You Can’t Miss This One Thing That Will Bring Wholeness to Your Life...

Do you look like what you’ve been through?

Does your marriage, business, or bank account look like what it's been through?

Does your walk with God look like what it’s been through?

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well (whole).” Luke 17:12-19 (NKJV)

Leprosy is a disease that causes horrible skin sores. One of the symptoms of the disease is reduced sensation of touch, leaving a feeling of numbness and a "pins and needles" sensation over the affected body part. Due to these sensations, it was typical for someone suffering from this horrible illness to rub and scratch at the sores until parts of their body fell off. A leper could lose his nose, ears, or fingers and toes, yet not even fully realize the loss until another body part was gone. The result of this wretched cycle left most lepers disfigured. (References drawn from medicalnewstoday.com).

Often when you see leprosy mentioned in Scripture, it is a type and a shadow of sin:

• The same way LEPROSY works in the physical, SIN works in the spiritual.

When sin begins to function in our souls, it has a way of numbing us to its consequences, and we stop feeling the actual repercussions. Sin can cause us to lose things in our lives without us realizing it. Leprosy tends to disfigure people, and so does sin. Sin will mar your life, relationships, and things that you value the most.

Are there parts of your life that are disfigured? If so, there is a possibility that you have allowed sin to run undiagnosed in your life, and any disfigurement you see could be a direct result.

Another important observation, leprosy is contagious, but sometimes it lays dormant within a body for many years before manifesting symptoms of the disease. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the disfiguring disease breaks out across one's body. This pattern is the same in sin. You can hang out in sinful environments for years before sin reveals EXTERNALLY what it has been doing INTERNALLY. The result is that the disfigurement may appear seemingly overnight, but it was on a path to manifestation many years before the damage was visible.

In the Scriptures above, we see that Jesus is the answer for leprosy. The lepers seek Him out for restoration and healing! JESUS gave these ten men clear commands to follow, and as they began to walk out His commands, they were healed. Through Jesus, the lepers were cleansed entirely of their disfiguring disease! But, only one out of ten came back to Jesus after receiving the cleansing.

One leper returned, worshiping and praising the name of Jesus. He gave Him all the praise and all the glory! His heart was full of gratitude for what Jesus had done for him, and that Word of God had a cleansing effect in his life. That which was once an issue was no longer an issue. The struggle was concluded!

Jesus looked at this one who had returned and said, “Arise...your faith has made you WHOLE!”

That’s an important statement from Jesus. Because during the first encounter with all ten lepers present, Jesus’ command facilitated a way for them to be CLEANSED. This time, engaging with the only leper that had returned to worship Him for His goodness and grace, Jesus states specifically that the man will be made WHOLE!

For a leper, there is a difference between being cleansed and being made whole. A leper that had been cleansed would no longer have an issue with leprosy, but anything he lost due to leprosy remained gone. However, if a leper were to be made whole, he would receive a restoration of everything he lost. For example, if leprosy cost him his nose, he would get his nose back. The same goes for any other physical extremity that he may have forfeited to the disease.

1. A CLEANSED leper would be set free from any struggle with his disease BUT remain disfigured. He would look like what he had been through.
   

2. A leper made WHOLE would be set free from his struggle AND no longer disfigured. He would NOT look like what he had been through!
   

Walk out the commands of God’s word and be CLEANSED but return to God daily with the revelation of worship if you want to be made WHOLE! You need your peace and joy restored. So return to the feet of Jesus and worship Him!

The revelation of worship can change your life. You can be made whole! You don’t have to look like what you’ve been through! Yet, evidently, very few people are willing to walk out the truth of the revelation of worship because -- of ten lepers who were cleansed -- only one was made whole. The reason...only one was willing to return and worship Jesus fully!

Will you BE THE ONE...The one in your family, church, small group, business relationships? Be the one who returns and lays at the feet of Jesus in worship with a heart of overflowing gratitude!

If you worship Him, you will experience God’s restoration ability! He will put you back together! He uses foolish things to confound the wise and weak things to confound the mighty! All you have to do is worship Him.

• It is great to walk out the Word of God and be cleansed as you go, but -- if you want to go to the next level with Jesus -- you first must fall on your face and worship Him.

Maybe, right now, you sense an unction to do just that; fall on your face and worship Jesus. Do it! Be the one! Choose to worship God without restraint or inhibition and watch as the things that were lost to the leprosy of sin are restored in ways that coincidence can not take the credit.

From a heart of repentance, thankfulness, and gratitude, speak this proclamation over your life:

The work of His grace and blood in my life are more than enough to overflow my heart with praise!

I do not look like what I’ve been through!

I’ve been made WHOLE through my worship.

JESUS CHRIST has completely restored me!

I invite you to view a message on this subject in its entirety, “You Don’t Look Like What You’ve Been Through”. Within it, I share some personal stories of God's restoration power that I believe can be a great encouragement to you.

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How To Fight Your Battles

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

- 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NKJV)

God is using 1 Peter 1:13-16, a New Testament verse that in part quotes the Old Testament, to help us understand that holiness is to be carried out generation after generation. What does it mean to be holy? In its most simple form, set apart. When God commands you, “Be holy, for I am holy,” He is commissioning you to be set apart from the world for His service.

