life.
The Word “Pray” Is Not Just Another Four Letter Word! Prayer is not just another Bible subject. It is an invitation from God to come into His very presence and fellowship with Him, get to know Him, worship Him, hear Him, discuss our needs and concerns with Him, get empowered by Him, receive from Him, get directions from Him, and grow deeper in love with Him, just to mention a few. Prayerlessness is the greatest sin a Christian can commit, because it’s a sin against ourselves. We are denying God’s help and provision and protection and guidance and in essence we’re saying, “I don’t need you today”. Since we don’t have the time or the desire to pray, we think it’s alright if we don’t. That becomes a lifestyle that’s hard to break. Nevertheless, the call to prayer continues to go forth daily, and many are heading that call. Since 2010 began, my wife and I have sensed a renewed call and desire to spend time in prayer. I hear of many that say the same thing. Not just counting the minutes so we can say we prayed, but actually receiving the promises of God, resisting the attacks of the enemy, and covering in prayer those who are dear to us. We can win every battle in prayer before the attacks even come. It’s easier for a landlord to keep out bad tenants, than to get one out that he let in. He can get him out, it just takes a lot longer. Likewise, it’s easier to keep the devil and problems out through daily prayer than to get them out once we let them in by neglecting our fellowship with God. Prayer is like tithing, if we give God the first tenth, the rest is blessed. If we give God the first part of our day, the rest will be truly blessed. It’s much easier to begin our day in prayer and allow His will and plans, and blessings, than to try and salvage it at the end of the day. As we all know, if we don’t give God His rightful place, there will be no place for Him. John Wesley’s statement concerning prayer is so true. “God can do nothing apart from the prayers of His people.” We all have loved ones who are struggling, addicted, living away from God or are hopelessly bound in sin. Their only hope is for someone to open the door for God to move in their life. That someone is you. The Bible says “We have not because we ask not.” Luke 11:9,10 says “ Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, for everyone that asks receives, and he that seeketh finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened.” The problems, temptations, habits and failures in our lives are not part of God’s plan for our lives, they are a result of neglect on our part. To busy working, playing, resting, being entertained, or even too busy preaching, and building churches to spend quality intimate time with our Lord and Savior. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, “Men ought to always pray and not give up, get discouraged, cave in and turn out badly.” Also in Matt.26:40,41, “What, could you not pray with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you’ll enter not into temptation.” So many things that we experience and tolerate in life that we either blame on God or people are really just the result of neglect on our part. Are you going to be a Wimp or a Warrior? The choice is ours. God has called each of us to be winners, more than conquerors, ruling and reigning as kings in this life, rather than allowing life to rule and reign over us. REVELEE is at 5am. Be there. Phil Lyons Restoration Church
Our Words Are the Greatest Influence In Our Lives
Most people like to blame either God, the devil, or bad luck for the bad things that happen in their lives and they may want to take all the credit for the good things that occur in their life but the Bible is clear about the source of both. Yes, God is a good God and the devil is a bad devil, however, the devil cannot fulfill his evil desires for our life, neither can God bring His blessings to pass in our life apart from our cooperation, mainly our tongue.
If we recorded ourselves and then listened to the way we talk, we would see why we experience some of the things in our life. EXAMPLE…“Well, it’s flu season, I’ll probably be the first one to get it” “ My back is just killing me” “I’m trying to catch a bad cold” “That just scared to death” “I’m just dieing to go to the movie” “Johnny, don’t get near the road, you’ll get run over” “Nothing ever goes right for me” You’ll never amount to anything” My kids never mind me” I’m just so unworthy, I don’t deserve anything” That’s just a few of the things that we say and really don’t want, but words are powerful and work all the time, not just when we mean them. Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that we would have what we say all the time, not just what we say at church and that we are to speak to the mountains and problems in our life, not just talk about them.
Here’s just a few of the many scriptures that warn us concerning our words. Prov. 6:2- Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art taken captive by the words of thy mouth. Prov. 18:7- A fools mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul. Prov. 13:3- GNB- Be careful what you say and you’ll protect your life. A careless talker destroys himself. Prov 12:14-Moffits-A man reaps the result of all of his words. Prov. 18:21- Death and life are in the power and ability of the tongue. James 3:2- If you will control your tongue, you can control your entire body. Neurosurgeons have recently discovered that the speech center in the brain controls the entire central nervous system. The Word of God has been revealing that for thousands of years. James 3:2-4 says that in the same way that a bit in a horses mouth and a rudder on a ship can turn them whichever way you want, the tongue also can control the entire body.
God is listening for our words. The devil is listening for our words. Angels are listening for our words. Our words are calling for something. Lets say what we desire and what the Bible says, not what we see and feel because our words are the greatest influence in our lives.
