Here are the seven promises of Jesus we’ll be ingraining into our daily lives this Fall:

This is a portentous time to dig deeper in the Word of God.  October 31st marks the 500th anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of a church in Wittenburg, Germany, calling for reform and a turning back to the Bible from the priestly domination of the Roman Catholic church.  The Protestant Reformation Luther ignited brought to the fore a truth long hidden in plain sight in scripture that every person is saved directly by the grace of God, not a hierarchy of priests who required payment of “indulgences”–specified amounts of money–for the forgiveness of sins!  See Ephesians 2:8.

A heavy frost descended this week, signaling that autumn is finally here in full, bringing fresh apple cider, pumpkins and wood fires in the hearth.  No one has to tell us to put on warm clothes and fleece lined jackets.  It’s obvious from the change of weather!

A change of spiritual seasons is also happening around the world right now.  Jesus said “You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?” Luke 12:56  He was talking about the changes that were coming to the world after He revealed the power of God’s Kingdom operating on earth.  So how are we, as followers of Christ, to interpret the times in which we now live?

The truth is we can’t begin to understand what’s going on in this new spiritual season without changing our personal belief systems!  If we rely on our usual ways of thinking, we are bound to miss what God is doing and succumb to fear, anxiety, frustration and anger like so much of the world.  (Just look at the news headlines!)  What God is doing is calling us to deepen our understanding of His Word and who He made us to be so that we can believe like Jesus—not just in Him—and walk with confidence in the power of His love, truth, peace and victory over death. 

Luke 12: 25-26, 31-32 

Take it to heart when the Word of God tells you that you are a new creation, the old has passed away, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Let go of your “old man” and use your imagination to practice being who God says you are.  Make a determined effort to challenge every thought or emotion you discover in yourself that robs you of the confidence, boldness, hope, courage and love God promises everyone who trusts Him as a child trusts a loving parent!   

Many people I know feel very pressured for time.  I hear them say: “Where did all the time go?” Or “There’s just not enough time to get everything done!” They’re not just talking casually. It really seems like time is moving faster these days!  Scripture tells us to walk in wisdom and make the best use of our time because the days are evil (Colossians 4:5, Ephesians 5:15-17).  How, then, are we to deal with the pressure of time, especially when evil seems so prevalent and things seem to be accelerating?

For this we need to gain God’s perspective about time.  After Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden, God declared that Adam “must not be allowed to…take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever.” Genesis 3:22.  In other words God intended us to have all the time in the world, but our forebears traded their birthright for a bite of fruit.  God’s perspective is that eternity with Him is worth far more than the price of a meal!

By His sacrifice and resurrection Jesus re-opened the door to eternal life to everyone who believes in Him.  Our born-again birthright is the capacity to view life clearly and count on God for provision every day as we pray for things to be done on earth as in heaven.  We need to hold onto this perspective to avoid succumbing to today’s growing time pressure.

The mass shooting in Las Vegas this past weekend is horrible beyond comprehension.  President Trump called it “pure evil.”  It was committed by an accountant with no past record of crime, who liked gambling and playing poker for $100 a hand.  His brother said the event came out of nowhere “like an asteroid.”  The only vague explanation for the shooter’s motives that surfaced in the press was that his father had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted List as a bank robber.  The report seemed to imply the impulse for destruction was lodged deep in the shooter’s DNA.  Well, the Bible certainly agrees evil is lodged deep in the DNA of humanity.

So for now, our job is to invite God to transform us until we become the change we want to see in the world. We may not be able to stop the growth of evil on the whole planet, which is Jesus’ job, but we can do our part to expand the growth of God’s goodness whenever and wherever we step out in faith to share the love of Jesus. All of Creation is waiting for the children of God to be revealed! 

As disasters in the U.S. and Caribbean have piled up, heart wrenching images of destruction and interviews with people who have lost everything flood the news.  It’s going to take a lot of giving and loving to get millions of people back on their feet.  We pray for essential resources to be made available quickly and for emergency responders to manage relief efforts efficiently and effectively.  We pray for comfort and strength for those hit hard.  Abba, renew their strength as on eagles wings and provide the necessities of life!

Unsung by the media, the extent to which local churches have responded to the disasters appears to be very significant at the grass roots level.  One pastor in Houston said “Harvey has been an equal opportunity destroyer” affecting rich and poor alike.  Millions of people are in need of spiritual comfort as well as practical help.  Countless small congregations are engaged in providing it. 

So what are we to make of this as Christians living far from the regions of destruction?  Certainly we should keep praying and interceding for miracles of provision.  Some of us may have friends who were affected.  If so, pray about how to reach out to help them.  As a church, we do not have resources on hand to make a big difference, but we will watch for opportunities where we may be able to help.  I am sure mission trip opportunities will arise to go to devastated areas once infrastructure essentials are restored.

“Really, we are people who serve God,” one Puerto Rican told CNN. “And yes, we are saddened because when you lose every little thing you may have, it’s not easy to recover… but we have not lost our faith.”

The word “identity” is not found in the King James Bible, only in a few modern translations. This makes some people wonder if focusing on our identity in Christ is unbiblical or just a passing fad.  Well, just as the Bible describes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit without using the word “Trinity”, so too the Bible speaks about the process of forming a new identity in Christ without using the word identity.  Over the centuries this process has been called discipleship, Spiritual formation, and sanctification.  The bottom line is we receive a new identity when we pursue Jesus.  