In this message, How To Fight Your Battles, my goal is to relay what I believe Scripture teaches regarding the battlefront of the Christian life. Do you ever just think…I wish I weren’t this way…I wish I could change…I wish I could be different? If your answer is yes, you need to understand something; there is a war inside you.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. -Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

This scripture proves that we have a war going on inside of us. Sometimes you wish for something different, yet you continue to handle and deal with things in the same way. This is because we all have spirit and flesh. These two inner realities are constantly fighting against each other—the Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh wars against the spirit.

Your soul is made up of your mind, your will, and your emotions. The soul is a battleground. Your flesh wants to pull your soul into the things that lead to further destruction, but your spirit wants to pull your soul into a life-giving place. The one you feed the most is the one who wins. Paul said it this way, “Sow to the flesh and you will reap of the flesh, but sow to the Spirit, and you will reap the things of the Spirit” (Ref. Galatians 6:8).

Our flesh feeds on things of this world, but our spirit feeds on God’s Word.

The flesh’s appetite is described in 1 John 2:16: For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but of the world.

The flesh will always desire to feed in one of these three categories, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life; all sin stems from one of these areas.

The appetite of the Spirit is described in Luke 4:4: But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Are you feeding your flesh, or are you feeding your spirit?

Your answer is essential because feeding the flesh can cause separation from God and create a feeling of “shame on you.” But when you feed the spirit, you are in the presence of God, and you experience great peace within your life, a “peace beyond yourself.”

Are you experiencing separation from God, or are you set apart for God?

You are in one of two places:

1) Set apart from the world by the Word

2) Separated from the Word by the world.

Often understanding is limited when it comes to recognizing what it means to be set apart for God. Yet, the Bible has some powerful verses regarding this exact thing:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. -2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV

Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart (be set apart) from iniquity.” -2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)

How do you know if you are SET APART?

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, -2 Timothy 2:22-25 (NKJV)

Are you AVOIDING:

1. Youthful lusts (v. 22)

2. Foolish disputes (v. 23)

3. Quarrels (v. 24)

4. Prideful correction of others (v. 25)

Are you PURSUING:

1. Faith, love, and peace with other believers (v. 22)

2. Gentleness (v. 24)

3. Patience (v. 25)

4. Humility (v. 25)

Paul is teaching us that there are some things you must run from, and there are other things that you must run towards! First, we must focus on feeding our spirit! Second, we must yield to the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to pursue holiness in our lives because sin act’s like an infection within the soul, and it will spread until it causes death.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. -James 1:14–15 (NKJV)

Holiness doesn’t bind; it frees! It frees us from the decay and death of sin. And liberates us into the life and peace of Jesus.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. -Romans 8:6 NKJV

If I could summarize this message in one sentence, it would be this statement, You are separated from God by the world or set apart for God by the Word, and everything God sets apart He surrounds.

And...that is how we fight our battles victoriously:

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

It may look like I'm surrounded

But I'm surrounded by You

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

This is how I fight my battles

-Elyssa Smith (UPPERROOM)

I invite you to view this message, How To Fight Your Battles, in its entirety at this link: https://fb.watch/7rsfWXQ4ry/

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It Is What It Is

A few weeks ago, Pastor Joe Dobbins shared a message at 3trees Church, Pray Bigger. During the message, he encouraged us to pray three life-changing prayers over our lives by inviting God to 1) Increase our vision, 2) Decrease our doubt, and 3) Do the supernatural.

Last week, I shared a message entitled, Make It Happen, and if I could give you that message in one sentence, it would be, “As a follower of JESUS, don’t ever forget what He made happen for you so that you can think the right way and make something happen for the good of yourself, your family, and others!”

This week we are following in the same vein of these previous two messages as we embrace a new message series, GREATER!

...Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. -1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

It seems like some things in life are just the way they are. For example, my wife, Mandy, will never close the cereal box lid after getting a bowl of cereal. It is what it is! And she knows that I will never completely dry my toothbrush after brushing my teeth. It will no doubt leave a puddle at the bottom of our toothbrush holder. It is what it is! Likewise, it can be tough to change the mind of a stubborn person or convince a person ingrained in one’s political party to change to another. Have you ever tried to teach an older person new technology? I’m sure you agree, it is what it is!

So, maybe you can relate to using this phrase within your own life or at least implying its context. When we use it -- or some variation of it -- we are submitting verbally to the current state or situation we are facing and embracing an attitude of indifference. That's just the way it is...it is what it is.

Can you imagine how the Bible would read if the men and women of faith throughout the Old and New Testaments would have chosen to settle for current circumstances? If they simply declared...it is what it is?

Imagine with me for a moment; you are Daniel. Your religion has just received a death sentence, and that death sentence includes you too. So you just mutter to yourself, I guess I won’t be able to pray in public any longer… it is what it is.

Now imagine you are David. You're looking at a 9-foot tall giant named Goliath. He is bigger, badder, and madder than anything you have ever seen. You look at him, then you look at yourself, and you determine that there is nothing you can do, just let him blaspheme the Lord… it is what it is.