Phil Lyons Restoration Church
It’s Time To Do Some Spiritual Spring Cleaning When we are doing our spring cleaning each year, we are a little more likely to be willing to discard things that have been around for too long that has been taking up badly needed space around the house. For us sentimental people, we usually just move those things to the basement or attic, rather than giving them away or trashing them, and then we forget all about them until we discover them years later ruined and worthless. From a Christian standpoint, it would be great if we took some time on a regular basis to clean out, get rid of, discard, and be willing to give up the things that have accumulated in our lives that are not needed or useful or beneficial to our Christian life. Things can gradually get woven into our lives before we are aware of it, just by living in this sinful world and by getting too chummy with the things of this world. Before we know it, non-productive, carnal, and even destructive things surface in our lives and we don’t want to give it up because it’s now a part of our lifestyle. In Hebrews chapter 12, we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin that has so easily best us, so we can run this race without having bowling balls chained to us. There are things in our lives that may not be a sin, but there are things that are weights and hindrances and burdens to us, even though our carnal flesh may like them and be addicted to them. A lot of things in peoples lives are simply time thieves that consume their fellowship and relationship with God. In the same way that what we eat and how much we eat begins to determine our appetite and desires, the things we allow in our life begins to determine our desires and pursuits. We must purpose to do away with thoughts, words, pursuits, and behavior that is not profitable to our Christian life. In 1 Cor. 6:12, we are told that even though things may be permissible, everything is not beneficial and helpful to our Christian life. In Romans chapter 8 we are told that a carnal, flesh ruled lifestyle is enmity with God, and prevents the Spirit from controlling our lives. What power and victory is ours when we choose to please God rather than ourself. God’s formula for Revival and an outpouring of His Spirit is and always has been: If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear their prayer, forgive their sin , and heal their land. (2 Chron:7:14) Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
NO ONE HAS GONE TOO FAR OR DONE TOO MUCH How encouraging that statement is if you haven’t lost sight of God’s power, mercy, grace, and His desire too fulfill all of His promises to His children. Most people have children or relatives that they have more or less given up on because of their lifestyle or some addiction that has brought much misery or shame to the family. Many of today’s youth have rebelled at church and their upbringing because of many reasons. No one is completely at fault. We forget that there is a devil out there and that there are assignments against families. Satan’s desire is to destroy families, and keep them so busy fighting and trying to survive, that people forget that God is their hope. There is a story in 1 Samuel chapter 30 where David and his men had returned home and found that the enemy had stolen all their wives and all of their children and all their possessions and had burned their city. David felt so hopeless that he asked the Lord if he should even pursue them and try to get his family back. Isn’t that like many of us today? Things have gotten so bad that we don’t even know if we should even try or if there is any hope at all. How Pitiful!!! When David came to himself and got serious and went to prayer, desperately seeking God, he got his answer. It’s the same answer God gives to all of His people today, who get serious and are willing to not give up just because things look hopeless. God said “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail, you shall recover all.” David and his men pursued them, overtook them and recovered all of their families and all of their children, and all of their possessions. My encouragement to you today is to not give up on your children or family members, though they have made drastic mistakes and devastating decisions and choices that may even look like they have gone too far or done too much to ever recover. We must realize that the enemy has stolen our family and that God is saying “Pursue, overtake them, and you shall recover all.” The battle only begins when we finally decide that we are not going to let the devil have our children or our family members. We must go to God’s Word and find out what He has to say about the matter. The first thing we discover is that change must begin in us first, if we’re going to win this battle. We must stand on God’s promises for our family and not waiver. Acts 16:31 says that when we believe on Jesus as our Lord, we shall be saved, and our family. Acts 2:39 says that the promise is for us and our children, and all those that afar off. We must stand faithfully on God’s promises and declare them over our family and bind the devil and the blindness off of our family. As we continue to declare “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord,” we’re fighting a Good Fight of Faith, and We Shall Recover all. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
God’s Will Is Healing For All Of His Children The will of God concerning healing is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible. Many Christians are like the leper in Matt. 8 :1 who came to Jesus and said “If you will, I know you can make me clean. He knew He could, but just wasn’t sure that He would. Jesus left no doubt when He said, “I will, be thou clean.” I would rather think that He wanted to, but couldn’t, than to think that He could, but wouldn’t. The Word of God makes it clear concerning His will, desire, and plan for healing His children. Jesus said that Healing is the children’s bread. God’s Word is God’s Will. Rather than questioning God’s willingness, goodness, and desire to bless the people He created, maybe we should question our faith. Our problem is not God, but our belief system. Jesus said that our traditions have made the Word of God of no effect in our lives. Faith begins where the will of God is known, therefore the If it be thy will prayer, is a nonproductive prayer. If people really think it may not be God’s will to heal them, why do they go to the doctor to try to get out of the will of God. We must look to the Word of God and to His Word alone to determine God’s will for our life. Traditions, peoples testimonies, or knowing good people who died after praying to be healed, cannot be trusted to show God’s will for our life. Only God’s Word is God’s Will. Even though we have all failed to receive God’s best at times, we must never shift the blame on God for our failures. Our pride says it must be God’s fault, not mine. The following are just a few of the many reasons revealed in God’s Word why we can rest assured that it is always God’s Will to heal. 1... Jesus’ earthly ministry shows us that it is God’s will to heal all. Acts 10:38...Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. He came to show forth and do the will of the Father who sent Him. The 4 Gospels tell us of the many examples where He healed all that came to Him and healed them of every kind of sickness and disease. 2...The Nature and Goodness of God shows us that it is God’s will to heal all. James Chapter 1 tells us to let no one say their affliction is from God. Only good things come from the Father of light in whom there is no variableness or changing. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 3...God’s Plan of Redemption shows His desire to save, heal and deliver hurting people. The words saved and salvation both mean saved, healed, delivered, protected and provided for. Isaiah 53:5 declares that not only our sins and iniquities were taken care of, but also by His stripes we were healed. His very Name, Jehovah Rapha says I Am the Lord that Healeth thee. 4...The Lord’s Prayer shows us that it is God’s will to heal all. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for God’s Will to be done on Earth, even as it is in Heaven. God’s Will is the same for both Heaven and Earth. It’s not God’s Will that there be sick people on Earth any more than it is that there be sick people in Heaven. 5...God’s many promises show us His desire for people to be healed. If it were not God’s Will that His children be healed, He would not have made the many healing promises available to us. Psalm 103 tells us to not forget all of His benefits, who forgives all our iniquities and heals all of our diseases. His promises are voice activated, therefore we must use our words to release our faith consistently in order to lay hold of His promises. 6...The Great Commission reveals God’s Will and desire for all people to be healed. Jesus gave His first 12 disciples and then the 70 disciples power over all demons and all disease and told them to go heal the sick. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 16 to go into all the world and preach the Good News to every creature. A part of that ministry to every creature is laying hands on the sick so they may recover and that ministry continues today. It’s as much God’s will that all be healed as it is that all be saved. 7...The Gifts of the Spirit Show God’s Will to Heal. The Power Gifts which are Gifts of Healings, Working of Miracles, and Special Faith show God’s Will to heal even those who are, maybe weak in faith, or don’t necessarily know about healing, or maybe not even saved. These Gifts operate thru Spirit Filled Believers as the Spirit wills, to show what all believers can have who will learn to walk in faith. Once we are fully persuaded of God’s Will for our healing and health, we can then fight an unwavering fight of faith. We can then refuse to lose. We can then stand against the enemy in the Name of Jesus with all the authority of God’s Word. We can then speak to every mountain of sickness and it will be removed. Most people leaves the choice for healing up to God, but God leaves the choice for healing up to us. Choose life and healing and then expect God to move on your behalf. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