To receive our new identity in Christ, we must go through a very active process of putting off old habits of mind and heart and putting on new habits. Ephesians 4:22-24.  It’s not automatic.  We are called to engage pro-actively in the process of learning to live like Jesus.  We are called to pursue our new identity in Christ!

The Latin root of the word “identity” means “the same over and over.”  What we do over and over again represents our true identity—i.e., not simply what we say, but our actual behavior!  The central question is where do the things come from that we end up doing over and over again in our lives?  Do they come from the world or from God?  Are the patterns you see in your life birthed from pain and abuse, or from love?  If you find yourself being anxious, fearful, angry or always feeling like you have to dominate others, you know you’re not yet walking in the identity Jesus died to give you.

Finger Lakes Ignite.  We’re studying Wendy Backlund’s new book, Victorious Emotions, to proactively pursue walking more fully in our new identity as followers of Jesus.  It will be the best investment of two hours a week you may ever make!

“Is what you’re living for worth what Jesus died for?”  my friend Jarrod Stevens asked this week.  It’s a question we need to consider every day.  We could also ask: “Do the habits of my life, my usual routine, look like the Way Jesus made for me?”  Or, we can simply ask: “Does what comes out of my mouth glorify God?”   I don’t know about you, but these kinds of questions challenge me to become more of who God made me to be.  They challenge me to ignite my faith!

You have a good opportunity to ignite your faith too this fall when the next session of our school, Finger Lakes Ignite, begins.  This quarter we’re focusing on activating our identity and inheritance in Christ.  We’ll be studying Wendy Backlund’s newest book, Victorious Emotions, and every week we’ll do spiritual exercises that activate our faith and challenge us to enter deeper than ever before into the life God is calling us to. No matter what your level of faith is right now—beginner to experienced—there’s always more available to us in Christ Jesus!

When Israel was wandering in the desert, they had to rely on God for the miracles of manna and water every day.  But when they entered the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, God stopped providing manna because now Israel would learn to sow, harvest and prosper on their own as long as they remained faithful to God.  In like manner, many of us rely on miracles to get us through the challenges of our lives, but God wants to bring us into a place of prosperity, where we can reap well because we have learned how to sow well  God’s way.

Finger Lakes Ignite will help you discover and arrive at the kind of prosperity the Father wants for His children.  You’ll learn your identity is not determined by your past, but by who God says you are.  You won’t just learn this as a concept, but specifically as it applies to your particular past and who God has called you in particular to be.  He has a greater inheritance of spiritual gifts and purposes for your life than you have yet to experience.  They’re yours for the asking, but you have to pursue Him faithfully.   Seek first His Kingdom and he’ll provide everything you need!

So consider joining Finger Lakes Ignite this fall, beginning Sunday afternoon, September 10th through October 22.  It’s one class a week, Sundays, from 2:15 to 4:30, plus a little reading each week.  You’ll experience more of God’s presence through anointed worship and prophetic prayer and you’ll connect with believers from other churches to share what you’re learning and encourage one another. There will be plenty of opportunities to give and receive prayer and to practice moving in God’s supernatural giftings. And we’ll do outreach to the area during the quarter. 

We look forward to seeing you at Finger Lakes Ignite!

There is a lot of misunderstanding over the definition of “righteousness” today. Many believers associate righteousness with a list of things that they have to do, and if they fulfill this list, they feel righteous. Conversely, when they fail in terms of their actions or behavior, they feel unrighteous. But this is the wrong definition and understanding of New Testament righteousness.

Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 again. We are not right just because we do right. We became righteous because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. “Righteousness,” therefore, is not based on our right doing. It is based entirely on Jesus’ right doing. Christianity is not about doing right to become righteous. It is all about believing right in Jesus to become part of His righteousness.

Do you realize that other religions in the world are all about doing right? Other religions are based on a system of merit whereby you need to fulfill certain requirements to attain a certain state of righteousness,such as giving sacrificially to the poor, doing good to others, and caring for the underprivileged. It all sounds very good, self sacrificial and appealing to our flesh, which likes to feel that our good works have earned us righteousness. But God is not looking at your goodness, sacrifice or good works to justify you. He is only interested in Jesus’ humility at the cross. He looks at his Son’s perfect sacrifice at Calvary to justify you and make you righteous!

Attempting to be justified by your good works and trying your best to keep the law to become righteous is to nullify Jesus’ finished work on the Cross. It is as good as saying “The Cross is not enough to justify me. I need to depend on my good works to make myself clean and righteous before God.”  In the New Testament Paul says, “I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ has died in vain.” Consider carefully what Paul is saying here. He is saying that, if you are depending on your good works, you’re doing, and your ability to keep the law perfectly to become righteous, then Christ died for nothing. That’s what “in vain” means, for nothing.

So let’s not set aside God’s grace in vain. Let’s believe His word and truth, that we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. And let us now believe that He lives in us and we live in Him. By his spirit that is now at work in us, let us be led by the power of His love into all the good works that He has already planned for us to walk in. In Christ. May His blessing be in all the earth!