Let’s continue our journey through the Bible; now imagine you are Esther. Imagine there is a conspiracy at work to wipe out your entire race. To attempt to do anything about it means the demise of your social standing and possible death. You decide the risk is too significant. You’ll just see what happens… it is what it is.

Imagine you are the woman with the issue of blood, and you have spent your entire life savings in the pursuit of a cure for a condition that leaves you bleeding internally, externally, and uncontrollably every day of your life. Your days are numbered. The one chance you have for miraculous healing is Jesus, but you can't get to Him due to the magnitude of the crowds surrounding Him… you decide, it is best to just give up...it is what it is.

Let’s take a few steps in Paul’s shoes...you have been shipwrecked, beaten, left for dead, and imprisoned multiple times. Evidently, God’s hand is absent from your life, or things wouldn’t be this hard. And, spreading the Gospel is just too risky at this point. You should just quit…it is what it is.

How about Mary? Can you imagine being told you are pregnant and you’re not married? An angel has decreed the baby to be the Son of God, and yet as your belly grows, your name becomes ruined. Scandal is associated with you in every corridor or your neighborhood. You tell yourself it’s okay to abort this child…it is what it is.

And, then there is Jesus to consider. Imagine the scenario. You've had a good run. You’ve opened blind eyes, restored hearing, and raised the dead back to life. But now, there is a cross ready for your execution. Instead of praying your way through it or trying to figure out how you're going to manage this situation, you call all your disciples together for one last meal. You look them in the eye with what little courage you can muster and explain to them that you’ve done enough. There is no need to endure this impending pain. Then, in the dark cover of night, you run away. Everyone else should surely understand...it is what it is.

Thankfully, the stories of these Biblical greats do not read with an underlying tone of indifference. Instead, these men and women rose above the approaches that we just imagined together and refused to settle for the ideology of it is what it is. The result is that they became heroes and heroines of faith.

Daniel always prayed to God three times every day. Three times every day, he bowed down on his knees to pray and praise God. Even though Daniel heard about the new law, he still went to his house to pray. He went up to the upper room of his house and opened the windows that faced toward Jerusalem. Then Daniel bowed down on his knees and prayed just as he always had done. - Daniel 6:10 (ERV)

Daniel continued to pray.

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. -1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

David defeated his giant.

“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” -Esther 4:16 (NKJV)

Esther saved the lives of her people.

For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” - Mark 5:28 (NKJV)

The woman with the issue of blood received complete healing.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NKJV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -Romans 8:31 (NKJV)

Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV)

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -Phillippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

Paul preached the Gospel, never writing letters of resignation. Instead, he wrote letters of encouragement to all of his congregations in the face of excruciating suffering and persecution!

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. -Luke 1:35 (NKJV)

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. -Luke 1:39 (NKJV)

Mary believed that if God led her into trouble, He would also lead her through the trouble! As a result, she became the mother of our Savior!

...saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” - Luke 22:42 (NKJV)

The most remarkable example of all, Jesus carried out His Father’s will and saved you and me from our sins, giving us eternal life.

So… Maybe we shouldn’t be using the phrase, “It is what it is.” at all. Instead, maybe we should be using the words, “It is what we make it!”.

...GREATER is He that is in you than he that is in the world. - 1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and consecrated your life to Him as your Lord, then you are a winner! He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Death, hell, nor the grave can hold you because Jesus Christ is within you. Therefore, you have the power to choose your outcome!

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. - Mark 11:23 (NKJV)

You have to believe that you can make it happen! Don’t allow discouragement and depression to slip into your life, because you are a winner.

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. -Romans 1:22-32 (NJKV)

We can believe it is what it is, assuming that the culture in which we live will always spiral out of control. Or we can decide, it is what we make it. If you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if you as a just person in God will live by faith and not by sight, and if you do not suppress the truth, then culture will not invent evil instead of serving God with all their heart, mind, and soul. So don’t ever settle for it is what it is… you chose what it is. It is what you make it!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, -Romans 1:16-18 (NJKV)

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

God set the condition that Hollywood or the government had to turn towards Him. He said, “My people…” Meaning, wherever my people are, if I can get them to turn towards me, and make something happen with faith in action, then it will happen! God will heal our land. He will forgive our sin. He will redeem our time. He will do exceedingly above and beyond anything we could ever ask for!

You don’t have to settle for... it is what it is. God is with you, and He will take what the enemy meant for evil and use it for your good. All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. I believe the Lord is looking for some Daniels, some Esthers, and some Mary’s. I think God is looking for some men and women who will step into their situation and refuse to settle for the complacent and indifferent ideology of “it is what it is”.

Don’t settle for anything less than the Kingdom of Heaven being manifest on Earth. Do not settle for anything less than the best! It is what you make it! It is through salvation and grace we know we can make things happen!

May His Kingdom come, His will be done, in us and through us!

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We invite you to watch this message, It Is What It Is, from Pastor Eric Gilbert, as he encourages us never to settle for it is what it is. We can overcome whatever situation comes against us because Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

It is what we make it!

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