Putting God First In Our Life Brings Many Benefits Several years ago after making a deposit at the bank and paying some bills, as I began to write my tithe check I got a little yucky, uneasy feeling in my stomach (which is the way I know I’ve missed it) and the Lord reminded me that the tithe is not just a tenth of my income, it is the first tenth. The tithe is the first fruits of all our increase and it is holy to the Lord. The Lord desires our best, not our leftovers. This may sound a little picky, however it is just a small example of how we may give God our time, service, money, prayers, energy, but is it our first fruits and our best. We may drag into church after working, playing, or allowing the world, the flesh, and the devil to drain the best of our time, energy, faith, etc. Our excitement over movies, games, and all the entertainment that the world has to offer today usually doesn’t hold over when we get to church. We may go, give, serve, sing, teach, preach, and do our duties and expect God to be so pleased, however He expects our first and best. The Lord spoke something to me recently. He said “ How we REALLY feel about God and people is automatically figured into the results of our faith’s effectiveness.” Not just how we act at church and the things we do on Sunday but what place does God hold in our life every day. Also our motives and attitudes in what we do are figured in also. As preachers and ministers we may think that preaching, visiting, and all the duties required of us is our time with God, however that is our job, not our fellowship time spent with Him, giving Him our best. Usually ministers are too busy to give God the best of their time. I’ve often wondered, if there were no Heaven or Hell or promised blessings, how many people would be in Church on Sunday? Are we doing the Churchy thing to try to get something from God, or to give Him our best in worship and service? A young man asked Jesus one day what the first and greatest commandment was. Jesus said it was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second was to love our neighbor as ourself. The Christian life in a nutshell is to Love God and Love People. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto us. The things He is talking about are the things that people seek to acquire, pray for, work for, and give the best of their time, money, and energy, to get. Jesus said if we would seek to put God first, and allow Him to be Lord of our life, and give Him the best of our time and energy that all the things that people seek after would be added automatically. Our lives are like with tithing, if we will give God the first and best, the rest will be blessed. Don’t forget, “How we REALLY feel about God and people are automatically figured into the results of our faith’s effectiveness.” Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
We Must Beware of Vampires We’ve all probably seen some of the TV programs and movies about vampires. We need to be alert to the vampires around us that can suck the life out of us. Just because something or someone in our life doesn’t have long teeth, red eyes, or a long black cape doesn’t mean it won’t suck the life out of you. Victories in our life, even our health, protection, and most of all our desire for the things of God in our life depend upon us staying connected to God and not allowing anything or anyone to drain us of His Life and Strength. When we allow ourselves to be drained, it allows our carnal flesh to dominate our life rather than God. There are many kinds of Vampires that can drain the life out of us if we’re not careful. Worldly, carnal friends and acquaintances can be vampires in our life that can influence us and weaken our walk with God. TV or movies can be one of the many vampires in our life. We wouldn’t allow a stranger to come into our home and bring their liquor, their 4 letter curse words, or their sex acts in front of our families. However, if we allow the TV to bring the very same things into our home, we’re inviting vampires to come and suck the life out of us. Many programs and movies depict premarital sex and homosexuality as the “norm” or as simply “my choice“. Whether it’s children or adults watching these repeated acts or implications of immorality and violence, we’re programming ourselves and our children for compromise. Hurts, grudges, unforgiveness, and offences can keep us drained and under their control as we rehash and talk about how we’ve been wronged. Our own words can keep us weak and in bondage. Proverbs 18:21 says life and death is in the power of the tongue. Worries, fears, aggravations, and over involvements, even jobs can consume our lives so that there is no time or energy left to give God our best. Continually yielding to sin, habits, and lusts of the flesh will keep the life and strength drained out of us. When we are weak, they are strong. A Vampire’s desire is to seduce us into seeing them as attractive, exciting, beneficial, and not harmful. As they drain and weaken us, they become stronger and we become easy prey for them. When someone is bitten and drained, they may become a Vampire to others. Vampires are depicted to be immortal, therefore things can be passed on and continue in the next generation in our families. People often say, “I believe in living right. I believe in this. I believe in that.” However, what we live and do and practice in our everyday life is what we really believe. All this other stuff is just a bunch of religious talk. We know that vampires can’t stand light, so we can be assured that if we allow our light to shine brightly by staying in the light of God’s presence and His Word and as we walk in that light and avoid the temptations to step out into darkness, there will be no evil able to overtake us. May the knowledge of His love for you light your way continually. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
Your Problems Could Be The Result Of HYPO-ZOE In John 3:16 we are told that whosoever believes in Jesus receives everlasting life. When we hear that verse read, we have been programmed to hear that when we receive Jesus, we won’t go to hell when we die, but rather we will get to go to Heaven and live forever. That is true and it is wonderful, however, there is so much more being said there. Everyone is going to live forever. Believers in Heaven, and unbelievers in hell. Forever. What Jesus is telling us in John 3:16 is not referring to length of life, but rather, quality of life. He said that we should not perish after we believe on Him and receive everlasting life. The definition of perish means anything from utter destruction to barely getting by. It means weakness, sickness, and things not going right. The Greek word that is translated life, eternal life, and everlasting life in the New Testament is the Greek word ZOE. It means the God kind and the God quality of life. It means the Divine nature of God. It is the substance that causes Jesus to be as He is, and it is what He gives to believers so we can do what He said to do and live like He said we could live. Again, He said that when we believe on Him, we would receive ZOE and that we should not perish. We should not be weak, sick and things not going right, because we have ZOE within us. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so we could have life (ZOE), and have it in abundance, to the full, till it overflows. It is necessary to replenish the ZOE life of God in us so we can remain full, strong, overcomers in life. If we do not spend time fellowshipping with God in prayer and His Word or in praise and worship, we will develop a low, insufficient level of Zoe and will not be able to stay strong in the Lord. In the same way that hypoglycemia is a low insufficient level of blood sugar and hypothyroidism is a low insufficient level of thyroid and hypothermia is a low insufficient body temperature, HYPOZOE is a low insufficient level of the ZOE life of God. As we live in this world, we use up and become drained of the Life of God in us. The result of ongoing HYPOZOE is doubt, unbelief, fear, insecurity, discouragement, carnality, worldliness, selfishness, sickness, addictions, critical, easily offended, loss of desire for Godly things, and many other detrimental characteristics. We know that if we don’t replenish the gas and oil in the car, the food in the fridge, money in the checking account or keep the battery charged, that things will not go right, however we are not as eager to replenish the ZOE life of God and then we wonder why things aren’t going right. People usually blame God or come up with some religious excuse for failure, but the real reason is probably HYPOZOE. Let’s become accountable, responsible, faithful, and trustworthy and not let ourselves develop Hypozoe. It’s a killer, a thief, and will destroy lives. After all, Jesus said He came so we could have ZOE in abundance, to the full, till it overflows. Someone said that we feed our bodies three hot meals every day, and feed our spirits one cold snack per week. Just attending church is not enough to stay full of Life. We can daily enjoy fellowshipping with God as we build ourselves up and stay filled with the very Life and presence of God. Don’t forget, no more perishing, only overcoming thru His mighty Holy Spirit within. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
We Need Our Faith Operating At Maximum Efficiency In these days we are living in, it’s important that we have our faith operating at it’s fullest potential more than ever before. The Bible makes it clear the importance of faith operating in the lives of believers. The just shall live by their faith. According to your faith, be it done unto you. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. The prayer of faith shall heal the sick. We are saved through our faith. There’s no end to the importance of active, alive, real Bible faith operating in our lives if we are going to experience the promises God has made available to us. If you are not seeing results from your prayers or if there’s a failure to get your needs met, let me assure you that it’s not God’s fault, it’s not the Bible’s fault, and it’s not faith’s fault. Faith is the Victory, The Word works, and God never fails. Religious traditions have taught us to think that if a prayer is not answered or if someone is not healed that it was God’s fault or just wasn’t His will. Jesus never failed to correct His disciples when their faith became inadequate. O ye of little faith, Why do you have no faith, O faithless and perverse generation was His response to their inadequate faith. If we will just swallow or rather spit out our religious traditions that contradict God’s Word, we will be in a better position for our faith to begin to work properly. Jesus told the Pharisees that their traditions had made the Word of God of no effect. He’s telling the religious Pharisees of this day the very same thing. It’s easier to blame God than to swallow our religious pride and accept the responsibility ourselves for our failure to obtain what God said we could have. We can get our faith tuned up and operating at a higher level of efficiency if we can identify the failures on our part that have hindered our faith. 1. Failure to know God. James 1:13 say’s to let no one say the problem is of God. God is our helper, healer, rewarder, blesser, redeemer, deliverer, and savior. There is a thief out there that is stealing, killing and destroying and many people are thinking it’s God. 2. Failure to hear the Word continually. Faith comes by hearing, not having heard. Many people are trying to get healed from a belief they formed from what they heard previously. 3 Failure to be God’s Authority in your situation. Matt 16:19 says, what we allow on earth, God has to allow and what we refuse to allow on earth, God refuses to allow. We are the ones with authority to refuse what the devil tries to put on us. We’ve been given the Name of Jesus to which every name that’s named must bow it’s knee. If we’ll speak to the mountains in our life instead of talking about them, they will be removed. 4. Failure to speak the Word. The promises of God are voice activated. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Let’s use our words to release our faith and bring to pass what the Word of God says about us. Jesus said we could have what we say, but instead we usually say what we have. These are just a few of the keys that will get our faith to operating at a higher level of efficiency.
Wake Up Church, The Harvest is Ready The things I’m about to say is not a criticism or judgment of others but a shortcoming in my own ministry, and an observance as I look back over the years in the entire Body of Christ. Jesus said over 2000 years ago “The fields are white to harvest, but the laborers are few.” THE FIELD IS THE WORLD of lost people who are not being reached with the Good News of what Jesus did for them. Really, the laborers are not really few, they are just all in church trying to get something that’s missing in their life and have forgotten what they are called to do. Could it be that what’s missing in peoples lives is that they are focused on themselves rather than others. We preachers, Christians, and church leaders get so frustrated because lost people just won’t come to our beautiful churches, our wonderfully organized Sunday School programs, ride on our busses, come to our revivals, attend our singings, enroll in our programs, attend our seminars, or be impressed with our multi million dollar building programs to build shrines to testify of our blessedness. I understand why they don’t, because it makes me kind of sick just writing about it. The only problem is, JESUS NEVER CALLED SINNERS TO GO TO CHURCH. He told Christians to go out into the world where the sinners are and where they are going to stay till we go reach them. I know we have done an excellent job of preparing buildings and programs and we have lured a few of them in while we have evangelized each other, sung to the choir, attracted people from other churches, and driven by our mission field on our way to church, however the vast majority of lost, addicted, miserable, hell bound people will never come to our churches. We have evangelized every pew, every Sunday School room, every choir loft, every fellowship hall, and every youth room, but it’s now time to go outside the walls of the church where the sinners are. I truly believe the time is so very short that we have left here to reach lost people and maybe our focus should be shifted a little more to the lost. Not the lost that come to church, but the lost that don’t. I am truly thankful for all the ministers, churches, and faithful Christians in our area and for all the teaching and training and programs available for Christians to participate in and especially for the unity and cooperation among many of the churches and ministers in our area. I shutter to think what this area would be like if any church or ministry were not doing their part. We do, however have a personal responsibility and accountability, not just to God, but also to the world. They see us after we leave church, when we get home, on the job, and at ball games. They see our church splits, and our talking about other people and the way we act in public and if we are going to win them, it’s time for us to truly awake from our slumber, and sober up from our worldliness, and get serious about the times that we are living in. Since Jesus paid the price for the whole world, for every whosoever, it would be a shame if those that we are responsible for went out into eternity without Christ. How many have already? They won’t go to Hell for not attending our church, but rather for rejecting Jesus. We must make sure they have had the opportunity to receive that which Jesus died to freely provide. May God Bless you as we all awaken to the harvest that is before us. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
Love Without Strings Attached Recently in a service I held up before the congregation a sheet of paper with the word LOVE written on it in big letters and a sheet of paper with LOVE written on it with several ribbons and strings tied to it and I asked them what they were. Obviously one was LOVE without strings and the other was LOVE with strings attached. God’s love for people is a pure, unconditional, immeasurable, compassionate love with absolutely no strings attached. In 1 John 3:1 we are told to behold, take notice of, and know what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. It’s Agape Love, God’s Love, unconditional love, or Love without strings. It’s tempting for Christians to try to earn, or try to deserve God’s love but we’re too late, He beat us to the punch. He loved us first, while we were still sinners. Actually, there’s nothing you can do to make Him stop loving you. God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, while the world still stunk with sin and perversion hating and defying God. As we begin to believe and understand God’s love for us, it begins to be a little easier to understand what Jesus said about loving others. We become less critical and judgmental as we believe God’s great love for us. In John 13:33 & 34, Jesus gave a new commandment, that we love one another as He has loved us. New did not mean an additional commandment, but rather one that encompasses and fulfills all the previous ones. Jesus said that by this all men would know that we were His disciples, if we have love without strings for people, not just our church friends and family. The world is full of hurting people that are trying to fill their hurt and emptiness with so many things, but God’s love is all that will bring peace and joy and fulfillment to their lives. We are the ones that Jesus said were to be the messengers of that love. We may try to put on our little churchy love and smile at church, however the real test is when we leave church and step back into our real lives. Jesus said to Love our enemies, bless those that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for those that despitefully use us and persecute us. We can’t do that if there are strings attached to our so called love. God’s love has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We must purpose to instantly forgive when we feel wronged and to release God’s love from within. The Holy Spirit is in us waiting to love thru us if we choose to love with the God kind of love. The Bible tells us that our faith worketh by love. (it becomes effective, mighty and powerful). Perfected love casts out all fear from our lives. Love is the true sign of maturity, not just being able to quote scriptures or the number of years we’ve been saved. Love without strings is the greatest, most life changing seed we can plant into the lives of others. When love becomes our great quest in life rather than just being religious, the world will begin to take notice and God’s power and presence will be seen as never before. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
How Do You Spell RELIEF? J- E- S- U- S In my prayer times lately the word RELIEF keeps coming up in my mind. I keep seeing the people I’m praying for under such pressure from various sources. They are under such financial pressure, and pressure in their marriage and with their children. Pressure from wondering how things are going to turn out with gas prices the way they are and housing and interest rates and terrorism and hurricanes and all the immorality that’s trying to destroy our children and families and the cancer and other diseases that seem to be running rampant. With drug addiction, divorce, bankruptcy, same sex marriage and suicide at an all time high, it seems there’s no end to the pressures and fears that are coming against people today. People need RELIEF. Actually that’s why Jesus came, to provide salvation and relief to people’s lives. Most people think of salvation as only being available so we can go to Heaven after we die, however, God is just as concerned about our salvation in the HERE AND NOW. Salvation is so much more than missing Hell and gaining Heaven. If that’s all we believe for that’s all we will experience. The salvation Jesus provided for us is not only RELIEF from the fear of Hell, but also RELIEF from the pressures of the world, the flesh and the devil. John 10:10 declares that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came that we might have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows. (Amplified Bible) I John 3:8 says the reason Jesus came was to destroy, undo, loosen, and dissolve the works of the devil. Jesus came to give RELIEF from everything that steals, kills, and destroys our peace, health, prosperity and victory in our life. That RELIEF doesn’t automatically come to us just because we get saved and start going to church. The promises and blessings of the New Covenant that Jesus purchased and provided must be received by Faith. Claiming and receiving the promises of God are much like making withdrawals from a bank account. You could have a million dollars in the bank but if you do not know how to make withdrawals from that account you could live and die broke. That’s much like many Christians, though we have such marvelous promises and provisions and RELIEF from the problems that plague us, if we do not know how to lay claim to and receive those promises, we can go through life never experiencing the blessed, abundant life that Jesus died to provide for us. This RELIEF may not come overnight, however if you purpose to get to know God’s love and goodness, and become a student of God’s Word, and then apply that word to your life and of course begin to forgive and love and serve others, you can rest assured RELIEF is on the way. Phil Lyons Pastor of Restoration Church www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
Have You Tried Praise Yet?
Are you are tired of fighting the same old battles and going around the same mountains and dealing with the same problems and adversities day after day and year after year? Actually, that’s where most people live. We’ve tried this and tried that, we fuss and fume, we blame God and blame other people, and sometimes we even try church for awhile and still nothing seems to work so we just try to accept it and try to learn to live that way.
I’d like to be able to tell you to “go to church”, “quit cussing”, “Jesus will take care of it for you”, but I’d be lying if I gave you that same old answer that a lot of other preachers has given you. Actually, Jesus is our answer, but it’s in doing what He said and not just going to church or even in just knowing lots of Bible verses.
The Word of God has given us truths and keys that are to be a part of our daily lifestyle and when applied to our life will bring change to our life. One of the most powerful weapons available to us is PRAISE. Of course, knowing God’s goodness, knowing some of the precious promises and benefits available to us, and experiencing God’s presence sure makes it a lot easier to praise Him.
I know it’s easy to gripe and grumble and complain when you’re under attack but that only makes matters worse. Psalm 22:3 says that God dwells in and inhabits the praise of His people. Praise will bring God’s actual presence into the battles and circumstances in our life. Psalm 8 says that God created and ordained praise because of our enemies, so that we can still and paralyze the enemy and the avenger. God ordained praise for our benefit not His. He is not insecure so that He needs to be told how wonderful He is. We are the ones who need to be praising in difficult times because praise releases a force that destroys the enemies that come against us. Our enemies are sickness, fear, depression, lack, unforgiveness, and other things that come against us. People are not our enemies. Anytime we are experiencing problems or turmoil or anxieties, although you may want to complain or throw a fit, praise will push back the enemies that are coming against you. The Bible tells us to give thanks in everything. We are not to thank God FOR bad things because He is not the author of bad things, however we are to praise, rejoice, and give thanks in all the circumstances of our life because praise will change the circumstances in our life. Try it, you’ll like it.
Praise brought Paul and Silas out of their shackles and out of prison. The praisers were sent out against three enemy armies that came against the children of Israel and all the enemy was destroyed. Praise will work for you also because it is a mighty force ordained to protect and defend those who purpose to worship, praise and give thanks to their awesome God in spite of their circumstances
Praise always precedes victory. May God bless you mightily as you praise your way to victory.
Pastor Phil Lyons
Restoration Church
www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
God’s Precious Gift Of Forgiveness (Christmas Article in Glasgow Daily Times) By now we only have a few more hours to get into the Christmas spirit if we’re going to before December 25th. The last minute shopping, going to the mall, hearing Jingle Bells on the radio, seeing Santa Claus at the department store, or even seeing a few snow flakes falling might put us into the world’s version of Christmas, however it’s all soon over and we’re left with an empty feeling that says “is that all there is to it?” Yep, that’s the best the world can do. It leaves you frustrated, broke, empty, and not exactly happy with the things you got and you have to wait a whole year to do it all over again. “Happy Holidays!” God would like to see us get into the real Spirit of Christmas. We should celebrate Christmas as when God declared to the whole world, “I’m giving you the most precious gift I possibly can to prove to you that I love you, I forgive you, I’m not mad at you, I want to bless you, I want to protect you, I want to provide for you, I want to heal you, I want to spend my time with you because you are precious and valuable to me and here’s the proof of my love for you, my only son Jesus. I realize that may be hard to believe because of all the negative things that are preached about God, which are not true, however that’s what Christmas is all about. The first announcement of Christ’s birth was by the angels who declared to the shepherds in the field “Fear not, I bring you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ our Lord.” Then there appeared with the angel a multitude of angels praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and good will toward man.” God is not angry with man. He is at peace with man because of Jesus. He has forgiven man through Jesus Christ. We must believe that and receive by faith His promise through faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 5:19 declares that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. In other words, we are freely forgiven and He is not marking down our mistakes and we can now do the same to others, freely forgive them and not keep up with everything people do to us. Forgiving others is the key to experiencing the promises and blessings of God. Unforgiveness is what shuts down our fellowship with God and others and keeps God’s promises and blessing from working in our life. Refusing to forgive and release others is a guarantee to a miserable and disappointing life that misses out on the peace that Jesus came to provide. We can celebrate Christmas and experience the true joy of Christmas all year long as we forgive as we have been forgiven. May you have a BLESSED, HAPPY, AND A VERY MERRY CHRIST…MAS Phil Lyons Pastor of Restoration Church Glasgow, Ky.
God Is Not Guilty One of the most disturbing things for me is when I hear someone blaming God for a tragic situation or loss in their life. It is sad to hear people say that God took their mother or child at an early age. At funerals we hear, “God picks the prettiest flowers first”. Maybe we think people will be comforted if they think God did it. Many are angry toward God and many are cold and hardened toward God because they think God is responsible for the hurt and pain in their life. Some people have been told that God is using their sickness to teach them or chasten them and others just don’t understand what God is doing in their affliction. Insurance companies even label disasters as “Acts of God”. God said “Thou shall not Kill” but some people say “he’s God and He can bend the rules if He wants to”. God would not be God if he ever bent the rules. Men would be arrested if they did what we accuse God of doing and rightly so. I can’t blame atheists and agnostics for not believing in a God like that. I want to cry out “God Is Not Guilty”. The Psalmist David said over and over “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His Goodness and His marvelous works”. One of the many reasons we’re to assemble together in church is to praise Him for His Goodness and worship Him in the beauty of His Holiness. His Holiness means He is pure, absolute Good, Holy, Glorious, Love, Light, Splendor, Mercy and Compassion. There are not enough words to describe God’s goodness and purity. In James 1:13-17 we’re told to let no one say that our trials, afflictions, temptations, and problems are from God, because God cannot and will not use evil on anyone. In verse 17 we’re told that every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. In other words He never changes. He can always be trusted. He is Good all the time. God’s Love and Goodness is declaring “I’m Not Guilty.” We see in John 6:38 that Jesus came to show forth and demonstrate the will of the Father. Acts 10:38 says Jesus went around doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil. Jesus intended to remove all confusion about who is responsible for good and for evil by declaring in John 10:10 “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but I came that you may have and enjoy life, and that you may have it in abundance till it overflows.” The Word of God declares “God Is Not Guilty”. God wants to be the one we run to in time of trouble and pain. He invites all troubled, heavy laden, full of cares, worries, fears, pain, sorrow, and hopeless situations to come to Him and He will give you rest. However, if we somehow think He is responsible for the problems, we sure won’t run to Him. When we mess up, run to Him, not from Him. When we have troubles, He’s our answer and our help, not our problem. We can trust God because “He’s Not Guilty”. Most of the bad accusations about God were not learned in bar rooms and places of ill repute. Unfortunately, they were learned in church. The church world has been answering a lot of questions that no one is asking. People are crying out to hear the truth about God. They want to hear about a God that is not angry and full of revenge. They want to hear about a God that has already made a way to cleanse, heal, and restore all who will come to Him. “God Cannot Be Guilty” because He loves with an unconditional, never ending, immeasurable love that is waiting and reaching out to be believed and received. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His Goodness and His marvelous works.” Phil Lyons Pastor of Restoration Church Glasgow, Ky.
School Never Ends For A Child Of God Although it’s been a long, long time ago, I do remember my school days, especially my high school and college years. Some people were there to acquire knowledge in order to pass the tests necessary to be promoted to the next level so they would be better prepared for the future. Others were there because they had to be, just going through the motions, and were totally disinterested in the real value and purpose for which they were there and therefore missed out on valuable resources which could have better prepared them for the future. ( I won’t say which group I was in.) When I stand before congregations, I’m reminded of school. I see the same two groups of people. Some are excited to be there and hear the precious Word of God that will change their life and want to praise Him for His Goodness and all the things He has done in their lives. Others are there just going through the motions, biding their time, doing their religious duty, just waiting to get out of there so they can do what they want to do. We Christians forget or are unaware that school never ends for us. If we took our relationship and fellowship with God and Church more seriously, it would better prepare us to pass the tests in life that come our way. Life and it’s difficulties are the tests we take each day. James 1:17 says to let no one say when they are tempted, tested, or tried that it’s of God. We can rest assured that God is our answer, not our problem. When we get hung up in the same old problems and nothing seems to work, we need to study the Word, apply our faith, and pass the test. God wants us to know Him as He really is, and His beautiful plan of Victory that He desires for us. He wants us to learn what authority we have using His Name and His Word. He wants us to know that He defeated the devil and that every problem that has a name must bow to the Name of Jesus. We must know and act on the Word if we are going to pass the tests that come our way. Rest assured you will keep taking the same tests over and over until you do it God’s way and pass it. God has His system for the most part on auto-pilot. It’s not God holding us back and keeping us in the same old problems. We must learn that God’s laws and principles govern the earth. ( The Law of Seedtime and Harvest for example ) What we sow, we will grow. When we plant seed with our words and our choices and our actions we will harvest the result, either good or bad. When we were in school, we were graded not only in the subjects we studied but in other things also, such as effort, conduct, attendance, participating with others, attitude and following instructions well. We are graded each day in these same ways and other ways also in life, and our promotion and success spiritually and in other ways also, are determined by our grades. Just remember that we’ll always be in God’s school. We might as well grow up spiritually and learn to do things God’s way. I’m not talking about these things being required for us in order to be saved and to go to heaven. Receiving Jesus and trusting Him as Savior and Lord provides that, however, He wants us to grow so we can properly represent Him in this earth. May God Bless You and Good Luck on your next test. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church www.restorationchurchglasgow.com
Too Busy For Revival Recently while I was praying and meditating, preparing for our midweek service, and praying for revival in my life, in my family, in our church, and in our community, the Lord spoke a life changing word to my heart. I was meditating and trying to envision what real revival would be like in our community when the Lord said, “YOU’RE TOO BUSY FOR REVIVAL”. I immediately began to see how busy, overly involved and even side tracked me and my family, my church family, and our community have become with things that when compared to our need for God in our lives really don’t amount to a hill of beans. I clearly, for the first time saw how WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR REVIVAL in our lives. Our time is spoken for, committed to other things, scheduled far ahead of time, and given to our selfish interests. WE JUST DON’T HAVE TIME FOR REVIVAL. We are TOO BUSY working, TOO BUSY playing, TOO BUSY sinning, TOO BUSY being affluent and successful, TOO BUSY having church and all it’s programs and activities. WE’RE JUST TOO BUSY FOR REVIVAL. In Jesus’ parable in Mark Chapter 4, concerning the sower and the seed, we are warned how the thorns (the cares and involvements in the world, lusts for things, and deception about money) choke the Word in our hearts causing it to bear no fruit. Those same thorns are growing in our lives today and we wonder why our hearts are cold or indifferent concerning the things God desires for our lives. When we are TOO BUSY the Life of God is being choked out of us. Revival is not just a series of meetings scheduled once or twice a year. Revival is an outpouring of the supernatural power and presence of the Holy Spirit like as on the Day of Pentecost. It is a divine outpouring of God’s drawing, life changing miracle power. It is a direct result of the humble, sincere prayer of a hungry, thirsty soul desiring things to change in their life, in their family, in their church, and in their community. Repentance is the requirement for revival. Repent means to change your mind, change your thinking, and change you direction, and do things differently. Mighty revival awaits if we are willing to turn from our selfish ways and seek the Lord with all of our heart. Failure to do so is the only thing holding back the mightiest move of God since the Book of Acts. Lets GET BUSY making time for fellowship with God in our lives. His Word and His Presence are the only things that will change our hearts and desires and cause us to see clearly enough to begin to pursue the only thing that really matters in this life. Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church
The Devils Plan….…Keep Them Busy Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches. Let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT, steal their time, so that they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.” “This is what I want you to do,” said the devil. “Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!” “How shall we do that?” his demons shouted. “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette or CD whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CD, DVD, and their PC going constantly in their home, and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will fill their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, guaranteed credit cards, and every kind of newsletter and promotion, offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they will become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep those skinny, beautiful models on the magazines to grab the attention of their young sons at a very early age. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night and the husbands too self-involved to show the wives any love and appreciation. If they don’t, they will all begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly. Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about Jesus resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. KEEP THEM BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. And when they do meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so they will leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes, they will have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrific of the cause.” “IT WILL WORK, IT WILL WORK,” the demons screamed. It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there, having little time for their God or their families, having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, Has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!! (Article reprinted. Author unknown.) Pastor Phil Lyons Restoration Church | |
I HAVE A DREAM We’re all familiar with what was probably Martin Luther King’s most famous speech. It began with the words “ I HAVE A DREAM “. His dream is much, much closer to coming to pass than it was when he spoke those famous words which, at the time seemed impossible. I’d like to share my dream which was placed inside me from the heart of God and is the motivating force in my life. When I look around today, that dream also looks impossible, however we are living in the last days in which He shall pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. If we don’t have a dream, God has nothing to work with in our life. Dream big and trust God to bring it to pass. Jesus prayed a prayer in John 17 that we would see God as He really is. We have all heard about an angry God of wrath and vengeance in which you never know what God is going to do. God has been blamed for sickness, tragedy, and premature death. Religion believes that if you have this view of an angry God, we will live right and want to come to Him. I would never advise anyone to go home to an angry, abusive father or husband. God is not angry or abusive. This image we have heard about God is just a part of the devil’s plan. If he can present a false image of God, it causes people to doubt God’s goodness, mercy, and unconditional love. Therefore we try to approach God with fear rather than faith and trust. Romans 2:4 says it’s by knowing God’s goodness that we’re drawn to repentance. I dream of God’s goodness and glory being seen and dispelling the false accusations about God. I dream of hurting, unlovely, miserable, addicted people who have failed in life, seeing Him as He really is and running to Him to receive His unconditional love, mercy, and grace. I dream of people seeing their value and other peoples value according to the value that God places on them, not according to their position in life or by their accomplishments or failures. God established our value by the price that He paid to purchase and redeem us. He gave His very best. We must be special to Him. I dream of the church being a safe place, a refuge where hurting people from all walks of life can come and be loved and accepted just like they are and be given time to grow while they learn about God’s wonderful plan for their life. The church is not to be a place for pride, criticism, and competition. It’s about loving God and loving people. If we focus on loving God and loving people, Jesus said that the law, the prophets, and everything God expects of us will be fulfilled. The more I understand His unconditional love and acceptance of me, the more I desire to love Him and serve people. I Have A Dream! Article by Phil Lyons Pastor of Restoration Church
The Importance of Staying Connected…..By Pastor Phil Lyons At the beginning of this new year, the Lord impressed upon me the need for me to stay connected to Him and to help others get connected and stay connected. There are great things in store this year for those who will plug into the things of God and stay connected. As believers, our greatest need is to stay connected to our source of Life and strength. If our desires and focus are on the things of this world, and on fleshly, carnal things, we are more connected to things than we are to the Lord. In John Chapter 15, Jesus said “I am the true vine, you are the branches.” We all know that branches must stay connected to the vine, otherwise the result is only withering branches with no fruit produced. Without abiding continually and consistently in Him, we cannot bear fruit consistently. He said if we abide in Him and His Words abide in us, we can ask what we will and it will be done unto us. That means a fruitful, rewarding, confident and exciting prayer life. To abide means “where we live or to be at home,” not just where we visit occasionally. As important as church attendance is, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re connected to Him. To abide and stay connected means daily communication with Him and feeding daily on His Word to be nourished and strengthened consistently. Many Christians feed their bodies three hot meals a day and their soul and spirit only one cold snack per week. That will bring results that is far below what God intended for us. If a couple of hours out of an entire week is all the time we invest in our spiritual development, we are denying ourselves of the life changing power that only comes thru spending time in the presence of God and His Word. We preachers are sometimes guilty of spending time to get a message to feed others, and then don’t take time to nourish ourselves. Preachers can’t live only on what they feed others any more than a mother can survive only on what they feed their babies. Preachers who don’t stay connected can only minister a religious form that is void of any power to change lives. We all need to stay connected to the Great Life Giver. As husbands and wives or as parents and children, we can be legally married and have a beautiful home to live in and still not be connected. Love is spelled T I M E when it comes to staying connected, whether in out families or spiritually. Without time spent communicating and sharing love and appreciation for each other and doing pleasurable things together and nourishing our relationships, we get disconnected from each other. Whether spiritually or domestically, we must do what is necessary to stay connected. Any relationship without fellowship will become stagnant and only tolerated and endured rather than enjoyed and cherished. Unlike the foolish virgins mentioned in the gospels, we must not let our lamps run dry of fresh oil in our lives. It’s worth the time and effort. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Lets stay connected to Him and experience the fruitful, blessed life that He so desires for us. Pastor Phil Lyons…..Restoration Church Glasgow, Ky.
Are You Burned out on Religion? In the Message Bible, Jesus asks the question in Matt. 11:28-30. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on Religion? Come to me Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me, work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” I know we think of Religion or being Religious as being a good thing, however it was Religion that crucified Jesus. The Religion of the Pharisees was all around in Jesus’ day and it is still all around us today. I’m not just referring to Hinduism or Eastern Religions, I’m talking about any means of trying to come to God or any means of acquiring Gods love and acceptance, other than thru Jesus Christ and His shed blood. The Religion of the Pharisees was composed of works, keeping the Mosaic law, fasting, praying in public, refraining in public from any kind of evil practices, judging and condemning those who were weaker, and the parading to the temple on the Sabbath to arrogantly boast of their superior Religious accomplishments. They truly thought they were the only ones who were right. Actually that sounds a lot like us today. Unfortunately, there is a lot, and I mean a lot of Religion sewn into the fabric of our Christian faith today and we’re not really aware of it. The first of the Foundational Doctrines of Christ listed in Hebrews 6 is “Repentance from Dead Works.” The first thing God desires of us when we come to Him is to stop thinking that our prayers, church attendance, Bible reading, or fasting changes God or causes Him to love us more. Those things change us, they don’t change God. God doesn’t need changing, we do. God loved the world so much that He gave His Son for us. He loved us while we were still sinners. His love, mercy, and grace are free and only received by faith. Believing that is really hard when Religion has been the influencing factor in your life. Believing things such as “God’s mad”, “God’s gonna get ya”, “You never know what God’s gonna do”, “God causes sickness and tragedy to teach you a lesson,” and many more false doctrines are all beliefs of the Religious system that has paralyzed the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ today. The Bible says in 1 John 4 that we acquire a true love for Him when we really believe that He first loved us unconditionally. The Good News is that God is not mad at anyone, because He placed all of His anger, wrath, and judgment on Jesus instead of us. Therefore any sinner or Religious person can come to Him without any fear of judgment or accusation and receive His love and grace freely. You may have to go to church to get judged or condemned. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News. The Good News is The Gospel of Peace between man and God. The angels, when announcing Jesus’ birth proclaimed the message from God, “Peace toward all men, Glad tidings of great joy”. “God is at peace with all mankind because the Savior is born”. People must hear the Good News and believe it in order to experience that life changing power. The Good News is the power of God unto Salvation. Religious folks thinks its easier to just do a bunch of Religious works, rather than believe that God is so good and merciful that He gives his love freely. The Good News is all about what He did for us, not all about what we must do for Him. The sooner you get Burned out on Religion, the sooner you can come to Him and enjoy the free blessings and favors of God without the fear and of thinking you have to earn them. That’s when Prayer, Church, and Bible Study ceases to be Religious works, but rather something we want to do in order to learn of Him and become more intimately acquainted with Him. God will richly bless you and reveal Himself to you as you pursue knowing Him as He really is. Phil Lyons Pastor of Restoration Church
RESURRECTION WITH A PURPOSE Easter! What a time for Christian’s to rejoice and celebrate what the Lord has done. “He hath done great things.” Actually, if the lost and non Christians could see and understand what He did, they also would rejoice, because what He did, He did it for the whole world, while we were still sinners. Unfortunately, we’ve been taught that it’s all about what we do or don’t do, but thank God the Bible says it’s by believing and accepting what He did for us, while we were still sinners that causes us to be saved. We have been provided all of the promises and blessings of a New and Better Covenant that has been fulfilled and ratified by Jesus himself. When we add the works and legalism of the Old Covenant, it only hinders, because faith (believing and acting like you believe) is the key to success under this New Covenant. If we could just see and understand what took place from the cross to the throne, as Jesus was bearing our sin, paying the price, suffering our sickness, shame, sorrow, curses, separation from God, and even Hell itself for us, in our place, as our substitute, and for the whole world, it would surely change our lives. The Apostle Paul prayed a prayer for the Church in Eph. 1:17-23 that we should pray and confess over ourselves, our families, and for the whole Body of Christ every day. For the sake of time and space I won’t insert the prayer but it is a prayer for understanding of what took place in and for us through the resurrection of Jesus. Please go read it for yourself. His plan didn’t end at the cross or at the grave. His wonderful plan was not complete until His resurrection and total defeat of Satan and all his forces as He stripped him of all power and authority. All the devil has now to come against us with is lies and deception or more simply put, religion and confusion. After the resurrection and ascention of Christ, the Church Age, the Age of Grace in which we live, was birthed on the Day of Pentecost. It was birthed in power and glory with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and with signs, wonders, and miracles and multitudes were added to the Church as they beheld God’s power and presence and experienced His love, mercy and grace. Let me mention just a few of the promises and provisions of this New Covenant in this Church Age of Grace in which we live today. The wonderful thing about this New Covenant is that every promise and provision is available through our faith and not our works or holiness. Aren’t you glad? The first and greatest of all is the Promise of the New Birth, in which we receive the free gift of Righteousness by faith, and are born again from death to life as the Zoe Life of God is imparted into our spirits. We are not saved because we go to church, or get baptized, or quit bad habits etc. We do these things because we are saved. Next is the promise of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in which we receive by faith his power to equip us and annoint us to serve God more effectively. After this experience is usually when believers fall in love with God and become passionate about praising God and believing God’s promises and sharing their faith with others. For me personally, it was like going from a 110V outlet and plugging into a 220V outlet. WOW! Life Changing. The reason Jesus commanded this experience (Acts 1:4, 8) for believers is because it opens up the supernatural power of God for us. Our ultimate calling is to take the Good News of God’s Love, Mercy, Grace, Power and willingness to save any whosoever that would call upon the Name of the Lord. Harvest is in the mind of the Lord. Harvest time is now. The fields are ripe to harvest now. In this time we are living in, there are very few answers to life’s problems, but God wants to manifest His Resurrection Power still today as this age comes to a close and show that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Draw near to God and pursue all that He has for you. God bless you in this Resurrection Season. Phil Lyons…Pastor of Restoration Church, Glasgow,Ky.
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